I just purchased my Macbook about 2 and 1/2 months ago. I purchased an Apple because everyone told me they were superior computers and that Apple had the best customer service around….boy was I lied to!
When I purchased my laptop, I also purchased an Apple Care warranty, you can never be too safe, especially when you’re putting out so much cash for a laptop.
I opened up the laptop one night to use it, everything was fine. Closed the laptop to prevent dust from getting on it while I watched a movie on TV. Opened up the laptop after the movie was over. First thing I noticed was a blue line running down the middle of the screen, then there was some black patches on the screen and what looked like cracks. Over the days it progressively got worse. It looks like it is cracked internally.
I brought it to my local apple repair center, they sent photos of my screen to Apple. Now Apple is refusing to repair the screen, claiming that there was physical damage to the laptop…which there was not! There’s no logical reason why this should have happened to my laptop, and I’m extremely disappointed with the lack of understanding and customer service I’ve received from Apple.
The guy I spoke to flat out said we’re not repairing your laptop because it looks like you damaged it on purpose. Who the hell would purposely break the screen of their laptop after only having it for a couple months??? I babied this computer because I spent a year saving up the money to purchase it, I’m a student and I don’t exactly have a lot of cash lying around. I’d have to be psycho to purposely damage something I saved up so long for.
Seriously, buying an apple was the biggest waste of $1900 I’ve ever spent! I’m now stuck with an unusable laptop that I can’t afford to fix (I was quoted $925 to replace the screen). Any ideas on what I should do?
I was considering filing a complaint with Better Buisness Bureau or selling my laptop for parts on ebay (which would majorly suck because I would never get back what I paid for the machine) and purchasing a different laptop from a different company.
Any suggestions?
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My computer was hibernating on my desk open and I went to it, woke it up and there was colorful lines running vertically for about 2 inches from the righthand side. An hour on the phone with AppleCare and they say its a loose cable. They make a “Genius” bar appointment for me. I go and wait an hour, despite the appointment. The “Genius” pinched the side of my screen and a black blob spiderweb formation stretched out across the screen. He says “Well obviously this is cracked” I say, I feel no cracks anywhere! The book is pristine, no damage anywhere. He tells me its an internal crack that is deemed “accidental damage” which isn’t covered on the warranty and its 600 bucks to fix. I was livid. It was just some colorful lines until he messed with it!
3 hours on the phone with AppleCare tonight and they tell me they cant make an exception. I will call back every day until i get somewhere with this.
Holly on January 27th, 2008 at 8:27 pm | Link
I think we need to get all the people who this has happened to together to fight this. I’ve made a formal complaint to the B.B.B, I’m also going to publish an article in my university newspaper describing what Apple is doing to its customers. What pissed me off is that the rep from Apple flat out accused me of physically damaging my laptop. Since when is opening your laptop physical damage? This whole situation is infuriating! I’m definitely not going down without a fight. I will call Apple every day if I have to. Something needs to be done about this obvious defect!
Lindsay Chapman on January 27th, 2008 at 11:13 pm | Link
UPDATE:
I was persistent, and guess what….
APPLE IS COVERING THE COSTS OF REPAIRING MY SCREEN!!!!!
YAY I WON!
Message of this story: BE PERSISTENT! DO NOT GIVE UP
Lindsay Chapman on January 28th, 2008 at 10:53 am | Link
THEY ARE FIXING MINE TOO!!
I am so excited! It took probably 10 hours of my time total, but it was well worth it to not have to cover this repair.
DO NOT GIVE UP!
Holly on January 28th, 2008 at 5:17 pm | Link
honestly this is why i’m probably going to pick up a used dell for like $200. that way its more or less getting cannibalized for parts if it breaks.
Andrew on February 27th, 2008 at 11:16 am | Link
Sounds like we have a class-action cause(s)-of-action(s) (law suit).
Ticked Off Lemur on March 2nd, 2008 at 3:05 pm | Link
This happened to my monitor 18 hours (!!!) after I purchased my first macbook this weekend. I’m in the process of dealing with Apple Customer Service. The people at the apple store this weekend refused to believe I didn’t drop my laptop. I’m both relieved and heartbroken to know that this happened to others.
Mindy on March 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 am | Link
When they replaced the lcd for free they broke the wireless and one of the clips that hold the casing on. I sent an email to sjobs@apple.com and withing 24 hours i had a brand new macbook in my hands with all my old info transferred over.
Holly on March 3rd, 2008 at 2:04 pm | Link
Wow lucky you Holly. When I orignally emailed Steve Jobs about my laptop he refused to believe what I said and wouldn’t do anything for me. Luckily I had taken photos of my screen before the damage got severe so I had proof of the progression and talked to someone who was compassionate enough to authorize a repair. Now my laptop is fixed.
BUT I still would not recommend an Apple. Especially if this is the kind of problems they have. Problems that the company refuses to acknowledge.
Get a Dell and save yourself the hassle.
If I could go back in time, I never would have bought an Apple.
Lindsay on March 4th, 2008 at 9:21 am | Link
Purchased a MacBook last August. November of that year the hard drive ended up going, a semester worth of work gone. Jump ahead to this spring and the hard drive went once again. The people at the apple store in my area were more than glad to fix it, along with alot of shoulder shrugs and “i’m sorry’s”, as no one could give me a concrete answer as to why this was happening.
Long story short, they tried “bribing” me with a 120GB external hard-drive, “just in case” anything like this would happen a THIRD time. Ended up having a 15 minute conversation with the “assistant-manager” of the store in my area, who got more angry than I did, over what, I dont know. They’ll be sending my MacBook out today for a “new one”, I just hope it isn’t refurbished.
I have to say that the customer service with Apple so far has been awful. It’s 99.9% impossible to find an individual to go out of their way to help you. I’ll still be in contact with the regional manager in my area as to why the assistant manager had to act like a five year old.
Joe on June 22nd, 2008 at 1:58 pm | Link
wow I am contemplating an Apple but got foiled by their moronic credit app. maybe i will buy a Sony. FWIW my current POS Toshiba generated a class action suit. I of course knew nothing about it but i got a 35$ coupon FOR MORE TOSHIBA CRAP. SIGH.
If you guys were really successful then HOORAY, maybe a Macbook is worth it.
there is hope…
GibGrl on September 1st, 2008 at 4:31 pm | Link
SUE THEM!!!
Erin on September 13th, 2008 at 9:14 pm | Link