kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Do Apple have a complaints department in the UK?

Hi all.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can provide me with the contact details I need.

<Edited by Host>

iMac 27", Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Nov 4, 2010 9:39 AM

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TheStoat

Level 1

15 points

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 8:13 AM

OK, heated discussion aside I have just posted this in another thread regarding logging a formal complaint in the UK. Here are the steps I took and would recommend...

Please bear in mind the feedback option recommended by some does not guarantee a response - as is stated on the actual feedback option

Phone 0844 209 0611

You will go through a few phone prompts and then be put through to a person in Apple Care

He/She will ask you to confirm the serial number and tell you if the product is within warranty

He/She will ask how they can help

Describe to them the outline of your issue and finish by telling the person you wish to raise a formal complaint

He/She will advise you that you are going to be transferred to Customer Services

I was on hold for a couple of minutes but the person transferring me joined my call again to advise that the wait would be a couple of minutes more (someone keeping you up to date - nice touch)

When the Customer Services person was ready to take the call the original person conferenced in the person and introduced us both before leaving us to it

You are now through to someone who can process, evaluate and repond to your complaint

The response may or may not be that day, tomorrow etc etc but the person will advise you of the timeline, your case ID and their contact details

You have now logged your complaint and it is being addressed by someone with the authority to respond and if necessary authorise any further action (contribute to repairs etc)

I have tested this personally and it works. Total time spent on the phone? Around ten minutes. I am of course now awaiting Apple's verdict 🙂

Cheers,

Andy

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201 replies

deggie

Level 10

167,519 points

Jan 17, 2014 11:54 AM in response to Shazam79

Are you charged by the call on your phone?

As I said to the other person, use the feedback link if all you want to do is complain. Or buy from another company that does offer email complaints. Hope that they actually read them.

Sep 16, 2015 3:03 AM in response to kptphoto

Can i just say i find it absurd that Apple doesn't have a complaints department and that customers having to jump through hoops to find any kind of human contact is ridicuolus. To all those saying otherwise you are clearly delusional about what customer service entails. If Apple feel they are above giving the customer the right to complain about faulty goods then they are acting outside of the consumer rights act. I too have had great trouble with several new iPhones to which i was simply told this issue is conveniently 'not covered by your warranty' and therefore your only option is to purchase a new iPhone. I for one will not be continuing to give Apple my custom!

Dec 18, 2015 7:22 AM in response to DarenWheeler

Actually, when it comes to the very act you just cited, and similar acts in other countries, saying "We fixed it" does indeed exactly cut it. That is what most consumer such acts require, that the retailer or manufacturer make right any defects in parts or arising from manufacturing deficiencies in a timely manner and at their cost. If they've done that, then they have met theit obligations under consumer law, and they are not at all bound or required to listen to anyone's complaints nor provide any means for processing complaints. That is all effectively covered already by their customer or technical service departments and procedures.

Jan 7, 2017 6:55 PM in response to Michael Black

I don't think it should have been merely a legal issue on this one based on Apple's intended brand reputation. It's simply against their own strategy.

I've been using Apple products for so many years but I'm now considering to change to Huawei. I seriously don't think it's worth it to pay so much for the Apple's when they don't even want to listen to customer complaints!!

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 4, 2010 10:16 AM in response to wegras

Oh yes. It is a totally legitimate source. I am genuinely anti piracy and only but my products from authorised dealers. In fact, best not to get me started on that one!

Thanks for your advice. If iPhone 4 number 3 goes wrong, I'll give it a try. Unfortunately my iPhone (number 2) has been "sent away for repair" (even though I've only had it for a few days) so I can't take it in at the moment.

Meanwhile, can anyone help with contact details of an Apple complaints department?

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 4, 2010 11:07 AM in response to roaminggnome

Ok. So I will not get a reply to "feedback". That is why the feedback was endorsed "I accept you have an endorsement stating feedback will not be responded to. Therefore more reason for contact details for genuine complaints".

I can read.

The fact that there is no easy way to complain simply goes to add weight to the arrogance of Apple.

An earlier reply advises going to a Genius Bar. Fair enough, but the nearest to me is over 50 miles away. I'd have to write off an entire day to do it and why? Because the product I had bought is faulty? TWICE! So lose a day's pay to solve a problem which is not of my doing?

PS. Do you work for Apple?

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 4, 2010 11:38 AM in response to Tamara

That was tried but I lost interest after spending a long time listening to an answer machine.

I am not "anti Apple". I have a 5 year old G5 which still works. I had an iPhone3. I have a 27" iMac. I have an old iPod which still works. I also have an iPod touch and a MacBook. I am an Apple convert. It just frustrates the **** out of me when there doesn't seem to be an easier way to get things put right when they have supplied a faulty product.

I have read how Apple are now "bigger" than Microsoft. It would be a shame if they were so arrogant that the individual customer such as me was of no importance. To me, making it sooo difficult to make a genuine complaint is a step in that direction.

varjak paw

Level 10

182,656 points

Nov 4, 2010 11:48 AM in response to kptphoto

kptphoto wrote:
By the way. To Apple. Why the asterixes in my response. I didn't use foul language.

The forum software automatically block some words, words which while you may not consider them "foul" may be offensive to others.

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 4, 2010 11:51 AM in response to roaminggnome

Hello roaminggnome.

I can see you have a sense of humour.

I have a complaints department. It's me. And I deal with any complaints (which thankfully are very rare) on a personal basis. Don't try to be cleaver. How can you possibly compare a small business with a goliath such as Apple.

I will refrain from commenting further.

Tamara

Level 6

13,744 points

Nov 4, 2010 12:30 PM in response to kptphoto

If you complain to Samsung, do they run out and offer you a new TV? If you complain to Mercedes, do they offer you a new car?

There will always be unlucky people who get a lemon, no matter how good the product.

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 4, 2010 1:07 PM in response to Tamara

Tamara, you appear to be missing the point.

I had a problem with my last car. I was able to speak to a human being (not a recorded message) who solved my problem. They didn't fob me off or redirect me to another department. They dealt with it easily and quickly and provided alternative transport while it was fixed. (I have not been provided with another mobile phone whilst mine is fixed, .... hopefully fixed this time).

This was the level of service provided by the biggest car manufacturer in the world, so you can easily find out who it was. So, whilst I did not get a new Mercedes, there was someone who could solve the problem for me and I was provided with a replacement whilst mine was fixed. That left me feeling a valued and happy customer. Needless to say I will return next time my car needs replacing.

It is this apparent lack of someone who can solve your problem for you that had lead to my frustrations with my iPhone together with the lack of a provision of a replacement whilst it is away being "fixed"

Apple NEED to appreciate that the small, insignificant little individual customer is important.

Your choice of Mercedes is very appropriate. I believe their sales went down when they became over confident of customer loyalty and let standards slip.

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 4, 2010 3:00 PM in response to Tamara

This is the last post I will make on this discussion.

I don't wish to make this personal but, Tamara, I do believe you are missing the point.

It appears you believe Apple is not capable of getting anything wrong.

I did not complain about the antenna nonsense. In fact, I purchased my iP4 AFTER that came to notice because, like you, I suspected it was a lot of fuss about nothing. I also have no intention at this time of demanding a refund for my phone. I realise the odd faulty product will slip through.

I love Apple products and have converted several relatives and friends to the benefits of Apple products. I am not a whinger who complains about everything just for the sake of it.

However, to buy an iP4 which proves faulty, only for it to be replaced with another iP4 which is faulty, for there not to be a substitute to be used whilst either are away to be "repaired" and for there not to be an easy way to inform Apple of these facts without spending ages on the phone listening to a machine is not acceptable if Apple wants the small person like me to feel their custom is valued.

If the largest car manufacturer in the world can provide an easy way to solve genuine complaints, why can't Apple?

It is a simple truth to state that if I treated any of my customers in this way, they would vote with their feet.

As I own so many Apple products it is in my interest for them to continue to be successful. However Apple need to set up an easy way for people with genuine complaints to get them resolved without spending hours trawling through their website and forums looking for contact details or listening to a machine.

My original question was, is there a complaints department in the UK. I guess not. I believe Apple need to address this issue urgently if they wish to continue to grow.

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 4, 2010 3:27 PM in response to kptphoto

also does not actually answer my query,is not open outside of office hours.......etc.....simple question,do not post a reply unless you have a valid answer.....is there a U.K. complaints dept......don't want answer machines etc......bizarrely would like to write a formal complaint to a real person who knows what they are talking about and get an answer back.....too much to ask for in this modern 52nd state society...or however many their happens to be in the USA plus 1......us..... UK !

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 5, 2010 1:37 PM in response to kirisilvermane

Thanks for your advice. I'll try using it for a few days first before re-entering the contacts. If I get further problems I'll take it to the Genius Bar even though it's over 50 miles away. But I am not confident that they will replace it. (see below).

I think I noticed a comment about, it doesn't matter where you buy your Apple you can get it replaced at an Apple store if it's defective, or words to that effect. Unless procedures in the UK have changed, that was not my experience.

About 18 months ago I purchased an iMac from the Apple online store. It developed a fault (the eventual diagnosis was leaky ram, whatever that is) so I took it to the nearest Apple store. The response I got was "Sorry, but the online store is a different company. You will have to refer your problem to them".

I have since replaced that iMac and had no further problems but that experience has probably increased my annoyance with the iPhone 4.

kptphoto Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 5, 2010 1:40 PM in response to kptphoto

PS. I did intend to make "the last post" just that, but I inadvertently left my computer on standby for a short while whilst still logged on and my account was hijacked. Teenagers, bizarre sense of humour. Still, my fault for being a bit careless.

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Do Apple have a complaints department in the UK?