How Apple Lost Me As A Customer

Yeah, that doesn't sound like much fun.

How did they get the data off your old HDD if it's shot?

Exactly.

If you require a computer for buisness, you have two and sync between them.

Never have one point of failure. Time is money. especially gas money.

I have a slightly older machine, and a brand new one, always in rotation about 2-3 years apart.

I also live over 300 miles from a Apple Store, so it's necessary.

Still a Mac is a heck of a lot better in build quality that a PC.

But one can toss a original price $600 PC and cut their losses with a new machine gotten anywhere just about.

My 4 year old Mac is still worth $900 and my new one set me back almost $4000. 😮

Your whole story ***** and I am sorry for you. However, this is what I do when that sort of thing happens. Apparently your MacBook is old if it has a Core Duo (not a Core2Duo for Lion).

The easiest solution would have been to just buy a new one, and have the old one repaired at leisure. That's what a professional would do. Then, once your old one is repaired, it is a back up machine for future fiascos. Also, buy APPLECARE. It's worth it's wieght in gold. Once, I brought an iMac in for repair for the same issue a second time and their solution was to just hand me a brand new iMac, two models newer than the broken one.

When my wife was working on her master's thesis, her iMac died. Just died. No startup nothing, no screens. Just dead. It was 8 pm. her Thesis was due in 5 days. We rushed to the Apple store and simply bought a new iMac. Then the next day, I brought her old one for repair. It took a week, but was fixed--after the thesis was due. But it wasn't a point of stress for us because her thesis was on Time Machine backup and on her new iMac, and turned in.

So although your situtation is insane and I totaly feel for you, you have to operate under the assumption that EVERYONE IS A MORON, and cover your own butt (maybe it's just the Gen-Xer in me). I assume situations like yours will happen everywhere. The Apple Store, the Crocs Store, Cold Stone Creamery, the driver's license place, ... customer support will always be like your experience. If you think that it doesn't happen everywhere, just go buy a Dell--I've used their support as well. only they mailed me a bluetooth chip and had me install it myself...omg.

Forgive me for being blunt, but if you're a multimedia designer and absolutely depend on your computer, and more specifically your data, there is no excuse to not be using some kind of data backup tool. Time Machine is a fantastic app that showed up a few years ago, I think with Leopard (10.5), and makes a complete backup of all your important data - easily, quickly, and automatically. Even if you decide to never use another Mac (based on your experience I can't say I blame you), you need to be using some kind of data backup with external storage. External hard drives are very cheap nowadays, and regardless of what kind of computer you use they will save you much of the hassle you've been through. Many off-the-shelf products even include backup software of some kind in the box, though I recommend doing some research and deciding on software that meets your needs, budget, and schedule. However, you will be hard-pressed to find one that works as well as Time Machine.

Message was edited by: CaptainBG1 Clicked the wrong reply button, message was meant for Liles13.

CaptainBG1 wrote:

Forgive me for being blunt, but if you're a multimedia designer and absolutely depend on your computer, and more specifically your data, there is no excuse to not be using some kind of data backup tool. Time Machine is a fantastic app...

He said he used Time Machine:

Andrew Mcvinnie wrote:

But it wasn't a point of stress for us because her thesis was on Time Machine backup and on her new iMac, and turned in.

Sorry, my response was intended to be directed towards Liles13.

CaptainBG1 wrote:

Sorry, my response was intended to be directed towards Liles13.

Well in that case, your 100% correct.

You have had an extraordinary bad experience, and one I think that is not typical. I have never encountered anything like that in my dealings with Apple. It sounds like you got incompetant advice from the very beginning. Did the Apple Store even run a diagnostic hardware test? They should have!

There is one further avenue of appeal that you could try. Call Apple on the phone, and ask to speak specifically to Apple Customer Relations. They are a special tier that can often help when people encounter the kinds of difficulties that you have.

Before calling, make a written outline of everything that happened to you, and fill in as many names and times as you can. Tell ACR everything. It sounds like you may have encountered a bunch of poorly trained Apple employees. There is no excuse for the kind of runaround that you experienced.

It's a simple case of, the guy had a very old model, and obviously not all staff are going to be knowledgeable going back further than say 3 - 4 years, so it's understandable really. But they probably shouldn't have given advice unless they are experienced with that particular model, but they were obviously just trying to be helpful.

Apple Customer Relations (800) 767-2775

At the rate Apple is going, there are likely a lot of new people who are inexperienced. However, Apple supports their machines for 7 years, and any Apple tech should have been trained to be competent to deal with any supported machine. That means all Intel machines, introduced in 2006 as I recall, and also a number of Power PC machines.

There were also a number of balls dropped. liles13 should have gotten a case number, and everything promised should have been done. If a box was promised, it should have been sent. If Snow Leopard was promised, then Snow Leopard should have been installed. If Apple can only install a drive like one that was originally shipped, then no 1 TB drive should have ever been promised. And any of them should have been able to inform him that his machine did not meet the technical specs for Lion.

No doubt the techs were trying to be helpful. Nevertheless, they should have had the training to deliver competent help, and it seems they fell short here. liles 13 might have been better off going to an AASP, who would likely be willing to install a larger drive and transfer his data. And who might have run a diagnostic test to determine if there were other problems with the machine, since it appears that there may be.

My own experience with Apple has been excellent. Only twice have I gotten really incompetent help. However, I have read a few horror stories, which is why I recommended ACR. Clearly Apple does not like having its customers treated like liles13, and that is why ACR exists.

Try getting anything from Microsoft or a Windows PC manufacturer.

Hate to tell you this, but it seems that with your "troubleshooting skills" I would hope that if I had a problem with my mac, I get someone ELSE on the phone.

This could all have been done by you if a) you had some decent troubleshooting skills and b) a backup of your drive.

I'm sorry to hear you had all this trouble with your mac, but still... What is the alternative?

I have been an Apple fan for the longest time and currently own an iMac, a Macbook, an iPad, an iPhone and an iPod. However, my recent customer service experiences at Apple stores have made me reconsider my loyalty. The most recent incident in a long line of bad customer service experiences at Apple stores happened yesterday at their WestTown mall store in Madison WI. I approached them with a simple problem - My iPhone charger's cord had started ripping at the end that goes into the phone and I wanted them to exchange it since I had purchased my phone less than a year ago. Not only did the Apple representative at the store dismiss my request for an exchange, he told me that they were not going to exchange products "damaged due to customers' mishandling. I politely requested him to look at nature of damage (cannot be possibly caused by human negligence), the fact that the phone was still under warranty and consider my background as a loyal supporter of the Apple ecosystem. He was not only extremely unhelpful but also rude and made me feel as if I was wasting his precious time. He said "I can't help with you that. You can go ahead and buy a new wire". What customer service for a guy who currently owns almost $5000 worth of Apple products! Thats the new Apple for you guys - faulty products, no problem resolution, an effective customer DISservice and extremely petty. If you own Apple stocks - SELL NOW!

I as well have just had the worst customer service experience with Apple Telephone Support. I had called because my headset on my iPhone 5 went out and I could only use my phone for calls if it was on speakerphone. I was told my limited warranty had expired and to talk to an agent without being charged $30 I would need to buy the AppleCare extended warranty. I agreed to purchasing this coverage and was then transferred to an agent to assist me with setting up a claim. The agent was very quick to process the claim and even offered for me to expedite the process to go into an Apple store, but the closest one is over a 100 miles away. The option to have a replacement phone delivered was best and I gave my credit card information for the hold until the damaged device was received and then the agent was quick to let me go. Before I ended the call I verified my new address as my phone was shipped when purchased to my old address and the agent made no attempt to verify an address assuming the old one was still relevant. A day later I was sent an email confirming shipment and I noticed immediately that it was being shipped to my old address. I was very concerned because I needed my phone and I was responsible for the credit card charge that was pending. I promptly called customer service again and was told the shipment was cancelled and I would have to wait until that device was received back then I would have to call back and setup a new claim, again delaying getting a properly working phone. I asked to speak to this agents supervisor as this solution did not work for me. The agent transferred me to a supervisor and I was told that I could have another device shipped, but another hold would need to be placed on my credit card for the $700. At this point I was heading out of town for 2 weeks and didn't want to chance not being able to sign for the delivery of the phone. The supervisor told me to just go to an Apple store in the city I was visiting and I would be able to switch out the phone. This was my intended plan. On Wednesday, I looked at the shipping information for the phone that was suppose to be cancelled and rerouted back to your fulfillment center and noted that the package had been delivered to my prior address and someone had signed my name (incorrectly at that) and it was not being returned. I called again to see what was going on because I did not want to be responsible for the credit card charge of this phone that was now at my prior address. The supervisor I spoke to previously said that she had contacted dispatch and that within 24 hours the phone would be picked up and shipped to my new address as it is in the same city. 48 hours later I still had not heard a word about the phone so I called the supervisor back directly and left a message with no word back until the following day by another supervisor. That supervisor then put me directly in contact with dispatch who had no information to give and could not contact FedEx as it was a Saturday. He stated that by Monday he would call me back, but that the phone was probably going to be returned to the fulfillment center as this is the standard procedure. I get a call back on Monday and am told there is no new information from FedEx and my best bet is to go to my previous address and ask for the device or I will be responsible for the $700 charge for a non-returned device. I am the one responsible for the mistakes.