Complaint about mistreatment at genius bar in osaka shinsaibashi apple store.
Hello I’m an apple loyal customer until now.
Recently I made an appointment with a genius to address an issue with my screen in my macbook pro retina display.
The display has several dead pixels and a terrible image retention problem.
I travel a lot so I couldn’t make an appointment earlier also I though the 1 year warranty was still in effect.
Sadly when I make it to the appointment the first thing I was told is that there is no warranty as the product was purchased in 10/12/2012, and it’s already past a year.
After being told that the genius proceeded to check the computer. I told him that the image retention problem was a widely known issue and that also having dead pixels in the screen was definitely a problem in the manufacture of the system.
He after seeing the dead pixels accused me of damaging the computer a first. After I told him it was a dead pixel and not a damage due to misuse he checked again and said it was truly some dead pixels.
Then he proceeded to make the image retention test which came positive.
I told him that this problem had been since several month which he just told me that he doesn’t care as the warranty was expired there is nothing he or me could do even if it was a manufacture issue.
Then he gave me a lecture about how I should have taken the product in the warranty period and that it’s not his problem if I travel a lot or if there are just a few apple stores available where I live.
At that moment I felt terrible insulted not because the computer couldn’t get a free repair even if it wasn’t my fault but mostly for the behaviour of this “genius” who believe a customer has to just accept the fact he has to pay for the repair, and even insulting me and calling me a LIER just because I told him it was a known issue. He just say “I’ve never heard of anything like that you are making that up".
Then I told him I wanted to speak with the manager, after that he went away and made me wait for over 30 minutes.
Then he came back and told me his manager said the same thing. This guy was all the time with a smile in face just mocking me and acting like I was some kind of idiot just for asking to talk to the manager of the store.
After that I politely asked him to bring the manager again and then he proceeded to look for the manager. Which was just a young boy who was laughing in my face in an even worst way.
I started explaining him my problem and instead of acting like a manager he just asked the other guy every techie question I asked him.
Then they gave me a quote of the repair price which exceeded the 400$.
I asked the manager’s name which he reluctantly gave me then I went home shocked for the terrible service I had just received at the store.
I don’t know if they treat like that every customer in this country and I don’t really care I believe that’s definitely not the correct way of attending a troubled customer.
Being called a LIER, being ACCUSED of scratching and damaging the computer, making me wait for over 30 minutes, etc…
To my surprise when I go back home after checking on the internet there are several countries where Apple take care of the damaged screen even after the 1 year warranty expires.
Then after checking more I found out that there is a way to pay 300$ for a depot repair which I was never told in the store.
After this experience I definitely will think twice before buying an apple product.
I never had any kind of problem like this when I was using a pc. The pc’s quality in general is much worse than an Apple computer but I was never treated like that before.
I own several apple products which I will try to sell and go to another platform after.
best regards
Former Apple fan.
