Thanks for that info. I just spent 45 minutes on the phone with Apple. I called the store closest to me which is in Brandon FL and over an hour away. I asked to speak to someone about my phone and after explaining the situation was told it COULD be handled through the mail and she would forward me to the call center where they would take care of me.
Fine, I wait and then get a pleasant enough girl who asks for my serial number. She determines I don't have Apple care...which I already had told her I did not have. The phone has 1 year of warranty so this should not be an issue, it IS still covered under the manufacturers limited hardware warranty and THE HARDWARE IS CLEARLY FAULTY. All I wanted to know is what are my options for getting this serviced through the mail, I'm told I need to pay $70 for Apple care since my 90 days of phone support has passed. I state I do not require phone support I just want to take advantage of the touted 1 year of warranty. I'm told I can't proceed in any sort of warranty process unless I pay $70.
This is absolutely unacceptable. I don't need over the phone technical support to tell me I can't push the power button down on my wife's phone. After getting the same scripted answer over and over again explaining how they need to troubleshoot the software on my 8 month old phone with a physically broken power button in order to determine my eligibility for a replacement or not, and the only way they will do that is after I buy the $70 Apple care plan from this call center "supervisor" about ten times I about lost my mind. This is the most frustrating experience as a customer I have had in a very long time and I am not the kind of person who is easily riled up.
My question was simply this: Why should I have to pay $70 to have someone farther down the technical support chain answer whether or not this can be handled through the mail? That's all I wanted to know. Why in the world should it cost me money to get the priviledge of an answer to that simple question? Her reply was simply that they can't proceed with a mail in warranty claim (or even answer questions regarding them apparently) until they properly diagnose the software on my phone. They can't diagnose the phone without technical support, and in order to even speak to someone in technical support you must either be inside the 90 day window or pay $70 for Apple care. Am I the only person who sees how inherently flawed this is?
FYI, the only thing more frustrating as a customer than not getting a satisfactory answer and feeling as though you're getting the run around is the call center person REPEATING THE SAME SCRIPTED ANSWERS OVER AND OVER. Are these people not customers? I asked her how she would feel if she were the customer and coudn't take advantage of the manufacturers warranty, or even speak to anyone regarding it unless she paid $70. She had no answer, I asked again, same scripted answers. Finally she gave me a smarmy "Well I always buy Apple care so this doesn't happen to me". She finally gave up since she couldn't form an original thought other than that, she could only read the script layed out in front of her. I was transferred to the Brandon store where I could pursue repair options with someone (read: anyone) else. I just wanted out of the 7th concentric circle of stupidity I was in with this woman.
Transferred, wait, the store is busy I understand. Get a pleasant guy on the phone, I spend a couple minutes explaining how frustrating the prior interaction was and the whole dynamic of my conundrum. He is sypathetic, and suggests I come in to the store so they can help me. I state my only real question for him is if I bring this phone in is it covered and is it going to cost me money? He states they have to look at it and they don't give quotes over the phone. OK, no quotes over the phone, fine. I explain it's quite a drive and I don't want to drive there for no reason which will cost me money, can he please answer my question on whether it's covered and is it going to cost me ANY money. He is sypathetic, and suggests I come in to the store so they can help me. O M G, more scripted answers. After I JUST finished explaining that the store is an hour and a half away from me and all I want is an answer to a simple question! I ask to talk to anyone who can tell me what I want to know he states I merely need to make an appointment to come into the store. That's merely all I need to do? Make an appointment for a future date to a store an hour and a half away so I can drive there and possibly get my situation resolved? UNACCEPTABLE. He finally told me It would cost me SOMETHING, "there's no way Apple is just going to just give you a free phone", and "it'll be at least $50". I asked why would there be a cost associated with this if it's covered under warranty. He states can't answer that, the only people who can answer that would be a genius and they DO NOT COME TO THE PHONE. He refused to answer my questions or get anyone on the phone who was qualified to answer them. Over and over he suggested I come in to the store so they can help me..... O M G
I had to ask eleven times, ELEVEN TIMES to speak to a supervisor before I was put on hold and 8 minutes later the supervisor came on the phone. The supervisor of the Brandon store that was working tonight 4/23/13 was the ONLY person I spoke to through all this who actually answered my questions and didn't read from a script (much). He should be commended...wait no he should be reprimanded if he trained the guy answering calls.
Supervisor stated:
1: If the phone is as I have derscribed it (undamaged), it's absolutely covered under the 1 year of warranty.
2: There is NO COST ASSOCIATED if it's covered under warranty. The phone will be replaced for free.
3: Make an appointment, come in and they will take care of me.
4: I asked are you making an exception for me or is this the way you handle all warranty issues like this (so I know if I need to give his name or something). Answer: This is how we handle any phone under warranty.
I say thank you for the info and I'll make an appointment and come in sometime soon. Simple as that.
With the guy answering the phones in the Brandon store it's absolutely a training issue. How can you not know something as basic as how warranty issues are handled? Why would you not go out of your way to get the requested info for a customer who already has been getting unsatisfactory responses from other people in your company? He sure knew to tell me that the supervisor was far too busy to talk to me.
You guys can seriously give the DMV a run for there money in the bureaucratic run around department. How can your people be so irritatingly oblivious to logical situations that can be easily handled satisfactorily? Do you only hire automatons and Stepford wives? What in the **** is wrong with your support staff, why don't any of the people I spoke with tonight have any compassion or empathy? I work in the Healthcare field, I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I treated people the way I was treated tonight.
I don't see a bright future for Apple products in my household, and up until this point we've purchased many.
