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Apple carefully positions itself behind my sister
freshmasterfresh
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Here's the whole story; if you're too lazy, skip to the bolded shit, yo.
My sister bought a Macbook back when they were first released. If she'd asked me, I would have told her to wait a few revisions, but that doesn't matter at this point. When her new computer first arrived, the machine would shut down at random, which was later determined to be due to a faulty wire contacting the heatsink and shorting out the system. After a few days' repair time, she picked up her system and happily took it home.
From that day in October or November, the machine was incapable of running from or charging its battery. Sometime in December she made another visit to the Applestore, where everything seemed to be perfectly fine after one of their 'geniuses' had a look at it. I didn't see exactly what he did, but it was nothing more than a boot-up hotkey. We were relieved, but when she gave it a try back at home it was exactly the same.
Two months later, about a week ago, we made another trip to a different Applestore. They tried her battery and power adapter, as well as their own equipment, and upon observing the problem I had thoroughly described, my sister's sorry little machine was checked in for service. We had lunch and returned home, hopeful of a final resolution.
Three days later, I was with my sister when she received a call from the Applestore. Up until this point, despite our difficulties, we were completely happy with the service we had received. I could tell there was a problem from the half of the conversation I could hear, but when my sister told me what they had said, I was amazed. Apparently there was some liquid damage within the machine, which had never left my sister's care. She was on the verge of tears after hearing that a repair would cost $1200.
Due to this liquid damage, her warranty is now void, and her Applecare Protection Plan little more than a +$200 stack of papers. We immediately drove to the Applestore where I carefully asserted our side of the situation. The tech who had called us informed us that he would waive the $85 fee he should have charged in this case, and that our only option at this point was to take it up with Apple directly. I should have asked to speak with the manager, but at the time I was not thinking clearly. We ate lunch while the tech wrapped up the computer and then returned home enraged and dejected.
Following the aforementioned tech's advice, we took the computer to another Applestore to have them check it out. After a forty-minute drive, one of their 'geniuses' checked her serial and informed us that because there was liquid damage, we would have to take it up with Apple directly. This time I let my sister do the talking because it is her computer. She thought it would be better to act as though we knew nothing about the liquid damage to try to get a second opinion. In doing so she lied about being there when we picked up the computer (which was stupid because she signed the release), and came off as a jerk, so rather than ask to speak with a manager we just left.
At this point, I've invested several hours into getting this thing fixed through two different Applestore locations. I believed my sister's claim that she had caused no liquid related damage to the computer, in part because of her logic, but mostly because there were no signs of liquid damage around the keyboard, inside the vents, or within the battery compartment. Another deciding factor was the fact that the only problem with the machine was the battery circuit. Having experience with repairing laptops at a computer repair shop, and with my sister's permission, I decided to take her computer apart to see this liquid damage for myself...
The fact that you visit these forums suggests that you may be interested in seeing some pictures. Now that they’ve implemented an h-scroll specific to individual posts, here they are, separated into another post to prevent any h-scroll issues.
My sister bought a Macbook back when they were first released. If she'd asked me, I would have told her to wait a few revisions, but that doesn't matter at this point. When her new computer first arrived, the machine would shut down at random, which was later determined to be due to a faulty wire contacting the heatsink and shorting out the system. After a few days' repair time, she picked up her system and happily took it home.
From that day in October or November, the machine was incapable of running from or charging its battery. Sometime in December she made another visit to the Applestore, where everything seemed to be perfectly fine after one of their 'geniuses' had a look at it. I didn't see exactly what he did, but it was nothing more than a boot-up hotkey. We were relieved, but when she gave it a try back at home it was exactly the same.
Two months later, about a week ago, we made another trip to a different Applestore. They tried her battery and power adapter, as well as their own equipment, and upon observing the problem I had thoroughly described, my sister's sorry little machine was checked in for service. We had lunch and returned home, hopeful of a final resolution.
Three days later, I was with my sister when she received a call from the Applestore. Up until this point, despite our difficulties, we were completely happy with the service we had received. I could tell there was a problem from the half of the conversation I could hear, but when my sister told me what they had said, I was amazed. Apparently there was some liquid damage within the machine, which had never left my sister's care. She was on the verge of tears after hearing that a repair would cost $1200.
Due to this liquid damage, her warranty is now void, and her Applecare Protection Plan little more than a +$200 stack of papers. We immediately drove to the Applestore where I carefully asserted our side of the situation. The tech who had called us informed us that he would waive the $85 fee he should have charged in this case, and that our only option at this point was to take it up with Apple directly. I should have asked to speak with the manager, but at the time I was not thinking clearly. We ate lunch while the tech wrapped up the computer and then returned home enraged and dejected.
Following the aforementioned tech's advice, we took the computer to another Applestore to have them check it out. After a forty-minute drive, one of their 'geniuses' checked her serial and informed us that because there was liquid damage, we would have to take it up with Apple directly. This time I let my sister do the talking because it is her computer. She thought it would be better to act as though we knew nothing about the liquid damage to try to get a second opinion. In doing so she lied about being there when we picked up the computer (which was stupid because she signed the release), and came off as a jerk, so rather than ask to speak with a manager we just left.
At this point, I've invested several hours into getting this thing fixed through two different Applestore locations. I believed my sister's claim that she had caused no liquid related damage to the computer, in part because of her logic, but mostly because there were no signs of liquid damage around the keyboard, inside the vents, or within the battery compartment. Another deciding factor was the fact that the only problem with the machine was the battery circuit. Having experience with repairing laptops at a computer repair shop, and with my sister's permission, I decided to take her computer apart to see this liquid damage for myself...
The fact that you visit these forums suggests that you may be interested in seeing some pictures. Now that they’ve implemented an h-scroll specific to individual posts, here they are, separated into another post to prevent any h-scroll issues.
freshmasterfresh on
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The top of the logic board and the underside of the CPU/GPU heatsink and fan:
The only visible "liquid damage" found on the case:
The only visible "liquid damage" found on the logic board:
I am not exagerrating when I say that other than the spots highlighted in those two photos, this computer is fucking immaculate. Here are some extra pictures of various parts of the machine to give you an idea of its condition:
I'll start putting it back together now and let you guys know if it still works when I'm through. I've had a couple of beers, but I'm still perfectly capable of such an undertaking
It's just a hunch, but i'm thinking one of the imonkeys spilt something while examining the mac, and didnt want to fess up.
Two of the three went on to describe why they'd own up to it, but with the third guy I just said, "I don't care, we need to go now."
Sounds like your problem is some tech spilled his soda while torqing around with your sister's laptop's innards, and now that you've taken it apart... there is no way to prove that you didn't just clean up whatever was on the keyboard when "your sister" spilled her soda on there.
At least, that's what Apple is likely to tell you.
Her mistake for buying an overpriced piece of chic electronics, is how I feel. But it still sucks that she's being put into such a shitty situation. My advice would be to bring the issue directly to Apple with the evidence that you have (the current photos and your service history, along with any complaints you voiced when you were given substandard service from the various Applestores {you did voice complaints, right?} along with maybe an emotional performance) and hope that they don't just write you off as some spill-happy chick's brother out to get a free repair job.
Good luck. Also, on a side note, I've repaired a few PCs while under the influence of alcohol, and it makes the time pass much more enjoyably. However, if you did show Apple the pictures, you might want to remove the Sam Adams bottle beforehand.
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Steam / Bus Blog / Goozex Referral
Well, I would distinctly disagree. You want to hate apple's business practices, fine, but their OS is good, and I've had good experience with at least their desktop machines. Never tried their laptops, but aside from this thread, I've seen pretty much nothing but goodness on their build quality once they have a bit of maturity and the glitches are worked out.
But yeah, looking at this, I'd say that maybe one of the techs screwed something up and either won't own up or doesn't know. Welcome to what happens when you take your machine to the store that sells them, there may be an employee who fucks up.
(I'm referring to that PA comic... ho ho... joke joke)
I perform better to rap, anyways.
Something like a tech would have a reason to do
It works, and that's the point. There's a screw that isn't going in as easliy as the others, and I think I know why. Rather than try to force it, I'm going to take the keyboard back off tomorr- later today, and make wires for the wifi antennea and [I think] webcam aren't in the way. It should only take a few minutes, but simply saying that is surely dooming me to another three hours of work.
It's 5am, and I'm ready for bed.
I'd be really surprised if what happened wasn't that whomever was looking at your PC didn't accidentally drip their drink into the battery compartment and just tried to pass it off.
I've also taken out the additional 2 year warranty just because of the stories I've heard of Apple's hardware (at least laptop based) having a tendancy to fail.
PSN: SirGrinchX
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So, basically, if you demonstrate that you may have abused a computer at all, they will weasel out of fixing ANYTHING. Fuck!
Any hardware can fail. Remember, you only hear the 1% of the people bitching and screaming, you rarely hear the 99% having no problems at all.
I've owned my iBook for 3 years now, and aside from needing to replace the power cable I've had no problems with it. Even that was my fault, I fried the power cable with static electricty.
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I had random shutdowns, fixed with the boot key.
I had it again, they shipped it off for TWO GODDAMN WEEKS to fix it.
Then I had a problem with the update where my screen would go white and then colors would start to form lines on the monitor, (this was the day after I picked it up)
Then I had the battery issue, where they "fixed it"
Then I had the battery issue again, and they shipped it off for 3 days.
Since then I havent had any trouble. But while this is my first apple computer, and yes I really think I perfer it for general use over my PC, I think apple really drops the ball on there tech support. Simply because if your a Mac user, chances are youll accept that its more expensive and pay it, since mac is a "Higher Quality". Sadly the price has become part of Apples marketing technique simply because if you have to pay more, surely your getting your moneys worth for a better product, however much bullshit that may be.
That said, the friendliest tech support that helped me out the most has always been Microsoft, and Ive been fucked by them, but they had the gull to tell me it was their fault ,and fix it regardless of the cost on their end.
That's really one of the drawbacks of macs. When you get a mature product, it's fucking great. But since they do these major revisions, as opposed to more minor stuff relying on well-established parts like a PC manufacturer might, you end up with screwy first revisions. My first revision iMac hasn't given me any trouble for the most part, but I'm a lucky one.
Apple Care does cover Water Damage, even accidental. The fact that they're trying to deny you it is very suspicious (and a lie).
If you call Apple Support and say that your Apple shocked you, you get a new Apple. This is unethical, but so is spilling espresso on your system and then claiming you did it, and lying and saying it's out of warranty.
But...
Taking apart the system without being Apple Certified instantly voids the warranty. (Fun fact: To even get to the HDD / RAM in an Apple you have to rip it apart).
So basically I think you're screwed, unless you call the Apple Support people, complain loudly (but politely and professionally) and accuse the guys who serviced your PC of causing the water damage, if on accident, and being too embarrassed to own up to it or something.
Fun fact: You're half wrong on some Macs and totally wrong on the rest.
The RAM is accessible easily on every Mac and the HD on most models. The only ones I can think of that require you to rip the machine apart entirely to change the HD are the iBook G4s.
The machine boots up fine, and the only problem I caused while putting it back together was stripping a single screw. That could come back to bite my sister in the ass, but I doubt it would cause any problems beyond the ones she's already facing. If someone was stupid enough to spill coffee in the machine, and too much of a coward to own up to it, odds are that same person would be more than capable of stripping a screw. Like I said, we'll see how this pans out.
Also, the hard drive and memory are easily accessible in my sister's Macbook; all you have to do is remove three screws as documented in the battery compartment. In the picture I just posted you can see two levers sticking out above that panel with the liquid damage; those levers pull the memory out of their slots for easy replacement. The pull-strap on the hard drive can be seen on the left side of the battery compartment in between the aforementioned panel and the battery locking mechanism.
My Powerbook, however is not so simple. While the memory has its own convenient little cover, as far as I know the hard drive cannot be removed without removing the keyboard. I've got some pictures of another Powerbook someone brought into the computer store I used to work at. It was totally bricked, and after they didn't pick it up for three months my boss let me have it:
The hard drive is located between the battery compartment and the DVD drive:
Don't tell her I did this (she's the pregnant one):
That's his Powerbook.
From my own experience with Apple and getting an ipod replaced, they were good. I accidentally washed it with my clothes, brought it in fully expecting to have pay for another one or something, but they just replaced and I told them the truth. But a computer is a little more expensive than an ipod.
Is it wrong that I love both my Thinkpad and Powerbook?
it's only the internet that claims you have to take sides
Actually, according to the Mac maven (whom I am currently waiting to get off work so I can go see Ghost Rider with), there's this tamper-proof tape that they hide on the inside of Mac cases to make sure no one not Apple Certified can open the case without it being marked as such.
I donno how true that is -- she's also the one that told me the hdd / ram is hard to get to in Macs -- but, yeah. I would say your best bet is to call up Apple, be polite, but explain the whole situation and mention that you'd really like to get this resolved, since you're, you know, loyal customers and all that.
Blah blah... downfall of society, politeness no more, but it works.