Bad Apple dance of death
A while back I decided to make the switch and got a new 17″ Powerbook. I love it. Love OSX, love the ease of use, love the available tools. Lotsa love. But then…
Something funky started happening to my screen when the pb was about 5 months old. The brightness levels began to flicker a little bit when the screen moved. Within a couple of weeks, the screen would only have adjustable brightness when it was at a 45° angle towards the keyboard. Not useful. When the screen was in a usable position, it was at the lowest brightness setting. I had to keep the lights off in my office in order to see the screen. And then my eyes would hurt after a while, and I’d get a headache. This wasn’t working.
I asked my IT folks for help and they pointed me to a local Apple authorized repair shop. Took the machine there, but let them know that I couldn’t really be without it for more than a couple of days (it’s my only work computer–got no desktop machine). They diagnosed the thing and ordered a part. Said they’d call when the part arrived. Part ended up being on backorder and took several weeks to arrive. But at least I had my machine, dim as it was. Finally asked my IT folks to intervene again and they contacted our local AppleCare representative. The rep had the part expedited to the shop. Yay!
Took the machine in and left it there for a couple of days. Didn’t hear anything, so I went in to check it out. The part didn’t work and more diagnostics pointed to the “logicboard” which I gather is the Mac equivalent of a motherboard. Seems there was a burn mark or something on the logicboard and when the tech pushed on the burn mark, the screen flickered. So now the machine needs a new logicboard. They ordered the logicboard and give me my machine back.
But wait. Now the screen doesn’t work at all. It goes to full brightness, but I get no operating system. Oh! It looks like the old logicboard finally gave up the ghost. So the laptop is basically an expensive external harddrive. At least all my files (which I didn’t back up) are still there.
So I take the Powerbook back to the repair shop to wait for the new logicboard. My IT folks turn the screws on the AppleCare rep who gets a new logicboard to the repair shop, posthaste. Kudos to the AppleCare rep! I go on a weeklong business trip and come back the next week to pick up my fixed machine. Guess what? It’s not fixed. The new logicboard was faulty. So they backorder another one.
We wait another week, with no word from Apple. Finally, the shop just ships the Powerbook to Apple for repair. Which is where it’s been for the last two weeks. Somewhere in California, waiting on a logicboard that probably isn’t being manufactured anymore due to the release of the MacBook Pro (I know there’s no 17″ MacBook Pro…yet).
I’m pretty disturbed, to say the least. I’ve been working off of borrowed HP laptops for the last several weeks and it’s getting pretty old. I just want my Powerbook back.
I was getting ready to drink the Apple kool-aid, and then this debacle happened. Is this normal? Does Apple have a reputation for bad manufacturing? I’ve got two iPods and they’re both great–no problems. I’ve got a friend who’s had nothing but trouble with her iBook, though. I’m kind of at a loss as to what to do now. My IT folks are working with the AppleCare rep, but I’m feeling pretty powerless about the whole thing. I’ve got a bunch of files on there that I kinda need, which I didn’t back up (my bad, I know) anywhere. There’s a half-finished Keynote presentation that I’ve got to give at the end of this month, and that’s stressing me out the most. I don’t really want to rebuild the whole thing in PowerPoint, but that’s what it looks like I’m going to have to do. I’m not holding my breath that my machine will be coming home any time soon.
Any advice about working with Apple on this thing?
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POSTED IN: customer service
23 opinions for Bad Apple dance of death
Michael
Apr 3, 2006 at 9:52 pm
At my school whenever we send in one of our broken machines to Applecare, we usually wouldn’t see them for another three months. I wouldn’t take any chances.
We often hold off projects due to less than perfect circumstances. You don’t have the Powerbook so you can’t use Keynote. Using Powerpoint on that HP is a less than perfect circumstance. I think you should get the job done early as a back up plan.
Good luck!
Andy Cunningham
Apr 3, 2006 at 11:10 pm
Well, my iPod got replaced after three months. The replacement was DOA. The third one lasted another 2 months, then got replaced again.
The UPS guy told us that one of the pickups was his SIXTH iPod collection so far that morning.
I certainly would think twice before buying anything else from Apple.
Ken Schaefer
Apr 4, 2006 at 4:42 am
Not sure I can offer any advise on this one, except to say that in my experience with Apple products, yours is an unusual one. I have a 15″ PowerBook that is now 3 years old, my iPod is a 3G that is nearly that old, my wife’s is a 2 year old iBook (one of the one’s that purportedly has the bug) and her iPod is this year’s version. I also have an aging Airport and a few other Apple items: none of which have given me any major problems. I have replaced batteries and such but no major issues. As I say, my wife’s iBook is one of those that typically have the monitor issue because of a design issue with the video - but Apple acknowledges this problem. I have heard of people with iBooks who had to fight for months to get theirs fixed- but I have never heard of this kind of a problem with a PowerBook. In my area, I can get to an Apple store and I have found them to be very helpful. Since you’ve already turned your PB over to the bucaneers you can’t pursue that option. I wish you the best of luck and hope that Apple can come through for you and make up for the issue. I am a big fan of Apple, and am dissapointed to read this story.
John Richardson
Apr 4, 2006 at 4:51 am
Keep us posted on your adventure. I’m thinking of buying a MacBook Pro and I have heard good things. Your story made me pause and rethink the decision. I’m going to call my Apple rep today and relate your story to her. Laptops are tricky sometimes but it shouldn’t take more than a week for repair of anything that is under warranty. Maybe that Dell notebook I was thinking about might be a better deal??
Bren
Apr 4, 2006 at 5:02 am
Thanks for the comments, everybody. All these experiences sound like a mixed bag, kinda like every other computer company.
I’ll definitely post updates…
Pat
Apr 4, 2006 at 5:10 am
I have worked at an Apple certified repair shop for several years. We have not had the experience of it taking that long when we send a laptop in to the Apple repair depot. It’s generally been back in a week. I did have a 17″ powerbook logic board be on backorder for about 2 weeks - this was around 8 months ago. So they seem to have some trouble with keeping sufficient supply of these parts. It was for a similar screen flickering problem. Generally, if we are having trouble getting parts, we get faster results if the end user calls Apple and complains, or talks to the Apple sales rep. So you’re on the right track as far as dealing with them most efficiently. My sympathies on being without your laptop for so long.
Rob Donoghue
Apr 4, 2006 at 5:11 am
So, about a year into the life of my 17″ PB, the hard drive started to go. Jumped through hoops to try to repair it, and eventually took it into the local apple store to see what they could do. Guy there told me that they could fix it, but also informed me that by “fix” it, they meant “send it back to Apple to get fixed.” As such, I called up the applecare support number - the next day I got a box on my doorstep, which I promptly loaded my PB into and shipped back. I got it back 48 hours later, all shiny and fixed. I was absolutely blown away with the speed of the whole process. My wife’s 12″ PB had similar issues later, and we did the same thing, and had a similarly timely response.
I suspect that much of the timeliness was a result of the money I dropped on Applecare protection, so I don’t know how much this experience would have changed without it. I also don’t know that every apple store necessarily lacks the ability to repairs in house, but I would just suggest that sending the PB directly to Apple is an option, and gives you a lot more visibility into the process if only because you can check in on your ticket number at your convenience.
Anyway, good luck with your PB.
robb monn
Apr 4, 2006 at 6:24 am
My advice, which ha worked very well for me for a decade is this:
Always call apple for service, refuse to take it to your local dealer or Apple Store and insist that they mail you a carton for repair service. I’ve had one case where I had to wait for a 15″ Tibook screen for a week, but besides that I’ve always seen my machine again in less than a biz week’s time.
An added bonus is that they often replace other stuff, too — on one repair they replaced all the external parts on my battered Tibook with new panels. Another time they replaced my two year old war-worn machine with a good as new refurb.
Additionally: Apple has been known to give faster, better treatment to machines with Applecare extended coverage. Maybe true, maybe not but that is the general perception.
I find local dealers to have poor service (and I was once an Apple Service Tech at a small dealer) or at the very least slow service. Sending it back to Apple is the way to go.
Alexa
Apr 4, 2006 at 7:09 am
In Belgium it’s all down to the individual repair store. I damaged my PowerBook when my bag broke, and the computer took a nasty tumble, leaving the power charger point bent, so I couldn’t recharge the battery. I took it to one store, who kept it for three weeks without doing anything. I got annoyed and took it to another store who repaired it within 5 days or so, and charged very little for the job…
John
Apr 4, 2006 at 7:44 am
Dude, you should have bought a Dell.
Bill Kinnon
Apr 4, 2006 at 7:46 am
Bren,
The Apple response is totally unacceptable. Talk to the rep yourself - and blog the response. I’ve had mixed results with local approved service depots. One was fabulous - one I won’t return to. The logic board on my 15″ was just replaced under AppleCare warranty, but they “forgot” to fix the trackpad.
And I do recommend AppleCare. My PB15 is almost three years old and the extended warranty has more than paid for itself.
‘Tis a shame to have the wonderful user experience ruined by the service experience.
Bren
Apr 4, 2006 at 9:42 am
Thanks again for the replies/advice. Good stuff.
I’m pretty sure I’ve got AppleCare on the machine. Not positive because I just let my IT folks procure it for me.
Apple’s response has sucked, for sure, but I’m also pretty sure I brought part of my problem upon my own head with my stubborn refusal to send the thing back to Apple. I just didn’t want to be without it for a week…figured my local shop could bust it out in a couple of days, no worries. I’ll handle it differently next time, for sure.
And John P. Bacon, you’re not being helpful! ;-)
Dru
Apr 4, 2006 at 1:13 pm
Buy a Dell. Repair by mail takes less than a week total. If you pay a little more you can get next day onsite repair. I’ve never had to call on them for my laptops, but others I know got blindingly fast service.
At work we have 7 year old Toshiba and 4 year old HP laptops still in use with nary a problem.
Bill Kinnon
Apr 4, 2006 at 1:44 pm
Dru - do a Google of Jeff Jarvis and Dell Hell for a different take on the quality of Dell service. Jarvis is happily using a PB 15″ today. And my anecdotal experience with a six year old PB Ti400 is that it just keeps going and going and going… And it’s been all over the world (including five trips to East and Southern Africa).
The reality is that stuff breaks - no matter what you buy. The service experience will vary for enumerable reasons. The expectation that Apple has created with it’s wonderful user experience is that that same experience should be expected in all aspects of its business. And sometimes it is.
As an example, my son purchased a Video iPod after Christmas from the Apple Store and bought a 3rd party case for it there as well. Turns out the case actually damaged the black finish of the iPod. Apple initially told Ry to contact the case manufacturer - but then emailed him the next day to tell him to come in and pick up his new iPod. He’s a customer for life - with Apple, not the case manufacturer (whose response was to send him some polish).
Sara McGrail
Apr 5, 2006 at 1:14 pm
I had terrible problems with apple till I emailed steve jobs and every member of the board. then I got a call from somewhere in california, a £100 refund and huge apologies from everyone. I can’t remember if the address was jobs.steve@apple.com or steve.jobs@apple.com, but it did work. Try it.
Sara
Elke
Apr 5, 2006 at 1:52 pm
I send my iBook 3 times back to be repaired, because after a year the screen would go dark. Every time they promissed me ‘as good as new’, they were right: it just means something different than ‘it will last this time’.
Great OS. Most of the year.
Davey Moyers
Apr 5, 2006 at 7:02 pm
Ok everybody, I’m considering an Apple switch. I have never owned anything but Intel/MS. Now I’m scared. I read Michael’s “over-heating” problem in his MacPro First Impressions at Working Smart. Now Bren’s service issue. I really like this Apple, the interface, the Unix foundation, the multi-media components, the inter-operability. Now this. These post have all been insightful. Really helped to “confuse” my issue. However, I really want this thing, so I will continue the research. Thanks everybody for the info, this is good stuff.
Bren
Apr 5, 2006 at 7:31 pm
If it’s any consolation, I’ll be sticking with Apple. If I run into service issues in the future, I’ll deal with them differently than I did this one.
Other than the service stuff, my faith isn’t shaken. I figure all hardware has the potential for problems. Something will probably happen again. Whatever. Speaking purely for myself, it’s an inconvenience, not a deal breaker.
mb
Apr 6, 2006 at 6:26 am
I used to do hardware support for a university. Apple was the worst company to deal with when it came to getting parts, shipping things on time, shipping defective replacement parts, etc. The final straw was when they refused to honor the 1 year warranty on three machines that were six months old. (Logicboards don’t usually fall under the “user abuse” category, especially given that these were lab machines.)
When Apple product works, it’s great. When you have any hardware related problem though, it’s a nightmare.
joko
Apr 6, 2006 at 10:55 am
Yes, Apple has quite a reputation with this. Even if you have an Applecare contract, the service is terrible. We use a lot of Macs in our company but we found out that the cost to maintain them is not worth it. If you like a Mac and money is no problem; go for it. If you have a smaller budget and you cannot afford to have your Mac in repairs for months, use a PC from a good brand with 3 years on site service included in the price.
Rachel
May 5, 2006 at 7:43 am
I’m sorry you’ve been having problems with your pb. I had an iBook for 2 years, and it was nothing but trouble. The hard drive collapsed, the touchpad just stopped one day and the slot drive stopped working twice. I used it sparingly, but Whenever they fixed it, it would work for a while and then just stop. I had applecare for 3 years too. I finally got so frustrated that I bought and Acer travelmate 4200. It’s been working great. I hope everything works out.
csh
May 11, 2006 at 4:26 am
I took my 5 month old 17” power book in for repair. While the repair was suppose to take up to two weeks, it took 10 days for Apple to send Comp USA a shipping box. It should be at the Mac repair tech bench today.
It will be repaired with refurbished parts and those parts have a 3 months warranty.
I bought a new computer and am ending up with a used computer and a 4 month warranty reduction.
Who knows did Mac design it to break so they really sold me a used computer and reduced the warranty 5 months after I bought it. If I wanted to save $1000.00 I would have bought a refurbished power book.
RMB Lukassen
May 19, 2006 at 1:28 am
Bad services,
I bought a G5 2.7 GHz Power Mac Serial YM52308YR U4 and the computer failed to start up 3 weeks ago. I brought it back and after three weeks I still don’t have another computer. The shop in Phuket tells me that the computer is in Bangkok. Then hey told me, that they send a letter to Singapore. Today I hear again that they have to send photos from the computer to Australia. When I called to the (service center in Bangkok) they told me again, that they have to send the problem case to America. I get headache from it. Three weeks I wait already. I loose money everyday because I cannot finish my work.
Bad services from Apple. Pay allot of money for the computer and Apple care, but it seems that nobody cares.
The system is blown up because of the cooling system leakage and I told them that I want a complete new system. It is not my problem. The shop should solve this issue with Apple and should take care that the customer gets a new computer without any discussions.