Is terrible customer service the norm for Apple and its authorized partners?

[catsclaw]

After three years, the keys on my MacBook just started falling off. I went into the Apple Store in London and the tech took one look at it and wrote out a work authorization to fix it. But they said it would take 6-10 days, which I didn't have. So they told me just make an appointment the next place I end up and it'll get taken care of.

So I went through the Apple website here in Amsterdam and made an appointment for last Wednesday, but the Apple Store here is closed so the only spots available were authorized repair shops. No problem, I have the work authorization. I go in, sign some paperwork, and drop it off. They say it'll be about a week, but at least I'll be here that long.

Come late Thursday, they email me to say there's "liquid residue" inside the machine and it'll cost $750 to repair their defective keyboard. I spent most of Friday on the phone with Apple, first trying to get them to approve the repair, then just trying to get them to wave the diagnostic fee. Eventually Apple tells me they have no ability, as a massive multinational corporation, to tell their authorized repair shop to return the machine and the best they can do is to suggest I get a second opinion once I get it back.

The kicker is the shop shipped it an hour away to get diagnosed, so they won't return it to me until Tuesday night. Unfixed. And for $70. That's a full week I've had to take off work just to get yanked around.

I'm ticked off at Apple for making a crappy, defective product, for telling me they'd fix it and then abandoning me. I'm ticked at the repair shop for being scummy and trying to rip me off. And I'm ticked at myself for trusting that Apple would stand behind their products.

I'd complain about it to Apple, but their callback service is broken and won't call my number, so all that happens is I get an email that says my number is wrong. It's not wrong, they called me on it on Friday, so it worked at least once.

Screw Apple. I was literally waiting for the new MacBooks to be announced so I could buy one, but after this I'm not buying another Apple product again.

 

[pigoo3]

...they email me to say there's "liquid residue" inside the machine and it'll cost $750 to repair their defective keyboard.

Very sorry to hear about the computing repair troubles.

The bottom line here is...Apple is saying there is "Liquid Residue"...due to a liquid spill at some point in the past...and this is what the $750 repair cost is for (replacement of the computers logic board).

If your MacBook was working fine before...and the only problem was the keys falling off...then it would seem logical to only get the keyboard replaced (by someone...Apple or other repair place).

By the way...I've never heard of someone with the keys just falling off the keyboard...thus this is a very rare/uncommon issue...and it's really not a widespread defective keyboard issue.

Nick

 

[catsclaw]

If your MacBook was working fine before...and the only problem was the keys falling off...then it would seem logical to only get the keyboard replaced (by someone...Apple or other repair place).

By the way...I've never heard of someone with the keys just falling off the keyboard...thus this is a very rare/uncommon issue...and it's really not a widespread defective keyboard issue.

I only want the keyboard replaced, because the computer works fine. They're refusing to fix just the keyboard. And the tech at the Apple Store said the keyboard issues I'm seeing are directly related to the butterfly keyboard Apple was using, without a doubt.

 

[pigoo3]

I only want the keyboard replaced, because the computer works fine. They're refusing to fix just the keyboard. And the tech at the Apple Store said the keyboard issues I'm seeing are directly related to the butterfly keyboard Apple was using, without a doubt.

My guess what happened was...when your MacBook was sent to the Apple repair place (in Amsterdam I'm assuming)...they spotted liquid residue indications.

In case you didn't know...inside all Apple laptop/notebooks computers there are liquid sensors. When these sensors are exposed to correct amount of moisture...they change color. It's possible one or more of these liquid sensors changed color...indicating that some moisture at some point in the past got inside.

The Apple repair folks might have a protocol that says they can't do any repairs on a computer when the liquid sensors have been triggered ...not until the logic board is replaced (I'm just guessing on this).

Or...maybe the Apple repair place simply got confused. When they saw the liquid sensors were triggered...maybe they mistakenly thought it was there for this issue (and not just the keyboard issue).

Maybe if you contact Apple...and nicely explain to them that you don't want the $750 logic board replacement repair...you just want the keyboard repair...maybe this will help get things fixed. Unless of course Apple says they can't work on a "liquid residue" computer...until the "liquid residue" issue is taken care of first.

Please let us know how things go.

Nick

 

[chscag]

@catsclaw:

We have seen the same thing here in the US among members of this forum and others. The simple answer to you is that it's Apple's policy not to do other repairs on a liquid damaged machine unless the liquid damaged components (logic board, etc) are first repaired.

Whether the liquid damage is your fault or not, there is likely nothing that you can appeal to Apple that will change their policy. Perhaps you can get the machine repaired at an independent repair facility and have it done for much less.