  haroldo
join:2004-01-16 Short Hills, NJ
·Comcast
edit: May 8th, @05:57PM
| Macbook, nothing but problems
My daughter purchased a Macbook a year ago. It's been a lemon since the day she got it. She had frequent freezes and crashes. Testing at the Apple Store turned up nothing (she didn't have anything installed nor downloaded). When we upgraded to Leopard the crashes and freezes stopped happening Lately, she's been complaining that it's slow (only 1MB, but that should be enough to run standard apps, right?). Last week her power cord wasn't charging and when she touched the connector she said it was very hot. She returned it and got a new one. Then her battery died. They replaced it. The new one wasn't charging. She went back to the store and they said it's probably the logic board that might need replacing and she should leave it for (up to) five days. She's in school, so that isn't an option. I don't know much about what happens underneath the keyboard. Could the logic board be the cause of all of these problems? All told she's been to the Apple Store at least 6 times since she got it. She's not a happy camper! |
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  X Man Sober Premium join:2005-09-05 USA | Sorry to hear that. Apple can't fix it if she won't let them though. So, I'm not sure what to tell you.
Regards, Mike |
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  SuperNet33 Go Ninja,Go Ninja Go.. Premium join:2002-10-08 Harwood Heights, IL clubs: 
·AT&T CallVantage
·Comcast
| reply to haroldo Yea, it very well can be the logic board, get it replaced A.S.A.P
She will be out of a computer for 6 or so days but atleast you can prepare for it..
What are you going to do when it just dies one day? -- »www.restartyourcomputer.net Tech Geek site and more! Comcast HSI 16/2 / MagicJack - VoIP / »www.ChicagoMaximaClub.net - Nissan Maxima Club |
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  haroldo
join:2004-01-16 Short Hills, NJ
·Comcast
edit: May 8th, @06:00PM
| I'm going to see her this weekend and I'll swap (my iBook) with her so she can finish out the trimester. In the mean time, I will have her back up her stuff to the flash drive (or what ever they call those things), in addition to the MyBook. After the swap, I'll bring it to the local store and have them fix it. |
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  sporkme drop the crantini and move it, sister Premium,MVM join:2000-07-01 Budd Lake, NJ | reply to haroldo Short Hills, eh? Beware of the really obese guy at the Genius Bar - not someone that works well with customers. |
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  haroldo
join:2004-01-16 Short Hills, NJ | Thanks for the heads up! Haven't seen him yet. I can do well with difficult employees, especially when I have Culpertino on speed dial! |
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  sporkme drop the crantini and move it, sister Premium,MVM join:2000-07-01 Budd Lake, NJ
| I think his name is Jody... something like that. He's not outright nasty or anything, he just really, really is on Apple's side. They all have to be, but he goes the extra mile. Six repairs sounds like you should just be getting a new one. Has it ever actually been sent out? |
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  haroldo
join:2004-01-16 Short Hills, NJ
·Comcast
| I think they kept it for an overnight once, not sure. I've been in touch with an upper level customer support guy and I'll discuss trading in the Lemon for an Apple. The guys in the store might be pro-Apple, but the guys in HQ are pro-consumer. |
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  Zyncotl Dejawho Premium join:2002-09-13 Wayne, MI
| reply to haroldo I would call the Apple support online and complain, heavily. If she stands up for her rights and lists everything that has happened and doesn't back down she should be able to get a new machine because of all the problems that she has been having. Make note that it has been in to the store 6 times in 12 months (or less). Don't settle for mediocrity. -- I'd take the time to insult your intelligence, but you probably wouldn't get it. |
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  HiVolt Premium join:2000-12-28 Toronto, ON clubs:
·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to haroldo MacBooks that I've seen are really rock solid with either minor or no issues, or just downright lemons that just keep going back for repair.
My MacBook, Rev.A bought in May 2005, has been blessed with only a battery going bad, and that was when it was 9 months into warranty. Nothing since.
My coworker, whose original MacBook, (we bought ours together at the same store), was repaired so many times it was ridiculous. 3 logic boards, hard drive, two batteries, 1 ac adapter, and probably something else that I'm forgetting.
He eventually got Apple to replace that lemon with a Core 2 Duo, that worked ok for a few months, then started its lemon train ride too. It has now been thru 2 logic boards and a superdrive. It's a ticking time bomb that he is expecting to blow up any day... He is already prepared to bitch to Apple when it does fail again, this time he will not want a replacement MacBook, but credit towards an upgrade to a base model MBP. If they dont grant it, he will get the replacement MacBook and sell it, and buy a MBP. -- GOLF LEAFS GOLF! |
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  haroldo
join:2004-01-16 Short Hills, NJ
·Comcast
| reply to haroldo Got a supervisor on the phone who (naturally) said NO to a replacement. I will talk with the guy in HQ who I've been in touch with. It is beyond me how they can waste their (and our) time on repairing an item that probably would be cheaper to simply replace. |
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 rugby I think I know it all. VIP join:2000-09-26 Camby, IN | Check your PM. |
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  HEDP
join:2008-04-27 Miami, FL
| reply to haroldo Email SJ and tell him about your problem. Watch how that supervisor's attitude changes very quickly. I remember me and a store manager where going at it over returning a piece of software that was defective and missing disks.
If the laptop is having that many issues a replacement will be in order. I have had my logic board replaced as well, but after the repair I experienced hardly any hardware issues from that point, other than battery, and ethernet slot failing two weeks after the repair.
Good luck. |
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  haroldo
join:2004-01-16 Short Hills, NJ | Will do! |
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  TAKN
join:2003-09-21 Canada
| reply to haroldo For the most part, 3 major repairs on a laptop can equal a new one. Call Apple, and ask to speak to customer relations or retentions.
As far as the repair goes, it is sometimes possible to hold on to your laptop while parts are ordered/delivered. Backround: Apple ships out the parts to the repair centre. If they don't install the parts in the comp, the repair centre gets charged for the parts. Therefore, the comp MUST be there when the parts arrive. A way around this is to prepay for the parts, then bring the comp back to the repair centre right away when the parts arrive (and then receive a refund). Again, this may or may not be possible for you to do. |
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  haroldo
join:2004-01-16 Short Hills, NJ
·Comcast
edit: May 10th, @07:00AM
| Plan B Tomorrow (Mother's Day) I give her my iBook and I send hers in (my guy in HQ said it's faster/better to send it to them, rather than have it repaired in the stores). Nonetheless, a polite e-mail was sent to the man in charge. Wouldn't be so bad if this occurred after the trimester ended. Hopefully, this will have a happy ending.
said by TAKN :For the most part, 3 major repairs on a laptop can equal a new one... 3 major repairs is a lost customer! I know people around here love their computers, but the average guy would never stand for 3 major repairs on a $1200 item. |
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  jmycknshk ...bring your green hat
join:2004-07-02 West Chester, PA
| said by haroldo : (my guy in HQ said it's faster/better to send it to them, rather than have it repaired in the stores). turn around time on my MBP was quick(they replaced an internal component) i shipped it to them wednesday, they repaired it the day it was received, and i had it back in my hands friday. i had wiped the drive prior to shipping, they reinstalld a clean version of the OS for me. very impressed. |
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  Maggs Premium join:2002-11-29 Woodside, NY clubs:
·RCN CABLE
| reply to haroldo Three major repairs on a computer and I'd fly to CA and throw it at Steve Jobs. That's absolutely unacceptable. 3 major repairs would cost more to fix than the laptop itself, and AAPL is in the business of making money. -- NIL ILLEGITIMUS CARBORUNDUM! |
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  tango_bob VIP join:2001-12-16 Evanston, IL clubs: | reply to haroldo Unless I'm reading wrong, I don't believe that one battery and two power adapters are considered "major repairs" |
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  haroldo
join:2004-01-16 Short Hills, NJ
·Comcast
| No, the computer hasn't undergone any 'surgery', yet, but over the course of less than one year, my daughter's been to the store at least seven or eight times with various glitches. All the software testing that they did showed nothing. We are sending it in to them this week for it's first surgery. It's only this week that we learned that it might be the logic board. I understand their policy of 'fix it first'. Not sure if I'd like to go through three repairs, however. |
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