I think Apple is scamming me.

[tooclosetosee]

First world problems...

I like how nobody pointed out the fact that there is NOTHING wrong with the computer. Only cosmetic damage caused by a drop. I guess this just proves that Apple products are more about being a fashion statement than a computer company.

The only MAC product I have ever bought was the 1g shuffle. It was ok.

I didn't know this, but you have to make an appointment for them to work on your stuff? Wow...lame.

[fourfourtwo]

My girlfriend spilled a bottle of jones soda on my 17" MacBook pro last night. Its currently in a sealed box filled with rice and those gel packets, and has the battery out and is open/upside down for the moisture to drain out.

I'm assuming I'm fucked, but is there anything else I could do?

[lonesomexloveus]

First world problems...

I like how nobody pointed out the fact that there is NOTHING wrong with the computer. Only cosmetic damage caused by a drop. I guess this just proves that Apple products are more about being a fashion statement than a computer company.

The only MAC product I have ever bought was the 1g shuffle. It was ok.

I didn't know this, but you have to make an appointment for them to work on your stuff? Wow...lame.

i actually think the appointment is a good idea. most other service type places you have to make appointments to get help. i'd much rather call and make an appointment than go there and stand around for hours or have to come back later for them to look at the computer or whatever needs attention.

[lonesomexloveus]

if i was dumb enough to drop, say, my camera or a lens, and it get a big ding in it, i wouldn't whine about nikon charging me to replace it. i'd call myself a stupid klutz and just live with it if it was perfectly functional other than the cosmetics.

yeah, i might hate myself a little bit every time i saw that ding, but expecting nikon to take a loss and fix it for me for free or cheap when the damage was caused from my own stupidity would be ridiculous. i would be embarassed to take something i dropped somewhere and demand that they fix it for what I consider a 'reasonable' price, especially if it was still in working order.

and for what it's worth, i've always bought applecare with my apple products and have had exceptional service from them. the battery in my mbp died once while it was under warranty and they overnighted a new battery to me free of charge.

[scottheisel]

My girlfriend spilled a bottle of jones soda on my 17" MacBook pro last night. Its currently in a sealed box filled with rice and those gel packets, and has the battery out and is open/upside down for the moisture to drain out.

I'm assuming I'm fucked, but is there anything else I could do?

Yikes! I will say the rice trick does work, at least with cell phones—I've saved my old Palm Treo and Palm Pre using this, as well as my fiancee's old Blackberry 7800. I'm hoping I never have to try it with my Evo, though!

[mcm1610]

How much is applecare? In my opinion, buying warranties on electronics is always a waste of money.

[lonesomexloveus]

How much is applecare? In my opinion, buying warranties on electronics is always a waste of money.

i think it varies based on the cost of the item; it was $169 for my imac, which is around 7 or 8% of the total cost.

i hardly ever buy any warranties or protection plans, but since i've used it in the past and it's worked out so well, it's just worth it for me to buy it and not have to worry about things going wrong.

[kirbypuckett]

The only MAC product I have ever bought...

You buy makeup?

[cadetapplesauce]

the casing along the bottom of my screen is cracked and my trackpad is on the fritz (it's only working because i have a ferry pass and delivery confirmation slip sandwiched between the battery and the bottom of the trackpad). applecare ran out a couple of years ago, and i'm due to get this stuff looked at. i got it new in 2007. if i have to pay hundreds to get it fixed, i *think* i'd be okay with that. wear and tear. besides, it'd probably be cheaper to get it fixed than buy a new one. probably not that much resale value on this, given it's condition, anyway.

there's a certified apple repair center 5 minutes from my house. i'll stop by some time and see what they say.

[kirbypuckett]

You'd be surprised how well Apple's stuff holds its value. I sold a beat up and very old iBook last year for like $200. A lot of people complain about the cost of Apple products, but you can always sell it for top dollar.

[selfreliable]

The ammount of illiterate people in this thread amazes me. She never claimed she wanted them to replace the product free of charge. She went in assuming it wasnt covered under warranty, and it wasnt. She was willing to pay for it to be fixed. She is pissed that they are selling her much more than she needs, and wont give her back the original piece that she is paying them to be taken out.

If I go to a PC store and ask them to install a new 1 terrabyte hard drive in my desktop, they would return the old drive that they took out. If I go and buy new tires and have them installed on my car, they are returned to me unless I tell them to take them and pay the fee to have them recyled. Why Apple thinks they can keep her merchandise for a warranty claim someone else down the road will claim is wrong.

[Guest]

i love that apple haters jump in on this thread with absolutely nothing relevant to provide to the discussion

[lonesomexloveus]

The ammount of illiterate people in this thread amazes me. She never claimed she wanted them to replace the product free of charge. She went in assuming it wasnt covered under warranty, and it wasnt. She was willing to pay for it to be fixed. She is pissed that they are selling her much more than she needs, and wont give her back the original piece that she is paying them to be taken out.

If I go to a PC store and ask them to install a new 1 terrabyte hard drive in my desktop, they would return the old drive that they took out. If I go and buy new tires and have them installed on my car, they are returned to me unless I tell them to take them and pay the fee to have them recyled. Why Apple thinks they can keep her merchandise for a warranty claim someone else down the road will claim is wrong.

i don't think you've read anything anyone else in this thread who has a more intimate knowledge of apple's products and procedures has posted.

and if she doesn't like the amount being charged by them for the repair, she should just take her dented laptop home and use it. she dropped it, through no fault of apples. it functions perfectly; why bitch about it?

[selfreliable]

i love that apple haters jump in on this thread with absolutely nothing relevant to provide to the discussion

It is not apple hating, its stupid policy hating. Cellphone companies do it too and it is stupid. Electronic companies like to act like they have the right to everything since they made it. Maybe you should actually try to rationalize why it is ok to do that oppossed to just call people "haters". Maybe then you could add something relevant to the discussion as well.

[hankmurphy]

It is company policy. They aren't scamming you.

Are you really that naive to think that a company policy can't also be a scam?

Apple hoarding parts replaced during repairs, whether functioning or not, is a means of reducing operating costs while increasing profits. This in and of itself is not a scam, but as soon as they refuse to return a customer's property by citing "company policy" it becomes a scam.

A fair policy would be to only return replaced parts when they are requested. As far as I'm concerned, if your company policy is to keep customers' working components despite their wishes, then your company is running a scam.

[nicole]

The ammount of illiterate people in this thread amazes me. She never claimed she wanted them to replace the product free of charge. She went in assuming it wasnt covered under warranty, and it wasnt. She was willing to pay for it to be fixed. She is pissed that they are selling her much more than she needs, and wont give her back the original piece that she is paying them to be taken out.

If I go to a PC store and ask them to install a new 1 terrabyte hard drive in my desktop, they would return the old drive that they took out. If I go and buy new tires and have them installed on my car, they are returned to me unless I tell them to take them and pay the fee to have them recyled. Why Apple thinks they can keep her merchandise for a warranty claim someone else down the road will claim is wrong.

THANK YOU. Seriously, I can live with the ding. And I never ever expected them to fix it for free anyways. The biggest issue here is that despite the damage being cosmetic only, they refuse to acknowledge that my warranty is still valid for any future problems.

[birdwell]

My girlfriend spilled a bottle of jones soda on my 17" MacBook pro last night. Its currently in a sealed box filled with rice and those gel packets, and has the battery out and is open/upside down for the moisture to drain out.

I'm assuming I'm fucked, but is there anything else I could do?

not drink Jones Soda?

[controlthebleeding]

The ammount of illiterate people in this thread amazes me. She never claimed she wanted them to replace the product free of charge. She went in assuming it wasnt covered under warranty, and it wasnt. She was willing to pay for it to be fixed. She is pissed that they are selling her much more than she needs, and wont give her back the original piece that she is paying them to be taken out.

If I go to a PC store and ask them to install a new 1 terrabyte hard drive in my desktop, they would return the old drive that they took out. If I go and buy new tires and have them installed on my car, they are returned to me unless I tell them to take them and pay the fee to have them recyled. Why Apple thinks they can keep her merchandise for a warranty claim someone else down the road will claim is wrong.

THANK YOU. Seriously, I can live with the ding. And I never ever expected them to fix it for free anyways. The biggest issue here is that despite the damage being cosmetic only, they refuse to acknowledge that my warranty is still valid for any future problems.

self reliable: more than she needs? unfortunately that's how the casings are made and manufactured. so they should remodel the computer in order to satisfy a few customers?

hankmurphy: no one really knows if they will give you back the parts if you pay in full. the warranty says they do if and when you are paying for a replacement part. the genius at apple might have been mistaken. there is also the off chance.. maybe apple charges say $370 and they keep said parts because they gave you a discount. i checked the cost of a display with casing, and it isn't $370 (much higher), sorta like trading a in a used car when buying a new vehicle. some places give you a higher trade in. (shrugs shoulders)

nicole: once a accident occurs that they are informed of, i don't think they are allowed to validate it because they know there was a prior incident. it's just covering their ass in case something happens in the future that could have been a potential incident due to your negligence and not their hardware. that's usually any company's policy, but people are known to make exceptions.

it's like buying guitar from someone who just dropped it in front of you. would you still buy it knowing that cosmetically there was nothing wrong with it and it played fine?

everyone already knows you weren't expecting a free fix, but your naivety regarding the situation and flying accusations about being ripped off, though you never paid a dime for the fix in the first place is what perturbed people. Not to mention the fact that you don't understand how things work and have no patience is what gets under people's skin.

though i do admit that if you plan to get something fixed, then you should receive said broken items back if you are paying out of pocket. you should have spoken to a manager regarding this issue and in a polite manner, i'm sure you could get it done. Then again, see the explanation for hank murphy. Or maybe the genius just gave you the usual rhetoric that goes along with trading out parts and just assumed they would not give you your broken parts back. most things are never in stone at apple. people always make exceptions. i've had people go in and get stuff fixed past warranty. so there is never a "THEY DON"T DO THIS, ITS A SCAM". But from the tone of your writing and how you perceive things, it's telling most people that you have no patience for anything and have a very solipsistic attitude towards things around you. i just chalk it up to your age.

[hankmurphy]

solipsistic

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!

[controlthebleeding]

solipsistic

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!

is that odd that i used that word?

[hankmurphy]

hankmurphy: no one really knows if they will give you back the parts if you pay in full. the warranty says they do if and when you are paying for a replacement part. the genius at apple might have been mistaken. there is also the off chance.. maybe apple charges say $370 and they keep said parts because they gave you a discount. i checked the cost of a display with casing, and it isn't $370 (much higher), sorta like trading a in a used car when buying a new vehicle. some places give you a higher trade in. (shrugs shoulders)

From Apple's Repair Terms and Conditions:

4. If repairing your product under your product’s warranty or extended service contract, Apple may use new, used or reconditioned parts, if permitted by the terms. If repairing parts outside of warranty or extended service contract, Apple may use new, used or reconditioned parts.

Apple will retain the replaced part that is exchanged under repair service as its property, and the replacement part will become your property. Replaced parts are generally repairable and are exchanged or repaired by Apple for value. If applicable law requires Apple to return a replaced part to you, you agree to pay Apple the additional cost of the replacement item.

So you are correct that the cost of the replaced parts are factored into the repair prices, and keeping replaced parts does appear to be Apple's policy when doing repairs under warranty. I wasn't able to find their policy for out-of-pocket repairs, so I don't know how much it differs.

It looks like Nicole should have had the option to keep the replaced screen at an additional cost, but it's not totally clear because I guess it varies depending on local laws. Like you said, this might just be something that particular "genius" wasn't aware of, but I would feel pretty taken advantage of if the company I bought overpriced electronics from was nickel-and-diming me like that.

is that odd that i used that word?

I've never heard that word before, so I took it upon myself to make it the word of the day. No offense intended.

[nicole]

everyone already knows you weren't expecting a free fix, but your naivety regarding the situation and flying accusations about being ripped off, though you never paid a dime for the fix in the first place is what perturbed people. Not to mention the fact that you don't understand how things work and have no patience is what gets under people's skin.

though i do admit that if you plan to get something fixed, then you should receive said broken items back if you are paying out of pocket. you should have spoken to a manager regarding this issue and in a polite manner, i'm sure you could get it done. Then again, see the explanation for hank murphy. Or maybe the genius just gave you the usual rhetoric that goes along with trading out parts and just assumed they would not give you your broken parts back. most things are never in stone at apple. people always make exceptions. i've had people go in and get stuff fixed past warranty. so there is never a "THEY DON"T DO THIS, ITS A SCAM". But from the tone of your writing and how you perceive things, it's telling most people that you have no patience for anything and have a very solipsistic attitude towards things around you. i just chalk it up to your age.

Seriously. Kiss my ass. You have no idea how it went down. You weren't there. First of all I did ask if I could pay a larger amount in order to keep my old parts. I was told no. Apparently they charge a discounted price for being able to keep your parts but don't offer you the option to decide for yourself which is stupid. What if it was a hard drive? Am I supposed to be okay with them keeping my old hard drive full of personal information against my will?

Second off all, I didn't raise my voice, nor I was rude/condescending/argumentative towards the employee. After he finish explaining everything I just said no thanks and left feeling taken advantage of. I think that apple intentionally designs there products in a way that makes the consumer pay for more parts than necessary when doing a repair. That's where I see the scam. Not in the fact that he wouldn't just sell me a shell.

As for your guitar analogy, if a specialist completely checked it out and gave it the thumbs up, then I would trust his word.

So controlthebleeding, shut your mouth and stop making ignorant assumptions.

[lonesomexloveus]

[birdwell]

Wow....somebody's touchy

[controlthebleeding]

everyone already knows you weren't expecting a free fix, but your naivety regarding the situation and flying accusations about being ripped off, though you never paid a dime for the fix in the first place is what perturbed people. Not to mention the fact that you don't understand how things work and have no patience is what gets under people's skin.

though i do admit that if you plan to get something fixed, then you should receive said broken items back if you are paying out of pocket. you should have spoken to a manager regarding this issue and in a polite manner, i'm sure you could get it done. Then again, see the explanation for hank murphy. Or maybe the genius just gave you the usual rhetoric that goes along with trading out parts and just assumed they would not give you your broken parts back. most things are never in stone at apple. people always make exceptions. i've had people go in and get stuff fixed past warranty. so there is never a "THEY DON"T DO THIS, ITS A SCAM". But from the tone of your writing and how you perceive things, it's telling most people that you have no patience for anything and have a very solipsistic attitude towards things around you. i just chalk it up to your age.

Seriously. Kiss my ass. You have no idea how it went down. You weren't there. First of all I did ask if I could pay a larger amount in order to keep my old parts. I was told no. Apparently they charge a discounted price for being able to keep your parts but don't offer you the option to decide for yourself which is stupid. What if it was a hard drive? Am I supposed to be okay with them keeping my old hard drive full of personal information against my will?

Second off all, I didn't raise my voice, nor I was rude/condescending/argumentative towards the employee. After he finish explaining everything I just said no thanks and left feeling taken advantage of. I think that apple intentionally designs there products in a way that makes the consumer pay for more parts than necessary when doing a repair. That's where I see the scam. Not in the fact that he wouldn't just sell me a shell.

As for your guitar analogy, if a specialist completely checked it out and gave it the thumbs up, then I would trust his word.

So controlthebleeding, shut your mouth and stop making ignorant assumptions.

you mad?

"with them keeping my old hard drive full of personal information against my will"? against your will implies you are forced to do something you did't want to. you can chose to get your computer repaired somewhere else if you feel inclined. just sayin'

where did i assume anything. i said you showed impatience. 2 weeks and 3 trips, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess you clearly didn't feel like waiting, not to mention your take on having to wait 4 days for a repair clearly shows your lack of how repair shops work or retail in general. that's pretty much a give-in. i don't expect you to know that but would expect some understanding at least. there are exceptions and i mentioned that. i gave you the benefit of the doubt with regards to your drive repair.

i find it odd that you now state that they give it too you for a discounted price after the fact. which leads me to believe you are trying really hard to make a case for your argument by filling in the blanks after it's been said.

oh by the way, that was assumption.

not to mention you clearly aren't hearing what other people are saying by the fact that you should speak to a manager in a polite manner and and not just the employee. He/she would probably help you. that's not an assumption. that's a statement telling you how you should proceed.

also read your 2nd paragraph (as well as your original post or any of your posts for that matter) and then get back to me about ignorant assumptions. do you even know what an assumption is?