Hi all,

Just to share my 1st experience with the Apple technical support.

About a month ago I bought a middle range white Macbook at the Apple Store. Everything was fine until last week I noticed a dead pixel on my screen. I went to the Apple Store and ask them if it was possible to do something about it. Since the laptop was only 3 weeks old and I had purchased the AppleCare plan, they didn't give me any trouble and offered to change the screen. So far so good!!

This afternoon, I got a call from the Apple Store telling me that my Macbook was ready for pickup so tonight I went down there.

Went up to the genius bar, got my Macbook and the genius told me to have a look and see whether everything was alright.
Unfortunately couple of things were not:

- althought they were supposed to change only the screen, I noticed that the keyboard changed and I now have a U.S keyboard that doesn't have the multimedia keys. Just when I got used to use them to play music from iTunes, but this isn't really an issue

- I noticed that the bluetooth icon on the menu bar was different so I tried to look in the Bluetooth settings pane and everything was different. The problem was that they simply took out the bluetooth module and forgot to put it back. I told the genius that there was an issue with the bluetooth, he looked at it and then went at the back to investigate. He came back letting me know that I'll have to wait 10/15 min so they could put the bluetooth back.
20 mins later, I'm back, the genius went to the back to pick up my laptop. When he came back he told me "bad news, it seems that they've lost the module so we couldn't put it back. We don't have any spare module so we'll have to order one." Then he told me that I could get my Macbook back and when the spare part arrives they'll call me. I agree and then he asked me to wait 10 min more so that they could reassembled the laptop.
15 mins later. This time the genius announced me that there was a confusion and that actually the bluetooth module has been reintegrated. At that time I could see the end of the troubles!! I wish it was lol

- The genius brought back the Macbook and I start inspecting it to find out that the reassembly hasn't been done very carefully i.e the case wasn't clipped on correctly everywhere, same issue for the screen as the display bezel wasn't clipped on fully. Again the genius had to go at the back and fix everything.

- then I inspect the case of the laptop to find out that the display housing was completely scratched during the repair process

After taking a look, the genius said that he will put a request to a change the display housing but at the moment they don't have the part so he ordered one and they'll call when the part is shipped.

This was my 1st experience with Apple technical support and I'm quite disappointed as it seems that they didn't really take care of the machine during the repair process which means that I spend quite a long time for something that was supposed to be only a pick up.

But to be fair I have to say that the geniuses had a great attitude in handling my various issues. I'm just a bit disappointed with the people performing the repair!!

Has anyone else experience this or am I just unlucky?

If it's the bottom housing that's scratched they will probably try an charge you as this part is never covered under warranty... Sounds like they were having a bad day.

You'll be able to vent in the survey they'll ask you to complete
Otherwise, not a good story at all

To be honest, when I was discovering the issues one after another I was getting pissed!!! and I was wondering what they were doing with the machines during a repair process.

But as I said the geniuses had a great attitude, I reckon in some other shops they could have been pissed everytime I came back with another issue. In regards to the scratch, the genius just apologized saying that this kind of things shouldn't happen

Hopefully, next time I'll go there for the housing replacement everything will go smoothly....

I haven't had anything but good things to say about the store so I'm sorry to read this thread.

They took extra care of my machine when I gave it to them though - they even went so far as to make sure a piece of cardboard was down, before flipping my Air over so it does not scratch the Apple logo when they wanted the serial from the bottom.

When I got the machine back, it was in a sealed padded cushion bag type thing, and it was very professional.

Hope you get a good result, let us know and more importantly, let Apple know via the feedback. You should have it on the bottom of your receipt (a URL and code).

Not an excuse, but sounds like they were maybe trying to rush to get it back to you each time, causing mistakes to happen.

Certainly not a good first impression. :}

Was it just 1 dead pixel? When reading, I thought you were going to be having an argument over that... as I thought Apple insisted that it had to be a cluster of dead pixies to get a replacement...

I think that it might be worth changing the title of this thread. It's nothing to do with technical support. Repair problems possibly but even then it's probably still going to be fixed, so perhaps complaint about workmanship quality on a friday....

Mine was too in a sealed bag but obviously the guys that did the repair wasn't really careful with the machine. Maybe it was a guy in training lol

you must be right on the point of rushing. Another reason could be that since the release of the iPhone I reckon that they've been very busy at the tech support

Yeah it was only 1 dead pixel. But they didn't give me any trouble about that. I wasn't sure they would do something as I've also read before about the cluster of dead pixels.
But when I went to the genius bar, the genius looked at the screen and confirmed it was a dead pixel, I asked him if we could do something. He just asked me if the Macbook was still under warranty and that was all to get the replacement.

Maybe they didn't give me any trouble because the Macbook was only 3 weeks old and I bought it there?

For sure I will let Apple know through the feedback, just waiting to get the display housing replaced before

I just talked with my flatmate and I told him about the story, he reckons that I should have asked or should go back to the store and asked for a new Macbook. Since they've been changing/fixing many different parts, he reckons that it might have some issues again later....
What do you think?

Disappointed to hear your story, but I also agree on the point of rushing.

Remember any time in life folks, we can all have a bad hair day, and maybe your tech was having one as well.

Sometimes when you think something will progress well, both of you just get caught up in this "Murphy's Laws" of mishaps, and it just makes for a bad day no matter how you dice it.

I hope no one loses their job over this, for what might be a rare situation, I hope. But at the same time you, fidou, as a customer need to be kept happy.

Don't they have like a manager at these stores, or something like that?

Haha what?

'This machine has had past problems, I'd like a new one'

Please do this and report the exact wording you receive back.

Wow, hope this is not common place. From what I heard, they were good. Hope this doesn't become common place.

If you want to know the end of the story, I have posted on the other thread I opened about my experience with Apple Support service Bad workmanship quality at the Apple Store

In few words, I went back to the Apple Store, told my story to 2 geniuses and had my original Macbook replaced by a brand new one!!!!

Pretty impressed by the way they handled the case