Apple Sells Old Laptop, Wants Customer To Pay To Fix Problem
Will thought he was buying the newest MacBook Pro model—that's what it said on the box and on the receipt. After he'd set it up, he discovered it was a previous model, so he took it back to the glass box Apple Store on Fifth Ave in NYC to get the version he paid for. Now Apple wants him to pay $100 to transfer his data over to the new laptop. But hey, he shouldn't complain, because they're "waiving" the restocking fee!
On Monday, July 27th, I purchased what I thought was a new 15in MacBook Pro with 2.66 ghz, 4gb of RAM, 320gb HD, SD card slot, the whole package. Everything worked great. It was much faster than my 3 year old black 13in MacBook. I was happy.
Well, fast forward two days to today, July 29th, and I noticed that there was no SD card slot in sight. So I double checked the box and the receipt and they both said SD in the product description.
Furious, I packed up my brand new, previous model MacBook Pro, and walked 15 minutes in the rain to the Apple Store on 5th Ave. in NYC, hoping to get the proper MacBook Pro with an SD card slot and my data transferred (which I no longer had on my old computer).
Once there, I approached the sales desk and told them about my situation. The sales person then went to speak with his manager. Upon returning, I was informed of the good news that they were going to replace my computer with the computer that should have been what I brought home two nights ago - a 15in MacBook Pro with an SD card slot (the newest model). AND, as an added bonus they weren't going to charge me the restocking fee.
"A restocking fee?" I ask. Yes, they were going to charge me, the customer, for their mistake. But, don't worry, they were going to waive it.
"So what about all that data that took me 1-2 days to transfer from my old MacBook to this "new" one?" I asked. You would think they would throw in the data transfer to accommodate me for my troubles, after all, it is Apple - known for their great customer service. Well, I suppose that they're only accommodating on the day you're going to spend $2,000+ for a new computer.
Turns out I would have to spend $100 dollars for some service just to transfer my data. Again, they were going to charge me for a service you would hope, as an Apple customer, would never come. Now, having just spent $2,000+ on what I thought was the newest model I did not want to spend $100 to transfer my files that I know should only take 20 minutes to do. So, I figured that if they had a spare USB to USB cable, that I would just do it myself. That would cost $100 too since it was a type of service.
At this point, I was quite impatient. Neither the sales person, nor the manager expressed any sympathy whatsoever. Everything came at a cost. Either way you'd look at it, the only party benefiting from this godforsaken situation was Apple.
Option 1: Return the "new" previous model MacBook Pro for the real new one with an SD card slot and lose all my data - data that took 1-2 days to transfer. Don't worry though, Apple was going to waive the restocking fee that they were going to charge me for a mistake that was not my fault.
Option 2: Pay $100 for this data transfer service.
Option 3: Go back home, waste 1-2 days transferring the data from this computer back to my old MacBook and return the computer to get the one that should have been in my possession in the first place.
Obviously, I chose option 3....
Someone needs to take responsibility for what happened here. For a company that prides itself on customer service, this is less than acceptable.
And another question... How are they getting away with selling the previous model at the new model price?
Note: I mistook the "SD" in the product description (see photo) for "SD Card" instead of "SuperDrive." That was my error, not the OP's. I've removed the circle around the "SD" to avoid more confusion. To be clear, model A1286 refers to both the older model and the new one that Will thought he was buying in the first place.
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Comments:
steve@apple.com - You are pretty much guaranteed to get a response. Gizmodo readers are quick to use it when issues like this arise and the store is not cooperating.
This sounds like something that needs the call to the district manager.
Just keep going over heads until they get it right.
you should forward your story to Wendy Beckman, she's Apple's regional director for the greater new york region.
beckman@apple.com, 212-822-9802
So I don't want to sound like an Apple fanboy, but SD = SuperDrive, not Secure Digital.
The current model 2.66 GHz MBP comes with a 256MB video card, not 512MB video card. It's not Apple's fault you didn't know what you were buying. An Apple Store employee may have screwed up in selling you a previous generation MBP when you asked for a new one, but that is you being an uninformed consumer.
Escalation is your friend.
If the CSR can't help you, talk to the supervisor. If the supervisor can't help you, talk to the duty manager. If the duty manager can't help you, talk to the store manager. If the store manager can't help you, talk to the district manager.
Be polite when you escalate. Tell the person you're dealing with that you are frustrated with the situation and just want to find an acceptable resolution. Be understanding - tell them you know they can't do what you are asking, but that you would like to talk to someone who can.
Patience and persistence will win the day.
The people in that store are VERY rude.
One lady told me I couldn't take a video in there. I heard another employee tell a customer "You can't just come here and buy a computer, you need to make an appointment."
Then I saw and heard a lady being asked for ID, to pay with a credit card!
The proper way would have been to be running Time Machine on previous mac, got new mac, used time machine to update it with your settings, then when you got new macbook pro run time machine again and update new one with "old data" and previous 1-2 days of data). If you want "free" service from the Genius Bar, then you should buy AppleCare. Data transfer is not included EVER. Just look at the Best Buy/Geek Squad posts on here regarding that subject.
Love Consumerist!!
SD has always been "SuperDrive" in Apple's product description codes. The sticker highlighting the features (usually on the top or bottom of the box should have said if it was ExpressCard or SuperDrive
Far be it for me to say that Apple is a huge waste of money...
Considering that Will walked to the Apple store in the rain, one would think they'd be a bit more compassionate.
Perhaps a dumb question, but did the model number on the actual laptop match the model number on the box? The receipt is useless, since it only displays what's on the box. It doesn't change the fact that it was Apple's mistake, but it could've easily been a packaging error, and not Apple trying to sell the previous model with new model prices.
I ordered a pair of shoes a few months ago, and the box information on the front was exactly the product I ordered, but the product inside was the wrong color. This happened twice! I don't think someone at Endless was trying to screw me over, just that it was a mistake.
For the record, this is what the OP was buying: [store.apple.com]
The description of it does indeed include SD card. It's very possible that Apple mistakenly packaged the previous model with a new model's box. I chatted with an Apple CSR rep on the Apple store website, and he told me that they may have refurbished models but that they weren't actively selling the new ones anymore. He did say however, "It's possible that some places still have new old stock."
All of the 15-inch Macbook Pros on the Apple store website have SD slots, by the way.
The other issue is the stupid restocking fee and the charge to transfer data. Apple has always charged to transfer data, this is not new. Whether the OP should feel entitled to get that service for free is something else. Personally, I transferred all of my data on my own because I don't like other people touching my data. I don't think it was such a big deal. So you have to transfer your data again. He assumed that Apple was trying to cheat him out of the new model of laptops, that's his problem. What I'm seeing here is a simple packaging mistake.
@blownfuse: Yes, SD does mean Superdrive on that sticker, but Model A1286 DOES have an SD Card slot. He did not get the computer written on the box.
@blownfuse: However, if the OP expressed to the salesperson that helped him make his purchase that he was looking for "the newest/latest" MBP then it actually is the fault of that salesperson for picking up the wrong item off the shelf.
Most of the people who actually SELL the items in the Apple Store aren't as well versed on the ins and outs of their products - not like some Apple enthusiasts (like you as well as myself) - and I can see how they might pick up the wrong thing off the shelf.
arrrgh...here's what bugs me the most: HE STILL BOUGHT THE COMPUTER.
People, please: if a company pisses you off enough that you have to write to the consumerist, don't buy the product from that company anyway! This guy should have demanded a refund and gone somewhere else.
@wcnghj: I don't see the problem with a customer being asked for ID to pay with a credit card. This is standard practice at most or all stores, even if they don't necessarily enforce it. It's when people don't sign the back of their credit cards, write "see ID" or the card has been used so much that the signature is no longer legible. It's for security purposes. No one's hassling anyone.
Personally, I like it when someone asks for ID. If my card got stolen, I would appreciate a store employee asking for verification before they allowed a criminal to buy stuff using my card.
If you don't want them ask, sign your card. Simple.
C'mon... nobody has responded yet with "just get a PC"?
I got a bingo card to fill out here, people!!!
Option 4:
Skip all other options and restore from a backup. Sheesh
All I can say is, when I was there, we'd gladly have done a DT for a customer who was mistakenly sold the wrong machine. 5th Ave, being a flagship, I'd imagine has to adhere a bit more tightly to rules, but I know someone (who's up there at that store now!) that, a year ago, wouldn't have dreamed of denying a free DT because of the store's mistake.
@Hockeypuck: i do not mean to leave the impression that I think Apple is infallible, but A1286 is the previous generation MBP. I have one.
"They're only accommodating on the day you're going to spend $2,000+ for a new computer."
That should be in the consumerist ten commandments. I'm so sick of people talking about how nice and helpful a certain store is. Of course they're going to be nice if they haven't closed the deal yet.
@pecan 3.14159265: Card is signed, SEE ID means nothing. A thief will just use the card online and be done with it.
Oh yeah, its a violation of the stores merchant agreement and all VISA branded cards are required to say "Not vaild unless signed."
@pecan 3.14159265:
Previous generation pricing and new model pricing for the 2.66 GHz 15" MBP standard config are both $1999.
Will, you need to do backups! Although what Apple did isn't right, you probably would have been SOL if that hard drive would have failed or fails on you in the future. OSX has a great and easy-to-use backup program (Time Machine) and you should be able to find a decent external hard drive for less than $100...so there's no excuse!
What, the guy with the $2000 laptop is going to pay a restocking fee? COME ON!
Sorry, when he mentioned the price two times in three sentences I couldn't resist.
You are lucky that they even accepted the return in the first place. If your smart enough to post here, you should have checked the serial number of the notebook to the box.
People pull the switch scams all the time. Also, if it takes you that long to transfer data perhaps you should invest in a professional service. My time is worth more then $100
@blownfuse: If this is the case, then the OP is clearly wrong about what he contends is "new model pricing" because he states, "How are they getting away with selling the previous model at the new model price?"
@Vanilla5:
Yes, I realize, but that is true of all retail environments.
The specs on that label clearly do not match the specs on Apple.com or what must be printed on the signs next to the freaking computers in the Apple Store, and since it's the Apple Store, there's a strong possibility his sale was rung up next to the computer he was buying.
I'm just frustrated that he's blaming this mistake completely on Apple, and that Consumerist is running the story when two minutes of research make it clear that (one) this story is inaccurate, (two) Apple boxes have been saying SD since long before SD cards were the popular choice of flash media, and (three) the consumer is taking no responsibility for an incorrect assumption (that SD = secure digital) assumption and not making sure that he was walking out of the store with what he really wanted after spending over $2000.
@wcnghj: Apple, like many vendors will ask for an ID to verify who you are at the time of purchase. Like many high end retail stores, Apple is targeted RELENTLESSLY by criminals attempting to perform credit card fraud. In my experience, you 'catch' someone doing this maybe once a week at a decently busy store, and some other # of people get away with it. Really, it's that common and flag ship stores get hit even harder. Apple picks up the tab when they fail to catch these people so they are ENTIRELY on the hook if someone scams them with a credit card.
Now, Apple trains their employees not to deny purchases due to not having ID because that is a violation of your merchant services contract, but they will insist upon it if possible.
I hate vendors that try to require ID for credit card purchases because I know that they cannot do this without violating their merch. serv. contracts, and the fact is nobody is going to commit credit card fraud for a gallon of milk at a convenience store, but they sure as hell will for a $3k computer. I completely sympathize with Apple's position on this point.
@SteveBMD:
That was his decision - he could have waited until it stopped raining. There was no need he HAD to go right now.
@mizike: I did get the impression he was trying to show off his wallet, there. Intentionally or no, he still seemed a little too eager to emphasize the price.
@Vanilla5: If he pointed at a display model with an SD slot and said "I want that one," that's what he should get.
@wcnghj: Thank you for pointing that out. I can't believe people think that writing "See ID" and not signing your card makes it safe. It makes it easier for the criminals, since they can make a fake ID pretty easily.
And you are also correct - it is a violation. In fact, if the card turns up later unsigned, the merchant not get credit for the fraudulent transaction.
@pecan 3.14159265: Look at your credit cards, see where it says "Not Valid Unless Signed"? That means that unsigned credit cards are unsigned. I, like most people, keep my credit cards in my wallet, along with my ID. If someone has my wallet, then they have both my cards and my ID. What's to stop them from producing the requested ID from my wallet?
@captainpicard: Their business model is that you buy the software and the hardware from the same company so that it works correctly, unlike Micro$oft where you buy software from them and hardware that doesn't work correctly with the software.
Apple's customer service isn't perfect, but it sure beats the rest of the competition.
@johnmc: gah - I meant to write invalid instead of that second unsigned. Obviously it's unsigned if it's unsigned.
@ds: What if the store employees are smart enough to realize that the consumer accepted the purchase of a computer other than the one he wanted?
I'll bet money that no where else on that box where specs are listed does it list SD card slot.
@blownfuse: He did pay full price for an older model! If he didn't look for the SD card reader, then he probably wouldn't have noticed that he was ripped off for a much longer time.
@Vanilla5: All that does is confirm the customer was treated like crap when the CEO personally has to override the store.
This appears uncomfortably close to bait and switch. Keep in mind that the Apple Stores do not have signage in the stores for discontinued models. So the MB470LL/A or MC026LL/A that the customer received was certainly NOT the one he asked for - probably the 118. The MSRP on this unit was $1999 and $2499 respectively and theoretically could have $1699 post-release of the new units. (This seems a bit low for the MC026LL/A)
Either way, the store is not responsible for the data transfer. I love the way the OP states it would be 20 minutes in store but 2 hours of work at home. Buck up, do your own data transfer or pay to have it done for you.
@johnmc: Because your ID has a picture of you on it and when it doesn't match, you know something phony is going on.
@Laura Northrup: Agreed.
We could probably further agree, that good customer service would dictate even if that mistake was the customer's fault (I want the machine with specs x, y, and z, describing a previous generation model), help the guy out.
Everything about the way his letter is written shows him grasping at straws for a mistake he didn't realize for several days. I still stand by my point that if you buy a house or a car, you make sure you're getting what you paid for. Computers are usually the next largest purchase, and the onus is always on the buyer.
@Vanilla5: If the old model and the new model are the same price, it is basically a scam to sell the old model once the new model comes out.
Hey, this is Apple we're talking about. Will should just feel privileged to be able to own one of their products at all, no matter what the cost. That's their whole business model, right?