Last year in August I bought an Xbox 360 Core unit for $279.99 along with a $99.99 Advantage Protection Plus Plan (the extra good plan, I was told) to replace one Xbox that already three-ringed. Anyhow, the sales representative told me that with this protection plan instead of getting my Xbox fixed (should it ever break) they would just give me a gift card worth the original purchase price. He also gave me a pamphlet that said that backed up his claim in writing. I caved and bought it.

So the day finally came when my Xbox broke this summer. Not wanting/needing to wait around on my giftcard, I went out and purchased a new Xbox. I let my broken Xbox hang around for a little while until today I finally got around to registering for a replacement. While filing the claim, Circuit City's website said that all Xboxes would be replaced with "remanufactured units." That was not what I paid for. I didn't need an extra Xbox.

Before filing the claim I gave customer service a ring. As soon as I mentioned the discrepancy they became somewhat hostile. They must have had this issue many times before. I was told, "Look, I'm not going to argue with you, I'm just telling you; This is how it is." I asked to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor told me that the terms and conditions can change at any time and that they were changed mid-July of this year. I told her that in the documentation that I was given it doesn't say that the terms could change. She asked if there was anything else she could help me with, and then the call was over.

It really seems like some part of this is illegal, but I'm not a lawyer. I guess I know why they call it a "plan" instead of a "contract" these days. Just wanted to let people not to believe the warranties, even when it's in writing.

Even if this doesn't get posted, thanks for listening.

Like they say, only suckers buy extended warranties.

-Sucker

Though this is clearly less convenient than getting a gift card, if you charged the warranty, you could ask your credit card company to get involved. See if they can help you out. Also, there's nothing stopping you from getting your (extra) XBOX repaired by Microsoft. They have a 3 year warranty for that red ring problem.

And, of course, you could always take Circuit City to small claims court. It's fun and educational!

I purchased an Acer Travelmate 8100 my freshman year of college, and with it the 3 year extended warranty. The first two years I had it, it worked decently, but there were issues with the screen sometimes taking on a green hue. I tried twice to get it repaired, but nothing permanently fixed it. Given that the problem did not occur frequently I gave up trying to get it fixed, since doing so involved almost a month without a computer (a week each way for shipping and a little over a week in the shop). Also, on two separate occasions, I was told I did not have a warranty, and had to fax in all of the applicable paperwork. The first time this happened, I chalked it up to some sort of error in activating my warranty, but when my trying to set up my next repair three months later, I was told the exact same thing and there was mysteriously no record of anyone in the company having spoken to me ever.

Going into its third year, however, the laptop started to fail miserably. Innumerable problems started occurring, including my hard drive dying, my wireless card refusing to work, and of course my screen was getting worse. After sending it in two or three more times, and getting every part I know of in it replaced (according to the memos sent back by Acer), halfway through the school year my screen died completely and would only project an image for about five minutes a day if I was lucky. I once again started the process of calling Acer, setting up a repair, shipping it, waiting for it to be repaired, waiting for it to ship back.

The day my computer arrived, I opened it, turned it on, and before it could even finish booting, the screen died. Nothing I could do would bring the image back, and so I, fairly irritated at this point, have to call Acer again to set up a new repair. Despite the fact that I had just gotten the laptop back from its "repair," and five minutes later it was unusable again, they refused to help me out with faster shipping, or faster repair, or anything other than a standard repair. After this repair, I get the laptop back, again the screen does not work, again I have to send it back in. This time I was told it would be sent to a "senior repair technician" and red flagged to move through the system faster.

Two weeks later, I get my laptop back from its second repair, and discover upon taking it out of the box that it will not even turn on, making it less functional than when I sent it to them. I call Acer back and at this point tell them that since they are clearly unable to repair my laptop, I would like a refund for it. I was not hopeful that they would agree, and they did not, but I had to try. They try to tell me that I need to send it in for repair again, and when I refuse and tell them that some other action needs to be taken, they start bouncing me between various levels of CSRs to try to get someone who would deal with me. The first higher level person I was assigned to gave me a direct number to reach him at in order to avoid the wait when calling them (which has never been under half an hour in the 15+ times I have called).

The next day, I discover this is not a valid number when I try to call. I work my way through the calling system again and am finally assigned to a helpful person. They tell me they will try to find a replacement computer, but since they no longer manufacture the model I have, it might take some time. A week later, I call back and am told that they still have no computer for me. When I ask how long this could take, I was told there was no way to tell. I suggest that they send me a different model computer, but they refuse saying any other model would be a downgrade from my laptop and they cannot do that (despite my willingness to).

At this point it had been more than three months since I had a working laptop, and being an engineering student this was wreaking havoc on my life, so I finally simply had to buy a new laptop. The last time I talked to an Acer representative was about five months ago, and they said they would call me when they have a replacement computer. I had given up on this, but recently started reading the Consumerist and figured if there was any last hope of resolving this situation, it was with you.

If it makes you feel any better, Alex, you're not the first person to run into trouble getting Acer to repair their laptop. It took this guy 7 months.

We're not sure what the terms of your warranty are, but you have several options. First, you can launch an EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) on Acer and see if that shakes a laptop loose. If you bought this laptop with a credit card, contact your credit card company and tell them that Acer is not abiding by the terms of your warranty and has refused to replace or (competently) repair your computer. If your credit card has decent warranty protection they should be able to help you.

As a last resort, consider filing a small claims lawsuit against Acer. It sounds hard and scary, but it really isn't. Here's some information about what small claims court is and how it can help you. For more information about launching an EECB, click here.

Reader Eric was having some problems with his Samsung TV, so when he found Samsung had a firmware update for his LCD TV he did what any reasonable person might and applied the update. Bad move, Eric! Samsung is claiming that the update, which he got off their website, voided the warranty on his TV. Now they won't fix it. Read his story, inside.

I have been a long time reader of consumerist and I sadly enough need help with a product that I own. I have a Samsung LN-T4061F LCD TV, I have been trying to hook up my laptop to the TV through the HDMI port. I was able to get a picture but unable to get a sound from the TV.

Seeing this problem I went to my Olivia TV and tried hooking my laptop through the HDMI port. The laptop worked on the HDMI port on the Olivia TV so I figured something was wrong with the Samsung TV. I went to Samsung's website and I noticed that they had a updated firmware available, so I downloaded the update and the instructions. I have flashed the firmware on my Olivia TV and other electronic devices so I figured it wouldn't be a bad thing to do. I followed the instructions, let the TV do its thing, and when it came back up the picture was messed up.

At this point I called Samsung's tech support and told them what happened and why I was flashing the firmware. After placing me hold a couple of times, they came back and told me that because I flashed the TV for a reason that is not approved by Samsung, they considered this physical damage thus voiding the warranty. I asked to speak to a manager and they told me the same story and that because I did this, there was nothing that they could do to help me other than to arrange a service call at my expense.

Like I said earlier, I have flashed many devices, and I have done done a bad firmware update before and know to follow the instructions step by step. The firmware update did complete successfully and I did not see anything that specifically said what the firmware fixed.

I will try calling the executive support number I found on the site when they are open. But does anyone have any advice on what I can do to get my TV fixed? I don't think a company should offer firmware updates on their website if they don't intend to have customers running these updates.

Please Help!

A quick perusal of Samsung's website didn't seem to have much in the way of giant warning signs informing you that installing the update will void your warranty. In fact, the little disclaimer at the top of the page informing you that Samsung isn't liable if you install the wrong software or install it incorrectly seems to indicate that if you do it right, your warranty remains intact. Try calling Samsung Customer Care at 1-800-747-5618, and if that doesn't work it's time for the dreaded Executive Email Carpet Bomb.

So I rarely resort to complaints as I think I am an easygoing consumer, but this time Dell went over the line. Maybe I just needed to write this email to vent, but I think it may be worth a post on your site...

Recently my 1 year old Dell laptop stopped charging the battery, so I called technical support (still under 3 year warranty) to try to resolve the issue. The technician recommended trying to plug another Dell power adapter into the laptop to see if this was the problem, and surprisingly it worked - problem solved...send me a new power adapter and I'll be on my way.

Unfortunately here things took bad turn. The technician thought that it would be a good idea to try the faulty power adapter in my other Dell laptop just to confirm that this was the problem. I told him that this laptop was no longer under warranty and that I didn't really want to mess with anything else since we had already resolved the issue. He said that we had to confirm this before he could authorize a new adapter being sent to me. So I plug it in and ZAP! Burning smell, and my old laptop was fried - nothing could revive it. At this point I was worried the technician would hang up, but to their credit they stayed on the line and after about an hour finally agreed to replace my old laptop. At this point, I was rather satisfied despite all of the problems - I was getting a new replacement for my old laptop.

About a week later, I get my "new" Dell laptop. I open the case, and the instruction manual is bent out of shape, and I start to worry. I reach the bottom of the box, pull out the laptop, and first thing I see is the top is covered in scratches. Some people may say that I should be happy since I was getting a newer model laptop to replace an old laptop with no warranty. My old laptop, however, was in great condition. When I opened up the new laptop, I saw the screen was scratched and dirty, and the keyboard was covered in debris. Wait, not debris....what is that? HAIRS!? Not just any hairs - these could only be described as pubes. I hate to be so crude, but pubes are pubes. Not the incidental curly hair, but rather mini-tufts between the keys. My only guess is that Ron Jeremy was the previous owner. At this point, I called Dell back, and I have written this email in between talking to 3 different people and over an hour of hold time. Nobody wants to help, and I'm reached the limits of my tolerance for poor service.

At this point, I'm considering 3 options:

1. Vacuum it, douse it in alcohol, and just try to use it and forget about "the hedgehog"

2. Sell it and buy a new laptop

3. Go to the gym, run 3 miles, trim body hair directly over the keyboard, send laptop back to dell (this is the cleaned up version)

Any other ideas?

("Free Human Hair" Photo: Kevin Dean)

Jake writes:

I need some help; Some help dealing with Dell.

I purchased a DEll XPS 1530 (red) edition at the end of January. Being the geek that I am, and have had a laptop last up to 4 years (an iBook G4) without problems, so why get insurance?

On (roughly) day 45, as I finished a paper, I closed the laptop. I unplugged it from the charger, set the laptop on the table, unplugged the charger form the wall, grabbed my M1530 off the table and walked upstairs.

I opened the laptop up after I plugged in the charger to the wall and laptop and sat down in my room. There was a huge crack in the LCD screen that starts the the bottom of the screen, which was next to the hinge of the laptop.

$1300, 45 days and there is a huge crack in the screen, that honestly, shouldn't have happened. If they didn't make such cheap products, that wouldn't have happened.

I called Dell since the laptop was under the one year manufacturer semi-warranty. Sure enough, they want money to replace the LCD screen that broke.

Considering that I have seen laptops that have been dropped, kicked, traveled with, taken apart, stepped on and beat to hell and still run perfectly. A less than two minute walk up the stairs and me setting it up so I can use the laptop in bed causes a crack in the LCD screen and Dell is being too cheap to realize that I have a defective laptop.

What should I do?!

Since the laptop is so new you might be able to take advantage of any damage guarantees that your credit card offers. For example, an Amex gold card has up to $1,000 of purchase protection that includes accidental damage (not that this applies to you, or anything, but you'll be sure they won't hassle you.) Some cards will double the manufacturer's warranty, others offer a return guarantee that will fully compensate you if you decide to "return" the item within a certain period of time and the retailer won't accept it. If you can't work it out with Dell, you should call your credit card company and talk to them about what they can do to help you.

It's important to understand what protections your credit (or debit) cards offers so you can take advantage of them.

Good luck!

(Photo:Ben Popken)

The bag contained:

• Legendary Edition Helmet signed by most-if not all-of the studio staff
• Halo 3 Soundtrack (two disc) signed by Marty O'Donnel (with "DO NOT ERASE!" written under his name)
• Bungie Jacket
• Bungie T-Shirt
  
• Halo 3 Messenger Bag
• Two Halo 3 Limited Edition Wireless Controllers (one covenant, one human)
• Halo 3 Faceplate and Skins for Xbox 360
• Four McFarlane Action Figures (MC, EVA Spartan, Brute Chieftan, Jackal Sniper)
• Halo Actionclix Preview pack (Target exclusive sticker on the front)
• Halo Actionclix Game Pack 4
• Halo 3 Wall Graffix
• Halo 3: Ghosts of Onyx Novel
• Halo Graphic Novel
• Halo 3 Wristband
• Halo 3 Hackeysack
• 
  

And finally, to the staff of Bungie Studios:

I cannot thank you enough for the outpouring of support that you have lavished upon me in the aftermath of the release of my story. Long have I known of your dedication to your fans and community, but I find this single act of kindness mind boggling. Apart from the fact that a few of you had signatures adorning my console, you had no involvement in what occurred. As such, you have far surpassed any response I could have anticipated. I don't think I could ever repay you for this.

Thank you all for what you have done for me. I wish each and every one of you continued success in your future endeavors.

P.S. Marty, I love the soundtrack, and I promise you that I will do as you've requested and not erase any of it.

Nathanial's full letter and more pictures of the swag are posted on Hawty McBloggy.

Bungie Unscrews Previously Screwed Gamer [Hawty McBloggy]
PREVIOUSLY: Microsoft Scrubs All The Valuable Signatures And Artwork Off Your XBOX 360 Case

An avid gamer, Nathanial carried his XBOX 360 around to various events, collecting signatures and artwork from members of the gaming community. When his XBOX finally died, he contacted Microsoft to make sure that he could send the console in without having the exterior case replaced or damaged. Microsoft ensured him that his request would not be a problem.

Nathanial included (along with his XBOX) a letter explaining the markings on the case and requesting politely, but firmly, that he receive his original case back.

And he did.

Unfortunately, someone at Microsoft took it upon himself/herself to scrub the exterior of the box until the signatures were completely removed. This just seems spiteful. Trying to picture the person who thought that giving someone's signed XBOX a bath was an awesome idea makes our brain hurt.

We read complaints for a living and can't help but wonder why gamers given so little respect by the companies that make such exorbitant profits off of them. The complaints we get are insulting. From retailers who allow their employees to "check out" products before selling them as new, to consoles and games crippled with broken DRM, gamers are consistently treated like children, or worse, criminals by the companies that benefit from their loyalty.

(I say this purely from observation, as I'm not what anyone would call "a gamer." The vast majority of video games give me motion sickness, to be perfectly frank. I'm quite fond of Lego Star Wars, however.)

Here's the letter Nathanial sent in with his XBOX:

To whom it may concern:

Enclosed in this package you will find one Xbox 360 console, serial number 610537654806. I pre-ordered this machine months before the Xbox 360 launched, and I've been a proud owner ever since it arrived. Although the original warranty for my machine has expired some time ago, I still keep the sales receipt and original retail box.

I have taken this unit along with me on some of my travels over the past two years, and during that time I have acquired a number of signatures from notable members of the gaming community.

Among those signatures are several members of the Rooster Teeth Productions staff, certain members of the Xbox 360 team, and some of the staff from Bungie Studios. Those signatures are also joined by custom artwork by Rooster Teeth Comics artist and Halo fan artist Luke McKay. This console represents some special memories—of which I am quite fond—from the past two years of my life. As you can imagine, this particular unit has a great deal of sentimental value to me and is quite possibly of reasonable monetary value as well.

I am well aware that in many cases new replacement units have been returned to those who have sent their consoles for repairs. I would be displeased if this were to happen to me. When I put in the service request for my unit, the agent that took my call assured me that the same unit I have sent to you would be shipped back to me. If you must send a different unit back, please put my original case on the replacement unit. Having put the above information forward, it is logical to conclude that I would be most disappointed should I receive a different console with a plain white case in return.

Please take care in handling the case, as despite the fact that the ink is permanent and has had plenty of time to set, the possibility yet remains that it may be smudged.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Another Gamer Screwed by Microsoft [Hawty McBloggy]

This same kind of problem has happened to one of our readers before. It turns out that an employee had inadvertently entered the SKU instead of the serial number on our Reader's XBOX. He was eventually able to prove that he hadn't switched the XBOXs, but Ben is having a much more difficult time.

Ben writes:

I am going through a terrible experience with game stop. After finally deciding to make the leap and purchase a PS3 I went to my local game stop in Queens, NY. After purchasing the 80 GB I drove home and eagerly took it out of the box. Much to my dismay I found the video and audio signal weren't working properly. I called the store and they said bring it back in. I went back to the store(less than an hour later) and they told me that they could not help me because the serial number on the box didn't match the one on the machine. Employee scam? WTF? So the say sorry, sorry, blah, blah, we are going to investigate this and review the cameras. Whatever. Who checks the serial number before they leave the store? Well apparently we all should. Now it's been over two weeks and I still have no answer from game stop or the manager...

Wow. I am screwed. So, the main customer service for gamestop has now told me that the district manager made his decision (unbeknownst to me) and they have to stand by his decision. This is to not help me in any way, shape, or form. So I figured good old Sony would help me, right? Well they also refuse to help me. Not only will they not exchange my machine, they refuse to even take it for repair because my serial # from the receipt doesn't match. I really don't care what my serial # is, I just want a PS3 that works properly for the 500 I spent. Any suggestions?

Ben

Does anyone else have any suggestions for Ben?

(Photo:Marike79)

For those of you who are not familiar, many credit cards carry a benefit that doubles your manufacturer's warranty and helps you out of these sorts of sticky situations. When last we saw Reid, he was battling Sony Computer Entertainment for warranty repair because his system was having trouble reading discs. He lost, and Sony shipped the unit back to him. For the record, Reid says that the PS3 arrived much dustier than when he originally sent it. Not knowing what else to do, he bought a dust buster and cleaned the unit up, determined to fix it himself. Then he tried upgrading the PS3's firmware and the system completely bricked.

Thankfully, his Visa has extended warranty coverage and he'll be getting a new PS3.

Reid writes:

I just got off the phone with Visa for the third time and they are sending me a claim form to start the repair/replacement process of my system.

They at first said that they would need to attempt to have it repaired in my local video game repair shop, but I let them know that i had already contacted them and the firmware in combination with the blu-ray lens made it impossible to repair economically and it would have to be replaced. They said as long as I had a repair receipt stating that it wasn't economical to repair, I could walk into a Best Buy, charge a new PS3 to my credit card and they would credit that charge.

Thanks A LOT, for all your help, you guys have more helpful than i would ever imagine. Lets just hope I never need to email you guys again shall we?

Thanks again,

Reid

PS, This was possible because (some?) Visa Signature cards carry a "warranty manager" feature that effectively doubles the warranty on any product purchased on the card up to one year. Because the problem that bricked the system occurred after I was legally out of warranty, Visa is taking care of it. Again, I can't thank you guys enough, you really put the power in the customers hands in an industry where its customers are generally ignored due to their demographic. I owe you guys.

We love happy endings.

PREVIOUSLY: Dust Voids PS3 Warranty
Sony CSR: What? No! Dust Doesn't Void Your PS3 Warranty!
Is This Playstation 3 Too Dusty To Be Repaired Under Warranty?
TV Breaks Right After The Warranty Expired? Call Your Credit Card Company

On the day the technician was supposed to show up, about 3 hours into their 4 hour delivery window, the tech called and asked us if we had been shipped the part for our machine. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, so the tech just hung up on me. That's right, after the Sears technician found out we didn't have the part, he hung up on me.

I called Sears repair services and they told me that it was standard operating procedure to ship the part directly to the customer. However, Sears picked a delivery date for the part that's two days after they scheduled repair date.

Sears' solution? Wait for the part to come since they couldn't guarantee when we would actually get the part—two days was just a guess—then reschedule for another repair appointment, which could be another wait of a week or more.

I explained I wanted to file a complaint against the tech who hung up on me and was transferred to customer service. I waited on the phone for an hour until I got so frustrated I hung up without reaching anyone.

Why can't Sears supply their repair technicians with the appropriate repair parts? How long am I going to have to wait to get my clothes washer repaired? Who made the bonehead decision to mail me the part?

Thank you,

Justin

In any case, the best advice we have is to try escalating your issue. Has anyone out there come up with a foolproof method for dealing with Sears? Let's hear about it.

(Photo:SqueakyMarmot)

ATTN: Store Manager and/or Assistant Managers

I never thought I'd ever have to write this email, but I am.

My brother visited your store on November 17th, and visited a Mac Genius. And I have two issues with this visit.

1. After making a reservation through the online concierge service for 4:45 pm five hours prior to the scheduled time) he was told he didn't have a reservation and would have to wait to receive support with his malfunctioning iPod Nano.

2. The genius repeated steps that my brother told him didn't work, and told him to take it home and try again.

Upon getting home, wha-da-ya-know.. still doesn't work.

I'm not mad, just kind of irritated. I hold you guys to a higher standard, because you're also capable of higher quality.
I've been using macs for over a decade, and to hear from my PC brother that Apple wasted his gas driving 12 miles to get there, waiting through holiday shopping Saturday traffic, and his time to see a genius... that disappoints me.

The irony is we got him the iPod to make his life easier, and it has stressed him out even further.

Here's What The Problem Was:

iPod Nano 2nd Generation that continually reboots, gets stuck, reboots, gets stuck, reboots.... until the battery dies. This was an issue that happened right out of the box, but was solved by a Restore; three months later, it started doing it again. After he returned home, I temporarily fixed it by restoring it with my mac, then restoring it with his PC. I loaded 10 songs to test it, and it worked great. Then I loaded the rest of his library, and boom.. back to square one. There is a corruption in the boot sector of his flash memory causing it to have this issue.

I realize this is a rather complex issue for a Mac Genius, but it doesn't take a Mac Genius Training Course to realize this is something that you don't just "hope for the best".

The fact that it did it immediately after pulling it out of the box puzzles me, especially when we have done the same steps to fix it we did the first time.

The iPod is currently in deep sleep, which I was able to turn on by accessing the iPod service menu

I would love to have more correspondence with you over this issue, and I would prefer you speak to me instead of him.

I have read the limited warranty twice, and I know that his iPod is eligible for replacement for this hardware/software malfunction.

I'll quote it..

"If a hardware defect arises and a valid claim is received by Apple within the Warranty Period, at its option and to the extent permitted by law, Apple will... ...(2) exchange the product with a product that is new..."

I will be making an appointment to see a Mac Genius on Tuesday November 20th, and I hope we can get this issue resolved once and for all, and I can go back to being a happy apple fan-boy.

P.S.
I work at Best Buy in the iPod section, and I've never drawn out a warranty issue with a customer about such an obvious defect with their Apple iPod. In-fact, I've personally made sure that I handled that issue as fast as I could whether it was with a repair that Best Buy did not receive any payment for, or with a full replacement with a new iPod. I'm not paid with commission, I just know that you don't grow a business by shrugging your shoulder and say "try again".

Honestly I'm not angry, just upset.
Because you can do better.

The genius he spoke to was

[redacted]

The iPod was restored with iPod Nano 2nd Gen. software 1.1.3 on both:
a Windows machine running iTunes 7.5.0.20
a MBP 10.4.11 running iTunes 7.5 (r19)
See you tuesday.

Update:
Before hitting the send button in Mail.app I decided to try one last time...
Same problem except now it refuses to enter Service Mode or Disk Mode,

:( This sucks. Cya soon.

A Very Upset, Yet Extremely Loyal Apple User\Customer\Third-Party Salesman,

Cody

(Photo:Maulleigh)

Reader Stephen wrote us a nice lengthy complaint email and cc'd Steve Jobs:

Hi Consumerist!

I purchased a MacBook Pro in November of 2006. Prior to the expiration of my one year warranty, I've had several component failures. Since being without the laptop affects my work productivity, I put the repairs off and figured I'd just bring it in with a laundry list of items just before the warranty expired.

On October 15th, I asked my wife to drop the laptop off at the Apple Store in Raleigh, NC for a display-related buzzing sound, a top case replacement (the coating was peeling off) and a SuperDrive replacement (an Apple firmware upgrade killed it). The Genius at the store said the buzzing noise was a known issue and that it was caused by a capacitor on the logic board. He then said they would not be replacing the logic board. They did agree to replace the top case and SuperDrive.

My wife called me immediately after dropping the laptop off and told me about the refusal. Knowing solid-state electronics should not make mechanical noises, I called Apple and the representative suggested I either mail it off to the Repair Depot or take it to another Apple Store. Not wanting to mail the laptop to some distant repair depot, I asked my wife to run back to the Apple store, retrieve the laptop, and bring it by the other Apple store in Durham, NC.

Upon arrival at the Durham store, my wife was informed the Geniuses were all booked up for the day, and was asked to schedule an appointment or come back another time.

Frustrated, I called Apple back and arranged to have the MacBook Pro returned to their Repair Depot. I sent the laptop off and got it back with a new top case, new logic board and a new SuperDrive a couple of days later. Immediately after powering the laptop up, the buzzing noise returned. I escalated this to Dina in Apple's Executive Customer Care group at which point I was asked to drop the laptop back in the mail or drive down to the Apple store again. Not wanting to go through the hassle of reformatting and re-installing all of my software (I am covered by an NDA), I said I'd think about it and get back to her. At this point, I had decided the extra hassle for the buzzing noise wasn't worth the effort.

A few days later, I noticed the mouse button was sticking and made popping sounds when pressed. I called Dina back and she made me an appointment at the Raleigh store for them to look at this new problem and resolve the buzzing sound while I was there. I arrived on time and had to wait an additional 45 minutes after my appointed time for a Genius to become available. The technician determined the noise was coming from the display inverter (as I had originally suggested) and that the mouse button was defective. The mouse button and trackpad are part of the top case, so Apple would need to replace the top case yet again.

The top case and display inverter were ordered, and I was told I'd receive a telephone call when the parts arrived, at which point I'd need to drop the laptop off again.

For those of us who are counting, I've had to bring the laptop into either an Apple store or a Repair Depot 4 times thus far and have driven over 200 miles to the two Apple stores. All of these repairs and trips are in the past month. What do I have to show for it? My laptop still needs a top case and a display inverter. If Apple gets this next repair right, it will have taken them a total of 5 tries to fix a couple of common problems.

I expressed these concerns to Dina on the phone today and told her I didn't feel it was acceptable to require so many trips, escalations and telephone calls to get some simple warranty repairs accomplished. Given the situation, I asked Dina if she would be willing to arrange for a replacement laptop and she declined.

I made it excruciatingly clear that I will not be purchasing any additional Apple products.

This is my first experience with Apple's warranty program. Needless to say, I am not impressed with their troubleshooting and repair abilities. I am even less impressed with their refusal to address these shortcomings by simply replacing a machine they obviously have no interest in fixing. Please keep my tale of woe in mind if you're contemplating an Apple purchase.

Repair History.. in the past 30 days and four tries:

SuperDrive Replacement (dead)
Battery Replacement (dead)
Top Case Replacement (peeling/cracking)
Mainboard Replacement (mis-diagnosis of noisy Display Inverter)

The Fifth try (when parts arrive, hopefully on 11/12)
Display Inverter (noise)
Top Case Replacement (to replace the failing trackpad assembly on the new part)

So if you're having problems getting your issue escalated, why not write us an email like Stephen's and cc it to Steve Jobs? We don't know who or what mysterious entity reads sjobs@apple.com, but something is out there.

(Photo:jabella)

July 5th - 360 kicks the bucket with the three red lights. I call Xbox, determine that its really broken, and get a person who helps me set up the repair order.

July 13 - Receive the box.

July 19 - I have the box all set up; I have the 360, sans faceplate and hard drive, in the Styrofoam padding and placed in the box. Box is sealed up with that awesome tape that came with the return box. Box is brought to Business and shipped via UPS. The unit was picked up by the driver, NO pickup receipt was given, and apparently the box was NOT scanned on pickup. I have been told that they do that at the distribution center to help the drivers work faster.

July 25 - I check on the status of my console, still says shipped to customer. So I check the tracking number, Billing info received, nothing else. I call UPS to verify that this is correct, and it it. I am told to wait one more day and to call back.

July 26 - I call UPS and I am told that since the package isn't in my name, it is in Micrsoft's and I have to contact them for further information. I call Xbox support and I am told that I have to call UPS because the xbox support doesn't deal with this.

July 27 - I call MS again and I get someone who decides it's a nice idea to help. So I am told that I need to have a "tracer" placed on the package and to wait for the results. I call Ups, and they happily do it for me. I am told to wait 5 business days to call back to check the status.

July 31 - I notice that the tracer is closed; package not found is shown on the UPS site. I call UPS and I am told to call Xbox. I call Xbox and I am told that they will search the repair center and to call back in another 5 business days.

August 2 - I call MS back and I am told that the repair center does not have the console and I am transferred to a supervisor because the support person I was talking with wasn't able to handle this. I am transferred to a super, and she then decides to have a conference call with UPS. WE come to the conclusion that UPS must have the package and the UPS tech places a new tracer on it. I am told the UPS claim number of [redacted].

August 10 - I call MS back because the tracer is again finished but no package. I am told that the repair center does have it, and that I do not need to call in anymore.

August 12 - I call Xbox back because the website to check the repair status still shows it as "Box shipped to customer". I am transferred to a different call center now apparently because the basic techs are unable to help. I am connected with Jeff, [redacted]. He says that he handled a case just like mine recently and that he would take care of this. And he also states that I was misinformed by the last tech and that they repair center does NOT have the console.

August 15 - I call Jeff back, and I leave a message asking about the status of my console and for him to call me back.

August 17 - I am contacted by Jeff. I am told that he is working with his superiors and that he will ship me out a console soon. And when he finalizes it, he will call me back and let me know.

August 21 - I am called by MS and I am told that in order for Jeff to get me a new console, I need the pickup receipt, which I told the techs from the start, I do not have.

August 22- I call UPS corporate offices and I ask for the Office of the Chief Operations Officer. I am transferred to a person who pulls up the shipping record and listens to me explain the whole ordeal for about the 11th time. He says that he will send out some corporate emails and he said that the account holder will be called by Friday, the 24th.

August 24 - I call back MS, and I ask how I would get any pickup information to Jeff. I am told to call in when I have it and they will give me the faxing information.

August 23 - I call UPS to ask if they called Microsoft, I am told that it will be done Monday evening.

August 28 - I call MS, and I ask about what is going on now. I am told that without written proof that UPS has my package, they refuse to do anything. I then ask is there a way to track down a console if it is used on Xbox Live, because if it was stolen they could possibly track that person down. I am told that even though they can ban the consoled by the serial number, they cannot track them down with that. I call UPS, I ask is there any way that I can prove that I sent the package. I am told that a written document from the business that I shipped the package from stating that the package was picked up by UPS will be sufficient to allow a claim to be approved.

August 29 - I call Microsoft now that I have the paper signed just like the helpful UPS support tech said. And I am told by Jeff that this is not sufficient for MS. And that I am to call UPS to handle it. So I call UPS support, get transferred to claims, and explain the entire story again to a new person. This person says that what I was told before is all a lie. That paper signed by the manager at the place it was picked up from is NOT sufficient enough. So I call UPS corporate again, and get connected to a new person yet again. This lady takes all the info down once more, and says I will be called tomorrow by her superiors so they can discuss whether my claim is legit.

Total time spent with this issue: 1 Month, 1 week, 4 days.

(Photo:Wikipedia)

It came with two cheap plastic styluses, one of which broke while still in the phone.

Now Rob can't get the stylus out of the phone. Other than that small inconvenience, the phone is fine.

He called AT&T for help and they told him his warranty was void, then laughed at him.

Rob writes:

I've got an AT&T 8525, and I've had it since about mid-June. It was a refurbished model, and the stylus end (the end that screws in) was a little wobbly, but very functional still. We've got a little problem with it now, though. That tip on the stylus (a cheap, $3 part) has broken off. The phone is fine, but the stylus is broken. That in itself isn't a big deal, what sucks is that the stylus is still in the phone, and I have no way of retrieving it without opening the phone up and voiding the warranty. So, what am I to do?

I call AT&T to tell them the situation... and I'm promptly informed that the warranty on my phone is now void because of physical damage. What?! A $3 part that's shipped with the phone breaks, and now the phone's warranty is void. That's what I'm to understand. I try, repeatedly, to tell the Agent I'm speaking with that the phone itself is undamaged, that it's just the stylus, and I'm only calling them so I don't have to open the phone and void my own warranty. I am informed, over and over again, that it doesn't matter. I've abused the device, it is now out of warranty. I ask for the call to be escalated, and I'm sent to their Escalation Center.

I speak with Amy Hodges from Escalations. She informs me of the same situation as the previous person does, since before I speak to her the previous tech gives her their version of what's wrong with my phone. I try, in vain, to explain that I just want my stylus out of my phone. I explain that I don't need a new phone, that I just want the one I have to be 100% usable again, and all she'll tell me is that I can have it exchanged if I pay for a new phone. I ask her, "So, you're telling me that since the cheap, defective stylus you shipped me broke, my phone's out of warranty forever and I will have to buy a new one if I ever want it fixed." She says, while laughing, "Yes, that's what I'm telling you, your phone is no longer under warranty." I ask for her supervisor.

I speak to Josh Rosen, Supervisor for Advanced Data Devices. I try to start all over with him, figuring maybe something had just gotten lost in all the story telling from tech to tech. I tell him, "Ok. When I received my phone, I received three things: a phone, a stylus, and a battery. The phone and the battery are fine. The stylus, which I actually have two of, has broken." I ask if he's with me so far, and he doesn't reply. I ask again, and wait for him to say, "Huh?" I say, "Good to know you're listening. Anyway, on the stylus there are two tips. A rubber pointer tip, and a hard plastic lip tip. The hard plastic tip allows you to pull the stylus out of the phone. It has broken off. The stylus is inside of the phone. I am calling you so that I don't have to open the phone up myself and void the warranty." His response? "I'm sorry, your phone's out of warranty because of physical damage." At this point, I'm pretty sure he didn't listen to a word I said. I go back and forth with him for about ten minutes, asking what my options are and basically pleading my case. His response? I need to contact HTC, and ask a friend if they have any old AT&T phones I can use in the mean time. I ask him if he's joking, because he's laughing as he's telling me to do this. I ask him if he, as a consumer, would be satisfied with that answer... instead of answering me, he gives me the ol' "I do apologize for your frustration, but your warranty is void. Is there anything else I can help you with?". I ask for his supervisor, and I'm told that he's as high as it goes. I ask him if that's true, he says, "Yes, it's true." I don't believe him, so I ask again. He says, "Well, no, it's just for today." I tell him I want his supervisor's name, and I want it now. He gives it to me, but won't give me a number to contact him at. His name, by the way, is Thomas Jackson, Head Supervisor for Advance Data Devices. I am informed that if I want to talk to him, I will have to work through the chain again... he gives me the 1.800 number. I inform him that I'm not a satisfied customer, he thanks me for choosing Cingular Wireless (you'd think they'd have that trained out by now) and tells me to have a nice night.

So, that's where I'm at. I'll be calling HTC later on this afternoon (assuming they're open) and try and get this figured out. Just figured I'd let you guys know that if you break the stylus of a PDA/smartphone from AT&T, your warranty is completely void.
Thanks!

—
Rob

He writes:

I went to the apple store today because a large portion of the touchscreen on my phone decided to stop working in the middle of writing an email. As a backstory, this is my second iphone. My first iphone had bad RAM or something and was replaced in 1 week after it would repeatedly freeze up and require a software restore.

The Apple "Genius" confirmed that it was a hardware issue, but that it would have to fixed at a depot which would take a few days. he then offered me two options: 1_ take the SIM card home and put it in another phone 2_ pay $30 plus a $500 deposit to rent an iphone while mine is being repaired.

I just sat there for a moment, then quietly replied "You're fucking kidding me." I told him that I flat-out refused to pay for their faulty hardware, and that I paid $500 for a phone that was expected to work for a year , not be fixed or replaced every few weeks. I wasn't getting a battery replaced, I wasn't dealing with user damage, I was dealing with faulty hardware which he had just confirmed.

I asked him to get the manager to waive the loaner fee. He refused as well.

So I immediately called Apple Care (in the apple store) , escalated it up a level, and went over four points:
1_ This is a hardware problem that is emblematic of poor quality control . This is the second defective phone I've been given. And I'm still way within the first 90 days of purchase !
2_ Apple did not announce a defect policy that customers would have to wait several days or pay $30 for a loaner until after I had purchased the phone. there's no way in hell I'd have bought an Iphone if i knew that I'd have to rent one for $30 whenever an issue comes up.
3_ There are multiple class action suits against Apple concerning this issue, and apple tends to lose class actions.

With that in mind, the Apple Care agent finally agreed that it was only fair that they waive the loaner fee and try to keep me as a customer. They made a note in the file to waive the fee, and then I went back to the Genius Bar to get it swapped out.

People can say how bad AT&T is non-stop, but since switching to the iPhone from Sprint I've only averaged 2 dropped calls a week. I don't think I've ever had a conversation on Sprint that didn't drop out.

On the other hand, the Apple customer service has been nothing but awful. The phones have an obscenely high defect rate— just go to an apple store count at how many exchanges they do in a 30 minute period. These aren't phones that are cracked or broken - they're ones where the hardware is just screwed up and makes the phone half- work and be unstable. Some friends in SF said that so many people bring defective iphones to the apple store there, that they don't even bother trying to charge people for a loaner.

I couldn't find anything in the consumerist covering this yet. I think people should remember that if you can't resolve something to your satisfaction in the Apple Store, you can turn to Apple Care, and eventually Apple Corporate.

Jonathan

While we do understand that Apple's warranty doesn't cover throwing your laptop into a river or sitting on it, most of the complaints we get are from genuine-sounding people who are astounded and hurt by being called liars and denied warranty coverage under a plan they paid a lot of money for.

Louis is such a person. After getting the runaround from Apple he sat down and wrote a nice letter to Steve Jobs about the poor quality of service that Apple's warranty repair team was giving him. He blind CC'd the complaint to us. You you can read it... and Louis' follow-up email, inside.

Louis writes to Steve Jobs:

June 10, 2007

Steven P. Jobs
1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014
sjobs@apple.com

Mr. Jobs:

My name is Louis [redacted], and I have been a loyal Macintosh user for a relatively long period of time. I am writing this letter to inform you about the horrible experience I have been recently having with both Apple, Inc. and its products. Taking my years of using Apple's products and services into account, I cannot say that I have ever experienced a situation as disappointing as the situation I am detailing to you today. As such, I purchased my MacBook Pro (Serial number: [redacted]) on March 7, 2006, only to find its enclosure becoming extremely hot after some time of use and the battery beginning to fail after two months. I had called AppleCare to resolve the issue, and the battery was replaced under my AppleCare warranty. The MacBook Pro was relatively fine for eleven months, that is until its display failed.

The failure of the MacBook Pro's display occurred on April 7, 2007, when I was using the computer at my desk. The laptop is always used on my desk, as I was instructed to do so by AppleCare when I initially complained about its intense heat. As such, the MacBook Pro is rarely handled, only to transport it to Apple for service. After I was finished with my work on the computer, I had put the computer to sleep by gently closing its lid. I have always closed the lid by putting a slight amount of pressure on it until the lid made contact with the bottom casing. This time, however, the hinges failed to prevent the lid from falling, and the lid subsequently made contact with the bezel much more quickly than ever before. At this point in time, I realized that I still required use of the computer, and I lifted the lid up to awake the MacBook Pro from its sleep. I did this only to find the display plagued by a series of vertical lines covering about 2/3 of the screen's area. I was initially bewildered by this, as I had never seen it occur before on any of my previous computers with LCD displays. I rebooted the computer several times, reset the PRAM, and even reformatted the hard drive with a fresh copy of OS X, but none of these things worked. I had no choice but to call AppleCare for support.

My initial AppleCare call (Case ID:[redacted]) resulted in a troubleshooting session essentially similar to the steps I had already conducted. The support agent, Sue, determined that I would have to bring the computer into an Apple Store for service, as there was nothing more AppleCare could do for me over the phone. I explained that the Apple Store nearest my home was a bit of a drive away, but bringing it there was still suggested. I then brought the computer to the Sagemore Apple Store in Marlton, New Jersey as soon as physically possible. The problem occurred over Easter weekend, so the store was not open until Monday, April 9th. The employees there determined that the computer would have to be sent out for service, and subsequently arranged for an at-home pickup. The employee that assisted me, Eric, inspected my computer while on the phone with the AppleCare depot, noting that it was in flawless condition. The process was relatively fast, and I thanked the employees for their assistance. A box arrived at my home the next day, and I packed the MacBook Pro for it to be serviced (Repair ID: [redacted]).

Some days later, I decided to confirm my repair status via Apple Support's online repair status service. I noticed that the status indicated something akin to "Apple needs more information before we can repair your product. Please contact AppleCare." By this time, I was surprised, as I had ensured that the Apple Store employee had provided all of my contact information to the AppleCare depot agent when the service request was arranged. I then called AppleCare, and the representative presented with me of a charge for $1259.95, based on the repair depot's claim that the MacBook Pro had experienced "physical damage." She then noted that the depot claimed that the bottom casing was showing "warping." I had taken pictures of the MacBook Pro immediately before I had packaged it for service, and I could not identify the damage that the the repair depot was claiming. I requested to speak with a supervisor so the charge for service would be removed, but the supervisor failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion at the time. She then arranged for the MacBook Pro to be shipped back to my home without repair, as I had no other options at the time. In the process, she assured me that all of the components aside from the display and lower bezel casing would remain covered by my AppleCare plan. I had called again some time after that call in hopes of speaking with a representative that would repair the computer, but the representative would not agree to do so. This representative also confirmed that the only components no longer covered by my AppleCare agreement were the bottom bezel and LCD display. The representative then suggested that I file a claim under my credit card company's extended warranty plan. In attempt to minimize the amount of aggravation on my part, I filed a claim with Visa for this service and waited for Visa's response.

About a month later, I had received a call from a Visa claims administrator, and he stated that my claim was denied based upon Apple's claims of "physical damage" to my unit. The claims administrator stated that he had spoken with Aaron at Apple, and Aaron had noted that there was "corrosion in the hinges that caused them to fail and a cracked screen." As I had no other options, I then called AppleCare again in an attempt to resolve the issue.

By this time it was May 15th, and I spoke with Crystal [redacted]. She further detailed the depot's claimed problems with my MacBook Pro, and these included the "warping," "physical damage," and "bottom bezel damage." I explained to her that I did not cause the damage myself, and that no other person had handled the machine while it was in my possession. That is, while it was not at Apple to be serviced. She explained that there were pictures that the depot had taken illustrating this claimed damage, and that she was able to send the entire set to me. I received these pictures, and to this day, I fail to see any significant abnormalities with the computer. Crystal then claimed that Apple's images prove that the LCD screen was physically cracked, yet the images which were sent to me do not illustrate anything remotely close to proof that the screen is "cracked." Moreover, she denied that my computer's hinges were corroded when I stated that is what Apple told Visa. I asked her to verify the claims again, and she again denied the existence of such corrosion. I was beginning to become suspicious of Apple's practices at this point, as the information given to either to me or my credit card company was incorrect. After about an hour of attempting to resolve the issue, I was yet again left without many options. One of these options was contacting the Better Business Bureau, and I filed a complaint with them later that day. When had filed the complaint, I had realized that Apple was not a BBB member, but still believed that Apple would at least respond to the complaint by the given deadline. Now, it seems that I was wrong about that belief.

Since the lines on my MacBook Pro's display were progressively worsening, I was forced to connect an external monitor to the computer to continue my daily work. As I do not use the machine solely for work, I attempted to play the few modern, Mac-based games available (Call of Duty 2, Civilization IV), and found that the MacBook Pro would unexpectedly shutdown while playing these games. These shutdowns would not even prompt the infamous kernel panic message, the computer would just completely cease operation. Further use of the machine led me to realize that the problem was only apparent while using graphics or CPU-intensive applications, as well as Windows XP under BootCamp. The problem would never occur when just using web browsing or email applications under OS X, regardless of version. As I had been familiar with a similar problem on the MacBook line of computers, I called AppleCare for assistance (Case ID: [redacted]). After detailing to him the problems which Apple claimed were wrong with the computer, the support agent stated that it was a hardware issue, most commonly with the logic board, and that a box would be sent to my home for repair (Repair ID: [redacted]). With the assurance of the previous support agents that all components aside from the screen and bezel would be covered, I naturally expected that the repair would be covered. As it turned out, this was not the case.

Two days after I had shipped the computer, I checked Apple's online support status site, only to see that Apple now needed more information about my product before it can be repaired. I then called AppleCare, and spoke with Obi. Obi claimed that the previous assessment of physical damage voided my computer's entire warranty until the fee for repair of the screen and bezel was paid. I explained to him that was not in line with what was told to me by previous representatives, and that the problem was relatively common. This did not have any effect, so I requested to speak with a supervisor, Jennifer. Jennifer confirmed Obi's statement that the entire warranty was voided because "our repair depot does not handle partial repairs." She further explained that computers which Apple claims have experienced "physical damage" are "hard to warranty." As any reasonable person would do, I responded that that was a ridiculous statement based upon the other representatives' claims, and that I would have to complain about this issue to Apple directly. Jennifer confirmed that Apple had received a letter on my behalf, and that I was "not being ignored." As it is past the initial deadline for Apple's response, June 7th, is sure seems as if this is not the case. As Jennifer was a dead-end for what she could offer me, I called AppleCare back again.

This time, I had spoken with Louise, and she confirmed the statements of the previous two representatives, Obi and Jennifer. I asked to speak with a supervisor, and was transferred to Cathy [redacted], possibly the most helpful person I had ever spoken with at AppleCare. After explaining the whole situation to her, including the fact that the corroded hinges statement differs from what was given to Visa, and the fact that other examples similar to the problems my MacBook Pro was experiencing could be located on the internet, she performed an intensive search of any applicable information. After about fifteen minutes of searching, she failed to uncover any information about the intense heat, claimed case warping, hinge failure, or screen failure affecting a "significant number" of MacBook Pros. If needed, I will send links detailing these issues affecting other user's machines. I informed her that I had viewed an image of a MacBook Pro in Germany with case warping almost exactly matching Crystal's description of the warping affecting my MacBook Pro. Sadly, she could not take the information regarding how large of a user-base this issue is affecting, as Apple did not have a significant amount of similar reports in their support database. Disheartened by this, I thanked Cathy for her attempt in assisting me and ended the support call.

Although I have been told by several representatives that Apple's CEO does not accept mail, I am now asking for your assistance with the issue. In all of my time spent dealing with the computer and electronics industries, I have never before experienced anything quite like my experience with Apple and its support services. Over the course of two months, I have invested a great amount of my time endeavoring to resolve this issue, but have miserably failed. I have since recalled the belief I once held when I had initially switched to the Mac platform several years ago, a belief that Apple was one of the few companies in the industry which actually cared about its customers. Taking my recent experience with Apple into account, this belief could not have been further removed from the truth. I now ask you both as the CEO of a multinational corporation, as well as a decent human being, to provide a working computer for me. I have spent a large amount of money on Apple products, with my MacBook Pro purchase alone totaling $2848.00. I believe that any customer spending any amount of money on a product should receive a product in working condition, not one which quickly fails and is then determined as ineligible for repair under the expensive extended service plan.

I realize that your time is greatly valuable, and as such, I am deeply grateful for your consideration regarding this issue. Given the truly troubling experience I have had with Apple's products and support services, I hope you will agree that a remedy is in order. Once again, I thank you for your time and consideration regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Louis

Hello again,

After sending my email to Steve Jobs, a representative from Apple's corporate executive relations discussed the situation with my repair, and he stated that the support representatives I spoke with did not fully take the heat generated by the computer into account for the display's failure. As such, he offered to repair or replace the machine free of charge, and I received the replacement computer on Tuesday. The representative is now working with me to transfer my AppleCare to the new machine.

I would like to thank the Consumerist for the wonderful service they provide to consumers in need. I apologize if my reply had not been the fastest, as I wanted to make sure all was well before I contacted you again. Thank you again for your time.

Sincerely,

Louis

(Photo: earth2kim)

Hi,

Here's a ridiculous laptop repair question you may enjoy for the Consumerist.

I accidentally somehow broke the LCD display on my 2-year-old IBM T43 laptop. It needs to have the display replaced, so I called IBM/Lenovo to find how much it would cost to have them replace it - since they are supposed to have such fabulous customer service, etc.

The guy I talked to on the phone told me some interesting things. First, he said the repair would cost $475. Then, he told me no, it wouldn't cost me anything because it's still under warranty (I have a 3-year warranty). Great! Then he told me, oops, sorry, the warranty doesn't cover the broken display, and it will cost $750 to repair.

I was confused. Why $750 instead of $475? I insisted on speaking to a supervisor, since this guy's English wasn't so great. The manager explained to me that yes, it really does cost more to do the repair *because the machine is under warranty*. If I waited for the warranty to expire, the repair would be cheaper.

Best of all, the supervisor then apologized to me for the confusion: he told me that the customer service reps aren't supposed to tell people about this difference in pricing, so there usually isn't this confusion. In other words, he was apologizing not for their strange pricing policy, but for admitting that this pricing scheme exists.

Pretty bizarre.

Meredith

(Photo: Kansir)

Eventually after some higher-up Best Buy managers were informed of your story (and I believe as a result of that,) a regional manager called my wife (I was at work at the time.) He told her that I was welcome to return the XBox after all.

I never really pressed into trying to get them to track whether they had already taken that particular box as a return, etc. When I finally returned it, I was just so tired of the whole thing that I walked right out the door without trying to follow up on what really happened.

Yay, money back. The power of public shaming. It sometimes gets companies to do the right thing they should have been doing when no one was watching.
Beware, corporations, cashiers, managers, salespeople, your next customer could be a Consumerist reader. — BEN POPKEN

PREVIOUSLY: Best Buy Either Voided Your XBOX Warranty Or Sold You A Used Unit
(Photo: Crawfishpie)

On Wednesday morning, IBM sent me a sturdy shipping box with a return DHL label. On Wednesday early evening, I packed up my baby and sent her to a company called Solectron in Memphis. I left town on Thursday (to Madison, Wisc. — my first visit; great town), and got home by late Friday morning. There she was waiting for me, my smart little machine, all fixed up by someone halfway across the country, at a cost to me of $0.00, the entire transaction taking about 36 hours.

I wish IBM made more things so I could buy them and know that if something went wrong, the repair process would always be this good.

This is the best customer service I've ever encountered in my life.

Dan's XBox stopped playing DVDs consistently so he decided to take his unit back to Best Buy. After opening the box to test the unit, Dan says the Customer Service rep took the XBOX out of his sight, then came back and told him it had been tampered with and Best Buy would not accept the return. Sound familiar? We've heard this story before.

To add insult to monetary damage, the Geek Squad guy suggested to Dan that "maybe his friends" opened his XBOX. Dan writes:

The Geek Squad worker then proceeded to tell me that my friends may have opened it up. I'm married with 3 kids under the age of 4. I don't have friends coming over PLAYING my XBox, much less opening it up. They told me that they simply wouldn't take it back, and that it was Microsoft's problem to deal with. A quick call to Microsoft told me that the warranty had been activated in November, which would indicate to them that this system was on their shelf for a suspiciously long time. However, Microsoft would not help me.

To sum it up, either Best Buy sold me a used XBox, or they tampered with it when I tried to return it. It's breaking down, and I can't have Microsoft repair it because the seal has been tampered with. I can't return it to Best Buy. I'm out $300 and all anyone can tell me is that I'm out of luck.

Read Dan's full email inside.

Today I have experienced firsthand some shady goings on at Best Buy. March 30, I purchased an Xbox 360 core system from Best Buy. It had been occasionally rejecting discs, so I tried to take it back today to return it. The customer service agent took everything out of the box, and actually hooked it up and started up "Fight Night." Then the fun began. Before I could really realize what was happening, she took the XBox around a counter to where I wasn't able to see it. A few minutes later, she came back with a dead serious look on her face. "This system has been tampered with. We can't take it back." I had no idea what she was talking about. Their Geek Squad inspection worker came to show me where the tamper sticker looked bad. I told them that I had no idea how it got like that. The Geek Squad worker then proceeded to tell me that my friends may have opened it up. I'm married with 3 kids under the age of 4. I don't have friends coming over PLAYING my XBox, much less opening it up. They told me that they simply wouldn't take it back, and that it was Microsoft's problem to deal with. A quick call to Microsoft told me that the warranty had been activated in November, which would indicate to them that this system was on their shelf for a suspiciously long time. However, Microsoft would not help me. I then spoke to a manager at Best Buy. I made it clear to him that either the Geek Squad worker had tampered with this unit himself, or they sold me a used unit as new. He then explained that there was NO POSSIBLE WAY to remove the little clear sticker on the outside of the XBox case without it being very obvious to them that that had happened. He will do nothing for me. He was kind enough to tell me that it would be no big deal for Best Buy to take the XBox back, give me my money back, and send the XBox back to Microsoft for trashing. However, he said, he just wasn't going to do that. To sum it up, either Best Buy sold me a used XBox, or they tampered with it when I tried to return it. It's breaking down, and I can't have Microsoft repair it because the seal has been tampered with. I can't return it to Best Buy. I'm out $300 and all anyone can tell me is that I'm out of luck. This all happened at the Ames, IA Best Buy. I have names of both the Geek Squad worker, and the manager who I spoke to if anyone is interested. Thanks for listening.

Dan

(Photo:Tengaport)

PREVIOUSLY: No Exchange: Best Buy Manager Tries To Void XBOX Warranty

The center pin from her power brick BROKE OFF in the computer. Now, Apple's infamous for power-cords that fray and break, but this is a totally new failure in my 18 years as a sysadmin. NEVER have I seen the pin of a power adapter break off in its computer.

She took it to an Apple store in the metro DC area (I'm not sure where. She's living down there for school right now, while I'm home in Boston) and it seems they told her - 3 times: the local Genius, the Genius' manager, and the regional service supervisor - that since they've never seen anything like this before (which isn't surprising), they're not going to cover it and instead she needs to pay them $300 for a new power board and for a new adapter.

In the mean time, she's SOL.

JB writes:

Sadly, this report will be short on details for 2 reasons, which will become apparent as we go.

I've been a fan of Apple's since the late 70's, when I 1st got an Apple ][+. Over the years, I've owned exactly 4 brand-new computers (as opposed to various used/trash-picked boxes, or the ones work has given me.) 3 of them have been from Apple (The above mentioned A][+, a Mac Plus, and my current Mac Book Pro, and 1 was an Apple ][ clone (a Basis 128!).

Sadly, they're REALLY getting on my nerves when it comes to my wife's iBook.

She has not had good luck with Apple's hardware over the years, and her current machine has been, while better than her previous one, still problematic - 2-3 new hard drives, a board or 2, and a couple of keyboards, at least. Apple has, mostly, dealt with reasonably good grace, but have been difficult from time to time, and we all know how the dumbing of the Genius Bar has gone.

The latest problem is a cake-taker, though. The center pin from her power brick BROKE OFF in the computer. Now, Apple's infamous for power-cords that fray and break, but this is a totally new failure in my 18 years as a sysadmin. NEVER have I seen the pin of a power adapter break off in its computer.

She took it to an Apple store in the metro DC area (I'm not sure where. She's living down there for school right now, while I'm home in Boston) and it seems they told her - 3 times: the local Genius, the Genius' manager, and the regional service supervisor - that since they've never seen anything like this before (which isn't surprising), they're not going to cover it and instead she needs to pay them $300 for a new power board and for a new adapter.

In the mean time, she's SOL. She has no computer. She has no school notes. She has none of the records of her previous discussions and issues with Apple about this and past machines. (Yes. I know. I'm a sysadmin. Where are her backups? The Cobbler's Barefoot Children syndrome strikes again.)

I've suggested that she try to borrow a battery from said store and use Firewire Target Disk mode to get files off, and I'll be forwarding her the exec CC contact info in http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/executive-customer-service/get-applecare-executive-customer-service-2 10715.php but really, this is, in my EVER so humble opinion, a joke! Just because the failure isn't common, if it isn't obviously (or even likely) a case of malfeasance on the part of the warranted (which I'd think would be obvious. The power adapter's shield would have to be mangled if my wife, for some weird reason, had broken the pin off herself.) then it should be covered, or at LEAST much more carefully investigated before being rejected.

I'm... miffed.

Thanks for listening,
JB

(Photo: CB Photography)

I take it to the Apple store in Soho where they tell me that the warranty is voided by a cosmetic dent that I can't even see until the "Genius" points it out. A cosmetic dent that is nowhere near where the hard drive is housed. A cosmetic dent that I am sure was probably there when I got it cause I don't take my laptop anywhere and I haven't dropped it. Still, according to Apple, I'm shit out of luck and ineligible to purchase Apple Care. I ask if I had purchased AppleCare would this have voided that warranty as well, the genius says yes. My new hard drive is going to cost me $600 dollars through Apple.

Hannah continues:

I go to Tekserve. It's 399. I get it fixed there.

Last week, the ac adapter sparks and dies. I buy a MacAlly replacement for $34.99 after reading the pages and pages of complaints about the original adapter on the apple site. Apparently, this happens frequently.

So far, my Mac has cost me: $433.99 AND it's not even a year old. I could understand if I was chucking the thing around like the Sampsonite gorilla, but damn. I guess I should be grateful, because if I had purchased AppleCare at the time of purchase I would be out $683.00 which is almost half of what the computer cost me refurbished.

We asked Hannah for a picture of the dent, which she provided, adding:

I don't have any problems using that port or any adjacent ports and I fail to see how this dent is connected to the failing of the 9 month old hard drive. I'd like to add this is a dent I didn't know was there because:

a). the computer worked perfectly until the hard drive died
b) it's not a dent that's readily visible unless you close the computer or turn it on its side.

When I suggested to the Genius that it might have come that way since it was refurbished, I was told that was unlikely because Apple refurbishes to factory standard. This laptop lives in my house. It's only been out of the house twice- to the Mac Store and then to Tekserve.

I asked if I can buy a new hard drive, in order to get the old drive back: "No."

I asked if I can buy a new hard drive on a new job ticket and then
have them install it: "No."

I asked if there was any way to get my warranty part and my data back: "No."

I can choose one or the other, but not both.

So, it turns out, Apple will hold your hard drive hostage at an Apple Store, not because of cost or stock management, but simply because they do. I did not mail my laptop to a service center, I took it to a store and am going to pick it up. There is, functionally, no difference for Apple if I get my warranty drive and take my old hard drive *full of my personal data* or not. In fact, I save them the trouble of disposing of it. They simply refuse to allow it. From what I hear this is standard industry practice.

Chris writes:

Hello Consumerist,

I've got a little tale of woe concerning Apple, AppleCare, and my laptop's data that will likely scare some of your readers in more than a few ways.

Yesterday, our dependable little PowerBook started making the dreadful clicking whirr of a dying hard drive. I took it into the Apple store in the mall today and they quickly diagnosed the problem. And better yet, it's still covered under my extended AppleCare plan, so I get a free replacement drive. Great news, right? But I still have a drive of lost data. A successful data recovery attempt by Apple is $53. No biggie, my 2 weeks of un-backed-up data is worth more than that to me, for a variety of reasons. And if it fails, no charge.

Well, the recovery did not work, and a full-on data recovery (the kind that involves a clean room, etc.) is typically $1500+. So, then I tell them that I want my old drive back and I'll pick it all up when it's ready. After all, I can just get the new drive and try to recover my old data on my own, or at least ensure that it won't get into the wrong hands by wiping or destroying it. WRONG.

Apple is, as the service person told me on the phone, "not responsible for your data". I've always known this, and I back up my data before taking my laptop and/or iPod in for servicing. Unfortunately, that somehow encompasses the *physical medium* in this case as well. Apple's policy, I was told, in the event of a warranty replacement, is to not allow you to have more than one hard drive. You either take the new one or leave it. I was livid (I paid for it, why can't I have it back!?). But I controlled myself, since this guy's just doing his job and can't change policy.

I asked if I can buy a new hard drive, in order to get the old drive back: "No."

I asked if I can buy a new hard drive on a new job ticket and then have them install it: "No."

I asked if there was any way to get my warranty part and my data back: "No."

I can choose one or the other, but not both. So, it turns out, Apple will hold your hard drive hostage at an Apple Store, not because of cost or stock management, but simply because they do. I did not mail my laptop to a service center, I took it to a store and am going to pick it up. There is, functionally, no difference for Apple if I get my warranty drive and take my old hard drive *full of my personal data* or not. In fact, I save them the trouble of disposing of it. They simply refuse to allow it. From what I hear this is standard industry practice. From their perspective, it's simply a part with no value...but you can't have it anyway.

At this point, I just wanted a resolution that didn't involve my data floating around in the back of a store full of people I don't know. I'm sorry, Apple, I paid for the old drive and I paid for the warranty, but there's no way on earth I'm just letting that drive float free. Well, after a call to a good IT friend and a second call to the store by my wife, we determined that they can put a hold on the job. We can wipe the old drive ourselves, bring it back, and get the new one installed into the laptop in exchange for the now-even-more-worthless worthless part. The service rep said that this is what people end up doing in this situation.

Lessons learned:
1) Back up your data at least once a week.
2) Apple doesn't care about your data. But they care enough to keep it from you.
3) If you can't wipe a dead drive, you have to trust Apple.
4) It's good to have a friends in the IT biz so you don't have to.

I (still) appreciate Apple's hardware and software design, their employees, their stores, their general philosophy, and up until now, I appreciated their service. But this policy really stinks. Buyer beware. I hope my experience helps other people avoid the surprise of this policy.

Keep up the good work,

-Chris

You heard Chris, if your hard drive can't be recovered, be prepared to put a hold on your repair so that you can erase the disk yourself. Unless you trust the Apple Store with it. Do you? —MEGHANN MARCO

(Photo: dlayphoto)

The clerk told the customer that Microsoft handles all warranties on the Xbox360 and that Microsoft would not allow BestBuy to exchange the device.

The customer asked again to exchange the product because he only had it for less than three months. The clerk asked the department manager over and he promptly removed the front bezel to view the anti-tamper sticker, and declared that they could do nothing for him because the Xbox360 anti-tamper sticker had been tampered with. The customer denied ever opening the case of his Xbox360.

I got quite interested and stepped to the side of the lady in front of me and looked at it from about 3 foot away (arms reach). The sticker was in place and had not been removed! The manager then picked at the sticker to my horror and I then quickly approached the counter and told customer, quite loudly, to not let the manager pick at the sticker.

Steve writes:

Dear Editors,

I was at the local Bestbuy here in Springfield, MO and was third in the line to exchange a product. I looked ahead and saw a gentleman with an Xbox360 with a faulty DVD drive trying to get an exchange. The clerk told the customer that Microsoft handles all warranties on the Xbox360 and that Microsoft would not allow BestBuy to exchange the device.

The customer asked again to exchange the product because he only had it for less than three months. The clerk asked the department manager over and he promptly removed the front bezel to view the anti-tamper sticker, and declared that they could do nothing for him because the Xbox360 anti-tamper sticker had been tampered with. The customer denied ever opening the case of his Xbox360.

I got quite interested and stepped to the side of the lady in front of me and looked at it from about 3 foot away (arms reach). The sticker was in place and had not been removed! The manager then picked at the sticker to my horror and I then quickly approached the counter and told customer, quite loudly, to not let the manager pick at the sticker.

I was prepared to throw a fit on the behalf of the timid customer right then and there and declare to all those that were around that the manager had voided the warranty himself, but the manager realized he was busted and quickly allowed the exchange.

Steve

That's just mean. —MEGHANN MARCO

(Photo: mulad)

New Orleans Sears, in a misguided attempt to steal the reverence earned by insurance companies, is refusing to honor the lifetime warranty on Craftsman tools. The unlimited, unconditional, full lifetime warranty, lets you bring in a stick and call it a hammer so long it still bears that precious, preservative Craftsman logo. Unless you live in New Orleans, according to Rufus.

I took some of my Craftsman tools — sockets and socket drivers - back for exchange after Kartina under the FULL UNLIMITED WARRANTY and was told they are not accepting any rusty tools notwithstanding the FULL UNLIMITED WARRANTY. My hurt puppy response got one socket driver exchanged but the sales staff told me I'm out of luck on the rest of my Craftsman tools.

Rufus' email, inside.

Greetings from the eye of Hurricane Katrina. Things are still pretty messed up down here. Insurance