Tech Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Mac laptop, but ...

lorihmatthews

A taste for the arts
O.G.
Oct 7, 2006
32,303
11,116
Getting my laptop serviced at an Apple store is such a PITA!!!

My laptop is 2.5 years old, so granted that is nearing the end of its life. I've been noticing that it hasn't been holding a charge, so it probably needs a new battery. A few days ago it just wouldn't start, but then I unplugged it this morning and it did start ... but I think it's also overheating. If it needs anything in addition or instead of a new battery, I'm just going to sell it on eBay and get a new one.

So, I walk down to my local Apple store with my laptop and tell them I need service. They asked if I made an appointment. I was like, what? Since when do you need an appointment for service? So I head over to another person and she has me log into their system. Sorry, they're booked for today! OK, fine. I make an appointment for tomorrow. Can I leave my laptop there? Sorry, no! So now I have to lug the laptop back there tomorrow. A coworker of mine also told me that I should prepare to wait a long time even if I have an appointment.

Argh, how is this possibly convenient for anyone? I'm not liking this "genius" system they have in place now.
 
yeah I know. I went thru the same thing. Its like taking a kid to the hospital! but I think the reason behind their cumbersome system is to wear you down so you'll just crumble and buy a new system. then they are all over you immediately ready to help like white on rice!
 
What pisses me off is when I go in on a day when they are completely empty, workers standing there doing nothing and they make me get an appointment. One day I came in and the appointments were in 15 minute increments and since I missed the last one (which was unbooked) I had to wait 15 minutes for the next one.I stood in one spot for 15 minutes until a guy at the counter who had been playing World of Warcraft called my name. WTF is that?

They were really good about fixing my random shutdowns and replacing my power cord that stopped working with no questions asked. Unfortunately now my battery only holds about a half hour charge.
 
Yep, that's how they do it. The Leopard disk they sent with my new iMac was defective, so I had to make an appointment. Then I sat there for a good 40 minutes AFTER my appointment until they were ready for me. Once they got to me they were great, and several of the other employees stopped to chat while I waited so it wasn't AWFUL, but I wasn't thrilled waiting.

Thankfully I am able to fix most things myself. I've had Macs since 1990, I've taken plenty of them apart.
 
Apple is notorious for servicing customers in this way! The over extended wait times, the hassle at our expense... I don't know if it's a strategy on their part or what but I am going to think twice about buying an apple computer (which I am in the market for and really want).
 
Every time I go to the apple store in Somerset I swear there are 50 people waiting for issues with thier IPOD and the store always smells like BO

The people at the store would casue me not to buy and Apple
 
:lol:

i hate getting anything serviced..

i'm convinced that the fact that i haven't had any issues with my current laptop is 50% down to the mag safe charger (i trip on cables all the time)and 50% down to my getting apple care :upsidedown:
 
2.5 years is the end of a laptop's lifespan? I have a Pentium I laptop that I still use for mobile web browsing and basic word processing tasks. That thing's 10 years old and is reasonably fast. Have you maxed its memory? If not, that will hold you over for another year or two
 
LOL, I was just at that store during the holidays. It was jam packed in there!

I went a couple of days after Christmas and it was insane. They had probably 15 workers there all busy as hell because there was a group of ten people all buying 5 iPhones each. I got lucky though because a worker still approached me when I was looking at batteries so I didn't have to wait in line.
 
2.5 years is the end of a laptop's lifespan? I have a Pentium I laptop that I still use for mobile web browsing and basic word processing tasks. That thing's 10 years old and is reasonably fast. Have you maxed its memory? If not, that will hold you over for another year or two

It's not a memory problem, I either need a new battery or perhaps a motherboard ... and the thing is starting to overheat. So if it dies it will need to be completely replaced.
 
I canceled my appointment for now, I can't be stuck at the Apple store in the middle of the day when I'm so busy at work. I'll have to reschedule some other time ... maybe when the store first opens on a weekend.
 
I don't like Macs for this reason. They market their product as the "it technology," which appeals to people who want to have the newest, hippest products. When it comes down to it though, the quality of their products leaves a lot to be desired. I'm annoyed for you that you had such a frustrating experience.