Can't fault Apple Customer service

[PeteStewardson]

I've always had good service from the Apple store but this time I think they excelled themselves, and if I wasn't convinced Apple wasn't a good buy I should be now.

I bought a MBP 15" Retina back in 2017. The infamous butterfly keyboard's that can fail. I've had keys replaced in store a few times but in Oct last year I took it in with multiple keys sticking or not responding, the keys seemed to have marked the screen as well. It also a few days before taking it in started telling me the battery needed a service, and the Touch Bar had stopped showing an image in a small part of it.

Anyway without quibble they replaced the top cover, the screen, and battery. All FOC. When you look at the invoice that was £900 worth of parts.

So cut to last week and I was having issues again with the enter key so took it back in, expecting the usual key replacement while I waited. But no, the genius guy went away and came back saying it's had one repair and would I like to claim as a consumer law claim ( while slowly appearing to nod his head while asking, although I could have imagined that ) So anyway they at that point said I was entitled to a further repair or a full refund. Yes a FULL refund of a 5 yo machine. It took them a long time to sort it as the authorising manager was at lunch and then they couldn't find my original purchase on the system but they kept going until they figured out how to do the refund. Then brought over a chap to help me choose another machine since I said I wanted a new one. So I took in a 5 year old machine, and walked out the store with a new 16" M1 Max machine. I had to put a couple of hundred to the refund amount because I wanted a machine there and then and only certain models are held in stock but I've ended up with the top spec MBP to replace the top spec one I had 5 years ago.

Also while I was waiting they even replaced my old AirPod earbuds as they'd started cutting out after about 30 mins but the batteries were fine. Again they were a few years old but they just swapped the earbuds for new ones.

So while everyone complains Apple are expensive, when things go wrong they sort it out, no quibbles. So I'd always choose them again.

 

[sphexx]

I've always had good service from the Apple store but this time I think they excelled themselves, and if I wasn't convinced Apple wasn't a good buy I should be now.

I bought a MBP 15" Retina back in 2017. The infamous butterfly keyboard's that can fail. I've had keys replaced in store a few times but in Oct last year I took it in with multiple keys sticking or not responding, the keys seemed to have marked the screen as well. It also a few days before taking it in started telling me the battery needed a service, and the Touch Bar had stopped showing an image in a small part of it.

Anyway without quibble they replaced the top cover, the screen, and battery. All FOC. When you look at the invoice that was £900 worth of parts.

So cut to last week and I was having issues again with the enter key so took it back in, expecting the usual key replacement while I waited. But no, the genius guy went away and came back saying it's had one repair and would I like to claim as a consumer law claim ( while slowly appearing to nod his head while asking, although I could have imagined that ) So anyway they at that point said I was entitled to a further repair or a full refund. Yes a FULL refund of a 5 yo machine. It took them a long time to sort it as the authorising manager was at lunch and then they couldn't find my original purchase on the system but they kept going until they figured out how to do the refund. Then brought over a chap to help me choose another machine since I said I wanted a new one. So I took in a 5 year old machine, and walked out the store with a new 16" M1 Max machine. I had to put a couple of hundred to the refund amount because I wanted a machine there and then and only certain models are held in stock but I've ended up with the top spec MBP to replace the top spec one I had 5 years ago.

Also while I was waiting they even replaced my old AirPod earbuds as they'd started cutting out after about 30 mins but the batteries were fine. Again they were a few years old but they just swapped the earbuds for new ones.

So while everyone complains Apple are expensive, when things go wrong they sort it out, no quibbles. So I'd always choose them again.

Apple used to just say “1 year warranty“ and that was all they said but a few years ago they evidently looked at U.K. & EU laws and now (unless it’s changed resenty) have one of the best description of U.K. consumers rights that I’ve ever read.

It must add to the cost of selling Apples here compared with US.

 

[PeteStewardson]

Apple used to just say “1 year warranty“ and that was all they said but a few years ago they evidently looked at U.K. & EU laws and now (unless it’s changed resenty) have one of the best description of U.K. consumers rights that I’ve ever read.

It must add to the cost of selling Apples here compared with US.

It must cost them as they go much further than they have to by law. They didn't have to give me a full refund, they are allowed to offer a partial refund based on the fair usage and age of the machine. But Apple don't quibble and offer a full refund. And I just assumed I'd get a key replaced on my machine.

 

[Bebop]

That is excellent service. I also received great customer service when they replaced my MacBook Pro in 2015... admittedly after 5 motherboard replacements... but they did recall my particular model - perhaps yours was similarly affected with many other customers having similar problems?

They slightly upgraded me with a 1TB SSD.. I've just replaced the power cord and the battery is pretty shot, but it is still going!

 

[sphexx]

It must cost them as they go much further than they have to by law. They didn't have to give me a full refund, they are allowed to offer a partial refund based on the fair usage and age of the machine. But Apple don't quibble and offer a full refund. And I just assumed I'd get a key replaced on my machine.

Under consumer laws in the UK, consumers are entitled to a free of charge repair and (depending on the circumstances) may be entitled to a replacement, discount or refund by the seller, of defective goods or goods which do not conform with the contract of sale. For goods purchased in England or Wales, these rights expire six years from delivery of the goods and for goods purchased in Scotland, these rights expire five years from delivery of the goods.

(my bold)

Legal - Apple Products and Consumer Laws in the United Kingdom - Apple

www.apple.com

 

[ancient_mariner]

That's really good, and a lot better than when I had my Macbook beginning 2009, that came with built-in graphics card faults.

 

[PeteStewardson]

Under consumer laws in the UK, consumers are entitled to a free of charge repair and (depending on the circumstances) may be entitled to a replacement, discount or refund by the seller, of defective goods or goods which do not conform with the contract of sale. For goods purchased in England or Wales, these rights expire six years from delivery of the goods and for goods purchased in Scotland, these rights expire five years from delivery of the goods.

(my bold)

Legal - Apple Products and Consumer Laws in the United Kingdom - Apple

www.apple.com

Exactly this. However near every retailer would use the ( depending on circumstances ) may be entitled part to offer you at best a trivial amount as a refund.

 

[SFTPhotography]

Premium product and very premium service. Good for them.

 

[PeteStewardson]

That's really good, and a lot better than when I had my Macbook beginning 2009, that came with built-in graphics card faults.

Actually I had one of those as well. I got a new logic board on that one and never had an issue afterwards.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Actually I had one of those as well. I got a new logic board on that one and never had an issue afterwards.

Me too, but when the Apple forum was full of people having issues with the screen blacking out more and more AND you take the machine to their store (no on-site service with Applecare) where it reproduces the faulty behaviour, you don't then expect the 'genius' to ask if you really want to send it off because it will cost you £69 if they don't find a fault. That isn't the reason I didn't replace it with another Mac later on, but it did nothing to increase my love of Apple.

The issue later was that it was simply a slow machine even when new, and no amount of extra RAM or SSDs was going to fix it. It died last year after replacing the thermal paste in the hope of reducing throttling when watching movies or surfing.