Faulty 7 month old Macbook tail chasing

a5y

I need your help. I'm at my wits end.

Last year in July 2007 I bought a Macbook, which was faulty. I immediately rang up Applecare on 1850 946191 and asked for a replace, which was quickly arranged (indeed they got it to me so quickly that it was delivered to me before the old one was sent back).

And all was fine. Until recently.

• Something annoying started happening soon after. The screen started getting marked from where the laptop's keys were when the laptop was shut, before long leaving an imprint of the entire keyboard on the screen. This was annoying but I didn't consider it a problem.
  
• However, a short time ago something strange happened: a piece of my macbook's casing started to splinter, right where it was most uncomfortable for my right hand. A similar case was written about on boards here, and a flickr photogroup of macbooks with this same problem is here.

I was furious that a laptop that was only a few months old was now almost stabbing me in the right hand everytime I tried to type, and was intent on sending it back. But even more was to follow.

As I'd the macbook for months and was using it for college work, there was a sizable amount of data on it I wanted to back up. I bought a rack of DVDs and started burning. However, before I'd gotten even half of the data saved the unbelievable happened.

The DVD burner turned in to a tumbledryer.

• Not literally, but damn close. Instead of writing DVDs anymore, the drive would just make alot of noise, vibration and heat, and the program wouldn't run.

So, I bought a back up hard disk (me -€100), formatted it to use UNIX file system and backed everything up to that. (Yet another boards link here).

To cut a long story short, I've no faith in the Macbook as a laptop anymore and I'm looking to get a refund. I think OS X is the best operating system I've ever used, and I love it, but I don't have any faith in the hardware it has to run on anymore, not even the casing.

I rang up Applecare last Saturday, who told me the department that handled refunds weren't open on Saturdays. I asked that they take my mobile number and ring me on Monday about the problem, leaving specific details about the problems. I left my mobile and asked him to call it back to me to be sure he had it. I also got a case number off the guy, who was polite and as helpful as anyone could want.

• Monday came and went. I wasn't rang.

On Tuesdays I rang again. I gave my case number and asked to be put through to the department that handled refunds and I was. Except I was put through to someone who seemed inattentative and told me out straight that "I've never given a refund". He told me that as it was still within warranty they could send it away for a repair, but that refunds were only given within the first 14 days.

Eventually, after repeating that I wasn't looking for a refund because I had changed my mind, I was looking for one because this was the second faulty laptop I'd gotten in seven months, he told me that he would try and see if he could do something about it.

I asked that he pass my details on to his boss and call me back on Wednesday or Thursday. I again checked he had my mobile number (which he had).

• Wednesday and Thursday came and went. I wasn't rang.

Today, I rang up again, gave my case number and was transferred to "the department that handles refunds" and explained that on top of everything else now I'd been told twice that I'd be called back and wasn't. After going in the same circles as I had on Tuesday and after 20 minutes on the phone I asked to speak to her superior and was put on hold for five minutes. I then heard the familiar voice of the girl I was speaking to tell me her superior had told her to tell her what she had told me already.

I then pointed out I didn't ask for her to speak to her superior, I asked for me to be put through to her superior.

After about five seconds on hold I got talking to her. Finally I got a different answer; as I was looking to get a refund on a faulty laptop within warranty it had to be taken up with the point of sale. Applecare were sort of like a separate business.

As I'd bought the Macbook online from the she gave me a number for "The Apple store's after sales team" who "handled customer relations for the retail side" - 1800 92 38 98. She also made sure I had my case number so they could read up on what had happened with my case history so far.

I thanked her and rang the number. After getting put through to a "please press one for... please press two for..." menu none of the options sounded specifically like what I was looking for help with, but I selected two which sounded closest.

I then heard a recording telling me the opening hours for the line I was ringing and that I could also get support from Apple.com/ie/support and telephone and technical support was available from 1850 946191 (the Applecare number I'd been ringing by mistake) which I figured was just a bit of side information before being put through or on hold. It then hung up.

I rang again and the same thing happened again.

I visited http://www.apple.com/ie/support/contact/ and cannot find any email or phone number to contact anyone about any of the products. The only number for Ireland is 1850 946191, which I was told isn't the right number to ring.

If anyone knows, please tell me: who do I ring or email for a refund on a faulty macbook bought online from the AppleStore?

jahalpin

Under consumer law it is upto the supplier whether to replace, repair or refund. You would not automatically be entitled to a refund. This protection only applies if the damage is due to a manufacturing defect.

How would plastic splinter? It's unlikely to be due to a manufacturing defect but more due to misuse.

If I were you I'd rind up Apple, talk nicely to their staff and see if they would agree to even repair the computer.

whiterebel

jahalpin wrote: »

Under consumer law it is upto the supplier whether to replace, repair or refund. You would not automatically be entitled to a refund. This protection only applies if the damage is due to a manufacturing defect.

How would plastic splinter? It's unlikely to be due to a manufacturing defect but more due to misuse.

If I were you I'd rind up Apple, talk nicely to their staff and see if they would agree to even repair the computer.

To be honest it would be helpful to look up the problem rather than guessing that "plastic doesn't splinter" - It does and in numerous cases. It would certainly point at a design fault.


OP - Ring the AppleStore number that you have 1800 92 38 98 and I think one of the options is AppleStore after sales. Be polite at all times, but firm. tell them the machine has myriad faults and is certainly not fit for the purpose intended, as well as being dangerous to use. Tell them its your second machine and is literally falling apart - you have lost faith in the product and as it a very necessary piece of kit for work/study etc you need a reliable machine. The refunded me for a Lacie drive that i had bought 6 months earlier, which really surprised me.

Good luck, but keep cool with them. they switch off if you start barking.

flywheel

jahalpin wrote: »

How would plastic splinter? It's unlikely to be due to a manufacturing defect but more due to misuse.

well the OP liked to the tread about the MacBook cracks/splinters... it's happening all over: http://www.flickr.com/groups/crackedmacbook/ with the flickr group reporting Apple replacing MacBooks under Applecare

so more likely to be a manufacturing defect rather than misuse in this case...

babypink

1800923898 appears to be the correct number....its the one i've always called.

Try emailing ie.consumer@euro.apple.com quoting the web order number of the machine and the serial number just to be safe.

a5y

whiterebel wrote: »

OP - Ring the AppleStore number that you have 1800 92 38 98 and I think one of the options is AppleStore after sales. Be polite at all times, but firm. tell them the machine has myriad faults and is certainly not fit for the purpose intended, as well as being dangerous to use. Tell them its your second machine and is literally falling apart - you have lost faith in the product and as it a very necessary piece of kit for work/study etc you need a reliable machine. The refunded me for a Lacie drive that i had bought 6 months earlier, which really surprised me.

Good luck, but keep cool with them. they switch off if you start barking.

babypink wrote: »

1800923898 appears to be the correct number....its the one i've always called.

Try emailing ie.consumer@euro.apple.com quoting the web order number of the machine and the serial number just to be safe.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the suggestions.

I've tried emailing ie.consumer@euro.apple.com, but the mail bounced. I'm going to try ringing up the numbers again. If that doesn't work I'll post something on the consumer rights board and see if I have some luck there.