Recourse advice?

ballinadog

Afternoon all,

Query for ye re the IT industry I suppose which is a new one to me. I have an old MacBook laptop. Was working sound until one day the automatic software updates downloaded the latest operating system (high Sierra or the like) and all of a sudden it wouldn’t log me on as the computers hardware was no longer able to run the OS. Fair enough.

Did some research online, saw that it was fairly common and the solution wasn’t too hectic, whereby (I’m paraphrasing a bit here now) one just had to start the machine in a safe mode and revert the laptop back to a previous backup which utilised the previous OS and it would resume again as normal ignoring the software upgrade. Now, 99% of the stuff I had on the laptop was crap anyway, but there was one important CAD file on it that I didn’t want to lose so;

Rather than chance running the system restore myself, I said for the sake of 50/60 quid whatever it would be, for peace a mind I’ll bring it to the “experts” to do it. Brought it to an official Apple reseller or whatever their official term is and booked it in with the clerk at the front desk. Gave him the details, outlined what I needed done etc etc. asked him how much it would be and was told that the technician would look at it first and revert back to me with price etc before doing anything.

Next thing, yday, I got a call back from the technician saying (and i am paraphrasing again here) that he had cleaned/wiped the laptop and was wondering what OS I now wanted installed on the laptop. I was like, what?? What do you mean ya’ve wiped it? He said that he had it cleaned and everything was gone. He then re read out the instructions from the clerk the first day and then openly admitted that yes, that it was a complete balls up on his behalf and that it was due to a breakdown in communication on there side. He carried out no back up anywhere prior to cleaning it

Anyway, I was in the Hospital at the time so couldn’t really entertain listening to him on the phone. I just told him the name of the file I needed back and told him to start looking to restore it somehow and left it at that. Reading between the lines tho, I know well it’s gone

Where the blazes do I go from here?? I can’t believe someone would be so incompetent to wipe something without checking to see if a backup was required first?? A child wouldn’t do that like. It was only after i spent a while pondering it too it dawned on me that they never checked in with me either before they commence working on it as advised. As I said, I’m not bothered about 99% of what was on it bar one very important file.

please advise

MarkR

Unfortunate, but if it's been wiped, it's been wiped. Is your data backed up to the cloud perhaps?

ballinadog

Aye, I’ve made my piece with being gone tbh, but, at the same time, that doesn’t make what has happened right

I couldn’t back it up to the cloud prior due to not being able to log on once the new OS was installed. If I could then I’d a been ok

I suppose what I’m really after is my pound of flesh. Surely there has to be some for of redress here besides them handing me back a blank laptop and saying thanks??

walterking

It will be he said / she said.

I had to get an ipad reset as I was locked out and couldn't remember passcode and didn't have itunes set up and they were clear about everything being wiped if I proceeded.

Assistant will say he/she said this. You'll say he/she did not.

Assistant may have made an error or may have said it in an automatic way that you didn't think of what was actually said (like the messages at the end of a financial advert)

Best you can hope for is that there's no fee.

ballinadog

That’s the thing tho, there’s a typed out extract of the conversation held between myself and the clerk, outlines my instructions clearly. The clerk even got me to re read them before I left the first time, so it’s anything but he said/she said? The technician even re read it back to me, and upon doing so realised that what he did was in complete contrast to what was instructed 🤷‍♂️ And besides, the piece that I’m most aghast by is the fact that they wiped it without double checking with me/anyone. Like if in doubt, ask

Breezy_

might still be able to put the harddrive in a caddy and connect to another laptop and scan and see with a few recovery apps.

Might work as long as he didn't put a new OS on it.