Apple leaving open orders unresolved?
Looks like Apple has apparently fumbled on a Mac mini order placed by one Edward
Ho, from our sister site Joystiq. Check out the full story on his
blog, but essentially, his order got lost somewhere between Apple and FedEx, neither
is willing to take responsibility, and Apple is not moving on the issue.
The Apple Store claims that it will resolve any such unfulfilled order issues within three business days. However, the
current status is that, eight business days in, Apple can neither refund Ed’s money nor ship out another Mac until the
logistics team figured out what happened between the Apple Store and FedEx.
Has anybody had a similar experience purchasing from the Apple Store? Does anyone have any advice for obtaining the
speediest possible remedy to the situation?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mat said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
YES I had the same thing happen to me a few months ago with a silly ibook. I bought it at a retail apple store. Fine. However, the bad logic board that was inside led to me taking it back to the store, from which they sent it out for repair. Apple then shipped the item to me. Except it never arrived. Days and days (15 to be exact) go by with neither Apple nor FedEx claiming responsibility. Apple told me they needed to open an investigation. So, weeks go by. Guess where they found it? In the back room of the Apple store... where Apple shipped the thing, but where no one knew what happened.
Speediest possible remedy? Call often. Every day. I talked to maybe a dozen different people at Apple and FINALLY there was one customer service rep (thanks Brian!) that took the matter to heart and found the machine.
I won't be buying an Apple again, no matter how much I like them... unfortunately. =(
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Scott-O-Rama said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
YES!!! I had the exact same problem with a Apple iPod Mini I ordered off the Apple Store website. I ordered it on December 18th, and as of this point, I still don't have the replacement (although it has *finally* been shipped).
Turns out FedEx delivered it to the wrong address and was unable to recover. FedEx determined it was unrecoverable and opened a claim for it on Dec 31st. I called the Apple Store that same day and opened a claim.
I was promised and promised and promised I would get a callback with 48 hours, but the ONLY contact I had with the Apple Store was when I called them. They continually said that the claim was pending and it would be resolved within 48 hours.
Finally I called the Apple Corporate Offices and asked for the Executive Complaint Dept. I got a callback from a really nice woman named Robin. She got me a replacement iPod Mini ordered immediately. It's taken a couple of days to ship because of custom engraving, but its now on its way.
I recommend that Edward call the Apple Corporate Office ASAP and ask to speak to the Executive Compaint Dept. Do NOT ask for the Customer Relations Dept because those people are powerless to get involved in Apple Store orders.
Good Luck!
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Scott-O-Rama said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
YES!!! I had the exact same problem with a Apple iPod Mini I ordered off the Apple Store website. I ordered it on December 18th, and as of this point, I still don't have the replacement (although it has *finally* been shipped).
Turns out FedEx delivered it to the wrong address and was unable to recover. FedEx determined it was unrecoverable and opened a claim for it on Dec 31st. I called the Apple Store that same day and opened a claim.
I was promised and promised and promised I would get a callback with 48 hours, but the ONLY contact I had with the Apple Store was when I called them. They continually said that the claim was pending and it would be resolved within 48 hours.
Finally I called the Apple Corporate Offices and asked for the Executive Complaint Dept. I got a callback from a really nice woman named Robin. She got me a replacement iPod Mini ordered immediately. It's taken a couple of days to ship because of custom engraving, but its now on its way.
I recommend that Edward call the Apple Corporate Office ASAP and ask to speak to the Executive Compaint Dept. Do NOT ask for the Customer Relations Dept because those people are powerless to get involved in Apple Store orders.
Good Luck!
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PXLated said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
From what I gather from friends that do a lot of shipping, this seems to be the standard way of handling it. Once it's in the shippers hands (FedEx) it's their responsibility and they have to figure out what went wrong before the manufacturer/store will issue a new product for re-shipping.
Now in #1's case, that doesn't apply but you'd certainly think FedEx would know they hadn't in fact picked the unit up.
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Stacy Price said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I have a simular situation. However my Mini arrived on time. But my FED-EX tracking number, to this very day, shows it dosnt exsist in the fed-ex system.
Sounds like Fed-ex dropped the ball here.
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Edward Ho said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I can understand what you are saying, but in my case the tracking number is actually invalid.
You can see it on the screenshot on my site, Fedex actually has no record of that package at all. It's like it was lost at the dock before getting a scan. Fedex also has no record of any other package from Apple to my address...
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Edward Ho said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Wow Stacy, that's great that you got yours. Perhaps Apple is just hoping mine will magically arrive too.
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Tim said 8:43PM on 10-22-2005
Just because a tracking number doesn't show up in FedEx's system (or any other) doesn't mean Apple never shipped it.
I've shipped stuff through USPS with tracking numbers that never got recorded even once.
From the complaints I've read here it seems Apple is taking unnecessary blame for something they have no control over. If FedEx delivers to the wrong address or not at all, how is that Apple's fault?
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Jim Bertin said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Similar situation happened to a friend of mine. A retired ranch lady, now runs a horse registry/sales business on the web (http://www.hiplainswalkers.com) from her home in Montana. Her 233MHz iMac died, and she ordered a refurbished eMac the day after Thanksgiving. The carton arrived about a week later WITH NO COMPUTER IN IT!
The driver knew there was a problem, but didn't say anything until after the package was accepted. He wrote a letter to the effect that the computer was missing from the package before delivery. Apple was shocked, very sorry, looking into it immediately.
Over the course of the next two months, Apple failed to investigate, terminated the investigation, lied about the status of the investigation, reopened the investigation (we think), promised immediate action several times, and Grace is STILL out $650 and using my nephew's computer.
I talked with Apple directly for most of that time, so I am absolutely confident of all the details. I finally had to turn the reins over to Grace, as it was obvious that my efforts were having no effect. She paid for the computer with MasterCard, and she can have her charges refunded from them, but at this point she is fed up enough to believe she deserves compensation for her time, energy, and emotional turmoil.
All for an issue that has NOTHING to do with her! She bought a computer, and was delivered an empty box!
She will not consider any other computer but a Mac, but she is absolutely ready to never again pay money that will go directly into Apple's pockets.
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Laurie said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
The problem most likely lies with FedEx, as several others have mentioned. I ship FedEx almost every day and all too often things gets lost in transit or their tracking numbers come up online as nonexistant even after the packages have been delivered!
If FedEx picked up the package (likely with hundreds of other boxes leaving that location at the same time), it's out of apple's hands. unfortunately, fedex themselves make it difficult for anyone other than the shipper to file a claim or get to the bottom of the issue. so you need to keep asking to speak with a supervisor in Customer Care - not 1st level customer service. be specific when you call that you want to speak with a supervisor in the customer care department. they are the only ones with the ability to help you at all.
you can understand that although you have no computer, apple has no way to verify that for the same reason you can't verify that it was shipped to begin with. if it wasn't scanned when it was picked up, all bets are off and this will drag on. if it wasn't scanned and you received the package anyway, which happens all the time, as i said above, then it would be pretty dumb of apple to just send you another computer.
my advice - if you don't get resolution within the next week, contact your credit card company, initiate a chargeback (which you'll win without a problem in a case like this) and buy another one from a smaller apple reseller (like tekserve.com or smalldog.com) that doesn't deal in the volume of packages that an apple retail warehouse deals with.
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Soleil said 12:43AM on 10-25-2005
Fedex is horrible!
I work at a large university science research lab. We ordered a vial of bird serum (i.e. blood) spiked with a virus (deactivated, but potentially alarming to the public) It was sent FedEx to our campus address, but we never received it.
We checked into it, found that it was signed for at an undisclosed off-campus address. they never recovered it. Goodness knows where our vial of bird blood is. Probably some little old lady just off campus signed for it- and had an unpleasant surprise when she opened it! Mmmm virus-y bird blood!
I worry for my Mini that will be shipped to me in a few weeks!
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Small Paul said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I do think that the weak link in e-commerce (ugh, what a term) is delivery. With a large and growing group of people spending a lot of money on-line, good fulfillment would, I think, really make a difference to people when choosing who to buy from.
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GEAH said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Jim, why did you waste all that time?
If the box was delivered empty, then simply call the credit card company and dispute the charge.
Then, just purchase a replacement. Simple.
Why go through all that drama?
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Edward Ho said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
So i just posted an update, by going through their complaint department I was able to get a replacement order put in. Now I just have to wait 3-4 weeks for it to ship. That will make my overall wait time nearly 2 months...
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Jim Bertin said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
GEAH,
Mainly because there were a number of conflicting issues; Grace was out of town for the early part of the time, Apple had no more refurbs available for much of the time, EVERY TIME I called there was going to be something done immediately, Christmas season was upon us, and at a certain point it becomes important to SETTLE an issue rather than just dismiss it.
Only today, after calling and insisting on the Executive Complaint department, then moving up to a supervisor, was Grace able to secure a promise of shipping along with a $100 credit to her MC. So, if it finally materializes, she will have made her point, been recompensed for her troubles, and have the machine she wanted.
Finally.
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Uncle Sam said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I suggest you to buy computer at CompUSA or Fry's Electric Store. All Apple computers have stock in there. I am interest to get PowerBoook G4 with 15" and it would already be in stock and I simple would purchase upgrade RAM to install myself volia! That's all I need for that awesome laptop. I don't trust any products for over $1,000 in mail. Maybe need to get an insurance if necessary??
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Bruce in Ottawa said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I ordered RAM from Tiger Direct that was lost by Fedex. Using the Fedex Web site and the order's tracking number, I determined it got lost halfway through transit. I called up Tiger Direct and they comfirmed over the phone the same conclusion. They immediately sent me more RAM that arrived this time. It seems that retailers and manufacturers have to swallow the cost of Fedex mistakes. I imagine a lot of highly-sought-after Apple products are going "astray" right now.
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Matt said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I just ordered an engraved iPod 20gb at apple.com which I'd planned to show up in Tokyo with next week to surprise my gf. Upon checking the tracking # today, I learned that not only is it (1) shipping out of Shanghai rather than CA (as my invoice states), but that (2) despite the 2-3 day expedited shipping that I paid for, it isn't estimated to arrive until next Thursday... just when I'm flying out. Called Apple, got a friendly but helpful rep who refunded my expedited shipping charge and wished me better luck next time. At this point, I'm just hoping that the estimate is on the late side--or that I was given the wrong tracking number altogether and that I'll actually be getting it this week.
Anyone have or know of similar experiences? As others have been saying, this really sounds like more FedEx's problem than Apple's, but my invoices suggest that there does seem to be some shady outsourcing on Apple's part, too. Also, they gave me two different tracking numbers, one of which was a package headed for Indianapolis.
This all looks like a classic case of demand outstripping resources. Sad to see such an elite company getting mired down in all of this...
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barb dybwad said 4:41PM on 10-07-2005
By the way, just by way of update on this story since I realize it hasn't been done yet - Edward did finally receive his Mac mini on 2/16/05. He thinks the publishing of this story may have helped generate some buzz and grease the wheels - we're not sure (we hope so!), but we would love to think we had been able to help out in any way.
Thanks to everyone for the helpful comments and suggestions!
Oh, and please consider this thread totally open to collecting other similar grievances in one place, whether past issue or current conundrum. Thanks!
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Cameron Williams said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Ugh. The exact same I-Pod delivery problem with FedEx happened to me today. FedEx delivered it to the wrong floor of my office building, and the mail room down on the 1st floor promptly lost it. Somebody stole it, I am sure. The mail room denies responsibility. It was for my girlfriend's birthday tomorrow. Now I need to do this whole FedEx/Apple dance to get the thing. Ugh.
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