Filed under: Analysis / Opinion
Stump the Apple Store associates
Last night I picked up a new 12" ibook from the SoHo Apple Store, where I was helped by a nice guy, who looked remarkably like me, named Kody. He helped me find what I was looking for in the less than efficient floor plan (the layout is a bit like a grocery store without aisle numbers or signs). It goes without saying that he tried to sell me the extended Apple Care plan. Just for the record, I am wholeheartedly in favor of extended Apple Care. It's a risky investment, but Apple has a history of hardware issues, especially on laptops: crumbling cases, dying power supplies and connectors, hard drives prone to early deaths, cracked logic boards, and the occasional spontaneous combustion. You've heard the stories, and Apple Care is less than parts and labor. This time, though, I didn't want it. There are some upgrades I know I want to do myself, starting with yanking out the tiny 40G hard drive. So the conversation went something like this:Him: "So you'll want the extended Apple Care with that, then."
Me: "Not today"
Him: "[insert list of advantages]"
Me: "I know, I usually get it, but it really won't do me any good this time; I'll probably void the warranty within the first six months."
Him: "Excuse me?"
Me: "I know I'm going to crack the case open at some point. To replace the hard drive, maybe put in a super drive. I'll void the warranty."
Him: "errm...uh...you know, that's a really good answer. I usually have a response ready for people, but that's...well, that makes sense [scratches Apple Care off the order]."
The rest of the experience was not so pleasant. The place was crowded, the staff was very nice but harried and confused, and I somehow ended up without the additional RAM that was supposed to be installed. Fortunately I wasn't charged for it, either, so I'll just go someplace else, get it cheaper, and install it myself. In some regards, they did me a favor, but that's not the point. I think I'll be going back to the Westchester store in the future.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Sepulveda said 10:04AM on 12-03-2005
Delvida, I'm going throught the same thing, but I'll get to my situation in a minute. My hd crashed about a week ago. a co worker of mine suggested either disk warrior, or data rescue 2. With google you can find either. Both are under $100. I used a demo version of data rescue 2 (booting off of an external) and had all my data (74 gigs) back up within 30-45 mins. Applecare, and our Apple store in Novi, MI are both getting on my last nerves lately. As I said, my hd crashed, confirmed by the telephone tech support through applecare. He suggests that I take it in to the store. So I call up there, make a genius appointment for the next day and take my system in...to be dropped off with a sales guy? He says that a tech...err...genius will call me within a few hours to talk about what is wrong with it. 3 days later and I'm still contacting applecare to find out what is going on with my computer. The girl says, "Well sir, it isn't under warrenty," when I ask why I hadn't received a phone call. Huh? I did write down the applecare protection plan number on the work authorization agreement. And, why does that mean that I haven't gotten a phone call? So I play the, "I'm an avid editor for NBC in Detroit," card (which I am), and tell her that my station is looking at my experience to help them decide if they want to switch over to Final Cut Pro (which I would love for them to do). Suddenly, now I'm getting somewhere. While on hold for a few minutes, she calls the store and comes up with a "diagnosis". Well sir, it won't boot up, it looks like there may be a problem with your hd. Really? I'm sorry, did you say genius? Anyway, I have to call again yesterday (3 days later) to try again to find out what's going on with my system. I get home from work last night to a message that they recovered my hd, but it's making a noise and it's most likely that it'll crash again. they need to charge me $275 to replace it. I'm currently banging my head against the wall while I wait for the store to open. Why would they EVER return a computer, that's under warrenty (been confirmed numerous times), with issues and a note that says be ready for it to happen again? I've never been so frustrated with Avid, or windows and I'm questioning why I ever bought a Mac.
JS
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iFelix said 2:41PM on 8-10-2005
Nice line to use when you know you are not going to even open your new Mac... and you don't want to purcase Apple Care.
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Robert Knight said 2:39PM on 8-10-2005
So, doing any upgrade on your system after getting it VOIDS AppleCare? I guess I should have assumed that but couldn't there be a middle ground?
What if you have a Certified Apple Repair Tech install the upgrades?
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Jorgeq said 2:47PM on 8-10-2005
Wow! I guess that's a scenario that should prepare for.
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jc said 2:47PM on 8-10-2005
Where can I buy a HDD and SuperDrive for my 1Ghz iBook? Anyone want to share some good places for parts?
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Brandon said 2:56PM on 8-10-2005
Hey I work at CompUSA in california, but I believe all of them have Apple Shops in them. I did a quick store locator and saw that there were stores in Manhattan and in Queens. Maybe for your next purchase you should head to CompUSA. We always do what we can to make sure you get everything you need, and we have almost all of what the Apple store has. Plus the prices are the same. I am not trying to sell you on CompUSA, it was just that you seemed that you were unhappy with the Apple Store, I know how it is you feel. The Apple Store in Victoria Gardens has the same problem from time to time. the only reason I go there is to play with the new products like the mighty mouse and the 20 color that have a tendency of taking a few days to make it to my store. We in any light, good luck with your next purchase.
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Larry said 3:14PM on 8-10-2005
This a little story of wath happen in my last visit to the San Diego Fashion Valley Store:
I was helped by a nice guy with a nice apple T-Shirt and the conversation went something like this (I was purchasing a Powerbook 17"):
Where I can get one of those T-Shirts?
From eBay if youre lucky
Umm, Ok, i'll try that
If you give me 100 dls Ill give you one.
100???, maybe 70.
90?
no thanks
- Do you want the extended Apple Care plan?
- Only if it comes with a T-Shirt
- Sorry, but no
- then that's the same answer to you
Since then I'm happy with my Powerbook
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Notebook Review Blog said 5:46PM on 8-10-2005
How much range for iBook Price...?
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A Concerned Citizen said 3:43PM on 8-10-2005
Just for the record, I think the fact that the employee in question, after hearing that you would intentionally void the warrenty did not persist in a hard-sell approach should be rewarded, not criticized. I agree with you, applecare is a very worthwhile investment, but in this case it was not, and the Apple guy was right-on to call it. So props to Kody who, in a world filled with walking spam, is a stand-up dude.
Also, I live in Manhattan, and the fact that there is one Apple retail location to serve the entire city, in addition to the bus-loads of tourists that seem to drop off directly in the store, is so ridiculous it deserves two comments.
1. The employees at Apple SoHo are doing an exceptioinal job under extraordinary circumstances. Especially considering the learning-curve when it comes to technology for the average consumer...
2. Apple, do whatever it takes to close the deal and open another store already.
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geoff said 3:45PM on 8-10-2005
technically opening the case and installing your own HDD and or OD does not void the warranty, applecare or otherwise. Apple will not (for obvious reason) cover the extra parts, but if you do no harm in the upgrade, you'll not be docked for anything else should, say, a logic board fail. If the failure can be traced back to the non-apple part (an exploding HDD knocks your graphics chip clean off) then Apple will not cover it, but that instance is quite rare. I always recommend having someone who is professionally comfortable with that sort of upgrade do the work, but if you're handy with a screw driver, and you know where to pick up a service manual, then you should be fine.
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Joseph T. said 4:16PM on 8-10-2005
Why wouldn't you just get a BTO PB? At least with a bigger HD. This article doesn't really seem to have a point. Have you ever been to the SoHo store before? It's always like that.
#5: Thanks for your CompUSA plug. Personally, I wouldn't buy any Apple product in CompUSA. The employees their usually no nothing about the products and the Mac section is generally unkept and quite messy. Also, the prices are not always the same. I was there the 2 days ago and CompUSA had not followed suit of the Apple pricedrops for iPod's. Also, the huge advantage to not buying Apple products at CompUSA or any other retailer, and buying them at the Apple store, is the Educational discount for students and teachers. Good luck trying to get any retailer to match that price if you're a student or teacher.
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Jonathan said 4:17PM on 8-10-2005
Re: Apple Stores in NY Metro Area:
I bought my 12" PB in the Westchester store. I had a great experience there. I also like the one in Roosevelt Field Mall, in Westbury.
Also, don't think you'll never hear the AppleCare pitch again: I didn't take it when I bought the machine, but 10 months later I started getting mail (both e- and snail) from Apple encouraging me to go for it. It was topped off by a call from a Sales Rep, who sounded absolutely shocked that I didn't want it. So I told her that I was planning to buy a new PB, (this was right after they upgraded the line). She liked that. Case closed.
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Steven said 4:54PM on 8-10-2005
Haha I had an apple genius bar fellow get really confused once. I took in my ibook which ran into the g3 ibook dead display replace the motherboard problem. Since I couldn't use it, I had left it setup how I use it, with the only input being Dvorak. I had also popped the keys off and put them in the "correct" positions for people who used my computer for short periods of time. The guy spent most of his time confused, especially when he was rebooting and trying to hold down d or c (my keys being in dvorak but the computer of course being in qwerty at boot time). It was amusing, and he even called another one over and made a comment about "how do you stump an apple genius?"
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krez said 5:21PM on 8-10-2005
Hahah, that is great. I used to work at such a store, and man, how they want to sell apple care.
http://www.tigercompatible.com
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Jay Savage said 5:46PM on 8-10-2005
Concerned Citizen:
Absolutely, props to Kody. He was a great help, and a stand up guy. I never meant to imply anything else.
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vink said 9:57AM on 8-12-2005
There are plans for a second NYC store on 5th ave in the works, (the old Andrews diner btwn 18th & 19th) but I still think Tekserve on 23rd is always good for a first stop to get anything Apple.
(Now, how they feel about an Apple store around the corner after serving us Mac-heads for so many years is another story).
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Jack Chance said 5:11AM on 8-11-2005
I work near the SOHO Apple store and i enjoy going in to browse, but there are several SERIOUS problems with it. Everytime i go there are half hour lines for the cashier. And the reason for this is not simply too much business. There is serious mismanagement of resources. The cashier should be STRICTLY for paying. A recent time i was there there were 3 cash registers open and one of them had a women occupying the cashier for the better part of an hour. I complained to a service person and they said "they are spending over $1000 on a machine, they have questions." And the cashiers sell the person "have you considered getting a photo printer with that iBook?". it really pisses me off to the point where i think trying to buy a machine at the SOHO store actually makes me want to SWITCH BACK. (but instead i just buy online).
The lines are for paying. If you want to buy more go talk to someone other than the cashier. AppleStore managers should enforce this so that the rest of us don't slit our wrists in frustration.
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nate said 2:26PM on 8-11-2005
I just went to the apple store in downtown sf yesterday. Second time ever for some repairs on my power book (hopefully get it back tomorrow, god I hate using windows) The guy behind the genious bar seemed a bit stumped with my problems, that I had already diagnosed. So he just took my word for it and left.
Also they don't carry any usb to serial adaptors, and never know what it's useful for.
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Anastasia said 9:40PM on 8-11-2005
If your in NYC, go to Tekserve on 23rd & 6th Ave. They don't have to meet Apple's sales goals, so they only sell you what you need. Plus they're almost always cheaper for repairs.
P.S. Doing anything to your computer besides what Apple's calls "user installable parts" (RAM & Airport Card Only) will void your warranty. AND if you mess up your logic board installing the RAM incorrectly, they DON'T have to fix it. So if you are cracking it open yourself, go though an authorized repair center instead of Apple and don't mention that it's your fault. Anything done by a certified technician or Apple Depot will NOT void your warrenty.
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Christina said 3:03PM on 8-13-2005
Glad that cracking my iBook open served as a nice dry run for ya ;)
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