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PBAddict · Jul 3, 2003, 04:27 AM

I plan today to order my 12"PB (640mb, 60gb, APE, Superdrive) from the online UK Applestore. Unfortunately I can't wait anylonger for possible upgrades.

I would be grateful for any experiences that people have had ordering from the UK store, both positive and negative. Is there anything I need to be aware of?

Thanks

mousehouse · Jul 3, 2003, 04:35 AM

i only have experience with the Dutch AppleStore, which rerouted to Ireland. My experience has been very good. My AEBS ordered on wednesday evening arrived friday!

my tibook took longer as there was a shortage in LCD screens they said. they didn't mind me calling in every day to check if it had been shipped.

my guess would be that the UK applestore routes to Ireland also, and should give you the same good experience

mism · Jul 3, 2003, 04:35 AM

when they fail to include iDVD kick and scream until they send you iLife rather than forcing you to do a complete re install from the system disk.

smw · Jul 3, 2003, 04:53 AM

Go for it. The UK Apple Store is a really good service. I think it does route to Cork in Ireland - probably why it is so good!

Ordered my own 12" PB - delivered fast, complete with iDVD!

The Placid Casual · Jul 3, 2003, 12:36 PM

Personally, I will not buy machines from the online Applestore because of various customer service issues...

It is the only place I can get my Higher Education 'Ultra' discount, but even so, they
have certain policies, and an attitude that I totally object to...

Primarily they centre around the 'contract of sale' and possible aftercare service that a buyer can expect...

Basically from what I have heard, they are run as a 'primary reseller', a limited company, NOT an official part of Apple, and as such are very cost orientated, even when the customer will suffer...

For example, I bought a dual 867 MDD machine from a large computer store in London. It proved to be seriously faulty... they advised me to speak to Apple about it under Applecare. However they noted that my actual contract of sale was with them, and in effect, if Apple couldn't help, they would be liable.

Over a period of 6 months the machine was returned to Apple for repair 3 times, and was still broken! Apple refused to do anything further... they claimed the serious fault must be a 'feature' of the machine as they couldn't fix it!!

I took it as far as I could to the management in Stockly Park, and they refused to do anything and to quote them, they told me; "We don't care if it faulty, to change the machine would mean we would have to take a loss. We are not prepared to do that!"

If I had bought from them, this is conceivably as far as I would have got without going 'legal' on them... left with a broken machine.

However, as noted, my contract of sale was with the computer reseller in London, who on hearing my plight had a new machine to me in 48 hours...

I will now always buy from a reseller, and always use the added protection of a credit card...

Just me, but there is the potential to be a serious issue...

Peace,

Marc

DekuDekuplex · Jul 3, 2003, 08:53 PM

Originally posted by The Placid Casual:
Personally, I will not buy machines from the online Applestore because of various customer service issues...

[stuff deleted]

I will now always buy from a reseller, and always use the added protection of a credit card...

Just me, but there is the potential to be a serious issue...

[stuff deleted]

Personally, I also purchased from a reseller, in my case CDW. They gave very me good service.

I live in New York, in the USA, and when I purchased my PowerBook at the end of March, sales tax here was charged for sales from any vendor with branches within the same state as the purchaser, but not for vendors without branches in that state. (Currently, this law has been revised, and even purchasers who buy products from vendors without branches in the purchaser's state are required to report all such sales to the state tax agency at the end of the fiscal year.)

Before purchasing my PowerBook, I evaluated consumer comments on a vendor review site,
Epinions.com, under Home > Computers & Internet > Online Stores & Services. They had very good consumer recommendations for CDW, and some bad recommendations for some other vendors, including MacMall.com.

In particular, they had one complaint about MacMall.com from a customer who was refused a request for an exchange between a then state-of-the-art PowerBook that had been purchased from them on-line, and a newer model that was had been released in the few days before the ordered one had arrived. The customer complained that he had wanted a state-of-the-art PowerBook, but because Apple had released a new model between his order time and his PowerBook arrival time from MacMall.com, when MacMall.com refused to exchange the product, he was unable to obtain a state-of-the-art PowerBook, which had been his whole intention in the first place. He seemed very upset about MacMall.com's rigidity with their exchange policy.

I also considered purchasing the PowerBook from a local vendor with excellent customer service, TekServe, but eventually chose CDW because of the sales tax issue.

The experience with CDW was excellent. The customer service representative (who, unfortunately, no longer works there) did insist that the entire amount of the purchase be placed on a single credit card, rather than divided between multiple cards, which forced me to rearrange my credit card balances, but I completed this step and submitted the order.

The next day, they said that the credit card company required that I fax a copy of both sides of my credit card and the front of my driver's license to CDW because of "a high incidence of credit card theft in New York"; I complied.

BigAl arrived in about a week, in perfect condition. I was particularly impressed with the packaging: the PowerBook box was placed within another cardboard box, which was sealed, and which was, in turn, placed in a FedEx ground cardboard shipping box labelled "CDW."

At first, the PowerBook did seem to have two slightly defective pixels on screen, but they both returned to normal after I, very lightly, massaged them with RadTech PowerSleevz. One of the pixels in the upper-left corner occasionally gets stuck on a very bright sky-blue, but it usually twinkles and then returns to normal within a few seconds after I massage it with the RadTech PowerSleevz.

CDW sent me a e-mail message asking for confirmation that the product had arrived in excellent condition. I confirmed receipt.

My PowerBook works perfectly right now. Occasionally, the pixel in the upper-left corner gets stuck again on the very bright sky-blue, but it usually returns to normal within a few seconds after I very lightly massage it, and it is getting stuck less and less often.

I am very happy with my 17-inch PowerBook. I have nicknamed its type "BigAl," but my BigAl's own official nickname is "Virgil," in reference to Dante's guide in The Inferno and Purgatorio.

While I can't read Italian (yet!), I do enjoy reading Dante in translation, and occasionally write poetry in my spare time.

DekuDekuplex

GENERAL_SMILEY · Jul 4, 2003, 05:54 AM

I ordered my 17 from the UK apple store, over the phone, and I got it within a week - this was when they were 'rare'. They were very polite, and since then I've ordered DVDs, and a sleeve for my 17 as well.

All good in my mind.

PBAddict · Jul 4, 2003, 10:58 AM

Thanks guys for feedback, I put my order in for 12 inch last night, as it is BTO should receive in about a wekk.

Can't wait

Angus_D · Jul 5, 2003, 06:03 AM

If you go with a reseller, Apple gets less money, which is a good thing.

PBAddict · Jul 5, 2003, 11:22 AM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
If you go with a reseller, Apple gets less money, which is a good thing.

But why should I want this? at the end of the day someone is making profit, I don't have a problem if its Apple.

beachmark · Jul 5, 2003, 01:08 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
If you go with a reseller, Apple gets less money, which is a good thing.

Apple salse is a differentprofit unit than Apple prodeuction. In the end Apple makes a profit whether you like it or not. And, if you try to trick Apple you will be on the losing end in the end. Do not think that Apple is stupid. Actually Apple has done it quite clever as they are by far not the biggest brand in computing but their configurations are price stable and remain their valube other than the big PC manufacturers.

Angus_D · Jul 5, 2003, 02:52 PM

Christ, out come the zealots. Defending a company against a comment which wasn't even entirely serious.

sandsl · Jul 5, 2003, 05:20 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
Christ, out come the zealots. Defending a company against a comment which wasn't even entirely serious.

And out come the anti-zealots to complain about the zealots

MusicalTone · Jul 6, 2003, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by sandsl:
And out come the anti-zealots to complain about the zealots

And out come the people with nothing more interesting to say.

all2ofme · Jul 7, 2003, 08:05 AM

Errrr...I'll make this on topic then!

I've bought things from the Apple Store and from resellers (only in Londontown, though) and both were good experiences.

I think in your case (i.e. buying a laptop) I'd be most happy checking the machine in question at the local dealer for faults and then walking out with it. I'd also pay with a credit card to get extended warranty.

Angus_D · Jul 7, 2003, 03:06 PM

Yeah, I too have bought recently from the Apple Store (BTO G4) and Cancom (12" PB Refurb). Both were excellent.