[Pao|o]

Anyone with an iBook with a logic board problem have their repair request rejected? My iBook just exhibited all the classic symptoms within the last 20 mins.

[martha]

I wish I had good news from my experience, but I have had great difficulty with the logic board repair program. I have an iBook G3 which has had three logicboard repairs in 18 months--all on recall and paid for by Apple. This last repair was only completed September 26, 2005 but was in over 3 weeks because at first it looked like a bad hard drive to the authorized repair center.

1. I was told by someone in Apple repair tracking (the 800-275-... number) that 3 logic board replacements in 18 months was "unacceptable" and to call the product specialist. When I called him, the product specialist was not real informative.
2. I had to pay CompUSA (at the time, there was no Apple Store here) $140.00 to diagnose the problem, which turned out to be the logic board. No one is willing to refund (fully or partially) the $140.00 I spent to have a recall problem diagnosed. I took it to CompUSA because at the second repair, Apple support told me not to call them, but to always take it to an authorized service center ! THIS time, Apple tells me NEVER to take it to the Authorized service center first, but ALWAYS to call tech support. We only got an Apple Store here a few days ago--after I had taken it to CompUSA. As you can see, this seems to be the way Apple defines "customer service?"
3. Finally,and most problematic, I initially had Jaguar on the the iBook. After the second logicboard replacement, they upgraded to Panther at Apple, but didn't send me install disks. Now, after the third repair, it's back with something pre-Jaguar--I can't even get Safari. I called the product specialist who told me just to "download Panther free off the net." Well, you can't download any of the 10.3 off the net. I spent 4 hours in the Apple Store yesterday and last night having 10.3 installed, BUT, no one will give me install disks in case I need to re-install !!
4. Finally, the power adapter (I recently bought a new one at the "authorized Mac dealer" here for $100 came back trashed--bent, cracked hubs. I don't even think it's mine!

The Apple customer relations person basically told me, "Sorry. We regret your inconvenience." Of course, every time I call Apple, I'm on hold between 45 minutes and one hour.

I have had terrible luck with these people. I'm writing the State Attorney General as well as the Better Business Bureau and posting this on every forum I can find. They may be making enough on their iPods that they think they don't have to provide any customer serivce, but I am not going to put up with it without a fight.

I sincerely hope your experience is better, but keep a written record of every phone call, receipt, name, registration or case number and things they told you. Get last names and call-center locations if possible. If one person won't help, hang up and call again. Some of them are nicer than others.

Martha

[Pao|o]

Hi martha I noticed this is your first & only post. Did you register just to reply to me? I'll be taking down my iBook & battery's s/n and removing my Airport Card & 512MB SODIMM before be handing over my iBook to the authorized service center just in case they're tempted to jipp me. Thanks for the heads up on what could possibly go wrong with dealing with Apple.

[Xserve@home]

Wow Martha that really sucks. I hope you can get some justice.

I'm typing this from my 800Mhz G3 iBook. I've had the logic board replaced once. Last year in November it kicked the bucket and so I called Apple Japan. The delivery guy came on a Saturday (at 6pm!) to pick it up and it was done and back in my paws by Tuesday night (it was ready Monday night but I wasn't home to get the delivery.)

My sleep light is on the fritz now. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In general I think Apple really screwed up with the last generation of G3 iBooks. I had a 500Mhz bad-boy and it was a real keeper.

[martha]

Yes, Paolo, I did register just to replyto you. I think that Apple is turning into Microsoft: their customers are just "units" and they have largely abandoned the customer service that made their early customers so loyal and us new customers want to be Apple users. Since my post, I have spent hours going up the chains of command. I finally got the product specialist's supervisor to agree to send me the install disks for 10.3, I stood in line at CompUSA many times telling all the other customers about the problems I was having until CompUSA gave me a new power adapter. I'm still out the $140.00 and working on that, but it has taken me days and days of phone calls, and now, the computer runs very slowly, and I don't think I can face fighting about this, too.

It is inconceivable to me that Apple and their authorized representative, CompUSA are willing to have such an unhappy customer over these small things. They are relatively easy to fix, relatively cheap, but make a world of difference to a middle aged lady just trying to run her business and home with a reliable computer. They could have at least offered me $140.00 off my next Apple purchase, or some free software or something, but they are completely uninterested.

I really hope your experience goes well.
Martha

[mpancha]

Yup, as a great as Apple was Customer Service wise years ago, they are quickly becoming one of the worst companies in relation to customer service. I got lucky and stumbled upon a really good tech and got my logic board issue fixed, but that was after several months of dealing with bad ones. I called Apple Customer Support one time at the beginning, and was so dismayed by the incompetent agents (from peon to Supervisor) that I no longer deal with Apple over the phone or online. I only go to Apple Stores now, and at the start when my logic board issue began, the closest Apple store was a 5 hour drive away.

I got lucky and eventually Apple just gave me a new iBook (not the latest version, but the one before that) but only because I had a competent Genius Bar rep, and I dont say competent because I got a new iBook, I say competent because he took the time to look at the records of all my visits, and then told me what mistake the previous agents made (misread the S/N) and gave me a resolution, which was to ship it in. Then he himself kept in touch with me every couple days until my issue was resolved. And the only reason I got a new iBook was because FedEx/UPS/whoever they used "lost" my first replacement iBook.

[Eriamjh]

Get it fixed and SELL IT, fast!

[Pao|o]

Martha thanks for registering and posting your experience.

Originally Posted by Eriamjh

Get it fixed and SELL IT, fast!

I second the motion and will do so.

Here's my story on getting my dad's iBook fixed. Today my dad went to the local Apple Center service center here in Metro Manila which was a good 2-3 hrs drive from my place. The 2 out of 3 people I talked over the cell too had no idea what the "logic board component failure" was all about and I had to talk to their boss so I would be able to talk to someone who knew about it. The guy wanted to see my dad's sales invoice/proof of purchase to see if the iBook was bought within the past 3 years. He said it was Apple Asia's policy that a free fix would only apply to iBooks bought within the past 3 years. That got me so pissed that I adviced my father to pull out his iBook and bring it to the shop we got it from. I am frankly insulted that that local service center here in the Philippines would do that. If Apple Computer Inc., has set that policy of fixing all the iBooks with the faulty logic board for free then proof of purchase should NOT be needed or even asked.

I've talked to some who had their iBooks fixed and the average appears to be 10-14 working days. It sounds bad to those with a strong local support from a Apple subsidiary in their country but our Philippine resellers here get their parts/stocks from Apple Singapore.

This is the second time I've gotten shafted by Apple Center. First time was when their salesperson tricked me into thinking FCP 3 I bought was the full version and the one that was given to me was the upgrade + a pirated copy of FCP 2. I knew it was intentional when she intentionally didnt issue an official receipt for FCP 3.

[mpancha]

Originally Posted by Pao|o

The guy wanted to see my dad's sales invoice/proof of purchase to see if the iBook was bought within the past 3 years. He said it was Apple Asia's policy that a free fix would only apply to iBooks bought within the past 3 years. That got me so pissed that I adviced my father to pull out his iBook and bring it to the shop we got it from. I am frankly insulted that that local service center here in the Philippines would do that. If Apple Computer Inc., has set that policy of fixing all the iBooks with the faulty logic board for free then proof of purchase should NOT be needed or even asked.

That actually is Apple's policy. They are fixing ALL iBooks, but the period of the recall is 3 years from date of original purchase. With mine, when it was finally sent in, it was actually a couple days outside of the 3 year window. My only saving grace was that I had spent close to a year trying to get Apple stores to take it and fix it, and they had all submitted notes saying I had come in and they couldn't help me.

[Big Mac]

I don't understand how Apple allowed such a significant engineering flaw to persist for so many years in the iceBook.

[Pao|o]

Seems the iBook's is within 3 years of purchase. My dad's iBook model first came out November 2002 & I'm thinking he got it last January 2003. In an odd way I'm greatful the error happened now so he can have it fixed for free, sell it and buy the Pbook once it is released. I was hoping for a rev A Mactel Pbook.