[Blakhawkg3]

I bought a white 2ghz MacBook (week 26) about 2 months ago now from my campus store, and it started having the random shutdown issue...I took it to an Apple Store about a week later to ask about it and they said that I should return it to my campus store.

When I took it to my campus store, they told me that they could swap me for a new one if I had the original box - which I didn't (stupid of me, I know...).

Anyway, the campus repair service (apple certified) looked at it and said that I would need a new logic board, so they would send it to Apple and hopefully it should be back in about a week or so.

They sent the laptop in on August 25th...after a week, the status of the repair online said that a part was backordered (the tech here said it was the logic board). Over the next three weeks I called Apple twice and they basically just apologized to me over the phone and told me that the laptop would be sent back as soon as possible. Both times, the Apple reps said they would put in 'expedite' requests. I finally got it back via fedex yesterday, September 25th (!)

First of all, a month without a computer for a college student (or anyone) is not easy (classes started before labor day). To make matters worse, I looked at the repair invoice when I received the computer and saw that they replaced the heatsink, fan, and pieces of the case (I assume due to the discoloration issue, although I never experienced or complained about this) - but NO logic board replacement. I thought this was a bit odd, but I was just happy to finally have my computer back in my hands. I started it up, downloaded all my new email, and ran software update from the apple menu. 4 items were listed - iTunes 7, a front row update, an airport update, and quicktime (7.1.3, I believe). I unchecked iTunes and downloaded/installed the rest, and clicked 'restart' when it asked me to do so.

Right after I heard the startup chime, vertical, rainbow-colored lines appeared on the screen. I couldn't see anything else - and when I held the power button to force a shutdown and started it up again - same thing.

I walked back to campus computer repair and they said that it was, again, a logic board problem. The MacBook is now off to Apple, AGAIN. I've owned this thing for 2 months now, and a month of that has been with the laptop in Memphis awaiting parts which they didn't install. Now it is gone again.

I was planning on calling later today and politely demanding a new laptop. My friend's HP notebook was repaired under warranty in 3 days. Why is Apple's #1-rated customer service taking so long?

ok - so my question is...what should I do? Is 30 days a common repair window for MacBooks? What should I tell Applecare when I call?

[uicandrew]

Memphis? you're in Cali, and your macbook got sent to memphis? I'm in Illinois and my macbook gets sent to memphis.

Unfortunately, i also got shafted by applecare like you. They also had problems with backordered parts, but they should get new parts everyday.

i think the best you can hope for is just to keep calling back. If you can, maybe request to speak with a product specialist. I think they are the next people to talk to in escalating a case.

what they told me in terms of delaying parts was if my macbook wasn't fixed by a certain date, then i was to call back and they would explore other options. Luckily, my macbook was fixed before the deadline, so i never figured out what the "other options" were.

good luck.

[ghporter]

Applecare has no control over your class schedule. They do not intentionally hold onto comptuers just to inconvenience you, either. CALL them and be POLITE. Ask what's going on, and for details, and feel free to express that you are frustrated, but remember that they are not hosing you over; they're TRYING TO DO WHAT YOU ASKED. If they had the part, they'd have fixed the machine and sent it back.

Really, the people on the phone with Applecare are some of the best telephone support people I've ever talked to-and that's saying something. If you do not get the answers you need, ask to be connected to someone else who can answer your questions. Be patient, and they'll take care of you. This is how Apple got rated so high on customer service-by TALKING with customers and clearing up problems.

I've been waiting for a new computer through the organization that's funding my grad school, and while it was ordered in mid-August, it STILL isn't here. I started classes the week before Labor Day too, so this is really crimping my school work. I DO understand what you're going through-and so will the people on the phone at Applecare.

[aristobrat]

Originally Posted by Blakhawkg3

Right after I heard the startup chime, vertical, rainbow-colored lines appeared on the screen. I couldn't see anything else - and when I held the power button to force a shutdown and started it up again - same thing.

I walked back to campus computer repair and they said that it was, again, a logic board problem.

Oh no!

If you really want to hate your campus computer repair place, do a quick search in this forum for horizontal lines. This has been happening since 10.4.7 and there's a fairly easy trick to fix it that doesn't involve sending your computer anywhere.

If it helps any, if Apple had any logic boards in stock when you sent your MacBook in for repair last month, they wouldn't have been of the new design, which means you'd eventually have the same problem reoccur and have to send it back in.