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dec · Mar 14, 2006, 08:58 AM

Hey guys,
I lost the battle with my unstable mbp. Its getting sent back. The girl in apple told me that
because its a replacement it'll be shipped express and i'll go to top of the list. I just got my order confirmation mail and it says 2-3 weeks, however it also has my original order number and a total price. So im gonna presume thats just the automated system. Anyone have experience with sending items back, and do you reckon I will get it as quickly as she says ? I was due to start giving lectures with it on thursday..

back to acetates for me.

mintcake · Mar 14, 2006, 03:30 PM

Real bummer, sorry to hear it.

Still, better to get it fixed sooner rather than later, and at Apple's expense.

I haven't had experience with returns myself (absit omen) but I understand that they are dealt with pretty quickly.

It will be worth the wait. I use Keynote on my powerbook (um, used, will also on my incoming MBP) to give lectures and presentations and they were a huge improvement on the old powerpoint days. HUGE. You'll actually enjoy preparing them.

cambro · Mar 14, 2006, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by mintcake

I use Keynote on my powerbook (um, used, will also on my incoming MBP) to give lectures and presentations and they were a huge improvement on the old powerpoint days. HUGE. You'll actually enjoy preparing them.

me too!

get your images into iPhoto and then you are smoooooth sailing. The kids love the fancy transitions too...always gets an 'ooooo' the first time they see it.

dec · Mar 15, 2006, 08:13 AM

Im being told now I only have priority shipping, and that I have to go to the back of the queue and wait 3 weeks for a new machine to be shipped. Needless to say im following it up, i feel a refund coming on

mintcake · Mar 15, 2006, 08:57 AM

This is not good but do nothing rash...

Is an extra three weeks' wait enough to make you change your mind about a €2500 purchase?

I had a bad Apple Store experience with my first powerbook. It took a couple of weeks longer to build than they had told me, and when they shipped it, they shipped it to a town with the same postal code as mine... but in France! (Via an airport five miles from my front door, too...)

Was pretty cross at the time but these things are forgotten over the lifetime of the laptop. Also, if you make a bit of a fuss in writing the chances are you will get a discount at the Apple Store for a future purchase.

dec · Mar 15, 2006, 09:07 AM

tbh its more a catalogue of errors.

Firstly on the initial order i was told it had shipped when it hadnt.
The online tracking system was a disaster giving false and out of date information. The week it was due I was told to stay home on friday as they would definitely deliver it. Friday came and it didnt arrive, when called they told me it just arrived in the uk and they give it to the carrier and id still get it so stay home. I had second thoughts (maybe they thought i was in the uk not in ireland) so i called back. The next guy tried to convince me it was going to be another week as the stuff was now being sent from amsterdam from england to be merged. I said no they are merging in england i can see it here, he said no definitly amsterdam that info is wrong. I tried one more time to get a person who said no way id get it that day itd be monday or tuesday. So that was a day off work useless. It did finally arrive on the tuesday. Two week travel time in total.

Taking that into account I then get a machine thats faulty. They diagnose it as faulty and give me a case number to contact sales with. I contact sales as I was told and after informing them of the situation the answer I got was "I'm in sales what do you want me to do about it?". Needless to say rage levels rose. I then got a nice girl who processed the return and told me id go to the top of the queue and get express delivery. I said thats fair enough so.The carrier called today to arrange to pick up the old machine.

I got the email confirming the need for a new machin,e I call to confirm all is well, im told i only get priority on delivery, that I have to go to the back of the queue.

This leaves me with no machine , and needing to borrow a machine from others, 2500 gone from my account, and at the back of a queue of people with a 3 week wait for a new one.

So tbh unless I can get one by next week, refund it is.

I'm still waiting on the guy to call back whos checking it out for me, he tried to say that the delay was due to it being a custom order, even though i ordered the stock 2ghz model with no changes, He was unaware the 100gb hard drive was standard. So here I am an hour later waiting for a call and not best pleased.
First time buying an apple, not a happy experience.

mintcake · Mar 15, 2006, 11:05 AM

The computers are lovely, the Store, not always so lovely... I would insist on speaking to one of the managers at the Store and get them to sort the problem out. This worked for me. If someone has promised you express delivery and front-of-the-queue turnaround on a standard model, then you are fully justified in expecting them to live up to that promise.

If all else fails, Apple's European Store HQ is in Ireland...

spiky_dog · Mar 15, 2006, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by dec

Im being told now I only have priority shipping, and that I have to go to the back of the queue and wait 3 weeks for a new machine to be shipped. Needless to say im following it up, i feel a refund coming on

i was in the same position as you (returned a machine, was facing a 3 week period without any laptop). i cancelled the replacement order, requested a credit instead for the returned macbook, and then bought a not-quite-equivalent off-the-shelf model from the local brick and mortar apple store.

dec · Mar 15, 2006, 02:48 PM

I wish I had a local brick and mortar apple store

dec · Mar 16, 2006, 01:04 PM

Im told a week now not 2-3 as initially informed. And they'll check the english warehouse to see if there may be a machine there they can ship sooner. That'll do. fingers crossed now the next one is A.ok. cause it was soooo sweet.

riotge@r · Mar 17, 2006, 03:29 AM

I took 3 MBPs back to the retail store that were problematic. 1 had a defective logicboard and the other 2 had the whine. Each MBP that the retail store opened was reserved (not paid for) by someone who put their name on the list, but since I gave Apple nearly $3000 they catered to me. I finally got a MBP 2Ghz without any problems. Ironically, the MBP 2.16Ghz I ordered from apple.com shipped a few days later. It arrived 2 days ago and is also flawless.

dec · Mar 17, 2006, 09:54 AM

well heres hoping the next one is flawless

dec · Mar 24, 2006, 07:57 AM

ups expect to deliver on tuesday

Jean-Loup · Mar 24, 2006, 11:18 AM

Mine's also flawless. Odd thing though, the MBP (2 GHz) had the whine for about five minutes after I opened it for the very first time. it just went away after about five minutes and hasn't come back...needless to say I'm quite happy about that.

jamil5454 · Mar 24, 2006, 11:57 AM

If you lived near a well-stocked Apple Store, and explained to them your work depends on the notebook, sometimes a manager will let you "borrow" a machine until you get your new one.

dec · Mar 24, 2006, 04:17 PM

us irish arent lucky enough to have a physical apple store

dec · Mar 29, 2006, 07:05 AM

Got my replacement yesterday morning, so far so good, seems to be MUCH better made than the last one I got right down to the button the opens the screen being a lot more responsive and the screen looking sharper. So fingers crossed. I reckon I just got a bogey early model while the production line was moving fast.