Apple doesn’t care about its customers
We here at BGR love Apple products as much as the next guy, but we think this crossed the line a little bit. Thanks to tip from a close friend of the Boy Genius Report, we’ve uncovered a truly amazing exchange between Apple and a customer. The customer, an owner of a recently water-damaged MacBook Pro, called Apple customer care to get information about repair costs. Accepting full responsibility for the water damage, the customer was still subjected to confusing and contradictory information about the repair. Frustrated with his experience, he took matters into his own hands, emailing sjobs@apple.com (a widely acknowledged direct line to high-level Apple customer care). The customer’s email is as follows:
Dear Steve Jobs,
I wanted to write and express my concern about some recent problems that I have had with Apple Care. This week, my MacBook Pro unfortunately sustained water damage. I understand this is entirely my fault but it is still something I would like to get fixed. After three or four calls I was finally able to get a straight answer. While I was happy to get a straight answer, I was not at all happy with the answer. It is very worrisome to me that the only way to get my computer fixed is to pay almost $300.00 up front with no guarantee that this will fix the problem. I was horrified to learn that their is no system to assess the problem and bill once all damage is known. I am reluctant to put money into a problem that could easily grow. I have had three Apple computers in a row. I love using them but I am not sure if my replacement will be one. I feel powerless in the situation and the whole experience has turned me off of the Apple company.
Sincerely,
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Reasonable? We think so. Shortly after, the customer received the following response:
Xxxxxxx,
This is what happens when your MacBook Pro sustains water damage.They are pro machines and they don’t like water. It sounds like you’re just looking for someone to get mad at other than yourself.
Steve
We find that response totally comical! Don’t you? While we’re guessing Steve Jobs himself wasn’t on the other end of this, it’s certainly a direct response from the @apple.com domain, which is only available to employees of the company. This means that someone directly representing Apple was responsible for this stunt. Come on, Apple. Seriously, this isn’t a good way to treat your customers, though you do get major points for the witty and comical response.
UPDATE: Full email after the break!
From: Steve Jobs <sjobs@apple.com>
Date: March 27, 2008 6:53:46 PM EDT
To: [email removed <xxxxx@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Apple Care Concern
Delivered-To: xxxxx@gmail.com
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Xxxxxxx,
This is what happens when your MacBook Pro sustains water damage. They are pro machines and they don’t like water. It sounds like you’re just looking for someone to get mad at other than yourself.
Steve
On Mar 27, 2008, at 3:01 PM, Xxxxxx Xxxx wrote:
Dear Steve Jobs,
I wanted to write and express my concern about some recent problems that I have had with
Apple Care. This week, my MacBook Pro unfortunately sustained water damage. I understand
this is entirely my fault but it is still something I would like to get fixed. After three or four calls
I was finally able to get a straight answer. While I was happy to get a straight answer, I was
not at all happy with the answer. It is very worrisome to met that the only way to get my
computer fixed is to pay almost $300.00 up front with no guarantee that this will fix the problem.
I was horrified to learn that their is no system to asses the problem and bill once all damage is
known. I am reluctant to put money into a problem that could easily grow. I have had three
Apple computers in a row. I love using them but I am not sure if my replacement will be one.
I feel powerless in the situation and the whole experience has turned me off of the Apple
company.
Sincerely,
Xxxxxx Xxxx
I recently spilled hot choc. on my Dell XPS. Dell charged me $200.00 to replace everything except the motherboard. If the motherboard needed replacing it was $400.00. There new computers and the one I now use (XPS M1330),is covered by spill protection for two years. Not that everything is wonderful about Dell but….
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I drove my new Ford into the lake and it’s going to cost me money to get it fixed. Wha-wha-wha…
I’m not going to buy a new Ford either because I’m a retard. Wha-wha-wha…
They won’t fix my car and they are not being professional. Wha-hwa-wha…
I thought I could use this car as a submarine.
Wha-wha-wha…
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Apple needs to waterproof these laptops so I can use it in the bath tub. Wha-wha-wha…
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Although the reply was pretty outrageous, no company will give a fixed cost up front for this type of damage. Certainly no auto dealer would if it was your car. Apple customers expect to be given new products when they fuck them up. Not going to happen. Would Dell? Of course not.
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No way this email is real. If you don’t know how to fake creating an email you shouldn’t be worrying about what technology you are buying.
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I work with apple for more than 10 years and I have found that Applecare’s service has always been subpar. As apple grows this flaw will be exposed.
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To Jeff OS Switcher..
Do you really think Apple is any different from Dell, Lenovo, or HP. When your pc breaks, try sending it to them and see how much they charge you. Trust me, its no different than Apple. Can you fix it for far cheaper? Of course..
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A better idea would be to have Apple do the diagnoses, Which probably costs $300, then tell the idiot that it will cost $2,000 to fix. Then the idiot can say OH? I don’t want to spend that much and call it a day. Totally legit response by Apple. What are all of you?? Freaking idiots also?
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So he has spilt water on his laptop and although he claims full responsibility he expects another company to cover the cost of a technician looking at it and determining the problem?
This is a very fair response, imagine how many people email trying to get freebies and fees waived. I would be pissed if it was my laptop and I had to pay that too but at least I know it’s quite within reason to ask for this amount to determine the problem.
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For everyone that says he got what he deserves…you are an ass, no exceptions. I’m sure most of you have never worked in the Customer Service Field, so you probably think being cute to a customer is “funny.” Whoever answered this e-mail i hope for apple’s sake was not part of their Admin Staff, and if so needs to relieved of their duty, because to treat any customer with much disdain is say that apple products/staff have no class. Remember the WHOLE issue has nothing to do with the damage of the laptop, it is ENTIRELY on how unprofessional it was handled…I would at the very least expect with the ridiculous pricing of an apple production you would at bare minimum receive comparable service. Shame on you apple shame. No matter what a customer asks, how they ask, you ALWAYS act professional . You are running a Fortune 500 company not a Lan party.
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Water damage on a MacBook Pro (or PowerBook) is gonna be about $1250 USD. Period. End of story.
A flat-rate repair is about $300 (a bit more, actually), and that’s if there is no accidental damage (like, say…WATER).
I’m thinking the customer is confused here. What most likely was said was “we’ll send it in under the $320 fix, and if they see the water damage, they’ll stop the repair, call you to confirm, and then it turns into the $1250 fix.”
The only time it would have been an up-front payment for the repair is if the customer arranges for mail-in service or asks an Apple store to have the repair mailed to his/her home after the repair is complete, because obviously the customer won’t be back for payment afterwards.
And the repair is solid. It doesn’t get returned to the customer until it’s thoroughly tested, because whatever warranty the machine has left will still be intact. (Or if it’s out of warranty anyway, the repair is covered for 90 days).
Sounds like someone whining a whole lot about nothing.
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of course apple doesn’t care about its customers. its a company for god’s sake. its main objective is to make more money. hopefully legally and illegally if need be.
i don’t see how dell, toshiba, etc would behave differently except in the PR aspect.
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A little flip, but spot-on accurate. The only entirely accurate “preliminary” estimate would be the cost of a new computer. What do you expect?
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Most other computer makers offer an accidental damage warranty which is amazing. It covers anything you can do to your computer, I had that warranty on my last machine and used it quite often. Now I have a MacBookPro and don’t bring it anywhere because I don’t want anything to happen to it.
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Anyone ever here the saying
” This APPLE HAS A ROTTEN CORE ”
I was a DEVOTED Apple user for years, until I needed something from apple… Customer Service.
They have not changed, they are hiding behind the money clout that all of us give them because of their sucess with cetain Ipod Products that all us idiots helped make them famous with.
But the reality is, they car about money only.
Apple will again be brought to their knees when their Customers get tired of the Brash, Terror Tactics they use called “Customer Service”.
They hire idiots to answer phones and crank numbers, yet the reality is their own customer service agents dont even know what a toilet cleaning brush and cleansing powder looks like”
and they think we are all “Dirty Toilet Bowls”
Apple should practice goood Customer Service By FIRST Cleaning their Own Dirty Toilet Bowls_
The email received from Steve Jobs Office is Typical of Apple Computer, What a poor disgrace they are- as I said earlier..
“Apple Has a Rotten Core”
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OK, let’s get this straight.
I’m apalled that people are saying “I hate Apple for this.” You have problems with water in your notebook or computer, you will have issues. Read your warranty, any warranty. Unless you get a Accidental Damage Plan, spills, house fire, dropping, or a kid shoving anything into is NEVER covered.
Obviously this guy needed straightened out, to waste an important persons time just because he felt it was unjustified is just crazy. Customer service reps you call are not only human (which I have a feeling that this guy was rude, if not profain to them), they are also empowered to handle situations like this. Spill damage is one of the most common issues that I’ve seen in a call center. If you’re afraid of getting any accidental damage into it, get a plan to cover it, either through the retailer, or call the manufacture before you buy.
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Michael,
I completely agree. Anything could have gone wrong as a direct result of water landing on the electronics. There is no way Apple should make a promise before examining the device. I also don’t think they should gaurantee that other residual problems won’t surface after the repair.
You wouldn’t buy a flooded car, would you? This is the kind of problem that insurance protects you from. If it is valuable, then insure it.
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Seriously Dude, WTF is wrong with this guy??? it’s not just a Macbook pro but any machine gets water damage there’s no fixing it, what, is he a moron???? is he goin to pay for a new mother board,CPU, fans,new HDD,menory, battery,heck every electrical part inside??? i don’t think so, what a As* really.
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Give me a break people. Every company is out there to get your money!!! Dell, HP, Toshiba, LG, Sharp… etc., their all the same. It’s about profits, making the share holders happy, and turning as much product as possible. Don’t think it’s just Apple. If you do, you’re a fool! Consumers are all too easy to pass the buck, because their uninformed!
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I get the feeling the complainer edited to email to make it look ambiguous as to who it was from, as to generate publicity
Threats to NEVER BUY APPLE PRODUCTS AGAIN are really petty and annoying.
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Many of you are missing the point. The issue is not that he is mad that Apple wont cover his repairs (he knows they wont). His complaint is that he has to pay 300.00 for them to even look at the broken machine. he is simply pointing out it would be great to have a system to allow them to take in a machine and then give him a repair estimate.
As to the response, Apple is well known as one of the top customer service groups…this is not like them at all.
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What I think people fail to realize is that Apple offers an option to people in these circumstances. I had to use it myself, basically if you aren’t sure what’s wrong with your computer, and you don’t have AppleCare (or your issue isn’t covered by AppleCare) you can pay a fixed fee (dependent on computer model) and they will fix whatever they find wrong. I find that extremely reasonable. Even if it costs them MORE than 300 dollars they will still fix the problems.
I don’t really understand what this person is complaining about. They are going to fix your computer for 300 dollars when it’s probably sustained way more damage than that.
Sounds extremely fair to me.
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So you are an idiot that spilled water on your macbook and now you are pissed because you need to pay a fee to look at it? It doesn’t matter you bought Applecare on the product since this wouldn’t be covered under it. Face up and admit you are a fucking douchbag that spilled water on your notebook, plus tears now judging from your atricle.
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What is the problem. I think it is reasonable for this customer to expect Apple to expend time and resources inspecting damage he admits to causing. Take it to a repair shop and ask them to spend a couple of hours on it then stiff them for time they could have spent on something else. Get real, there are limits to what a customer should expect. Apple is not the babysitter for Apple customers.
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Yeah, so if the problem can’t be fixed, the technician should have to do all that work for free. Right.
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