The 19-Day Exchange Mac.Policy

Taaa-daaa!

On February 26th Apple released this new MBP model:

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/specs.html

• Multi-Touch technology
• 200GB hard drive (+$50 -> 250GB)
• 2.4GHz new Intel Core 2 Duo
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB

What did I get for the same base price?

• NO Multi-Touch technology
• 120GB hard drive
• 2.2GHz old Intel Core 2 Duo
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 128MB (1/2 of the new)

I called Apple costumer service and they told me that I missed the 19-day window for return/upgrade. Basically they say that since Fedex attempted delivery on the 5th, I missed this window by 2 days!

I explained, patiently, that the driver never came to the exact location and I had to drive 30-min to pick it up personally. So I actually received my Mac on Feb 8th.

Their response: “Talk to the hand”

Pissed off level = 10

HDD Mac.Nightmare

Having bought the 120GB option, this was not enough for I wanted to do [e.g. create a Windows partition for Win/only apps + OS/X apps]

I called Apple again to see if I could return my new/unused Mac and exchange it for a new one with a bigger HDD .

Mac: “If you return your Mac you will have to pay +$375 in restocking fees”

Me: “Is there anywhere I could go to install a new HDD in the one I have?”

Mac: “No”

Later I found out that an Authorized Mac Center can do this for $55

New internal 250GB HDD = $125

A “new” MacBook Pro with a 250GB from Apple = $225 extra

Pissed off level = 2

Apple Mac.Shipping Promises and Fedex Incompetence

After four happy years of using a PowerBook G4 I finally decided to upgrade to a super-duper MacBook Pro with an Intel processor.

Just the beginning to this MacHell Story.

Ordered one on Jan 31st. Since the Apple website said something about delivering it to a business address, I decided to ship it to work. BIG mistake.

Fedex “attempted” to deliver it on Feb 5th but the driver wasn’t familiar with the location. Turns out that Apple used the Home Delivery service and the driver would come after business hours. I called Fedex and Apple too, to resolve this problem. No help at all.

I told Fedex to hold my package at their facility but they said this wasn’t possible until the final 3rd attempt. Fedex told me to wait between 6pm-7pm at the location specified. I did but the driver never showed up… NEVER.

On Feb. 8th, I finally had to drive 30 min out of the city to pick it up at their home delivery facility in the middle of nowhere. What did Apple do? Not a thing. No apology, no sorry….

Pissed off level = 1

The Mac.irony…

“We don’t underestimate people….Rather than making a far inferior product for a hundred dollars less, we gave the people the product that they want and that will serve them for years, even though it’s a little pricier. People are smart; they figure these things out.” –Steve Jobs