OT: Apple Support

[Hogie]

I just got off the phone with Apple. I have a 12" PB and the case has warped so that it doesn't lay flat and wobbles on my desk. Very annoying! He gave me a ticket number and instructed me to take it to my local shop and they'll replace the case under warranty.

Anyway, I haven't purchased AppleCare yet, though I plan to do so before my one year is up. If he made no mention of it, but will I get charged $50 or whatever for that phone call? If so, how do they bill me? Maybe they still have my credit card info on file from when I bought it.

[DJ Insomaniac]

How long have you had it? There's a warrantee, but it runs out after a short amount of time. Apple Care extends this time.

[Hogie]

I still have about 3 months left on my warranty but I'm past the 90 days on free tech support. I'm assuming that since the guy didn't tell me I was being charged for the phone call or ask for my credit card number, that I won't be charged. Can someone confirm that?

[xeeganx]

Last I checked, in order to charge you, they have to get your credit card right then, as there is no credit card kept on record. Regardless, that $50 (w/n the first year) is only meant to be for software problems, and since you obviously had a hardware problem, then they would not charge you. The standard procedure would have been to take your credit card, troubleshoot your problem, and then if it were hardware (and you were still w/in your warranty), not charge you for the call. Since it was clear here that it was not software, then there was no reason to do the troubleshooting steps to determine if the problem was software or hardware, so no reason to ever get your credit card. Hope that made sense.

In summary, you won't be charged anything.

[nob turner]

you are fortunate. i had a hardware problem (cd-dvd combo drive) with my dual-867 g4 that fell outside the original 90 days, and apple charged me $50 in order to tell me that they wouldn't do anything about it. then they had the nerve to call me up and ask me to pay for another 2 years of applecare. when i told them how i'd been treated on the cd issue, the rep claimed to be shocked and promised to get it fixed. he never called back or replied to me again.

only after writing to steve jobs did i get my $50 back. the drive problem was never rectified.

so what do i think of apple support? don't ask...

[yoursickstudio]

The 90 days is telephone support, any apple hardware has a year waranty.
If you know your problem is serious and falls under the 1 year waranty, apple will not ask for money.
You can even phone them after 90 days until the year is over , to ask for an applecare id number and the closest apple repair center (for free!!).
It will save you some work as you can already apply a number to the repair center because apple already noted that there is a problem on the phone.

"i had a hardware problem (cd-dvd combo drive) with my dual-867 g4 that fell outside the original 90 days, and apple charged me $50 in order to tell me that they wouldn't do anything about it."

that story seems really strange as it is completely not their policiy.
Unless you put in a different combo drive it should have been replaced for free within a year.

I once bought a second hand mac which was actually a model only 3 months old... the guy sold it without telling me it had a motherboard error... after six months i called applecare, told them the serialnumber, they saw what model it was and the possible date it was sold to the store and if the store sold it. They gave me an applecare number and an adress to the nearest service repair center. Brought it in, said the problem gave them the applecare number... 2 weeks later, new motherboard.

Callig them after 90days for software issues or asking them instructions because you can not get yourself in mac gear than they will ask money.

I live in europe but i don't think their policy is so much different ...

the cool thing about apple is the applecare center because any dealer you go they have to fix it for free ! even if you didn't buy it at their store ! if you are in the timed warranty.

Stores might tell you they ask you 65$ to look into it... but if it is apple hardware failure that will not be credited because you have waranty !