Customer Reviews

AppleCare Protection Plan for PowerBook 3.0 M8853LL/A - 3 Year Plan

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have skipped the AppleCare on desktop machines, but always got it with laptops. Apple laptops have improved a great deal over the years, but are still subject to shocks and handling that a desktop machine is not. I depend on my PowerBook for my living, and thus can't be without it long.
After nearly 2.5 years of trouble free use, I noticed the screen was dimmer than it had been. It also had a flakey battery latch, and noisy fans. I called AppleCare, got someone on the phone quickly and they sent a box. I boxed it up, sent it off, and had my repaired machine back in two days. I got a new screen, new battery, new battery latch, and quieter fans. Nicely done all around.

Don't listen to the curmudgeons trying to chop this down. They are blaming apple for their own naive mistakes. My personal favorite is the guy with the bad optical drive who is blaming Apple because he didn't bother to back up his computer.

Fact is this service is a MUST HAVE if you own an Apple product. The person who claims there is no inhome support is not telling the truth. I had applecare on my iMac and had inhome service replace both my hard drive and superdrive. Both of these items were upgraded in the process because of those were the best parts on hand. Also if you have any problem its as simple as going to the nearest Apple store to get your problem handled fast and easy. I personally know two people that brought in laptops to the Apple store who were handed a brand new laptop(yes the latest version) with zero hassle. Recently a friend of mine brought in a third generation ipod for service and was given a fifth generation video ipod to replace it. There are reasons why Mac Users are so dedicated to Apple products. Applecares excellent support is one huge reason why Apple has such rabid fans.

This is a must have. You never know when the logic board will fail or when the display will go out. I've had two PowerBooks now and have used AppleCare plans for both. My older PowerBook has a brand new screen and still works great thanks to that extra 3 year warranty. When you spend almost four grand on a computer, what's a few hundred extra to secure three years of free repairs!

Since I have had my powerbook, Applecare support has gone downhill. Wait times to get through on the phone have increased, mainly. But the biggest problem is that Apple is very selective about what they cover in their warranty, almost arbitrary, leaving the customer, $350 later, powerless to fight such a huge corporation. Even if you try to, you can't sue them--you have to go to arbitration. It's the law.

As an anecdote, when my optical drive went out on me the second time, they warned me that I should back up my data because they couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't touch my HD during the repair. But how can I back up my data if I have no optical drive? I pushed them for suggestions and they said it is unfortunate, but they had none, and that I had to risk losing the data, or pay someone to back it up for me.

Sorry, that is unacceptable, considering the price I paid for the warranty. Even though Microsoft and Windows are still garbage, it is time to end Apple-worship and call them on their screwups. It is the least we can do when we pay so much money to be Mac users.

I am not a big fan of customer support in general, since it usually takes ages before you get your computer back. But when I had to get my MacBook Pro fixed (fan to be changed), I had a great surprise! I brought it to the Apple store in Stanford Shopping Center, CA on a Saturday afternoon, and while I expected to get it back 3 to 5 days later, I got a call the next day in the morning. My MacBook Pro was ready in less than 24 hours! That totally made my day.

Apple support has been very good in my experience for both desktops and laptops. The turnaround time on my mac laptops when they have had trouble has been less then 48hrs and I have never found an issue which was not covered. This has been true for a replacement G3 powerbook logic board, and the keyboard which failed on my G4 iBook as well as the screen for my friend's G4 iBook. iMacs and desktops benefit as well from the extended warranty since Apple will send a technician onsite for free to replace the logic board or whatever goes wrong. In the case of our iMac G5 apple replaced the logic board onsite several times before eventually replacing the whole computer with an intel version which did not have the problems of the G5 iMac line. Without the extended warranty the computer would not have been replaced and would have become a $1500 doorstop instead of a brand new intel iMac complements of Apple support. My only complaint is that apple released the G5 iMac and certain other faulty models (powerbook 5300 anyone?) without first testing them an addressing some issues which never should have occurred.

My 23" apple display died two weeks ago. It is still here, waiting for apple to "get it together". I have never experienced such a complete lack of competence and pathetically slow action plan in my life. Nothing about this has been easy. Even the hold times on the phone are over 20 minutes. There is no email support either.

The warranty makes certain promises. Unfortunately they do not live up to this average person's expectations.

I am considering a call to the BBB for now and if things drag much further on, legal action.

After foolishly letting myself be badgered for the 3rd time by Apple sales people into buying this plan I've finally learned my lesson. They warned and warned-you'll be sorry if something goes wrong. Well my MacbookPro has a hardrive problem-NOT COVERED IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. The money(over $300) I would have saved by not buying this plan would have paid for the $300 repair.
What's its cover-almost nothing of consequence. Message to Apple-tell your staff to stop trying this shove this worthless plan down customers throats. Want to give money away-there's a lot of worthwhile charities!

I'm a recent switcher to Apple from previously owning Dell systems. The Apple warranty is starkly inferior. Here's why:
- Limited support hours. No 24x7 call center help.
- No service for in-home repair it's all mail-in.

I discovered my PowerBook G4's modem was no good 80 days after buying it from an Apple retail store. This was the very first time I tried to use it as I normally have wifi or use ethernet. So, apparently it was broken out of the box it just took me 80 days to discover. So, I call AppleCare from my hotel room at midnight eastern and I discover they're not open 24x7. Uh oh! Okay, so I wait until the next morning and call back. Still not open. That's right. They open 9 a.m. pacific time. That's noon my time. Finally, when I do get ahold of them they have me try several software related things including an archive and install. I comply when I get home a week later (after all, I need my discs for that). Well, I knew it wouldn't work but I complied anyway. It didn't work. So I called back. Dope! They don't open until noon.

Finally, I get them on the phone to let them know it didn't work and they set up a mail-in dispatch. Well, I'm quite displeased about this. I buy a brand new PowerBook that's DOA and I have to be without it for at least a week while the modem is repaired (something I VERY rarely use).

Long story short. I still don't have my PowerBook back. They've had it for 7 days now and my status says "On hold - Part on order." I called them to complain but they said they can't do anything until tomorrow. After that I still have to wait at least a day for return shipping. Of course, I'm approaching a weekend and they don't offer Saturday delivery. So, maybe I'll get it back next month.

AppleCare is the most unfitting name for this warranty ever! DO NOT BUY!

This is what I'd imagine is the number 1 reason I could never suggest Apple computers for a small business. I bought a 2500 dollar machine from them, and it needs a logic board replacement (phone support was good, admittidly) - then the shocker, the guy on the phone tells me it will be up to 7-10 days to get my laptop back.. 7-10 days?? maybe for a casual user in days of yore when computers were more of a novelty.. I use my laptop every day, mutliple times a day for nearly every aspect of my life - scheduling, contacts, work, play, everything! - anyhow, so I give in and send my baby in, nice service by DHL with their shipping box, and I'm also impressed they paid for next day air.

Another shocker, I'm on day 7 and my laptop has been listed as "waiting on part" since the day after I sent it in, which was around a week after I initially placed my service call. Now, call me odd, but Apple has known that my machine has needed a logic board for 2 weeks, and are unable to procure said board. I could buy a brand new custom built machine and have it at my door in 2 weeks, I could disassembe a Powerbook at an Apple Store and ground ship them the part in 2 weeks, why can't Apple get a part from what should be an internal warehouse in 2 weeks??

To add to the failure, I call in and inquire as to what the status of my repair is to see if I'll indeed have my baby back within the 10 maximum days I was originally quoted. The answer I got back was "are you using this for business?" - to which I replied yes (truthfully) - then the operator offered to perform a parts search at other depots to see if they had the part my powerbook needed, and asked me to wait a moment while she did so. I complied cheerfully, and upon returning to me she informed me that the parts search is underway and we should know within 48 hours if any other depot has my part. 48 hours???? - to run a search on what I would HAVE to assume is an inventoried part? doing the math, that would mean the search would come back on the 9th day, giving them not even 24 hours to get the part to the shop where my machine is, get it installed, and get it to DHL for next day service back to me.

The best part of all of this is I wonder what would have happened had I never called.

I really stress that nobody should buy this junk "support" contract, the pay for support from Dell or HP is light years ahead of what Apple offers, and I really hope that Apple drasticlly improves this area of their service offering.