I am not going to say that Apple totally lost me, but I wasn’t the happiest customer for a little while. I love, love, love my MacBook Pro, but the day after my one year warranty expired so did my battery. When I called about it, I was told that my warranty had indeed expired and I would have to buy my own battery. That was when I wasn’t the happiest customer anymore.
Fast forward a year of being attached to a power cord. Batteries don’t come cheap and they are not high on the priority list in our , since there are three children to take care of first and we are mostly a one income family. Things like batteries for laptops don’t make it to the grocery list.
Today, after waiting a year to once again be truly wireless (and not have to get to the coffee shop at opening for the one spot with an outlet) I headed downtown to the Apple Store. I made sure I brought my laptop with me because the last time I was there, I left without a battery because one of the salesmen didn’t believe me that he was trying to sell me the wrong one (it was too small for my laptop).
I explained my tale of woe about the battery dying the day after my warranty ran out to the clerk and could he find me one that fit since there weren’t any on the shelf. He said he figured he could do one better and ran some diagnostics on my computer (Ok, so the first clerk passed me on to a young guy with an iPod touch who passed me along to the clerk at the counter, but it was seamless and fast). It would seem that my battery died prematurely, it died before half of it’s life had been used. Of course, when I asked what did that mean for me? I knew by the smile on the clerks face that it meant I didn’t have to pay for another battery. And indeed I was right. It would seem that I had a faulty battery and that Apple does love me and wants me to keep buying their product. It only took a year for me to get things fixed up, but honestly I had only tried twice.
So here I sit with my newly wireless computer once again. I am very thankful for the amazing customer service I got today. Apple was redeemed once again for me and now I have a little something extra in my pocket because I didn’t have to spend it on a battery.
And because Apple was so nice to me I have decided to do a little Pay it Forward. No, I am not going to give away a battery what good would that do? But, I am going to give away a $25 gift certificate to one of my readers.
The winner will get to choose from one of three stores. iTunes (in honour of Apple), Starbucks (because I love them) or Amazon .ca or .com (because who couldn’t use a new book to read?).
All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me what you use, Mac or PC? Be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment so I can contact you if you are the winner.
Contest closes Friday, January 8th, 2010 at midnight (EST). I will randomly draw a winner on Saturday morning.
Comments on this entry are closed.
So was my cousin working?? I know she travels a lot and I don’t know her schedule. Glad you got it sorted out and scored a new battery – that is fantastic news. I totally can relate – things like new laptop batteries are not on the top of our list of financial priorities lately either!
I use a laptop running on Linux (geek husband) but would love a Mac one day. We have a new iPhone in our house and I am secretly loving it – steal it away from my husband every chance I get 🙂
I’m a PC
Maybe I’ll try a Mac one day!
Mac, baby! I can’t say I’ve turned into a fervent Mac-phile like everyone assured me I would, but I can say that I can count the number of times my laptop has crashed in the past 9 months on one hand. I can count them on two fingers, in fact.
I’m glad they were able to get you a new battery for free!
I’m a mac user at home! I’ve got the desktop iMac so I’ve not had to deal with laptop batteries. So glad they were able to come through for you! I’ll have to keep a trip to the apple shop in mind if I run into any problems. 🙂
Just DM me on twitter if I win!
@RantingRaving
i use mac also!
apple’s customer care is very high ranked by me as well. after receiving a brand new imac shipped to my house, unpacking it and turning it on, i realize it has a large crack in the side of the screen. now i live in NY, if i returned it via mail, i’d get another one in the mail and it would probably crack again.
so our in-laws drive up from DE. after much hassle, i get my giant computer to an apple store. the soho store. we called ahead and tried to tell them that we spoke to so&so, but apparently literally THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE work there! so after being transferred to a zillion people, and looked at skeptically and basically accused of breaking it myself, i finally leave with a new one. get home, plug it in, set it up, yay! the in-laws leave.
and then we realize, the left speaker doesn’t work. i start to have a fit, call apple care and really complain about inconviencing me and my family, and they tell me that i can either mail it in or go back to the store. the in-laws turn around mid-way on the jersey turnpike and come back. i went back and third time, and after forcing them to check it in the store, they finally gave me an imac that works as perfectly as it should. AND my complaining on the phone paid off, since i got a free ipod touch.
haha, i just never want to move my computer ever again now. for fear of something happening and me having to talk to 300 more people about it. it was the longest day of my life. but apple care really worked wonders about smoothing over those wounds. and now our imac (sir imac the third is what we lovingly call him) is really the center of our home entertainment. 🙂
I’m a PC – i’ve only used a mac a handful of times, but they sure are pretty! 🙂
I’m a PC/Blackberry user, but have been seriously oogling macbooks for years. Maybe when my phone upgrade comes I’ll ease into it with an iphone. 😀
Sometimes you just have to talk to the right person! So glad it worked out for you in the end but it’s too bad it took a whole year.
I am using a PC but it’s been lockign up and crashing often lately and I am sure buying a MacBook next time.
Used to be a PC girl but now love everything from Apple including my husband’s Mac and my iPod Touch!
WELL We have a mac (Miranda) and Laptop (HP pavilion) And a PC Acer and HP PC upstairs…I guess we are a computer house. Where most have one or more t.v.s I have 3 to 4 Computers running in the house.
The family wanted me to get a MAC but I could NOT justify the cost with 2 other computers in the house and i have to say I love my laptop. The only thing I wish it had the Mac has is the lighted keyboard.
I don’t own an Ipod either I have an MP3 which I used to record lectures SHHHHH…my fingers are achy so I use this to catch what I could not.
SOOOO Glad you got a free battery. I should not have run out after a year. Miranda is still on the orginal after 2years.
I’m a PC, but we all have Ipods, including a touch for myself and my husband. We just couldn’t justify the extra cost when it came time to get my laptop, and I have to work on PC’s at work. I’m glad they took care of you today though!
Thus far, I’ve been a consistent PC person, although I’ve thought about switching to Mac many a time.
I’m a PC user and really have not had many problems, at least not enough to switch. I do have an old ipod and covet a touch now.
I’m so glad they helped you out! It’s often who you talk to and how much you ask them what they can do for you!
Mac in the studio and at the paper but a PC laptop at home which I wish was a Mac. Kids and I have I-pods – touch and nano – love them.
I was always PC until I started working for a local paper doing layout…computers all Mac in the office. Then when I opened my photo studio last spring I selfishly went Mac desktop…great graphics and so much fun to use – love my monitor.
I have a PC. Both my husband and I love the idea of the Mac, but his computer runs Linux, so he has to have a PC, and I chose one too just to make everything easier. Plus, I have to say, the Macs are just a wee bit out of our price range.
I’m rather envious of yours, though. And your awesome service. Beats the heck out of Dell!
Im a MAC user – haven’t been to the Apple store yet becuase I’m worried I will buy a new one 🙂
Glad to hear you have some extra money in your pocket, that’s always a nice treat!
I am a very committed MAC girl. I will never ever buy a PC again. Ever. Seriously.
I’m a MAC girl tied to a PC.. *sigh*
lol
I’m sticking with my PC until I can comfortably afford a MAC but sitting in the media labs at school with all their shiny MACs and using the MAC system at the office of the animators that I work for makes it REALLY difficult not to run out and buy one right away.
So glad they could get you a new battery at no cost!
I think I remember playing on a MAC 18 years ago or so and haven’t touched one since!
Great story (more importantly, a great ending to a great story!)
We use both. My husband is all about the Mac. I’m a PC. But when I get a new computer it’s going to be a Mac. I’m sick of the issues and although they are more expensive they are better in a hundred different ways.
I know this is closed, but I couldn’t help commenting… SINCE WE JUST GOT A BRAND NEW iMac this last Sunday. (sigh) It’s so beautiful.