Very disappointing service!
I am (un)fortunately a heavy Apple product user, having iPad, iPhone and MacBook Pro running as my work tools. I am a young architect from Vienna currently based in Barcelona and I am experiencing something very disappointing at the Apple Store Passeig de Gracia:
I work on a Mid 2012 MacBook Pro Retina. The mainboard has been changed twice, the screen once, battery+Trackpad+Keyboard also once. Since the last service in Austria three months ago the USB port wouldnt work and it was registered in the internal Apple system. Anyway, I thought I can work without but then also my graphic card had problems again, glitching hard and making it unbearable to work in CAD or Video editing software. But wait, I paid 2300 Euros for the machine + 300 for Apple Care and even though they try to fix it it wont work, seemingly getting worse after any procedure? Ok, I thought, lets give it another try and go to the Apple Store, our holy church of tech fetishism appearing as a light-up Abercr*mbie store.
Apart from the fact that you have to make an appointment that can take up to two weeks (!) I was lucky to have one some days after. Some days though is painful for somebody working and at the same time taking a class at MIT remotely. I went there, the Laptop was checked, everything seemed obvious. I left again and waited for the parts to be delivered so I can at least work on graphically not intensive stuff. Anyway, I got an email that the new logic board and USB IO port has arrived and handed my Laptop in last week wednesday. I was assured that it will take "1-2" workingdays and I said ok, I'll be back on Monday morning. Gracias!
But of course not! I flew back from
Vienna yesterday and went upstairs today early morning to see the ""Genius Bar"" and asked for my Laptop back since it should be ready since Friday. They didnt understand what I meant and asked me where my MacBook was because the parts are there to be exchanged. (Wat?) I showed the paper explaining that they have the Laptop since 5 days. The Genius guy told me they forgot about it but "they will check today, maybe later but there is no technician here at the moment". Apart from flying to Barcelona, I lost another half day of course work and freelance time, waiting for the unknown. Today at 14:40 I was called that my machine is ready and it just needed some updates and I have to be fast at the shop because they are closing from 15:00 to 17:00 - aha! Also at 14:53 I received an email that the machine is there. I ran into the shop at 14:55 and was not allowed to take my machine but I should try at 17:00.
I complained and talked to some managers, all just referencing to the once I have been already. After some discussions I got the machine back and guess what - the logic board was NOT changed, the USB port still does NOT work!
Summary:
Apple has the machine since 5 days, no work has been done. I lose another day of my workload at MIT and I dont know when I get my machine back. One thing I know is that I will not go to an Apple Store in Spain again and my flirty thoughts of getting a Mac Pro just vanished.
I miss you already, Apple.
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