[Ti] Apple Store Service blows

[Kynan Shook]

I work for an Apple Authorized Service Provider (we also have a sales 
department), and I can tell you that we can't give a brand new power 
adapter in exchange for a broken one under warranty either we have to 
use a service part from Apple; for one thing, the new power adapter 
comes with additional materials (like the plug and extension cord) that 
the service part does not.  Also, the new power adapter comes with a 
1-year warranty, while the service part only has a 90-day warranty.  
Additionally, the retail product is brand new; theoretically, the 
service part could be refurbished, though I'm not sure that Apple 
refurbishes power adapters at all.  So, even if we were to give a 
customer a new power brick and keep all the other extra stuff, we could 
not then exchange your power adapter with Apple for a service part, put 
that brick in the new power adapter packaging, and sell it as new: it 
could be a refurbished part, and must be sold as such.

However, I can tell you that we would do a little extra; we often loan 
out a power adapter owned by the shop for the customer to use until 
their new power adapter arrives (usually about 2 days).  We also 
sometimes just charge a customer's battery for them.  But our shop has 
a very limited customer base; we only sell our products and services to 
the 60,000 faculty, staff, and students of a university.  Because of 
this, we know many of our customers very well (specifically the ones 
that run computer labs or do tech support for their departments), and 
we know exactly where to find somebody from our database in case they 
take off with our shop power adapter and don't bring it back.  ;-)  
Plus we can put a hold on student records so students can't get their 
grades or register for classes if they don't pay us or something...  
<evil grin>

Seriously though, the easiest way to get a new power adapter would 
probably be to call AppleCare and ask for one; they'll probably 
troubleshoot it briefly, and then they'd most likely overnight a new 
one to you.

Robert Nicholson <robert at elastica.com>
> I had a friend recently have a power supply go bad on him and Apple
> agreed to replace it under warranty. My friend drove all the way out to
> this Applestore and they told him that they didn't have that part in
> "service inventory." But they had the same part as retail inventory in
> stock. No amount of pleading with them would have them allow him to
> take that item. He was forced to drive to yet another Applestore some
> 30 minutes away where they reluctantly replaced his part because he
> forgot to bring his receipt even though the part was clearly released
> to the market less than 12 months ago. ie. new power supply.
>


Kynan Shook
Apple Campus Representative, Madison
kynan at mac.com