Contact RE Apple lack of support?

[Joseph Fisher]

Monday my TiBook enters weeks three of what should have been a simple swap
of a logic board. For one week, as of tomorrow, the word on Apple Care site
has been "on hold awaiting parts".

Excuse me, isn't this Apple? Don't they make the parts? Isn't the 15" still
in production? How can it be waiting on parts for a week? I expect that line
from Mazda when my 1992 Mazda needs a part but not from Apple when it's a
TiBook that's less than 8 months old and has been shipped to the PowerBook
special ultra top secret repair facility.

I have read on list and from some of you e-mailing me off list that many of
you have not gotten stellar results from Apple regarding issues with their
equipment esp. TiBook repairs.

Mostly the gripe is with customer support. I know I could take this
frustration better if someone were contacting me with some word of
explanation instead of a sterile curt statement on a site that I have to log
on and even had to call Apple to get the repair number to find out the
status. I could take this better if there were some sense of apology or
inconvenience but in reality nobody really cares at Apple its a problem and
a nuisance and well we're off on the new adventures anyhow new toys we can
unveil at the next Apple show and "oh one more thing". . .

This is not the Apple that I grew to love and respect. Who can we contact
(that would listen or care) to let them know we are frustrated and not just
a few isolated cases but a solid group of unhappy campers (most of us long
time Mac users) out here? Or do we just roll over in apathy and take it?

One list member and long time Mac user informed me that he even attempted
contact with Jean Toulouse, head of Apple Customer satisfaction, regarding
his frustration at multiple TiBook repairs and never got a response.

I don't really think that Steve at Apple.com is going to get very far, it's
probably just a PR e-mail connected directly to Trash on the dock. I tried
e-mail to the store manager at internationalplaza at apple.com, my local Apple
store in Tampa Florida, but got no response.

There's got to be a way that those of us who are upset with Apple's
legendary customer support (or lack thereof) can make a difference. The
question is how? Suggestions are welcomed.

I hate to think that class action suits are the only way corporations take
customers seriously anymore.