[Ti] I won't sign the petition [was: Canadians need not apply!]

[Tarik Bilgin]

On Thursday, May 1, 2003, at 03:43  pm, Eduard Hoenkamp wrote:

> I am unhappy with the petition page mentioned in this digest 
> http://www.petitiononline.com/AppleInt/petition.html which notes: "the 
> ability to buy music from countries other than the U.S. is not 
> available". Yet, iTunes tells me: "you won't be able to purchase music 
> unless your billing[!] address is in the United States". Even if in 
> practice this may amount to the same for many people, the petition 
> seems to express that Apple acts in bad faith. I am not 'dismayed' as 
> the petition declares

I am very dismayed.

we sit here and watch as Apple does as it sees fit and fails to provide 
the level of service and support that customers receive and expect in 
the home market.

We don't see this kind of duality from Microsoft/Intel.

We have seen for a long time how much (is little) Jobs thinks about his 
European market ( I can't speak for other areas) throughout the years, 
with a number of unnecessary lead times, and lack of availability 
(<cough> 17 inch Powerbooks). In recent months the increased 
advertising and marketing budget Apple committed to Europe has 
massively raised awareness (and hopefully revenue), but as usual people 
order a (not new) product (flatscreen iMac) and are kept waiting for 
weeks/months for delivery.

The only advantage I have seen to being a European Apple buyer is that 
the European law outlawed Apple's attempt to offer a 3 month (how can 
anyone take that seriously) warranty on a 500 dollar product (iPod). So 
we now get full 1 year warranties with our iPods.


What's interesting is that things seem to have got worse after Jobs 
came back to Apple from a UK perspective at least. I can't give you any 
facts and figures, but essentially jobs recentralised the distribution 
chain to Apple, leaving the independent resellers weak.

Since Apple centres have essentially "rude" and "arrogant" customer 
service values in the UK, this left us in a tough situation. They are 
not like the all shiny SoHo shop in NYC. Think different, think more 
like a dusty red-tape laden waste of city centre shop rental.

I would never buy a Powerbook from Apple stores. If there was something 
wrong with it they would try to bully me into accepting that it was my 
fault and tell me that I need to wait 5 weeks for the thing to be 
replaced.4

I'm sorry for the rant but i feel strongly about this. Yes I love the 
computers and software that Apple produce, but I don't much  like their 
bullying customer service attitude.


all my best,

Tarik