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More on PowerBook quality control
May 16, 2002
by Stephen Hildreth
Editor-in-Chief
The comments keep rolling in. I really didn't think that this would go so far, and that perhaps only a few people were experiencing minor, annoying problems with their PowerBook G4s. I didn't expect people to send me messages stating that they've gone through 5 PowerBooks is almost as many weeks (see previous news postings 1 and 2). I'm starting to think that I was fortunate to receive my TiBook in perfect form. Here are the latest stories:
I went through a similar story to the first one profiled with respect to Apple’s shoddy service.
My wife’s 550Mhz Titanium Combo unit, five weeks old, had the LCD frame completely SNAP OFF, leaving the LCD only connected to the bottom portion of the unit by wires. When we received the unit the lid or LCD seemed particularly stiff, which we reported to Apple. Five weeks later it broke off one night while lifting the LCD. The LCD continued to work just fine, but it was broken. First the right side snapped just above the hinge bezel UNDERNEATH the LCD frame, then while on the telephone with Apple about the right side, the torque from the snapped hinge on the right caused the left side to snap similarly.
Apple arranged to pick it up. They pick it up. And then they kept it for three weeks. Even though I’d call about the unit every few days, with Apple Customer Relations promising me each time that they’d “get back to me,” they never did. It finally came back after three weeks, as mentioned, but guess what? It came back with the hinges askew (the right side was at an alarming angle), the bottom was scratched, and the battery would not insert properly. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I called Apple Customer Relations and they acted very embarrassed and sent a box to pick it up. I sent it in. I had complained at length about the excessive time that they’d kept the unit and they promised to get it back within 72 hours. Did they? No. When did the unit come back? Two weeks later.
But, wait, there’s more. That particular unit never did come back. What happened to it? No idea.
Because after two weeks of it being gone a second time it had apparently gone missing! Having been moderately polite up until that point in time about this issue, given that we’d now been without the unit for a total of FIVE WEEKS, I became very upset on the telephone. That was on a Monday. On Friday of that week another unit, brand new, appeared for us. The unit we’d sent in was apparently never found.
Yes, this was a nice gesture, supposedly. But, it really didn’t matter to me at that point. I sent a letter to Apple regarding my dissatisfaction with the entire repair process and my satisfactioin with the individual assigned to correcting the situation, because she seemed to be the only person who managed to return a Powerbook G4 Titanium 550Mhz to us, but the truth is that the entire incident was very disturbing.
As if that wasn’t enough, just last week another one of our Powerbook Titanium G4 units was sent in (we have several for a business). It was sent in on Friday and arrived there the following Monday via Airborne. On Tuesday, the day after it arrived, they called us to let us know that they did not have the correct unit and that the unit was being sent back and a new overnight box had been sent for the correct unit to be sent in. We spoke to (in order) at Apple Customer Relations on each successive day: Adam, Patrick, Basil, Arlo, and Shyra. Each one put us on hold and called “Repair Depot” in Texas and supposedly spoke to an individual in charge of shipping by the name of “Mike,” who told each one of them every day that “the unit was being shipped ‘that night.’”
After one week of being told by each one of the above-mentioned individuals on SEVEN successive business days that the unit “was being sent ‘that night,’” we finally called on Tuesday the 14th of May to blister the ear of yet one more Apple Customer Relations representative. The person we spoke to was “Brenna” who, again, called “Repair Depot” in Texas and spoke to – you guessed it - “Mike” and Mike told her that it was being sent – you guessed it - “that night.” Finally, EIGHT business days later, the unit that was never even worked on, was returned.
Is THAT ridiculous, or what?
Albeit, it was our mistake to send in the wrong unit. However, we specifically told each and every Apple Customer Relations representative that we have a FedEx corporate account and would gladly have FedEx swing by and pick it up to overnight it back to us. Nothing doing. Every time they said that “it was being sent overnight and not to do that.” I also volunteered to pay for the Airborne shipping to Texas for the wrong unit, which they also refused.
The problem isn’t just the length of time to return a unit that was never even worked on. The problem is being lied to – or Apple Customer Relations being lied to – by a person or persons at the “Repair Depot” about the status of the unit(s). I think that is where there is a terrific problem with Apple: The repair center is telling Apple Customer Relations (and maybe even the technical services help call-in center) that particular things are happening with our systems – but in fact, the information is erroneous and in some cases, apparently a complete fabrication.
I wanted to share MY experience with you about this issue.
And for those of you interested in seeing pictures of the Powerbook with the LCD completely snapped off, here you go:
http://community.webshots.com/user/mackgammon
Received PB G4-800 on Monday
1. "1" Key is attached, but non-functional
2. No S-Video Cable
3. Had initial problems with Finder crashing when I attempted to "empty the trash". Has subsided, but with no explaination.
4. Machine is leaving burn-marks on my wood desk
Apple promptly agreed to send missing S-Video Cable, but as of today still did not have replacement keyboards available. They have assured me one would be sent when it becomes available.
Just writing in because I haven't noticed anyone online mention my biggest complaint about the Powerbook G4, which is that the wrist rest scratches the screen. Like many others I sent my Rev A PBG4 back for a faulty DVD drive, which was fixed very promptly. However, Apple would not accept responsibility for the scratches that have shown up on my screen. The scratching clearly results from the lack of space between the screen and the keyboard/wrist rest area. I can see scratches on the wrist rest that are the mirror image of the scratches on the screen. Apple now "recommends" placing a cloth between the screen and the keyboard when transporting the laptop but at the same time maintains the contradictory line that the cloth is "not necessary", presumably thereby disavowing any responsibility for this design flaw. Well for those of us who do transport our laptops, a cloth is necessary to prevent scratching of the screen. I just wish Apple had provided a cloth or at the very least suggested a cloth in the documentation before my screen got all scratched up. To my knowledge, they still don't recommend a cloth with the most recent PBG4s until you call them up to complain.
Some PBG4 complaints regarding Quality Control.
Last week I bought a brand new PowerBook G4/800 here in Tokyo from an authorised reseller.
1. No S-Video cable
2. A handful of minor scratches
3. Chip in the paint behind the flip panel near the FireWire
port (the Carbo Fiber).
Called Apple and they insisted to examine it and repair if neccessary. I wasn't happy this. I paid FULL price for a new machine that needs to go for repair?! That means, I'm paying full price for a repaired machine therefore why don't I just buy used?! No way was I gonna do that so I returned it the next day to the shop. The staff refused to replace it stating that once Apple products are sold, its between Apple and the buyer. Gave them grief and asked for refund instead.
Took my refunded cash to another reseller and bought another. Guess what? There was a chip in exactly the same place. I thought it must have been a manufacturing problem since this 2nd machine too had the chip. It seems the flip panel was catching the paint before it dried (paint was on the panel).
Booted up and found a dead pixel. Since you cannot return an LCD with less than 10 dead pixels, I knew I had to accept it. Then I realised something else: bubbling (paint) on the hinge. I swiped my thumb across it and the paint peeled!!!! I couldn't accept this and returned it the next day. Luckily, the staff was a trainee and maybe didn't know the policy (?), he exchanged it for me and even let me boot it to check for dead pixels. The case had very minor scratches which I'm sure only I would notice (fussy guy) and since the machine is painted on, I guess you can't avoid it.
So......., I'm happy BUT realised one more thing: when closing the lid, an inch or so before it completely shuts I can hear a slight crunching noise! I hope the lid doesn't snap off like the others. |
