My Saturday Adventure at the Apple Store

At the beginning of last November, I purchased a new 13-inch MacBook Pro to replace my aged 2007 MacBook. I had decided to hold off on purchasing AppleCare, saved up, and this week figured that since I was going to be in the Mall where the Apple Store is located on Saturday, thought it would be the right time to make the purchase before the year was up. I wanted to purchase AppleCare with cash rather than a credit card, so when the store opened at 10 am, I was there. As I walked in with everyone else, staff members were at the entrance asking everyone what they were there for. When the guy at the door asked me, I told him I was there to purchase AppleCare for my MacBook Pro. He asked me when had I purchased it and I told him last November, November 4th, to be exact. The guy looks at me and says…

“I’m sorry but you won’t be able to purchase AppleCare.” I looked at him and asked “Why not?” His response… “It’s been more than 90 days since you purchased the MacBook and Apple changed their policy two months ago so you can’t buy AppleCare once 90 days have passed.”

Not believing what I was hearing, I asked him when did this secret policy go into effect and why hasn’t Apple posted this to their customers? I also advised him that when I made the purchase I had talked with the sales person and advised that I knew that I could get AppleCare before the year was up and how could Apple change their policy without grandfathering those who made a purchase under a different set of rules? His response, “Sorry, we just follow the policy that Apple gives us…” So I asked if I could please speak with the manager, at which time he says… “I am the manager.”

By this point I am thoroughly ticked off but I’m not getting mad at this guy and I asked if there is anyone else I could speak with. He gives me his business card and says that the best thing would be to go to the Apple website and submit a complaint and that someone would get back to me. So I walk out and go to my vehicle in the parking lot and start to leave but I decided no way was it going to end like this. So I pull into a parking space, grab my iPhone, go to the Apple App and click on contact Apple. It asks if I want to call and I say yes. Of course when the phone is answered it’s by a computer that doesn’t want to let me go any further without talking to it. Sorry, not in the mood! So it becomes Human, Human, Human… finally the computer relents and passes me to a human. A young lady comes on and asks me what problem do I have that she can help me with… and I tell her my sad story…

She advises me that since 90 days had passed, I would not be able to get AppleCare. I advised her of when I purchased the MacBook and she asked for the serial number. Thankfully I had saved that info to my iPhone before I left the house so I’m able to give her the serial number. She places me on hold, comes back on and says you are still covered and have until November to purchase AppleCare, so please go online and do so. I advise her that I’m here at the store, I want to pay in cash and that I’m not going to order online as I want to get this straightened out now before I leave. She asks me to hold on and comes back and says that she is transferring me up the ladder and would I hold on… Sure, not a problem. A minute later another woman comes on, we chat for a minute or two and I explain what had transpired. I explain that I’ve used Macs for 20 plus years, that I write about Macs and Mac products and I wanted to find out what had changed so I could post the information online as soon as I got home for our readers…  She asks me to hold on for a minute, comes back on and says that she is going to contact the policy section of Apple to see what had changed policy-wise regarding AppleCare, is that ok? Sure, again it’s not problem. She comes back on and says I’m transferring you up the ladder and another staff member comes on and says that there is no change, I can get AppleCare and would I be willing to drive to the Pentagon or DC to another Apple store to purchase it there…

Sorry, but no. I’m still here at the Apple store close to where I live and I’m not about to drive 50 miles. She says that she understands and that she would contact the store and see what’s going on… I provide her with the name of the Manager that I spoke with and his phone number. She says she will call me back in a couple of minutes and I told her that I would be outside the store waiting to hear back from her. I walk back into the mall and I’m outside the store when I see the Manager answer a call on his phone. He then proceeds to walk into the back office area. One minute later the woman I had been talking with calls me back and says “The manager will be coming out of the office area to find you and he will sell you the AppleCare you wanted.” I thank her profusely for her assistance and I see the manager come out of the back office. He sees me, walks up and apologizes… with the changes to Apple’s policy on iPhones and iPads that you must get AppleCare within 90 days, they thought it applied to everything Apple…

I thanked him and I purchased AppleCare using my discount…

I’m just wondering how many other folks came to the store to get AppleCare and were turned away because the staff misread Apple’s policy on AppleCare? The other side of this is not to give up, question what you’re told and follow up. The best part of all of this is that Apple did correct the problem quickly and to the customer’s satisfaction.

The only way to start a weekend…