iMac Returns
So…my iMac is back. With a beat-up bezel and a broken microphone and an operating system 3 versions behind the one it went in with. So here’s my entry.
The two photos in the middle are of the paperwork that came back with the iMac, from the first and second time, respectively. The first time it came back, it came back with OS X 10.4.10 on it. Some people might remember the insanity that upgrading caused a while back. Well, I got to do it all again. Why? This time it came back with 10.4.7. The very first thing I had to do was download a few hundred megabytes worth of updates. Works. Out of the box. After you fix it after it’s been repaired. So, actually, not out of the box. Eh, Apple? You’ll also notice the awful plastic bezel replacement that they decided I needed. I can only assume that the other one got damaged when the delivery guy took it WITHOUT A BOX and put it in the back of a truck despite my protests. Made me nervous, so I’ve got it on film if Apple requires proof. My biggest question, though, is if you didn’t replace my hard drive – which it appears they didn’t – they replaced a CABLE, why did it take THREE WEEKS? And why didn’t you contact me the whole time? I’m really let down. I expected better service after paying top dollar for a computer followed by top dollar for 3 years of Applecare.
For an example of a movie made with the iSight camera and the internal microphone on my iMac before it left, check my entry called Money Where My Mouth Is. You can hear me, no problem. Now, compare that with the short video I’ve got below. It sounds as though they’ve mic’d the inside of my computer, so that you hear mechanical workings and serious feedback the entire time. Useable? No. People tear their headphones off when I attempt to speak with them.
Lastly, since I will be pointing the Apple technicians to this post when I call the support line, here’s a list of the journey so far:
July 25th, 2007
July 26th, 2007
August 12th, 2007
September 5th, 2007
September 12th, 2007
2nd half of September 21st, 2007
And, of course, today. That’s all for now. I’m going to call and find out if it’s worth it to send it back in again. Here goes nothing.
EDIT: Just spoke to a very kind Apple tech support employee who is going to make some calls and get back to me. The front bezel was apparently damaged by the Fukuyama shipping company (like I supposed), and it took 3 weeks to confirm the situation with the company. They had to know it was covered under the Applecare terms and conditions. That makes sense – still, I would have appreciated a heads-up. (And I would have appreciated it if they’d used a different shipping company when they sent my iMac back, for heavens sake.)
EDIT 2: My iMac will be picked up on Thursday – October 4th. I will be without a computer for a further 2 weeks, but the computer is being replaced. Thanks very much to my Apple tech support guy, Mr. H. I was very impressed with your thorough, careful, patient, and kind approach to the matter. I really appreciate you taking the time to make this right. (And thank you to Mr. H’s boss, too. You helped start to fix a bad situation.) We’ll see how this goes. Until then, I’m going to try and make a ton of stuff to upload over the absence. Dunno how far I’ll get. I’ve only got 2 afternoons. Here goes nothing.
EDIT 3: If anyone else is looking for the contact information, here it is.
Apple Japan English STORE Line: 0077-78673-6
(webpage that gives this number)
Apple Japan English TECH SUPPORT Line: 0120-27753-5 (Extension 4)
