Mean Apple- And I Don't Mean The Fruit.

[Suzy]

Let me set the scene...

Ring ring.

Moi: Hi, am having trouble getting my new lappy to recognise my i-pod, would you help me please.

Apple: Sure not a problem, though just be warned that once it's out of warranty we charge you $38 for phone support. This time we will make an exception as it's your first time and you didn't know.

Moi: But, but it's not broken, I just need help with the settings.

Apple: Doesn't matter.

Problem sorted out with one click of a button in settings in it-tunes.

I then thanked him mercifully for helping me for free.

Honestly, what's this world coming to.

Is this normal practice these days?

Bad enough that their stuff is expensive and anything Mac gets locked into their own cyber world way of running things and complicating things.

So just be warned everyone who has Apple products.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Try ringing Microsoft. You have to pull your credit card out first before you get any assistance.

This is common practise amongst all hardware/software companies.

H

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

That's what forums like this are for.

Do you really think they know more than us? they just have access to a whole lot more information in one place than we do, that's all. We can collective come up with the same answers they do.

[Hagar (Doug)]

Hi Suzy, Don't think for a minute Microsoft are any different. I have a copy of Microsoft W7 Ultimate anytime Upgrade which has been reinstalled on this and my last laptop 5 times in total.
I have just rebuilt this computer due to a software fault and when I ran the upgrade it wouldn't activate. A call to Microsoft informed me they had blocked the serial no because it had been activated 5 times. I have the option of sending a copy of the proof of purchase certificate or buying a new copy. Needless to say Consumer affairs have been contacted.

No wonder apple sales are improving.

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

Just want to let you know Suzy....

My reading support rates (to read this post) are $45 per 15 words....

I will let you off as this is your first time, but I do take mastercard, visa and american express or hugs for next time....

Cheers

Chris

[troypiggo (Troy)]

I don't get it. My father has got a new MacBook Pro and iPhone. He is constantly on the phone with them and going into the Apple stores to get free classes/lessons from them on how to do different things. I got the impression they were immensely helpful. And patient - you have to meet my Dad and start talking to him about computer issues and you'll understand...

[Suzy]

You're right Trevor, next time I will ask the help of others on here.

Chris, funny guy you! I prefer payment in hugs thanx- it's win win.
You are very very tall man, so I will need some sort of crate or something.

Troy, yep, under warranty they bend over backwards to help you.

Doug, that's a horror story! I hope you get it sorted out soon!

H, thanks I didn't realise that. I'll do what Trevor said next time and ask my question on here (if I'm having a lot of trouble that is and can't work it out for myself).

[Jeffkop (Jeff)]

You obviously didnt spend enough money Suzy .. THATS normally the problem in these sorts of situations ... ya just didnt spend enuff bux baby !!! .. Ya know ... ya COULD have bought an apple mac AND an I-Pod .. AND phoned them up on an I-phone .. they could tell you didnt have an I-phone as well !!!

Shaysus ... Im wit you ... I absolutely dont know what the world is coming to .. but my best intuition isnt painting a great picture.

Trevors comment is really worth remembering ... I know from posts been made prior in different threads .. there are some apple savy people on this forum ... as well as XYZ savy ones.

I know I come across quite cynical on many topics I reply to here, a lot of times its because I am, but I'm certainly happy and grateful that Im this side of the top soil believe me.

Really though, if ANY of my customers rang me and wanted to know something about something I sold them I know without a shadow of a doubt what I would be called and whose picture would forever after adorn the smoko room dart board if I was to say ... "Hmmmmm ... lemmie think about this ... Yeah ... I can help you no problems ... but i needs to hear a coin drop in the slot first" !!!!

Alls well that ends well though eh !!!!

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

Originally Posted by Octane

Try ringing Microsoft. You have to pull your credit card out first before you get any assistance.

This is common practise amongst all hardware/software companies.

H

Haitch,

Have you been beastly to them?
M'soft has never charged me for any advice or work (shrug).
Apple on the other hand........

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

It is like I said earlier, if you ring MS support, outside of obvious problems, everything they tell you comes straight from their Technet library, which is available on the internet.

Even myself, as working for an prominent US software company when being asked questions from customers, always "Google" what i dont know.

[avandonk]

I should charge for this but I wont. The secret is in the pic below!

Bert

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

Originally Posted by avandonk

I should charge for this but I wont. The secret is in the pic below!

Bert

[Ric]

So true Bert, so true.

As if these big corporations don't get enough money out of us in the first place.

[Suzy]

Originally Posted by Jeffkop

Really though, if ANY of my customers rang me and wanted to know something about something I sold them I know without a shadow of a doubt what I would be called and whose picture would forever after adorn the smoko room dart board if I was to say ... "Hmmmmm ... lemmie think about this ... Yeah ... I can help you no problems ... but i needs to hear a coin drop in the slot first" !!!!

Well said Jeff.
I'm not very computer savvy but I did manage to load everything up etc- where I finally ended up I really thought everything was set to go. So was very confused. And even my daughter didn't know the answer. So I did leave it as a last resort before ringing them.

Next time I will try googling as Trevor suggested before asking for help on here. I just didn't think to do it, so I no better next time.

Originally Posted by avandonk

I should charge for this but I wont. The secret is in the pic below!

Bert

Classic Bert!

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, input and comical relief.

[Kal (Andrew)]

This was normal practice even 10 years ago when I did tech phone support. I would handle all pc hardware failures under warranty, but the standard line if it was a software issue was "it is not covered by warranty, but if you like I could pass you through to software support. It WILL cost you $80 plus an hourly rate though". Not many people took up the offer.

[Fox]

Originally Posted by troypiggo

I don't get it. My father has got a new MacBook Pro and iPhone. He is constantly on the phone with them and going into the Apple stores to get free classes/lessons from them on how to do different things. I got the impression they were immensely helpful. And patient - you have to meet my Dad and start talking to him about computer issues and you'll understand...

Agree, although I admit I'm an Apple fanboy since the original 1984 Macintosh. Apple offer great support for those willing to take out Apple care, and their Genius bar is another option if you can afford to wait and make an appt. But for something like Suzy's problem, I believe the fix would have easily been found just by Googling the question, or posting on the Apple support forums, or even just asking us around here. Fox