Apple have killed off their best asset! MAIL-IN service NO LONGER offered!

Question

I am the owner of a 'Friday Afternoon' iBook that has been plagued by failures since the day I bought it in March 2005. It has since had two new logic boards, new RAM, a new hard disc, new internal ribbon cables and a new bezel around the screen. Apple kept me quite happy, each time collecting the iBook and returning it repaired inside three days. I put up with the poor reliability of the iBook as Apple had made it so easy to get it repaired in a hurry. Nonetheless I made clear I wasn't satisfied with the amount of failures the iBook was suffering and was promised that if it suffered another major failure it would be replaced with a comparable new product so that I wouldn't lose faith in Apple's kit.
A couple of days ago the thing started freezing up and giving me garbled graphics again, bit by bit dying until last night only the backlight and the fan remained operational. I was well annoyed but took comfort in the knowledge that this time it would be sorted for good. I called Apple this afternoon and after performing various tests to prove the iBook had totally expired I was told there wasn't a great amount they could do themselves as they could no longer offer mail-in servicing for my product. He could give me the address of the nearest repair centre, one fairly nearby (the other 'recommended' one closer to 60 miles away). As for having the laptop from **** replaced with a functioning one this wasn't an option - it has to suffer MORE THAN THREE total failures before Apple will consider replacing it (making me wonder what the heck I paid £200 for an extended warranty for if it will only be replaced for new when it has died for a FOURTH time!).
Does anyone know any address or other contact details for someone I can reach at Apple (UK) who could sort this out for me? I'm far from a greedy person but I left the Regent Street Apple Store over £1200 lighter and less that two years later the iBook is dead (for a third time), I've got a £200 warranty that no longer provides the backup it used to and frankly if I make the effort to take it myself to have a new logic board installed I'm only going to wind up with a laptop I'm worried is teetering on the edge of death every time I use it.
I've completely lost faith in the iBook and am losing faith in Apple. I'm a massive Mac fan and this is a very sad day for me - I've been let down.
Cheers for listening, any shoulders I can cry on will be much appreciated.
Tom

Answer 1

Hi Tom,
I'm astonished that you have been fobbed off in this fashion. I, like you, had always assumed that Applecare would cover, for the duration, a mail in service. Some here, though I can't for the life of me find a relevant link, have reported having had success by contacting Customer Relations (Care?) by phone rather than dealing with support. As I understand it, you have to phone the support line, then insist, politely but firmly, that you are transferred to CR.
At all times remain polite, if firm, and stick to the facts. (No swearing, however much you might feel like it!)
Stress the inconvenience of:
a) Having to return to Regent Street - twice, once to deliver & again to collect,
b) Being without the iBook that you paid a hefty chunk of £s to own and use.
c) Anything else that you can think of that needs "stressing'…
If all else fails, you might consider contacting Trading Standards to see what advice they can offer, or maybe they can even intercede on your behalf. (Do TS do that?)
Best of luck, and I, at least, am interested!
Take care
Adrian, a virtual 'shoulder'