Apple Store Issues!!! Please help

Question

Hi Guys,
I know most people come here when they have issues with one thing or another, and I am seeking your advice. On the 18th of May I picked up a new 2.0Ghz MBP from the Apple Store. That model had a very dark screen and of course the notorious "whine" along with an uneven clamshell so they decided to swap it out and gave me a new one. The new one had a dark region on the screen along with the "whine" so I took it back and told them I am not happy with this one either, they told me it's within spec and if I wanted to get a new one I would have to pay $200 and they would not replace it because all machines that they sell have the whine and I should get a pair of headphones for use in quiet areas if I can't get used to it, but most of their customers have made the adjustment to the whine and i should too, "It's a powerful mahcine, it will make some noise, can't have everything". I was not very happy about that seeying how it was clearly a deffect and not my fault and I was sure as **** not going to buy headphones. I talked to a manager and they gave me a new one withot the fee, an older build Week 16 and they said that if this one is not up to par for me, but it's within spec by them, tough luck I am stuck with it and they made a note saying that I've already gotten too many replacements and this one was not refundable and not exchangable. I was not very happy with that but I agreed hoping that it was going to be better, third time is the charm. I got it home and the machine has a dent where the release button for the LCD latch is, and the screen is once again warped and it "whines" 10X worse then the previous models, and the case is making noise when I rest my palm on it, like something is loose. Now I do not know what to do I don't want to pay 200 for something that is not my fault. Please let me know if you have any suggestions on how to get my money back or a new machine. They treated me like c r a p and made me feel like they were doing me a favor and the whole time they told me that this is normal for the machines they build and if I am unhappy I need to pay the 200 restoking fee and they will refund the rest, but this is what makes me upset, I keep getting these machines with obvious deffects and somehow it's my fault that they are there and I have to pay for the mistakes of the factory. I've been an Apple user for well over 15 years and I've had lots of machines and I am very very upset that they would treat their customers, the people who go and spend money on a premium product in such a fashion.
Thank You
Felix

Answer 1

Oh man I definitely know where you're coming from! If I've said it once, I've said it 1,000 times: I HATE the AppleStores and the people that work in them! I believe that the real problem is that the AppleStore *computer techs* are called "Genius"es and that goes straight to their heads!
So here's what I would do:
First of all, if the machine is not up to par by your standards (and for over 2 grand, it better be!), most certainly go back and demand an exchange or refund. Remind them that Apple has a "Customer Perception" policy (which a Product Specialist informed me of). The policy apparently states that if the customer perceives any imperfections (such as heat or noise), then the problem exists and must be acknowledged by Apple. If they don't know what you're talking about, tell them that a Product Specialist named Adam informed you of such a policy (that's who told me). Remind them too that there are laws that product you from purchasing a product that is defective and that to you, these computers seem to have some serious flaws.
But if that doesn't work, and you can be without your machine for a few days, I highly recommend the 800 AppleCare number. The people that work there have been a pleasure to deal with and the turnaround for my machine has always been reasonable (~ 5 days). After calling in and explaining your issues, they will probably transfer you to a Product Specialist who will then arrange for a repair to be setup. Apple pays for shipping, and it's fast shipping too! And most certainly feel free to share your AppleStore experience with these guys; my Product Specialist actually took notes and forwarded my comments to my store's manager, in regards to the tech that was so nasty towards me. And what's even better is that if you have to continue to send your machine back to them for repair, they will send you a replacement machine after the 3rd repair.
So don't lose hope and certainly don't let anyone tell you that "the machine is within spec" or that you should buy headphones if working in a quiet environment. I would've told him to shove it and left. And most certainly don't settle for paying a restocking fee!! What kind of crap is that?! They want YOU to pay a restocking fee for returning a defective computer?? Gahhhh....
Yeah, I hate the Apple Stores.