Kernel crashes & declining Apple service quality...?

Question

I'm getting a little tired of my PBook falling apart little-by-little as each day passes by couple with declining Apple service quality.
I've been experiencing kernel crashes lately, where my mighty mouse will all of a sudden stop working, my entire comp will freeze up (approx 5min later) and then I'll get this grey and white message over inprinted on my screen asking me to "reboot" because "we're hanging here"... However, it doesn't happen all the time. Usually when I'm using a cpu or RAM intensive application (even apple proprietary apps).
As I mentioned above, I'm getting tired of all this happening because just two months earlier my computer would automatically go to sleep mode (even if I was in the middle of typing an email). The Apple Service guys chalked that one up to a poor cooling fan, replaced it, and unfortunately, my entire harddrive crashed as a result (all data was not recoverable).
I subsequently purchased an external harddrive because of my fleeting impression of Apple product and service quality.
Tomorrow I will take my PBook tomorrow to an Authorized Apple Service Provider (i.e. "MY MAC DEALER"). However, I know that they'll run the exact same hardware tests (i.e. TechTool and memtest, etc.) that I've already run, find nothing, and say that I owe them for service costs (because they found nothing). Then, I'll have to wait to catch another kernel crash, run down there and have them take me seriously. I'm getting a little fed up with all of this.
Additionally, when they replaced the fan on the original issue I was having, they put my PBook back together incorrectly so that it doesn't lie completely flat as it used to... I mean, it wobbles because one side it lower/higher than other sides (on the bottom). It's lop-sided. What kind of service quality is this?
I'm really hoping that someone at that massive corporation reads this email, takes ownership of the issue, contacts me, and re-affirms my reasoning for switching to apple from a pc. Because right now, I'm not seeing the extra dollars I've shelled out for an apple in service or product quality.
Other details: 3 year AppleCare still in effect.

Answer 1

I agree - you need to call Apple directly if the repair shop is not authorized by Apple. I had a similar situation with an authorized dealer. After receiving the PB back from a repair the computer wouldn't lie flat on a table. I began to look further and noticed that it had been dropped. The weight of the PB falling - even a short distance - can cause it to become bowl-shaped. It was acting erratic, some ports didn't work, etc., so I contacted the shop and they took responsibility and replaced the case, motherboard, several components, and I have had no problems since. Sometimes technicians have accidents like everyone else, but the shop should take responsibility.