Yeah here in the states we don't get house calls. We are expected to deliver our broken Macs on our own, unless we want to spend the extra time packing it up and sending it to Apple.

I don't know, I think this guy just whined enough and got special treatment. So I guess that teaches the rest of us to whine and cry and maybe we'll get special treatment too.

If you have an AppleCare protection plan in Europe, you always get your desktop machine picked up from whatever address you want (called onsite).

If you have an AppleCare protection plan in Europe, you always get your desktop machine picked up from whatever address you want (called onsite).

Ditto here in Canada.. In fact, in my city they don't pick it up to repair it, they bring the part and fix it on the spot.. Personal service for AppleCare users has never been anything new around here.

I am the guy who is at the centre of the story and I would like to respond to some of the comments made here in the forum regarding my ongoing issue with Apple.

First I would like to explain why I decided to take the unusual step of announcing a 'Walk of Shame'. After weeks of being told my computer was having new replacement parts fitted I decided enough was enough. It was clear to me that Apple would continue replacing parts for as long as possible. In the meantime I had work backing up and lost one job because the client could not wait any longer.

Now I have read some comments on here suggesting that I should have asked for a box to be sent out for me to pack up the computer and send it back to Apple for repair at the very start of this issue. Comments were made regarding the notion of bringing the computer to back to Apple in Cork instead of a local Apple Store. Some even commented that they had repairs carried out in a matter of days, including pick up and delivery.

Well for those of you too stupid to think outside your own experience I would like to set you straight on a few things. Regarding my experience with Apple... and I would add that I am one of a growing number of people with this experience of Apple in recent years.

I have been an Apple customer since I first started using the Classic back in 1989. I have never bought any other computer but an Apple. I have introduced many new people to Apple over the years and they have continued to upgrade their computers with Apple. In addition to buying Apple computers I also buy a lost of other apple products and accessories.

The computer I am currently having the problems with was bought over the internet from the online Apple store here in Ireland, not an Apple Store. We don't have an Apple Store here in Ireland, even though the majority of Apple computers for the European market are assembled here. As I has specific requirements I had it built to spec. I did not mind waiting the extra days for this to be done before it was delivered, the delay was understandable given what I required.

In early July last I noticed a problem... the computer was starting to run a bit slow and it crashed for no reason. I decided to back up what work I had on the hard drive and and stored it on an external drive.

I noticed that the body of the computer would become very hot. But as the fan did not seem to be working overtime and there was no smell I thought it was just part of the normal working of the computer. The computer began to crash on a regular basis. I was worried that perhaps I had mistakenly downloaded a file with some kind of bug in it. So I decided to reinstall the OSX from the disks which came with the computer. However, the computer still crashed. I used the Apple Hardware Test disk and nothing showed up as a problem. I then consulted the Apple website and found a possible 'cure' for the problem. This involved rest

I then did a search on the net for known problems with the iMac G5 and found a number of websites where people had detailed their experiences with the same problem. One even mentioned that upon contacting Apple (USA) they sent him a new logic board which he replaced and then returned the old one.

I decided at this point the best bet for me was to contact Apple. I checked the Apple website for Ireland and rang the number shown. I did this on or around the 12th July. My call was answered by a gentleman in a call centre in India. I explained my problem and he listened. When I finished giving him the details he asked if I had the Apple Extended Warranty. I said no as the computer was less than 10 months old. He then started to tell me of the benefits of the Apple Extended Warranty and how much it cost and the period of time it would cover. Again I explained that in this instance I was covered by the one year Apple Warranty. Again he started to explain the benefits of the Apple Extended Warranty, the cost of the package and the period of time it covered.

I tried to get him to understand that I was not interested in the Apple Extended Warranty and all I wanted was help in getting my computer fixed. At this point he said that he was not able to help me and he ended the call. On the 14th July the computer crashed and would not restart at all. I consulted the Apple website again and rang the number a second time. This time I got to speak to a gentleman in a UK call centre who advised me to bring my computer to one of the Authorised Service Agents in my local area, details of which he gave me. On the 14th of August I brought my computer to the local Authorised Service Agent. I wrote down in detail what happened with the computer and what I had done to try fix the problem.

The following is a verbatim copy of the service history the Authorised Service Agents gave me when I picked up my computer on the 14th August: (Where names are mentioned I have submitted initials).

14th July 2006 Computer delivered to IMS Reference 10414

17th July 2006 Order logic board 17-07-06 KH-17-07

19th July 2006 Ordered power supply KH-19-07 [Apple lost the order and finally delivered part on 26th July]

27th July 2006 Replaced power supply - checked computer not turning on with power button. Need to order - requesting warranty by Apple - 27-07

9th August 2006 Computer turns on from manuasl switch inside computer - checked Apple take-aparts recommending replaceing back casing - replaced back casing - now requires another logic board - 09/08/06

10th August 2006 Logic board fitted on 10/08 Still faulty.

14th August 2006 Karl is taking to Apple today

14th August 2006 Getting replacement computer job complete 14/08/06 ref: 'F' [name withheld] in Cork.

Needless to say at each stage of development I was ringing the service agent to find o

Since I first contacted Apple on the 14th July last I have spoken to 17 different people I think. Worth mentioning that after the call to Apple on the 14th July I was not given an Apple Case Number. This caused problems later when I tried to track down what was happening with the repairs. Eventually a man in the English call centre gave me a case number (655662* [last digit withheld]).

OK back to dealing with Apple... on the 14th August I contacted Apple to ask why they wanted to fit a third logic board when it was obvious that several different parts had be replaced and still the computer would not work. The guy in the call centre could not answer my question, I asked to speak to a supervisor or manager to resolve the matter. He put me on hold and made some calls. Eventually he returned and told me that he was putting me on to a Customer Care Representative back at Apple in Cork. When she came on the line I explained the issue and stated that I was unhappy with the situation. I told her that I had given Apple every opportunity to resolve the problem and they had failed to do so.

She explained that she needed to verify the details and talk to the service agent back in Dublin. We ended out conversation with her saying she would ring me back. At about 7.30pm I got a phone call from her saying that Apple would replace the computer. She then explained that as my iMac G5 was no longer in production she would have to arrange for one of the newer Intel ones. We discussed if there were any problems using third party professional applications as friends of mine had experienced some when they first bought the new Intel iMacs. She said there were none. Then she explained that Apple would not release the replacement computer until the old one was picked up and returned to Apple. I asked how long this would take, she said she was putting the pickup request in as we spoke.

The following Monday I stayed in expecting the old computer to be pickup, same again on Tuesday. By mid-afternoon Wednesday there was still no sign of the pickup so I rang Apple again. After talking to someone in the English call centre, who was not able to find the case history using the Apple Case Number, I was eventually put back to another Apple Customer Care Representative in Cork. After explaining that I had waited in for the last three days for the pickup he explained that it can take two days to process the request and then it was up to the collection company to organise it from there. He said he would check into it and ring me back.

The following day he rang and said the request seemed to have gotten lost in the system. He was canceling the original pickup request and sending out a new one. On Friday the 18th August I got a phone call from the same Customer Care Representative telling me he had processed the pickup request and gave me a reference number for tracking the pickup with the collection company. They would be able to tell me

While waiting for the call back I decided to draft a press release and organise my phone numbers for faxing it out later in the day. I put an embargo on the press release for 4pm that same day (an embargo means it can't be used as news until that day and time). I rang Apple again to get the name of the CEO and a fax number to send the press release. At about 2pm I got a call from another Apple representative to say that she had read the details of the case history passed to he by the Human Resources Manager and was happy to make a request to Apple HQ in California asking that they allow for the release of the replacement computer while arrangements were being made for the collection of the old one. I then explained that I had drafted the press release and and sent a copy to the CEO in Cork. I also gave her details of the various media outlets here in Ireland I had sent the fax to announcing the plan to shame Apple. She was shocked. She asked if I still planned to go ahead with the plan even after she had sent the request for the replacement. I said that as all it was was a request and not a confirmed replacement I was going to go ahead with it. She seemed unsure what to say at this point. I said that at this stage I had no faith in Apple to deliver on it's promises to resolve the matter and we ended the call.

I processed to send faxes to all the media outlets I could find in Ireland, then started on the computer magazines in the UK. I got hold of the name of the PR company in the UK for Apple, I searched out Apple related sites (like macnn.com), and sent the press release. I even went to the Apple website and found a load of contacts for Apple managers in the Apple HQ back in California and sent them the Press Release.

At 4pm I received a phone call from a woman who introduced her self as ML (full name withheld), the Corporate Affairs Manager in Apple Cork. After introducing herself she made a fulsome apology on behalf of Apple for the way in which my situation was handled. She explained that she had read the case history and was now dealing with the matter directly, she explained she was going to make a complete review of the case with everyone involved along the way. But that her immediate concern was finding a resolution to the matter. She said that she had contacted two Apple Agents in Dublin who had similar computers to my old one, the only issue was the RAM as my computer had 2Gb and the ones in stock were standard 512Mb. She said that if I was willing to accept the following arrangement she would ensure I would have a replacement computer that day. First thing Monday she would contact me to arrange for the extra memory to be delivered for fitting by me or an Apple Service Agent. I explained how I had now lost all confidence in Apple, that their customer service has gone down and how I felt they were releasing product without first testing it fully. I told her that most of my friends who use Macs professionally will

I told her that most of my friends who use Macs professionally will no longer buy new product when it is first released, but instead wait several months for others to assist Apple working the bugs out before they buy them.

I told her of my experience with the Apple Repair Service the last time I sent a computer in for repair and my experience with the Apple online Store when I was sent the same product twice after they lost the first order request, and that despite telling Apple I had the same product item sent twice no effort was ever made to pick up the second spare item, still in it's packaging unopened.

Again she apologised and asked if I would be willing to accept the offer she was making. She would make the arrangements to have the replacement computer dropped off, the old one picked up, the memory delivered in the following days and the return of the 512Mb memory module, which came in the replacement iMac Intel, with the unopened Apple product still sitting in my office for the last two years all sorted and done with. As I was not looking forward to starting out on Monday morning with an iMac G5 strapped to my back and the prospect of a 159 mile walk, I said that I would only call off the walk if the computer arrived as promised. By 5.45pm my door bell rang and there was the guy from the Dublin shop with replacement computer in hand.

Just as well in the end... because by Sunday I was hit with a bed confining viral throat infection that knocked me for six Sunday and Monday. I am sure the nice lady from Apple tried to contact me Monday, but I was so out of it with my throat I turned off the phones and camped out in the bed room for the duration. On Tuesday morning, feeling a little better, I turned my mobile phone back on. Sure enough around 9.30am it rang and there at the other end of the phone was the woman from Apple to verify my details so she could arrange for the delivery of the replacement memory modules rendering my new iMac Intel to the same level or RAM as my old one.

Wednesday 23rd August 2006, day 41 of this never ending saga, at about 12noon the door bell rang. It was the UPS delivery man with what I thought were my two new memory modules. I opened the box only to discover there was one 1Gb memory module to be found. I rang the woman in Cork to tell her the news. She said don't worry they send them is two separate deliveries, the other one should arrive later today. She doubled checked if I was happy slotting in the modules myself... to which I replied I had done it before. I then reread the instructions for installing the memory module, just to be safe. Prepared for the operation and as I went to insert the module I realised they had sent me the wrong kind of module for the iMac Intel.

I rang the lady back and told her of my discovery. She looked on her computer system and realised she had requested a module for the old iMac G5, not the nice new shiny iMac Intel I had

So to 'jackmac13' regarding his comment "irish whiskey" I would say this... if I were a drinking man I would need a h*** of a lot more that irish whiskey at this stage to cushion me from the experience of dealing with Apple Customer Care. To 'mackie' I would say read the account and understand that no replacement was being sent until the old one was returned, then as the replacement was not up to the spec of the old one I need for my work it might as well be still sitting in an Apple store room. To all of you who live in a city where you have a walk-in Apple Store on the high street understand that we don't have one here in Ireland... all we have are Apple Authorised Dealers who have to check everything with Apple back in Cork before they can proceed with anything other than selling you a stock item from their shop. I followed the directions Apple Customer Care gave me on the phone. It was not a case of them picking up the computer at the first instance, I carried it to the nearest Authorised Service Agent and when it was found to be unfixable I went and collected it at Apple's request so it could be picked up at my address to avoid confusion when it came to be collected, by their own admission all too often mistakes are made when picking up machines from their own Authorised Service Agents.

I am waiting for my phone bill to arrive so i can track every phone call I made since the start of this saga.... I should also be able to workout how much time I spent on the phone walking to Apple.

Sorry I just realised I made a bit of a mess posting this on the forum.... If anyone would like a copy of the full text you can e-mail me directly and I am only too happy to send it to you.

khayden@iol.ie

Dude I don't want the full text, but can you send me a little bit of your red-haired Irish p****? That's all I want.

thanks

Wednesday 23rd August 2006, day 41 of this never ending saga. At about 12noon the door bell rang. It was the UPS delivery man with what I thought were my two new memory modules. I opened the box only to discover there was one 1Gb memory module to be found. I rang the woman in Cork to tell her the news. She said don't worry they send them as two separate deliveries, the other one should arrive later today. She doubled checked if I was happy slotting in the modules myself... to which I replied I had done it before. I then reread the instructions for installing the memory module, just to be safe. Prepared for the operation and as I went to insert the module I realised they had sent me the wrong kind of module for the iMac Intel.

I rang the lady back and told her of my discovery. She looked on her computer system and realised she had requested a module for the old iMac G5, not the nice new shiny iMac Intel I had taken delivery of only a few days earlier. She apologised again, getting very good at it I must say, and asked me to replace the module back in the box and hand it to the UPS delivery man when he came later in the day. I was to instruct him to return the two boxes to Apple and she was sending a request in again for the two correct memory modules to be sent out.

In the meantime, I now have an old iMac G5 still sitting on the floor in my living room, one 1Gb memory module for an iMac G5, with a second one on the way, the unopened product from two years ago and an iMac Intel with 512Mb of RAM that is only good enough to write long winded accounts of my experience with Apple Customer Care.

By late afternoon my door bell went and it was the collection company who were to have picked up my old iMac G5. The man explained that he was badly parked and would it be possible for me to come down to him. I should mention that I live on the third floor of an apartment block... but he had no idea what he was picking up so how was he to know what was involved in taking it down to him.... Anyway, I got down and gave him the computer, explained what it was so they would be careful when handling it, it did have 'With Care' stickers on it. I asked for a reference number of some kind so I could let the woman at Apple know so they could track the shipment. I told the collection guy the computer was going to Cork... to which he replied... no it's not, it's going now to Dublin Airport and from there to the UK.

I came back up to my apartment and rang the woman at Apple in Cork to give her the reference number for the shipment. At least they could track the item as it made it's way to the UK. She explained that it was not necessary. But given my luck so far I just want to record it here, by the way please note the number in relation to the earlier discussion with Apple: Booking No. AHE904958 (three letters and six digits!)

Thursday 26th August 2006, day 42. The phone rang around mid-day. It was a journalist from the leading daily newspaper, the Evening Herald. She introduced herself and made some comment like... "You are creating a storm on the internet over your problems with Apple" I was a bit surprised. She explained that she had seen the story and wanted to write something about it for the newspaper. I said OK. She preceded to ask me about the background to the problem with Apple, so I filled her in. After about ten or fifteen minutes she said "OK, that's everything I need. Would you mind if we got a picture of you with the new computer?" I said sure... why not. She explained that she would make the arrangements with the picture desk and they would contact me to arrange for a photographer to call out. Later I got a call asking if 5.30pm would be OK for the photographer to call... I said sure as I was not going anywhere anyway. at 5.20pm the photographer called and the shot was taken.

Got a phone call in between the journalist and the photographer arriving from the woman at Apple in Cork to see if everything was OK with the new memory modules. I explained that nothing had arrived, not even the second incorrect memory module. She seemed surprised, as was I. She said that the UPS website showed the new modules had been delivered. Then she said that maybe it was on it's way. I stayed in yet again expecting the delivery to arrive at any moment.... nothing.

Friday 25th August 2006, day 43... I stayed in all morning waiting for the delivery of the memory modules by UPS. By 1.30pm I was getting worried, I needed to go to my bank to make arrangements for getting cash, the bank closes at 4pm and I was worried the delivery might come while I was out. I was really getting angry by now. I rang the woman at Apple in Cork, but she was not at her phone so I left a message. By 2.30pm there was no return call from her so I rang again. Again I got her voice message, so I left a second message. Within a few minutes I got a call from her. She had received the first voice message and was replying to that. I explained that I needed to go out to the bank and was worried I would miss the UPS delivery. She said that there was nothing she could do as the package was UPS and she could not understand why they had not delivered. I told her in forthright terms how I felt about the situation, Apple's ability to resolve the ongoing issue and my concern that she was finishing that day to go on a three week absence from work and what would happen if the delivery did not come and who was going to deal with it from Apple in Cork. She said that she had made her colleges in the office aware of what was happening and someone there would be able to deal with it during her absence.

At 3.35pm I got a call from a woman in UPS. She was ringing to check my address. It turns out that when Apple gave them my address they gave an incomplete address, so they were not able to deliver the package the day before. This morning either UPS contacted Apple or Apple contacted UPS... anyway Apple gave them an address for the delivery. However, Apple gave them the wrong address for a second time. If Apple had given them the right address this morning they could have delivered the package that afternoon. As it was now too late to have the package delivered today it would have to be delivered on Monday. I explained the whole sorry situation to the woman and asked that if something else went wrong on Monday would it be possible for me to go to the UPS depot to collect the package. The woman assured me that the package would be delivered on Monday and there would be no need for me to collect it in person. Fingers crossed nothing else goes wrong.

While I was on the phone with the woman from UPS the woman from Apple in Cork rang. I explained I was on the phone to the woman from UPS and would ring her back when I finished. When I finished with the UPS call I rang the woman in Apple Cork. She was not at her phone and I left a message congratulating her and Apple for yet another wonderful c*** up. Not only had they given UPS the wrong delivery address once, but had managed to do it twice on the same delivery.

It is now 6pm and as yet I have received no return call from the woman at Apple in Cork. If the package is finally delivered on Monday it will have been 46 days (6 weeks and 3 days) since I first delivered my computer to