Apple 14 day return policy works
Dopey blogger gets new Macbook
By Stewart Meagher: Friday, 17 October 2008, 1:47 PM

WE TAKE OUR hat off to Mac bogger Cory Bohon who was brave enough to admit – despite the fact that he is a regular contributor to The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) – that he was dumb (or impatient) enough to buy an old stylee Macbook just a few days before the much trumpeted refresh of the line.
Unlike most caught in this situation, who spend the next three months clogging up the Mac Blogs whining about being left out in the cold by new products, Corey sucked it up and went in search of a solution.
It turns out that Apple has a pretty friendly 14-day returns policy which protects hapless Macolytes not ony from unnanounced price drops, but also gets them out of a pickle when new ranges are introduced.
"When I took my Macbook Pro to the Apple Store, they immediately looked at my receipt and asked if I wanted a new one," said Bohon.
There is a caveat in that Apple reserves the right to charge a re-stocking fee of 10 per cent, but with a little wheedling, Corey managed to get that fee waived and walked out of his local Apple Store the proud owner of a brand new (really new this time) Macbook.
So if you've been living under a rock recently and were daft enough to buy and old stylee Macbook, get thee down to your Apple Store and flutter those eyelashes. µ

Applicable in Asia especially Malaysia and Singapore?

i think only US can do that...

try it.if phailed,report to the top management in US

This kinda policy will never work in Malaysia. Hope that I am wrong though, anyone with such experiences in Malaysia please share

it won't cause in malaysia is just resellers, and no official apple store.. so no such hope. but then you can try calling the apple hotline and ask for help for such a problem, maybe, and i say it again, MAYBE, they can help you do it..

Definitely no. Malaysian will buy and use it for 13 days, then on the 14th days return it back.

Yes it is actually. However from what I had remembered from this, its only applicable to stock standard units, but not the customized ones.

There was somebody here in the forums who had tried to do an exchange before, but couldnt 'cause his unit was a customized one (upgraded the disk), however they did offer him a free ipod nano in return.

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Added on October 18, 2008, 11:46 amAnd the resellers would still have to adhere to the retail rules set by Apple.

This post has been edited by fyire: Oct 18 2008, 11:46 AM

When i brought my first powerMac G4, i had problem with the blowfan, it doesn't work.

So i called the apple reseller, after 5 days broght the mac. Then they ask me to bring the machine. And guess what? They changed it all with new set, including keyboard and mouse!!

So glad at that time..

hmm.. does this mean it applies for ALL apple products OR only the computers?

Yes, it applies to all Apple product. I remember reading one article about an American who bought an Iphone and he cracked the screen by himself. However, apple still change a new unit for him.

Well yeah, I read a lot about these but only in USA, Europe, really develop country anyways. Our service industry in Malaysia unfortunately only a fraction of theirs.

Maybe you can try to go to singapore? I really envy those western people with apple store. Maybe it's our destiny and we should live with that.

Or migrate? :hehe

Wow, this likely not gonna happen in Malaysia.

In United States, you can return the product and even have back full refund.

thats so cool
I wish i could do that

in US, some states will charge 10% restocking fee, and will only accept refunds if the product is returned with all the box contents and its in perfect condition.

As long as you've opened the package, the US Apple Stores would generally charge you a 10% restocking fee. However, I'm sure they'd cut some slack if you purchased it within 14 days of a new model coming out.

As for such things being applied in Malaysia... We've got to come a long way (both consumer and retailer) before such a policy would become practical.

simply because.. consumers here have no respect for certain T&Cs also, they'll spend time finding every loophole to get their advantage.. I've seen so many of those kinda people b4..zzz

I think you all don't read my post before..

And iPhone for sure can't get any return policy, since no official launch was made in Malaysia..

My experience on this:

On purchases, no way
I bought my iMac, just to find out two weeks later the new refresh was out. Went back to the store that sold me, they said no way - This is at @atsc ikano

My auntie bought the iMac one day before the new refresh coming out. By this time, every one knew the new specs are coming out. Machines still sold the thing to her, full price, when I heard about it went back to Machines, they say they will only take back at resale value. I would not have been pissed if they sold the thing at a discount price. This was full price. To make matters worse, the new iMacs were sold at a slightly lower price. This is at Machines Mid Valley

But, in terms of support, its excellent
Bought an U2 ipod from Singapore, somehow got soaked in water, actually sent in for repairs, the fellow at atsc said since on warranty got me a brand new one. Then that unit went busted after few months. By then U2 one was no longer available, they upgraded the iPod. This is at @atsc ikano. The best part, I was hassled with paperworks, receipts and stuff like that...

@bjkhan.
in future, please refrain from buying just before new sets are announced, as we don't have authority to adjust pricing, even after new models are announced.

you're already in the right place to check, and do inform your aunt, and everyone else

that time still noob, didn't know about macrumors website. plus i wasn't expecting much on my case, just trying my luck

but for my auntie's case i think machines should have at least said something, she just went there saw it was nice and just bought it and she bought two imac and one macbook air, and for someone who was doing a large purchase, they should have had some ethics in selling. at that time everybody new the new one was coming on that day..unless machines had no idea which i highly doubt so....and my aunt only called me after she bought it and she was so happy that the fellow who sold it just threw in two keyboard protectors, i told her, you just got ripped off.....

well, it depends on the sales person as well
my fren just bought a macbook abt 2 weeks ago, sales person din tell her as well, but her fren wen to another shop in damansara, they actually told her fren to hold her horses

yeah...
i can see the sales' guys & gals point also...
they also have pressure to do their job...
as a consumer on the IT industry... a little research would be a good idea...

@ bjkhan...
the new iMac unveiling, like all other Mac products (not iPods) was very hushed up, we as staff only found out after it came out, so its a little unfair to expect the salespeople to do their jobs based on rumours...
but I can understand your feelings too...
I got my first Mac mini in Feb 2005, no AirPort or BT with 10.3 (Panther) installed, no one told me about Tiger also... so 2 months later I was quite pissed off when Apple launched a new mac mini, with Tiger, 1GB RAM, Wifi & Bluetooth pre-installed ... so I joined the company... and now here I am

well do any1 really have claim ur ipod touch in malaysia???

i feel really wanted to know.

For those who are having problems with local apple reseller, please call Apple Malaysia and make a hell out of noise with them. If your reason is acceptable, they will ask you to deal directly with them (Apple Malaysia) and skip the reseller.

for those having any problems with machines, may I have a chance to try to straighten it out?
I'm trying to involve the forum people when we do things... and I'd appreciate a little patience & understanding...
'make a hell out of noise' is not a very productive method of resolving a disagreement

xaw5126, workin at machines isit?

yeah, since July 2008.

So how does machines return policy works?

Let say, I'm not too sure which mac to buy and I buy both macbook and mba. After playing around and made up my mind, i want to return the macbook. How machine handle this situation? Let say it is one week after the purchase.

Out of curiosity, how did you get the idea that you can get to deal directly with Apple Malaysia for retail purchases?

This post has been edited by fyire: Oct 20 2008, 06:29 PM

which machines outlet are u working at?

the return policy is suppose to cover u for 14 days as i was told by the employee in machines. but be wary that getting a new unit is not as simple as in the US since we only have authorised resellers. i requested for 1 to 1 replacement on my imac and they say it's going to take a month b4 a new unit arrives. i assume that they have to officially order from apple in respect of replacement units.

well is consumer rights..

that means it'll take so much time and energy, you'll wish you didn't do it in the first place.. haha

Then later they ask you to bare the shipping fees and so on. You gonna have a good experience from it.

hmmm.. last time when i purchase my macbook pro. i knew leopard will come out in a week's time. but unfortunately my notebook is broken and i need a new one to do my work. so i did not hesitate to go and purchase one and after one week i just go back to the Apple store and complain fan is noisy (the fan is really noisy)

They just changed a brand new mbp loaded with leopard and thus my mbp is "purchased" on leopard launch date. heh. This happened in Apple store in London tho.

But it is consumer rights here in UK. you can return any item bought within 2 weeks if you are not satisfied with certain rules applied

I checked with our service manager,
We're following Apple's published policy... if the item is faulty within 10 working days, you may return it for a new unit subject to Apple-certified technician verifying the item is faulty

this verification is the key... we can do it within one day... so no worries there.

@ yuvster.
i detect something that feels like hostility... may I ask why please?

@jakesean,
I'm at machines HQ, Northpoint.

@z3171600
We have demo units and if you really need a hands on experience, you may contact us directly.
We can't take back a used Mac, even for just a week, and we can only process refunds if the item is DOA, as explained above.

I mean, if you aren't sure if you prefer a Nautica or Myvi, you can't exactly buy both and return one after a week, and say "I like Nautica, I want my money back for the Myvi" now, can you?

I experience before, I bought a Macbook White with a debris caught inside the screen after 2 days. Brought back to reseller and they only agree to change the panel. Being so unhappy, call up Apple Malaysia and they agree to declare that as DOA and ask me to go back to the reseller and get a new one. Apple Malaysia give instruction to the reseller to give me a new unit.

I don't blame the reseller as they also worried that Apple Malaysia do not accept the faulty unit. So, it is good that we as a consumer to call Apple Malaysia directly if you have problem with reseller.

For my case, once Apple Malaysia give the reseller the assurance that they will take back the faulty unit, then they have no complain give me new one.

Ask to speak to customer service and make hell lot of noise. Tell them you are paying a premium and get sucky service.

@ZhaoYun
if you're trying to process a DOA by going thru Apple Malaysia, there's another simpler way ...

@ everyone else
If your reseller refuses to process a DOA, and the device is not working, contact AppleCare 1800 803 638 and tell them the story. They can usually authorise a DOA claim, again, subject to verification by Apple-certified technician.

The simpler way would be ? The retailer refuse to declare it as DOA, so I have no choice to call Apple Malaysia..

simpler way is to call AppleCare 1800 803 638.
I've recommended this way to many many customers, never failed, and never needed to make a hell of noise at any time

i requested for a replacement by calling that number. they put me on hold for exactly 34 minutes:P though i wasn't too concerned as i expected it. just to let ppl know, be prepared to be put on hold.

anyway, to the guy that said it's not worth the effort getting a new unit, it's actually very worth my effort. i was 2 months away from my warranty expiring and they gave me a new unit. now my warranty is reset back to one yr and i get the 2.4ghz model compared to my last 2.0ghz. though waiting a month is tiresome. still waiting as of now.

all apple premium/authorised resellers within msia usually have apple certified technician? or we have to go to specific outlets to go look for them??

Check here for the list of places with technicians.
Some locations are drop-off only, meaning the technician is not based there

Apple Asia Service Locations

on the right side, click Select, and choose Malaysia, and then click Search

This post has been edited by xaw5126: Oct 23 2008, 10:08 AM

all the service locations are in kl.. not good.. hmm..

and another question, since your from the HQ... lets say if i get the MBP from one of the authorized reseller KL, and bring it back to Malacca.. and a few days later something happens to the MBP... can i go the authorized resellers in Malacca and deal with them? how long will the inspection usually take if you take the MBP to any authorised resellers, i.e. malacca?

This post has been edited by jakesean: Oct 23 2008, 10:20 AM

yes, you can claim the warranty from them, but the matter of how long it takes all depends on how often the malacca people send their repair units the receive to technicians as well as the severity of your MBP's condition, if its hardware failure or software failure.. if hardware, you have to wait for new parts to arrive which will take approximately a couple of weeks, and if its software, usually they can get it done then and there.. if the notebook is perma-damaged, they'll replace a new MBP for you, but you have to understand, they're not gonna open another MBP box and give you, but rather, wait from apple to send in a new MBP(without the cables n whatnot) to the resellers so that they can give it to you.. basically its a one to one exchange.

oo okay.. coz thing is if i get the MBP, ill be bringing it back here to australia.. and there's a premium reseller here 10 mins away from my place.. so i guess it should be about the same whether in msia or in australia.. but i wanna make sure that i get the facts right before deciding to get the MBP..

ah, if you're 10 minutes away from the reseller in Australia, then you're fine.

if the Mac is dead-on-arrival, within 10 working days, we can replace a one-to-one, with a new box and everything, subject to a certified technician's verification.

sadly, we can't just take anyone's word for it

xaw5126:

I have just recently purchase a 2.1GHz MacBook which comes with combo drive and today when I visit machine website here at
http://www.machines.com.my/product_macbook_G2.php

There is one model MacBook White which is similiar with the above model but it comes with 8X SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) which is same price as the old model.

I made the purchase two days ago and the sales person did not mention a single word about it. I understand they want to clear their stock but this is just unethic and not professional.

I have pay the same amount of money but I did not get the SuperDrive. I am so dissapointed now.

okay, here's what I suggest you do, you call apple hotline and voice your problem to them, if i'm not wrong, you will be able to exchange your system 1 to 1 OR you can contact wherever you bought it from, and tell them about the salesperson's lack of professionalism.. BUT you have to understand that certain T&C's apply.

might I ask, where'd you buy your MacBook??

yuvster:

I emailed em and waiting for reply now. I bought it from Mid Valley and the person has very little knowledge abt the macbook and can't even answer me question like how to connect internet from home.

I thought premier seller should have better reputation but turn out to be not true.

@ronniefai
the new MacBook with SuperDrive is part of the new lineup (including the Aluminium Unibody style) and as such is not available yet.

we're looking at an estimate of 2 to 3 weeks for the new models to arrive.

please send me (via PM) your receipt number (invoice number) for crosschecking. I will find out what we can do for you.
I do apologise if you met someone who isn't up to par. If at all possible, do contact me and I will do my best to answer your queries.

Please refer to your PM for my contact details.

This post has been edited by xaw5126: Oct 23 2008, 04:08 PM

ronniefai, really sad to hear about that, but get in touch with xaw, he should be able to help you, and just in case, contact the apple hotline.. the number i forget liao though.. *can someone give me a hand at this?*

let me check it out la
Apple Hotline is 1800 803 638 ...

yuvster, xaw5126:

Thanks for the help. I will call the hotline if I do not get any respond or reply from Machine later. Cheers.

wah.. can we give xaw5126 a special tag?? .. very helpful to have someone here like him..

wah, dun tag la...
since I work for machines, I want to help la...

at least i know who to bombard my questions to already.. .. i have lots of questions regarding the mac..

haha... xaw just put a target on his forehead.. XD

no la... since I work @ machines, i'm committed to providing The Complete Mac Experience.

i would have done the same thing if i were you...

xaw, u saying the entry level 2.1 also comes with superdrive now?

yes they do

*just kaypoh and answer for xaw*

xaw, i know what you mean, service comes first, eh

the new range of MacBooks includes a RM3699 model, with SuperDrive.
not sure why or how the RM3499 price (which is for the 2.1 ComboDrive) got attached to the new, not here for 2 weeks model (2.1 SuperDrive)

anyway, the new range hasn't arrived yet...

EDIT : for clarity.

This post has been edited by xaw5126: Oct 24 2008, 11:33 AM

xaw5126:

I have receive reply from your end and I am glad they admit the mistake and willing to compensate for it.

Once again thanks for your help.

good for you mate

me either.. =p
The complete mac experience.. =p

14 days return policy works in australia too.. but have to be the default MBP.. i.e. no refunds upgraded MB/MBP/MBA.. even if you upgrade it on the online apple store..

This post has been edited by jakesean: Oct 28 2008, 07:43 PM

After registering my Ipod Classic with Apple - i checked my warranty status and got this:


Our records indicate that your product is covered under Apple's Limited Warranty which is estimated to expire on 25 October 2009.


Your product is eligible for complimentary phone support which is estimated to expire on 24 January 2009.


If you believe that this information is inaccurate, learn how to update your coverage status. Please put your sales receipt in a safe place. You will need it for warranty validation.

Extend your service and support coverage for your product with the AppleCare Protection Plan. If you have already purchased an AppleCare Protection Plan, make sure you have registered it.


My questions -

What exactly - complimentary phone support? Itunes support???
If i got my Ipod from Singapore - can i claim any warranty here in Malaysia says from Machines?

Thanks

first question
A:
Complimentary phone support by apple which allows you to call them (Apple Inc) anytime for aid. Standard products come with a 30-day complimentary support, with ACPP (apple care protection plan), it will be extended till the product's date of expire for warranty, eg. iPod is 2 years, and computers 3 years.

second question
A:
Yes. Apple's product warranty is covered worldwide, which is why its often suggested to register your product, just in case something happens when you're overseas.

is it really works in any country ? not only in USA ?

most definitely... worldwide is worldwide... unless we don't have an office there

A little bit of correction there... It's 90 days phone support..

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Added on October 29, 2008, 5:06 amhmm... 'we' as in Apple or Machines? Be careful about making representative statements, unless you're authorized to do so by the implied principal.

This post has been edited by lailaikatong: Oct 29 2008, 05:06 AM

[quote=lailaikatong,Oct 29 2008, 04:59 AM]
A little bit of correction there... It's 90 days phone support..

sorry.. i totally forgot that.. XD bery bery blurr~~

thx lailaikatong

noted, thanks

very nice if can work in any country

I guess I'd like to throw in a question as well... Is machines taking any pre-orders for the new mbp?

Thanks for the answers guys!