Mac Troubles! A Consumer True Experience About Defective Macbook Horrors!

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Runjhun

Tadka Take

Apple symbolizes an extremely coveted aspiration in today’s world. But when a consumer who acquires his dream Mac gadget and it comes with its own harassment plan of defects and issues. This is what exactly happened with Col. Ramdas Buche when he purchased his new Macbook Pro. Below is his story in his own words.

Consumer Story

I wanted to purchase a high end and extremely efficient system which would give me long term immaculate service. Accordingly I went in for purchase of Macbook Pro 13″ from an agencycalled Algorithms in Nagpur. To my surprise in the first week of its purchase it went to service center because it could not load and run CD. Next week it was sent again because it could not read or write CD. As I went along, again help was sought because it could not pick up any of the peripheral Hardware like scanner, printer, data card etc. running otherwise smoothly with available machines with me. Past month was the climax of its hardware failure and the machine was to be sent to service center twice because it was not booting at all and also twice screen display had gone blank separately resulting in change of certain hardware components. You will agree with me that once an engine of brand new car is opened within first week of its purchase then it keeps going to Garage frequently. Similar thing seem to have happened in case of this purchase and I have now ran out of patience because after purchase of MacBook on 26 Apr 2012 till 26 Aug 2012 i.e. within the period of four months it has been to service center six times that too with ever increasing fresh defects each time relating to Hardware failure of serious nature. Thus one knows what future holds for this particular machine piece. Frankly speaking , I had gone in for purchase of first rate product from best Agency because I sincerely wanted very efficient, reliable and hassle free service from the product on longterm basis and Apple being the indisputable world leader and Algorithms being the best agency who has carved niche for itself not only in Nagpur but whole of Vidarbha. However with ever increasing problems I had not been able to use this machine even for single day after purchase and I am also scared to carry it with me for my tours to other cities or abroad because of its abrupt failing tendencies. What would I do if this fails to open up or suddenly goes blank when I am away from Nagpur to to other city or abroad and who is going to fix it up for me. I will be also making scene of myself in crucial presentations or data display when it fails like it is behaving presently for very routine and basic functioning due to defective hardware and it would inadvertently point to my professional failure. As a result of its periodic packing up in above manner frequently and unreliable tendencies ,I am forced to depend on my old Desk top and laptop for all the possible mobile or static functions as hither-to-before after purchasing this Macbook. As I have said earlier APPLE is indisputably worlds best brand and I fully understand that an odd piece may go defective and in the present case it seems that I am the victim of such probability.

Tadka Take 2

While Akosha’s team has been trying address Col. Buche’s issues as soon as possible, it is undeniable that he has undergone a lot of harassment. It is the duty of both brand as well as the authorized agency to ensure that such instances do not recur with other customers and even in the unavoidable cases where such issues do arise, they are addressed as soon and as efficiently as possible.

iPhone 5 Effect! Unraveling Apple–The Brand That Every Brand Should Aspire To Be!

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Posted on September 13, 2012 by Runjhun

iPhone 5 Effect! Unraveling Apple--The Brand That Every Brand Aspires To Be!

Those rare times when you feel alienated in your own office!

Thank You iPhone 5! Me and like minded technologically challenged buddies across the country (bless your souls wherever you are soul sisters) curse you forever for this brutality!

But then I figured that there actually are no soul sisters around to do me the favors.

Everyone and their grandmothers right now are totally, completely, wholeheartedly trapped in the iPhone 5 bubble.

For most, it doesn’t matter if they ever owned an iPhone or not or if they really ever will own one. Heck! even people who can’t operate a smartphone to save their lives are making it a point to discuss this ‘grand’ event.

The techno geeks (like the ones in my office) are busy dissecting the technical specifications to the minutest detail with words like features, OS, “nano SIM” (‘nano’!?), converters and a couple of other incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo liberally thrown in.

For those who don’t care for the technology (or can’t), still choose to go ga-ga over how slick and smart and light and ”thin” is the iPhone 5, fascinatingly judging all of the above from a mere picture or some stray video. Of course, all of the above is true, certified by a couple of thousand posts and reports strewn all over the cyber world. But, I choose to reserve this sort of distance fueled infatuation for good looking guys on my telly screen; NOT for a little black box launched in some faraway land, the “classy” factor notwithstanding.

Don’t get me wrong! I absolutely admire Apple and everything it does.

If this makes you happy, it by default includes iPhone 5.

Its just that my reasons for admiration are slightly different.

I admire Apple for the kind of Brand loyalty it inspires, for the kind of love it has sustained, for the kind of obsession it has fueled over the years without fail.

I admire Apple for being the Brand every Brand should aspire to be.

In a fickle world of rapidly changing consumer loyalties, if a Brand continues to elicit confessions of true love from across the world, every single time it steps into the market– it must be doing something very very right!

Apple symbolizes the technological glory of the modern world. Every product it launches, encapsulates the ultimate human aspiration in terms of innovation and luxury. Of course, innovation is the root of it all and Apple continues to ride on the fact of being one of the first innovators in the market.

But, the fact that it has sustained itself, more or less unblemished, despite the competition, merits adulation which it rightly receives.

And this is not about the products–or quality. Definitely not.

As someone pointed out on Twitter, even if Apple sucks, we would still love it to bits!

iPhone 5 opened up to mixed reviews. Refraining from delving into the technical debate storm raging all over, all we want to say is that competition is getting there and Apple is playing the catch up game , which in itself says a lot about a Brand that had thrived on innovation and first-mover advantage.

But, Apple evokes emotions, the single most important factor behind every sustainable success. As a great man proclaimed in the Indian Telly world–jab dil pe lagegi, tabhi baat banegi!

There is something about Apple that tugs hearts across the world and that is an achievement, really hard to replicate.

For all the innovations, experiments and wonders that rivals come up with, the world still stirs, debates and waits with bated breath for Apple’s launch of iPhone 5.

Till the time, another launch of another product forces my elderly aunt in an obscure, interior part of this country to inquire about it, I will safely say that Brand Apple remains untouched, market dynamics be damned!

Note To Brands: This is how it is done!

(Picture Credit : theverge.com)

Warning: Mac Users Alert! Think Before You Take That MacBook For Repair, You May Be in For Trouble! (True Story Of Harassed Consumer).

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Posted on August 9, 2012 by Runjhun

Tadka Take

Important: Magali Vaz had a dream run with her MacBook Pro, but that only until the time she finally needed a repair. That was when the dream started turning into a horrifying nightmare. We decided to run this story primarily because it highlights some fundamental issues that are there with service for Apple products in India. While we realize that this is a one off incident and has more to do with the service provider than the brand itself, we still couldn’t get over the fact that an authorized provider can be a source of trouble for any consumer, however random the incident may be. And as far as the accountability of the brand is concerned, there is a reason why these service providers are called “authorized”!

Apple!

Did I hear a collective sigh?

Lets try again…Mac!

There!…I can see a whole bunch going weak in the knees!

Ok. That was exaggerated. But not as much as you would like to believe.

Apple and Mac are two words that spell much more than luxury in this new evolved techno-freakish country. They symbolize class in a way which is distinctly urban and distinctly, for the want of a better word “cool”.

But when something is wrong with that Apple? Yes, that Apple which has redefined technological aspirations. That Apple which has a whole chunk of crazy junta going all orgasmic by its mere sight!

When something is wrong at that Apple’s front, ears are bound to perk up. Given the huge amount of money that consumers spend on their Apple products, it is imperative for us to highlight any shortcoming on Apple’s front–as a word of caution for everyone harboring the great Apple dream.

Magali Vaz had a dream run with her Macbook Pro, but that only until the time she finally needed a repair and that is when the dream started turning into a horrifying nightmare. Below is Magali’s story in her own words:

Consumer Story

I’ve had such a horrible experience getting my Macbook Pro serviced at Maple Digital Technology (Apple Authorized Service Provider) in Mumbai, that I had to share this here in hopes that it will help anyone else in Mumbai who needs an Apple product fixed to make the right choice.

I’ve had my Macbook Pro since April 2009. It has worked like a charm since then & I couldn’t have been happier with making the switch.

Sometime last month (June) in the middle of working my mac randomly died. It turned back on but the battery indicator now had an x mark on it, if you clicked it, the message ‘battery not available’ would come up. It worked only with the power cable & would die immediately if the power cable was unplugged. I figured that the battery had died, after two years two months of using it as much as I do (a lot) I wasn’t to concerned. A new one was on the cards so I figured that I could safely use this one at home with the power cable only & maybe get the battery replaced later (I wasn’t under warranty or a care plan).

At this time that battery behaved quite erratic. Sometimes when I switched it on the battery would show & behave normally, at other times it would go back to the x mark & say battery not available.

After a week of this, the problem became a lot worse. Even with the power cable connected, the mac would just spontaneously switch off. This started to get a lot more frequent, to the point where it would shut off within a few seconds after starting (still at the apple screen) & later it would just not start, even with the power cable plugged it. This seriously worried me, because most of my stuff was not backed up (silly me!) & so I knew I had to get it fixed ASAP.

Here in India we do not have Apple stores, just Apple Premium Resellers (imagine / iStore / maple) & they are Apple Authorized Service Providers too. The imagine website was quite annoying, I filled a service request form on the iStore website (they promised they’d contact me within 48 hours but never did) & finally decided to take my mac to maple because it was relatively convenient.

I took it to the center on 27th June & explained the problem (the clerks at the counter were friendly but didn’t seem too proficient). My mac was listed as ‘battery needs to be checked’ & I was informed that I was going to be charged Rs 1700 (about US $30 due to the week Rupee & all). Fair enough.

The next morning I got a call from their technician, Bhaskar saying they had diagnosed that my battery was dead & I would need to have it replaced. At this point I wondered how fixing the battery would fix the mac switching off all the time but who am I to argue with a trained technician at an Apple Authorized Service Provider, right?

Their policy entails that you have to pay for the battery, then only they place at order at Apple & the battery arrives within three working days (oh & their non-working days are Saturday, Sunday & Monday) The new battery would cost Rs 9600 (approximately US $171). Went in that very day & paid for the diagnosis + battery. I got the mac back the following Tuesday or Wednesday (3rd or 4th July). When they asked me to check it at the store, the battery still wasn’t working but they assured me it needed to be charged fully.

Within one day I was having the exact same issues as before. I was very disgusted by the whole thing but didn’t really have the time to take it back right away. On the 7th my dad came home with my new mac so I tasked myself with backing up everything from my old mac, amid multiple shutdowns. At this time I tested my old mac with the new power cable to rule out something being wrong with that, but it was the same. I got an email survey from Apple to rate the quality of service received, & I of course said that even though they communicated well, the service was completely ineffective.

The next day itself I started to get calls from Maple apologizing for the inconvenience but asking me to bring it in. Finally took it in on 17th. Got a call on the 20th asking for my password, they hadn’t even touched it for 3 days.

And finally yesterday I got the verdict (from Bhaskar, again) “We checked & your battery is fine. It’s your motherboard that’s spoilt. And a replacement costs Rs 35,700″ (US $637).

I am not crazy to replace the motherboard for that much money on a mac that’s already old. The big problem I have is with their useless engineer who first diagnosed it as a battery problem. And I’m not trained in this kind of thing but it’s obvious to me that the battery was not at fault. If they had diagnosed it properly the first time I would have cut my losses but now I spent Rs 9600 (US $171) to get the battery replaced & took so many trips to their store to replace a battery that I will never get to use unless I pay a ridiculous sum to replace the motherboard too.

I wanted to write about this before but couldn’t really type through all the anger. I know my rights, have all the receipts & will look to take Maple consumer court after I get back from Delhi.

I still maintain that Apple products are kickass but the service for those products in India is so dismal. Apple India, if you’re reading this, please step your game up!

I shudder to thing of the time when I’ll need some kind of service for my current mac. All I know is that if you live in Mumbai & own an Apple product that needs servicing, DO NOT TAKE IT TO MAPLE. They are in the business of robbing people, nothing else.

Tadka Take 2

Most of the consumers who share their experience with us are the ones who want to warn other fellow consumers of possible troubles with brands and/or their service centers and stores. And even if this is an isolated incident, we just couldn’t shake the nagging feeling off that if it has happened with one consumer, it can happen with more…and in all probability has happened with more. Brands like Apple that enjoy almost a hallowed status need to be extra careful when it comes to their consumers…after all with pedestal, comes responsibility (yes…i made that up…but you got my point!)

Our only concern…is Apple listening?

Do you have a similar story to share? Write to us at editor@akosha.com and we will make sure you are heard!

Bitten Bigtime! This Is What Happens When Apple’s Case Is Heard By An Obsessive Apple Fan.

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Posted on July 20, 2012 by Runjhun

Disclaimer: We are not disparaging the judge or questioning his motives, or for that matter saying that he was biased. We can’t. It is quite the contrary as you will realize as you read the following story. The headline just looked catchy, thats all!

This is not really a consumer issue, or may be it is-we are not sure. But somehow, in a world that is split between Apple Users and Losers, any headline that says Apple, screams for attention as its birthright. What else could we do but to oblige?

There is a saying which states that too much of anything is bad. Seems to be true in this case where extreme love of a UK Judge for Apple led him to state that Samsung tablets do not have the “same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by Apple. They are not as cool. The overall impression produced is different.”

This judicial fandom, however, did not augur well for Apple. Unlike in most cases, where fans are source of delight for the brands, here this particular fan cost Apple dearly. The fan-judge in question has ordered Apple to put up a statement on its website saying that Samsung has not infringed upon iPad’s design and also publish similar statement in newspapers and magazines in Britain in order to negate the bad impression created against Samsung.

This effectively means that Apple has been directed to advertise Samsung on its own website. Apple is yet to comment on the developments.

So much for the loyalty of fans!

Apple Website To Declare Samsung Didn’t Copy I Pad. (Times of India)

Bitten! Authorized Apple Store To Pay For Selling An Inferior iPod.

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Runjhun

A consumer forum in Delhi has ordered iWorld Business Solution Private Ltd. , an authorized store for Apple products, to pay Rs. 17,400 to a medical student for selling him an inferior iPod. The forum held that the store practiced deception by representing a second generation iPod as a third generation iPod and directed the store to refund the cost of the gadget (Rs. 12,400) and pay litigation cost of Rs. 5000 to the consumer. For complete story, see http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-30/news/32484213_1_ipod-generation-apple-store