Set Number of Repairs? Applecare Horror Story

[rottencheese77]

Is there a limit to the amount of repairs you can request? I have requested new Headphones about 4 times since Feburuary for my 30gb Photo and have got brand new ones shipped quickly, but on the 19th of August I got the sad iPod icon that I was unable to repair so i sent out a service request that day, expecting it to arrive around Tuesday or so... WRONG!! Jump forward to Thursday of the next week and still no box so I call up Apple and they tell me that they are sorry and the box would be shipped out that day and would arrive Friday or Monday, Well its Monday and no box so I called up again and after being on hold for 9 million years, I am told that the box was held due to the number of repair requests previously sent for headphones, and this one time they'll send it out...... So I was bascially lied to by the Represeantive on Thursday and never contacted about my box being on hold... I'm looking through my warranty card right now and I see NOWHERE that there is a set number of repairs for any product.. Has anyone else experienced something similar to this?

[DrWebster]

You can't really blame them for being skeptical of your service request considering you've requested new headphones 4 times. Did your headphones really break 4 times, or did you just want some extras?

[rottencheese77]

They did really break. I usually sleep in them and shove them in my pocket all day so they go thru alot of abuse. I can't blame them for being skeptial, but they shouldn't of lied to me about the box shipping and should of tried to contact me about it.

[Madkins007]

1. Most companies have a 'watch out for this guy' list when they suspect frivolous or fraudulent activity. You probably got on it by pushing their willingness to help by asking for new 'phones so much when it was admittedly your fault.

It just makes them a little less quick to respond and a little less happy to help.

2. As for the run-a-round, I have two thoughts...

a.) It is not uncommon for miscommunications to occur in companies now- all too often the phone people are in one city and the shipping/repair people are in another. it is almost impossible to keep everything perfectly current on the computers and the phone people usually go by what the first screen tells them.

b.) By getting on the list (IF there is one and you are on it), people may be dragging their heels in dealing with your repair. Not keeping posts current, letting it sit between stages, and other tiny rebellions. Sort of the tech version of spitting in your soup.

[WanderingSoul]

This is true. Take any shipping company, a lot of times when I call UPS or Fedex about a problem, I know more than their representative does, because I guess the web site gets updated quicker than their internal system, probably because they are seperate servers, databases, etc.

I also think you got on a list. You abused your headphones and expected Apple to replace them 4 times. Its not their fault, they weren't defective, you just broke them. Sleeping with headphones will always lead to broken headphones as you roll over on them, catch the cord somewhere and stretch/rip it, etc.

Basically, you got flagged.

[montydeno]

i sure hope there isn't a limited number of service requests you can make within the warranty period because i'm just about to send my 2nd Apple-replaced iPod photo back for servicing.

i don't think they ever checked the replacement for similar fault or other physical fault before sending the replacement to me.

The first time was because part of the clickwheel stop responding and they replaced it with a brand new one but with a de-laminating bubble at the corner of the LCD screen. So i sent it back the 2nd time round and this time they replaced it with another brand new iPod with no bubbles on the screen but one which has clickwheel sensitivity issue like the first one! i ran the diagnostic touch menu wheel test and it fails to pass 9 out of 10 times!

Now i'm back to square one! i'll keep sending it back to them if they keep this up no matter how many times it will take and i wouldn't give up until they get it right!