Sam writes:
To the Consumerist,I have been a fairly outspoken Apple fan boy for the better part of 10 years now, I used to have nothing bad to speak of about this company....
USED TO being the prerogative statement here, as of a conversation I had with a Apple care specialist named I am not exactly where I stand with the company I once held in such high regard. From this conversation I learned that Apple has decided to blame me on a issue that could not possibly be my responsibility. As outrageous as it sounds, and this is going to be a completely unbelievable, Apple has accused me of infesting my laptop with lady bugs, they even have images to prove there point!
Before we go into the details of this particular issue though lets discuss my customer history with Apple and there portable laptop that I have owned. I have bought 1 Apple laptop in my entire history with the company however because of continuing and ongoing issues Apple has in the past seen it necessary to replace my laptop with newer models no more than twice. Once with my Powerbook and again with the Macbook Pro of which today's article is about. So in reality if anything this should be teaching me that perhaps Apple's portables are not the pinnacle of quality that I once thought. but that's not the only product that iI'e had to have replaced by the company, I have had no less than 4 iPods replaced by the company. Each one that was sent back to me had different issues, at one point they actually lost the product somewhere in the depot and it took an executive "email bomb" to have it retrieved, for my troubles I was refunded for the iPod and given a new one, a generous move considering the ramifications that the company could have been for not helping me in that issue.
So now we come to today's issue, the mysterious case of the ladybug laptop. Originally I had sent my laptop out for two issues, ones that had been plaguing my laptop since i had received it from apple in April as a replacement for my Powerbook. these issues where the following:
1. My slot loading super drive would take media but not properly eject it, basically the disc would get stuck before it could properly exit the super drive making it impossible to use the drive.
2. My screen had a portion in the middle that was becoming brighter when you darkened the screen
So I called Apple care and asked for a product specialist (I have learned that talking to these higher level techs is really the only way to have the issues fixed)I reported all my findings and asked for a box to be shipped to my house and was given my case number and repair dispatch ID and I sent the box out. A few days later and a status report or two on, and I see that the repair is on hold so I call in and am transferred to a Depot specialist who informed me that the laptop had experienced "Massive and irreparable water damage" I was quoted $1,250 to have the laptop repaired which was apparently right on the verge of what apple called the "repair to replacement threshold."At this point I was upset, beyond upset I was being told that my laptop could not be repaired under my Apple care for an issue that had been plaguing my laptop since I received it from apple as a replacement for my previously defective laptop and I said that exact statement representative who repeated to me "Sir I am writing down that you accept that you are the cause of the water damage" at which point I became incredibly upset. If I wasn't upset at that point the situation was made worse when I received a direct threat from the depot specialist telling me that "if it wasn't broken before, it definitely will be now" as far as customer service goes, a line like that will generally receive a screaming voice I however decided to be decidedly calmer, I quietly but curtly asked for my laptop to be sent back as soon as possible, at which point the depot rep hung up on me.
Now lets talk about this for a second. Not only was I directly threatened by this employee but I was also hung up on, two acts that besides being rude also caused me to become increasingly upset at the quality of customer service that I have sadly come to accept as being Apple Care. I decided to let a few days pass at which point I would call the company again and try to even things out.
On Monday December 8Th, 2008 I called into Apple and at 12:01PM. The rep understood my situation and agreed that the previous depot rep who I had talked to acted in a completely unacceptable manner and decided to investigate my issues further. After waiting on hold he told me that there was nothing that could be done for me concerning the laptop, I politely reminded him that this laptop was a replacement for a defective laptop and now i was dealing with just another defect after which he decided to try "one last option" at 12:06PM I was put back on hold and at 12:11PM He came back and told me that after looking at some images sent to him from the depot he reported to me that he saw bugs on the main logic board, not just any bugs, he saw lady bugs on the main logic board, he said because of this Apple had decided to take the position that I had somehow gotten the bugs into my laptop and that they would not fix my computer or help me with the cost of fixing my laptop.
He however did agree that the bugs where far to big to somehow wander into my laptop and concurred that these bugs where probably in the computer during the manufacturing process (Illegal alien bugs if you will)I was speechless and flabbergasted at what had been what I thought was a simple repair could turn into such a stupendous issue. It became clear to me that this laptop had been jinxed from the moment it was made, at any rate I thanked Ted for helping me, as a final note he suggested that I write this article and send it to anybody at apple who would be willing to listen and so here I write my final opus on the Macbook Pro (early 2008) that was sent in for repairs, damaged with water from the get go and infested with lucky lady bugs.
And so I ask the following:
1. Please fix or replace my laptop, its obvious at this point that I have been both mistreated, threatened and accused of things I cannot possibly be the assailant of.
2. A formal Apology for the abysmal repair/replacement cycle I have been thrown into with Apple from somebody who matters at the company.
3. To commend the service of the representative (redacted) for his ability to cut away from script to realize that lady bugs in my laptop probably meant that I had an issue that needed to be dealt with some other way than through him.
In essence I haven't had what we would call a satisfactory history with apple portable products, I can only hope that this issue can be resolved somehow and my thoughts could be reversed somehow.
thank you and good evening.
I don't think ladybug infestations are included in the Apple warranty, but I don't they're excluded either.
My suggestion: Have a friend help you make this letter more concise, then send it to sjobs@apple.com.
(Photo: Getty)
]]>I've had that happen to more than one clock radio.
]]>Word to the not-so-wise: stains from liquids do not magically appear on internal components, and saying you do not know how they possibly could have gotten there does nothing to alter the fact that somehow, at some point, liquid entered the laptop as a result of some person's direct action (spilling) or negligence (leaving the computer in a place where it is subject to accidental liquid damage). The warranty covers neither.
]]>Apple may not be perfect but they do enough things right that they earned my loyalty and respect years ago.
]]>What exactly is the OP's theory for how the ladybugs got there if he's so sure it didn't happen on his watch?
PS: My iPod from 2003 still works great.
]]>True story:
"Okay Okay Ryan I'll put your new video card in." And I opened the tower and looked inside.
"After you get that nasty dead-how the hell did you get a full grown grasshopper in there...yuck!!"
]]>I treated my ipod like glass and it had to be repaired 3 times before I said screw it and got the Zune.
The iBook I had was much more reliable, but that was back in 2000. Since then, I've heard more and more strange issues with apple's products.
]]>I agree with the posters here, no-one is that unlucky. His account is probably already flagged at AppleCare and I agreed that they gave him the replacement more due to mishandling his complaint than any merit to his original claim.
]]>the very same story infact
]]>Lesson to be learned here, don't push a good thing (2 free laptops) don't be rude to the people who decide if you get a free laptop back or a broken laptop filled with bugs. Intelligence and people skills prevail.
]]>What is the gestation period of a ladybug larva? Yea, that is what I thought. Nope the bugs were not a factory injection.
Where did the bugs come from? A momma bug laid the eggs in the laptop at some point in the OP's residence? Doubtful as the growing youngsters did not have any source of nutrients. Which is why the factory is not a likely source as well.
What is the life span of adult ladybugs? If the bugs are alive and moving, the bugs could only have been present for X number of days. And the lap top has been held by the repair center for how many of those X days?
See, it is realitively easy to prove the bugs were not present at the time the computer was made. More importantly it is just as easy to prove the bugs could have been present only a short period of time.
I blame the repair center or the OP. Pick one of the two. But don't blame the manufacturing site. And if the OP does enough song and dance with the dates the OP can prove he/she is not at fault as well.
]]>@rworne: I used to work for a professor of entomology specializing in rainforest butterflies - but he got a lot of interesting packages from people who wanted something identified. I have no idea what was in them, but there was always a big pile of small boxes waiting for him whenever he got back from Costa Rica.
]]>He says that he's a journalist.
And not to blame the consumer, if his story is true then it's deplorable customer service, but on a personal level he sounds like a douche.
]]>I haven't been reading Consumerist long enough to know if they've already done it, but a concise writing guide for people with customer service problems would probably be helpful for a lot of people.
]]>That said, the OP appears to be looking for something for nothing and his Macs for free.
]]>I can speak from experience, LADYBUGS ARE HELL!!!
Every fall they infest my parents house. They are coming in for the winter to hibernate and are seeking a warm place to do it. It would make sense that if this guys house gets infested with ladybugs every year they would get into his computer. I am not sh*tting you. They can get into the tiniest crevices.
]]>I had a similar experience with Apple years ago that was just strange.
The machine in question had problems with its keyboard and here is the sordid affair that followed.
First go around Apple claimed the machine arrived with a damaged LCD but they refuse to provide pictures, this came as a total suprise to me and I refused the repair and told them to return it.
Box shows up, no damaged LCD. Apple admits there had to have been a mistake and I send it back again and Apple resolves the keyboard issue by replacing the battery.
Uhh... thanks.
Send it back again,
Apple calls me and claims the machine had a milkshake poured on it, which evidently evaded their detection on its previous two vists. Again I refuse the repair and tell them to send it back.
Not suprisingly the machine had not a trace of a milkshake or any other liquid.
Call apple again and they firmly hold the line on the milkshake story and refuse to give me an email address where I might send them photos of the undamaged machine.
Call apple yet again and their final offer is to replace the keyboard at a reduced price, I tell apple to drop dead and I buy a Compaq.
]]>"Sam loves his Apple products, but their blaming him for the big ladybugs inside his Macbook Pro?"
Come on, I expect more from the Consumerist.
]]>@Dethzilla: You put those ladybugs inside your spacebar yourself, on purpose.
]]>First, the white splotch on the monitor? That is called bruising. It is caused by pressure being applied to the monitor lid. Either when cleaning or otherwise. Yes, I had Apple refuse to fix a laptop screen, with stuck pixels, because it also had bruising. They ended up replacing it for other reasons (it was shocking me during use), but, can't say they replaced it for ladybugs...
They also report water inside it? Putting two and two together, it sounds like something heavy and cold was placed on top of the monitor - which bruised the LCD and caused condensation inside the laptop.
But, really, this guy has a LOT of problems. In fact, an excessive amount of problems. I am utterly dumbfounded by how many problems he seems to have.
As for the ladybugs, it is entirely possible one got in, laid eggs, and they hatched.
]]>Now let's try it in roman Numerals...
IIIIIIVIVVIVIIVIIIIXXXIXII...ladybugs in a ladybug laptopppppppppp.
]]>I'd love to see pics too.
Unless those ladybugs were well toasted (read: crispy), I highly doubt they were in a MacBook Pro that had ever been turned on. The heat on the bottom of the one I use gets uncomfortably hot. I can only imagine how hot things are inside of the extremely tight (and extremely hot) notebook.
As for the multiple iPod replacements...from my experience (which spans the entire lifecycle of the iPod)...they die. Most of the ones I've witnessed the demise of never left a climate-controlled office environment. They've suffered from design faults (e.g. 1st gen iPod firewire connector separates from the logic board), to hard drives that have an MTBF of about 100 hours.
The premium you pay to use Apple equipment should NOT be perceived as inclusive of quality. You pay the premium to use the equipment that is perceived to be cool. Cool and quality are not synonymous.
]]>They don't respond easily to humidity, even long term. In worked in an indoor pool for a while (insanely humid due to broken dehumidifier). Never had an issue.
Problem is most people treat electronics like crap and spill their beverage on it (extremely common). Let it dry, clean it... and claim it stopped working when trying to get it repaired/replaced.
Little do they know those little stickers tell a different story than "it just didn't turn on one morning".
That said, you can see water damage. The mineral content in water leaves watermarks. Corrosion is also plentiful. The stickers are just a good benchmark.
Reality is most of the time... it really is water damage. People really shouldn't drink next to electronics. But reality is people do it all the time. If not every time.
]]>That's one computer bug MacAfee can't handle!
]]>But "Bugman Carruthers" is a pretty good name for a band, though.
]]>I've been using Apples for 21 years and I agree that it is extremely odd that he would have so many issues. Possible? Yes. Probable? No. Getting a Macbook Pro for your Powerbook? WTF... which model did he get? The PBs have been gone for a long time now...
]]>*grammar nazi rage*
]]>"Where you off to with that Mason jar, Billy?"
"Down to see ol' Bugman Carruthers. I got a critter what needs identifyin'!"
More than once they have basically showed me why staffmembers who where claiming opposite where lying go so far as to bring actual Cupertino engineers who designed things on the phone for me so I could reasonable come back and have evidence the person lied to us at which point they begrudgingly admit they lied.
]]>Looking at the macbook pro, the only entrypoint would be the express card slot. Was the guy working in his garden and left the MBP out?
There are lots of details that are missing. If the laptop worked then failed after a few months, it's unlikely the ladybugs were shipped from the factory. The odor of cooking bugs would have sent him to the genius bar pretty much immediately, especially given the heat put out by the core/core2 duos.
So, if they didn't come from the factory, it could have been at the user's location. Given that people enjoy bringing their laptops outside, that's not out of the realm of possibility.
Lastly, the ladybugs may have crawled into the macbook pro at the service center. That's a low-probability event as well. It's unusual to see one ladybug in an office, much less a lot of them.
I guess pictures would help!
]]>@bagumpity: it's like saying r@Rick Reimundez: I love it!
They had twelve sacks so they ran sack races
And they fell on their backs and they fell on their faces
The ladybugs 12
At the ladybugs' picnic
Everyone knows Macs attract the ladies. In this case, though, ladybugs.
I have a PC so I can only attract sick cats.
]]>but i doubt you were, in which case it's a flaw in design.
]]>Anyway, here's an aside. Before working at Comcast, I worked at Applecare, and I took notebook repair calls.
I talked to one guy who told me his loaned his notebook to his roommate and that when he got it back it wouldn't boot up. I set up the RMA and the customer called back a week later to check on it. Well, I checked the pictures and told him that it didn't work because the case was filled water and when opened, smelled heavily of chlorine. His roommate must have dropped the computer into the pool. Poor guy.
]]>It's no different for any article in transit.
]]>@snowburnt: I don't see anything wrong there. That's how they spell it down the Ye Olde English Iceberge Shoppe.
]]>Bug Infestation - $50
]]>*lightning crashes*
]]>Obviously he did it to solve his aphid problem.
Oh, wait ....
]]>that being said you do realize all computers in their warranties put a humidity range where the computer should be operated in, and will void the warranty if you do not follow this. That is why they make specially designed computers for high humidity and extreme environments .
]]>-
I'm willing to bet we're talking about Asian ladybugs here. Wait, it's not what you're thinking! A few years ago during the organic gardening fad, ladybugs were hyped as natural pesticide. So in order to meet demand, ladybugs from Asia were imported. Asian ladybugs are more orange in color then the American version and Asian ladybugs taste extremely bitter to the American predators. This has led to a population explosion of Asian Ladybugs. Every fall here in Virginia this is a big nusance as the Asian ladybugs seak warm shelter when it starts to get cold. These little buggers can squeeze into the smallest crack/gap and before you know it you've got a window blind covered with ladybugs. Asian ladybugs who bite and leave a permanent orange stain when squished. The only thing you can do is vacuum them up and re-caulk. This is not a result of poor house keeping as cockroaches in the laptop would be, but a result of introducing alien species.
Although I am a big Apple supporter, I wouldn't hesitate to call them to task if they had it coming. But the way they run the PB service depot, it's highly unlikely the techs invented the bugs or the water damage, or any other issue. It's a pretty tightly controlled operation.
Based solely on the facts presently on the table, I would have to side with Apple. More or additional information could change my mind.
]]>First it's water damage then it magically becomes a pest control problem?
Soulds well past fishy on apples part to me, I want to see the pix...
]]>But anyway. Those lady bugs get in ANYWHERE. I don't know how, seeing as their bodies are comparatively large. We've had swarms of them in the fall. I normally like lady bugs in my garden but not in the house thanks.
]]>Back when I worked at HP. If we found any bugs inside a laptop it was declared a bio-hazard and we weren't allowed to repair it. They would sometimes give you a discount rate on purchasing a new laptopt if it was still well within warrenty. Or if you had the accidental damage warrenty we just threw it away and gave you a new one.
On a side note, I never saw one with ladybugs though. I've seen roaches a few times, and they're just nasty. I had one that when I opend the lcd around 30 or so baby spiders just scattered everyware. I also used to get ones from soldiers home on r&r from iraq/afganistan with computer problems and you'd open it up and could pour enough sand out of it to fill a glass. But those we usually just gave a good cleaning to and tried to use what parts we could salvage and replace the bad ones as a courtesy. which btw, if you need something repaird quick at HP, tell them you're being deployed in about 3days after the day they should have recieved it.
]]>There are many species of this type of insect.
Additionally, it is possible the ladybugs (as adults) did not get in there - the larvae are quite small and soft-bodied and will likely look for a secure place to pupate.
]]>@OmniZero: Yeah i saw that show. OMG! How can people live like that? That is the question of the day.
]]>I would love some more details, specifically dates. Then, I would love to know how the OP got a laptop replaced with a newer and much more expensive version. However, I would prefer it if someone interviewed him or something and then wrote the story. It is my perogotive that I can't read more of what he writes about.
]]>I've owned one PowerBook (nearly 4 years now, no problems) and 4 iPods (over the past 6 years) and haven't had any problems beyond batteries dying out.
I do feel for this guy and the unlucky shaft he's gotten. Keep up the good fight, and if all else fails, email sjobs@apple.com (no joke).
]]>My DOS has fleas: 15 years ago several computers were next to the office air conditioner, which had a family of pigeons nesting on the other side. Almost on cue, all three computers released a swarm of tiny red (fleas?) in the middle of the day. It was like a cheesy horror flick.
]]>And yes Apple considered bug infestation as a non-warrantee repair akin to water damage.
That being said, I have NO problems with Apple Care. They just went in for over 3/4ths the cost of a non-warrantee Macbook Pro repair last week, cutting our cost from 400 to 100 dollars because I explained nicely to them the situation surrounding the repair.
]]>Another one of my friends was always suspicious of his roommate's drinking habits, so he'd cover his computer nightly with a tarp.
]]>The worst insurance claim I saw when I worked in a computer store was also thoroughly disgusting but did not involve bugs. A guy's roommate was drunk, and the owner of the computer wasn't there. His roommate came in, vomited on the computer, and somehow defecated on the case of the laptop. The computer was ruled a total loss. It was nasty.
]]>Roaches were most common, as they like warm, dry places with tight spaces. VCR's were a roach heaven. They get in there, do their business and leave their waste all over the boards, causing short circuits and corrosion. Sometimes they wander into switching power supplies and zap themselves when they cross the high voltage and usually blow the supply in the process. But not just roaches, spiders, crickets, and yes ladybugs were found.
Often times the customer would come back and we would have to play psychologist in dealing with them. You don't want to be as crass as Apple and accuse someone of living in a bug haven, so you'd have to explain that you performed an intense "cleaning" (which was true). sometimes though the damage was too extensive to make repair cost effective.
It is very possible that the bugs could have entered the machine through the cooling vents or openings and mated there and started a colony. Believe it or not some manufacturers' warranties actually stipulate that damage from "insect infestation" is not covered. It could also be considered an act of God or environmental abuse.
It is very possible that this did in fact happen.
]]>OP -- It might be time to recognize that you're not exactly a profitable customer to Apple. If you get anything back from Apple for free, expect it to be an X200 and a Zune.
]]>Water damage then bug infestation.
Wow. Talk about any excuse in the book.
"I'm sorry sir, we can't fix your macbook due to Famine. Have a nice day and thanks for calling Apple."
]]>I have dealt with Apple atleast a few times a week for the past 6 years and have never even received a rude look from them.
good luck?
]]>The Water Damaged Display can happen because you placed something cold (not wet) on the top of the closed display during transport. This creates condensation inside the unit creating water damage. I've seen this quite a few times.
The Ladybug issue, weird, doubt it came from the factory, don't think the OP could do it.
]]>