That’s because there are 4 distinct types of keyboard. And some of them have multiple generations. Regardless, those are all devices with internal batteries that would be as hard to replace as the Magic Trackpad.
So you’re actually considering that Apple would charge $29 for a repair that can be done with a standard coin and 2 cheap AA batteries, and that that would be a likely possibility for what somebody asking for service would want? The fact that you’re considering this as a potential option just seems hilarious to me.
Trackpad 2 and 3 are the exact same internally by all reports, with the only difference being that the Trackpad 3 has slightly more rounded corners to fit with the modern Mac design.
Because their listed service option is for me to bring it in. This means that they’ll schedule me a Genius Bar appointment at the store that claims they not only don’t currently repair, but in fact have never repaired, my device.
If I could get the service by bringing it in, I’d have it fixed by now.
Make the appointment via the website, and bring your device with you to the store!
I would be surprised, if they would not know how to handle the problem, if you do it the „right“ way!
Maybe you’re forgetting the context. I was literally there in the store, trying to make an appointment. They confirmed with Geniuses at the store that this was something that they do not do. Ever. And they never have.
The people at Apple Customer Service - y’know, the people who are the only support option for customers too far from an Apple Store - also couldn’t fix it. I’ve had them suggest I visit a Genius Bar in the past, but not this time. This is something that they Do Not Do.
So even if scheduling via the website is the one and only “right” way to get service, then the system is still completely and fundamentally broken.
That said, given the number and variety of people that have told me that what I want is impossible, I think it’s fascinating that your primary proposed remedy here is to assert that (a) this sort of repair isn’t worth Apple’s time, (b) Apple’s website must not be offering what it very clearly seems to be offering, and yet somehow (c) that if I just “did it the right way”, you’d be surprised if they didn’t fix my device.
So, you do not want a solution for your problem, but just want to do some complaining a little bit about Apple!
Either, go the Way Apple is offering via their website, and see what is happening, or get used to the situation, that there might be no way to do the repair for your device, unless you do it yourself, or you find a “local repair shop” who is doing this.
Reading this thread makes me think about how many things get lost in translation…
Apple offers a Battery “replacement” swap for mice, keyboards and trackpads that have built-in batteries. This means replacing the the entire device. The “longtime Genius” in the store WebWalrus should be ashamed of themselves for not knowing this.
The store never will tell you if a replacement part is in stock, unless a repair have been created. This has always been the case with Apple stores. Some people think it is a stupid policy… some people don’t given Apple’s policy of keeping supply levels a secret.
My Space Gray Trackpad has stopped clicking and I found I need to charge it once a week. I stopped by my local Apple store (after booking an appointment) and was able to order a replacement trackpad for $29 + tax. It was not in stock so I might have to wait up to a week. Of course, they offered to sell me a brand new trackpad but I politely declined.
I am very sorry that even in an Apple store, people show they are human by making mistakes. Sometimes BIG mistakes. Your frustration over this whole interaction with the store and AppleCare should never had happened.
Thanks for the sympathy. And honestly, I get that people occasionally make mistakes. It just blew my mind that both the phone support and the in-store people couldn’t get it figured out. At that point, I think it really stops being about the people making mistakes and starts being about Apple not doing a very good job training people. This isn’t something that should be hard for somebody at their call center to verify.
Just for reference, can I ask how old the trackpad you have is? It’s not like it’s within the first year of service, is it?
ETA: @MacGuyMI - Emboldened by your comments, I called AppleCare again. Spoke to an advisor. I explained what you’d said, about the device replacement program. He escalated to a senior rep. The senior rep had never heard of, and had nothing in his computer about, the replacement program. I showed him the website, and the $29 service estimate. He still couldn’t find anything in his computer. So he called the next-closest Apple Store to the one I’d stopped at, and they didn’t know anything about it either. He actually suggested I call my local Best Buy to see if they could do anything, since they’re an Apple Authorized Service Provider and neither of my accessible Apple Stores know anything.
So that makes…
Two Apple stores
Two entry-level reps
One senior rep
All trying to solve a problem that apparently has a solution - but nobody knows about it, or can find anything about it in their computers.
The senior guy even agreed with me that the website shows that it’s possible - but also agreed that if the local stores can’t/won’t do it, it’s silly to go in.
Apple used my Mac Mini serial number and was able to find a replacement under Trackpad - Battery Swap for a cost of $29 + tax. I had zero expectations that this part would be in stock and I was correct. Anytime I had to order a replacement mouse, keyboard or trackpad for a customer in the past, that was the case 90% of the time.
AppleCare staff is not what it once was… and that is a shame. Their system and the store system are similar but different enough to be frustrating. AppleCare will NOT be able to order you a replacement trackpad. Try a different store if possible…
THIS is a bigger waste of your time… perhaps an AASP that is NOT BB might be a solution. I just know that BB will spike your blood pressure worse than what you have already gone thru.
I emailed the Tim Cook address and got a contact from Apple’s Executive Relations team.
He basically said he had no idea why the stores/advisors couldn’t figure this out, because it took him all of two minutes to find the program info. He apologized for the confusion/hassle, sent out a replacement trackpad, and even gave me a choice of color for my replacement.
He also pulled the entire case history and noted all the advisors I’d spoken with plus the two store names (and approximate visit/call times). Apparently there’s an internal process for following up on training with stores & advisors.
So…I don’t have the trackpad yet obviously, but I have a shipping confirmation.
All that to say, it’s kind of silly that it took this level of effort to get something done - but at least Apple has a team of people in place that can rectify things.
Unfortunately, most people won’t know to email Tim Cook. So in many cases that team won’t know there is a problem to rectify. But it is better than nothing.
I think discoverability with stuff like this is always a challenge. How do you let people know there’s a department to review cases to address customer service errors, without flooding that department with things that are not, in fact, customer service errors?
I think that having the senior escalation techs at AppleCare Support referring people might be a good middle ground.
When I was talking to that senior tech, he agreed that the website said they serviced batteries. He agreed that he didn’t have options. He agreed that neither of my local stores would help me. But he said there was literally nobody that we could escalate to. That, I think, might be the missed opportunity in the system.
At the point where a senior tech at AppleCare believes that the problem should be able to be fixed, but that they can’t fix it, that seems like the sort of thing this other department is designed for.
No “procedure” was given on the website other than “book an appointment at an Apple Store”. Which I tried to do. And even the senior advisor from Apple Care couldn’t get a local store to book an appointment for the service that I was requesting.
I’m just dumbfounded that you seem to have this compelling need for this to be my fault.
Let’s please not flag posts out of disagreement or annoyance. It makes the forum harder to read. There’s no user preference to turn that feature off, that I’ve seen.
It is basically a simple thing, to go to the website, make the appointment there, and THEN go to this scheduled appointment, meet a specialist who already has the instructions on what to do, and get your faulty device exchanged!
But this is not, what happened here!
Webwalrus did not make the appointment via the website, he approached an Apple Store without his device and the necessary Appointment, and then startet the rant we have to read here, because he did not get what he wanted, the Way he wanted it.
Beside that, with his unnecessary complaint towards the Apple Management he endangered the jobs of a couple of people, unfortunately crossed his way during his mission, and now became the subject of his unnecessary complaint!
This is just not fair against those Apple Employees going into his way, while he did not followed the procedure Apple set up for this!
So, I never called someone a “liar”!
I also not running “out of arguments” on that topic!
I just mentioned, that he could reach his goal, by following the given rules, without doing this rant, and getting Apple Employees in a possible troubled situation, while it was, in fact, totally his fault!!
Oh, and because he didn’t do any mistakes, from his point of view, he rather flags posts, that he did not like, than to either see into his faults, or at least set a valid argument against it, in case I miss something!
