Overtightened screws on iBook... problem at Apple Store?

kickaha

My wife bought a brand spankin' new iBook on Nov 17th, and so far she's had the Enter key continually *fall off*. She took it into the Apple Store, to the Genius Bar, and the lame assed employee there (Southpoint, Durham, NC, by the way, if the manager is reading... I'll be seeing you tomorrow anyway) told her that she'd have to pay for a new keyboard. Less than two weeks after she bought it, the key strut mechanism is obviously misaligned, and he told her that she'd have to pay for a new keyboard out of pocket. Er, right.



You got it, the guy insisted that an obviously defective keyboard wasn't covered under the warrantee. Went so far as to blame her, saying she must have been picking at it or something.



So, he pops the key back on, and sends her on her way. She gets home, opens the lid, and guess what falls out? The Enter key.



Flash forward one week to tonight, when I go to install her new RAM. I follow all the instructions (which, by the way, do *NOT* mention that the screws are only removable by a jeweler's screwdriver...), as I've done on numerous machines in the past.



Problem is that one of the screws was SERIOUSLY overtightened. I *cannot* get it undone, and, to make it worse, it looks like it was tightened and nearly stripped on installation.



Ergo, I can't install the RAM. More to the point, given the horrendous customer service at the local Apple Store, I have this sneaking suspicion that I'm going to get blamed for the state of the screw, and they're going to say "Sorry, out of warrantee." (Especially since the other one was also tight, and I *did* mar that one slightly getting it out.)



Any advice?



We do have another local Apple repair shop that has been great in the past, that I'm considering going to directly instead of dealing with the Apple Store... but for some reason I'm actually considering going there, if no other reason than to complain to the manager.

ghost_user_name

As well you should, it'll make you feel better.

alcimedes

when iBook screws are tightened to far, there's only one way that i've found to get 'em out.



since you have two people though you should be able to pull it off.



you need the right sized screwdriver and some vicegrips.



open up the machine. get the vicegrips locked on the screwdriver.



one person, push down HARD on the screwdriver, while the other uses the vicegrips on the screwdriver to loosen it. you shouldn't strip it then, and it should come out nicely.

kickaha

You have GOT to be kidding me.



Does this strike anyone else as defective under the qualification of 'user serviceable part'?

jmoney

Man, just march in there.. and don't take any shit.. If there's one thing I've learned working in retail, when the customer doesn't shut the hell up, and gets really loud, the customer then automatically becomes right.. Remind the manager that Apple is known for excellent customer service, and you feel that this branch should help maintain the good image.. If that doesn't work, might I suggest a quick boot to the jewels? Takes even the biggest men down :cool:

ghost_user_name

Mention that you're a doctor also. Doctors tend to get good service. Seriously.



When I worked as a tech, we gave this one doctor, who really acted like one, a brand new PowerBook G3 because his old one broke while under warranty. Did I mention his old one had no serial number? I refused to work on the machine because he couldn't prove he was the owner. Two other doctors also got special treatment in the tech shop.



So lie out your ass and mention you're a doctor if you get the chance.

fellowship

I have an iBook and to date had no problems with the Keyboard but I am sure from the sound of it yours was defective and Apple should cover it. The ram was a pain in the you know what for me unscrew the screws as well. If apple would not give out such a memory hog OS combined with simply giving at least 640 meg of ram this would not be an issue. The over-tight screws really got me a little upset with my iBook. I finally got them out after much frustration.



I would go back to apple and have them put your memory in and make them cover the replacement cost of the keyboard.



Fellowship

alcimedes

oh, btw, yes that's a problem, and you shouldn't be expected to have to fix things this way.



however, if you wanted to, that's how you'd do it.

der kopf

Of course, you should never try to tackle a screw without the right tool, because that'll f*ck you for sure. I'm not saying you did though. I didn't have any problems with opening my ibook.



[ 12-12-2002: Message edited by: der Kopf ]</p>

aquatic

Don't bother. Send it to Texas. I did. I even opened my iBook (I was GOING to but DIDN'T overclock my iBook) and they fixed everythig for free and quickly. DAMN Apple service is good. Send it to Texas!

kickaha

Well, actually it turned out fine. I *did* use a #0 Philips head driver on it, and damned near stripped it out, it was so tight... but the Apple Store Genius handed me a #00 that did the trick. He said they have better success with those. Go figure. (Yeah, he let me do my own repair at the Bar, with their tools. Nice, eh? )



Anyway, they were quite helpful, to the point of apologizing profusely for the treatment my wife received on her last visit, and offering to pre-order an iBook keyboard so that it'd be there and ready to replace if/when we need it.

defiant

at last. It looks a little bit like chauvinism, doesn't it ?

der kopf

[quote]Originally posted by Aquatic:

<strong>Don't bother. Send it to Texas. [snip] Send it to Texas!</strong><hr></blockquote>



Some Texan in particular it should be sent to?