

Ask HN: Apple Genius giving me a hard time - jason_slack

My beloved MacBook Pro died while I was traveling. It is under AppleCare until this coming December.<p>It was taken into the Hillsdale Store in San Mateo. The Apple &quot;Genius&quot; literally opened the lid, says &quot;Smells like water damage&quot;, closed the lid and told me a new motherboard would cost $700.<p>1. I dont smell anything and how could one smell water damage immediately.<p>2. It has <i>never</i> had any water spilled on it, soaked in water, etc.<p>3. Shouldn&#x27;t they be able to point out water damage? Corrosion or an obvious sign. I see them stick lights inside iphone all the time to check for this kind of damage.<p>4. Is this a sign that I should take it to another store where the geniuses are better?<p>5. Is this a ploy to get out of fixing this under AppleCare since it is a 2010 model?<p>Frustrated!
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lutusp
If they can't produce some kind of evidence or test, they're most likely
trying to avoid their warranty obligations. Saying "water damage" is a common
dodge among unscrupulous businesses, because once the water evaporates,
there's no remaining evidence -- or counterevidence.

> Is this a sign that I should take it to another store where the geniuses are
> better?

Yes, of course. It's like getting a second opinion from a doctor. But guess
what? This is one of the downsides of dealing with a monolithic vendor like
Apple -- you have fewer options than if you bought a non-Apple laptop.

> Is this a ploy to get out of fixing this under AppleCare since it is a 2010
> model?

Yes, and you need to realize that they only need to stall you for a certain
amount of time, after which the warranty coverage ends with no remedy.

~~~
jason_slack
Thanks! What I dont get is why the "Genius" wanted to try and intimidate with
his "superior" sense of smell! It is just the oddest thing.

~~~
lutusp
He was betting you were a dumb consumer. You can now prove him wrong.

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dailyrorschach
Try a different genius - I did have water damage to my laptop, and he showed
me the tripped indicators before agreeing to the repair.

~~~
jason_slack
So you had your repaired? Did it cost $700. At that point, can you explain why
you didn't just buy a 13-MBP or an Air? Granted, yes more money, but did you
have other reasoning?

