To whom it may concern in management,
I would like to say that I really wanted to have a good experience with buying an Apple product and have given you at least three different opportunities to give me a good experience. In the last 60 days I have bought an Apple iPhone 3G 16GB, accessories for the iPhone, Macbook Pro 17”, Extended Care Package for the Macbook, Final Cut Studio 2, and have attempted to buy accessories for the Macbook from your stores. Other than the repair done to my iPhone (see below) I have not had a good experience with Apple. My first experience was buying the iPhone, while I did want to get the phone the first day and was prepared to wait in line; the experience was anything but good. There was many things that apple could have done to make the roll out of the phone better for both the retailers and the consumers. In hindsight, I should have seen that as a warning about Apple. However, I did not and continued to seek the experience that many of my friends have had with your store and products. So I ordered my laptop over the phone, I was very disappointed with the process, having to continually repeat my information (because it was supposedly erased when the charge did not through) in subsequent calls because of issues with the credit card company authorizing the charge and getting different information from different sales associates every time I called call, total number of calls to order the laptop, five. One of the reasons that I order Final Cut Studio 2 separate was because of bad information for the sales associate. The final issue that I have had with Apple stores, and one of the reasons that I was motivated in to writing this letter was going shopping for accessories for my Macbook Pro 17” on 8-17-08, The two closest stores to my home are 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067 and 8500 Beverly Boulevard, Suite #656, Los Angeles, CA 90048. The main product that I was looking for was a hard plastic cover from my laptop. The first store I visited was on Santa Monica Blvd. This store had no cases for 17” Macbook pros on display; they had lots of case and covers for the 15”, 13”, and air on display. When I asked a sales associate if they had any in the back, he replied in a snobby or condescending voice that if it was not on the shelf then they did not have anything for my Macbook pro. While I was surprised that an Apple store would not stock accessories for a $3000 laptop, I wrote it off as a busy sales day and the employee’s attitude as an off day. So rather than bother the employee having a bad day, which I should have to find out if the next store I was going to visit had an cases for 17” laptops, I decided to just go over to the next store. I would have used my iPhone but it still has issues with the phone that have not been worked out (see below). Upon arriving at the store on Beverly Boulevard, I noticed the same problem that seems to be common to all of the stores I have visited, that they are understaffed. After finally flagging down a sales associate, and asking if they had any cases for a Macbook Pro 17”, they did not. While they sales associate was nice and attempted to work with me, it is not her fault the store does not stock accessories for 17” Macbook Pro’s., I left the Apple store angry, why do they not carry products for my Macbook Pro. Having visited 3 Apple stores and seeing no accessories for my laptop it makes me wonder who will support my laptop when or if it needs service. I feel that with the limited product line up from Apple that one of these stores should have a good selection of accessories for a 17’ Macbook Pro. This failure along with many of the other issues that I have had to deal with in buying Apple products has totally turned me off to your products. While I understand that it is Sunday and the stores are busy it is still no excuse to not have products that fit my very expensive laptop, or to have sales associates that are unhelpful or rude. A recommendation is to have more stock on the shelves and more staff in the store when it is busy. I would return all of my Apple products if I did not need them for my internship. In the future I will go out of my way to avoid any Apple product, even if it means spending significantly more money to avoid your products. I have become convinced that my friends who think they are having a good experience with your stores and products have no reference of what good service or products are, I think that they have had such a bad experience with other companies that anyone that listens to them a little is now the greatest company.
In addition, to not have a very good buying experience in your stores, I have not had a good experience with the iPhone 3G. I have already had to return my first iPhone 3G because it was defective, I will say that the one good experience I did have was with the technician who helped me at the genius bar at the Apple store at 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036. What is very disappointing is that many of the same issues still exist on the new phone; the one issue that has been fixed for the moment is the phone locking up and going into a no service mode. However, even the new phone still does not work correctly, why is it that when it the 3G mode is turned on the phone no longer gets reception? Turn off the 3G and I get some reception (still lots of complaints that the phone sound very bad or unintelligible). I waited to buy the 3G version so that I could have reasonable download speeds, sometimes I can get that 3G speed but often I cannot. My big issue is that this is a phone and the number one thing that it should do is be a phone, it fails often at this task. Second, I use this phone as an internet appliance and it often fails at this also. This is one of the worst phones that I have ever owned (and I have owned a variety of phones for different manufactures in the last 15 years). What makes me angry is that the iPhone does not live up to the specs on the outside of the box. This phone does not do what it is advertised to do. I would like to use this phone for work but having clients constantly tell me they “cannot understand me” or “that your phone sucks” is hampering my business. While I understand that I terrain and location have an effect on phone reception and service, I did not have near the problems with my last phone a Motorola 3G cell phone that cost significantly less. In addition, my last phone had a significantly longer battery life, would live for three or four days without a charge, this phone and the one pervious have yet to make it more than a day without having to be charged. Again the recommendation for the retail store is to turn off the 3G service, why have a 3G phone if you cannot use it because it cannot of short battery life.
My experience with this Apple product has soured me on all of your products. I now recommend that anyone who will listen to me to stay away from the Apple iPhone. I will show them my phone and let them make a call with the phone to show them why they should not get this phone. I only hope that I will have a better experience with my new Macbook Pro 17” laptop, however my friend already had to exchange his laptop twice, so I will not be surprised that I will be visiting the Genus Bar soon with a problem with my laptop.
Sincerely,
The Benz Doctor
