First thing I did when I walked in the store was to ask one of the staff how long the warranty was on new iPhones and he said 12 months. Then I asked if that warranty will repair or replace faulty product and he clearly said they will just replace with a new one.

The people who work there seems to be not so polite but at least they agreed to send it off. I was told it will take 2 weeks and they weren’t going to provide me any temporary phone or anything. So I was just happy that they will get it replaced. I will see what they send me in couple of weeks.

Will post more of my warranty experience from MagnumMac Albany Auckland Mall in couple of weeks.

The service department (for all the negatives comments I’ve heard about them) were quite good.
They fixed my under warranty MBP in a fast, efficient manner and were quite helpful.
This repair was a few years ago so whether it’s still the same now or I just got lucky that day, I don’t know.

I have worked at a number of Apple Authorised Service Providers and can confirm that though it isn’t Apple’s policy to remove your battery and leave you without it for a few days while waiting on the replacement, what MagnumMac were doing was actually a favour to you. I’ll explain.

Firstly, Apple makes no allowance for using off the shelf retail stock to replace faulty batteries for customers who approach service centres. To do so could stuff up the warranty on the retail stock batteries as they are all uniquely serialised and carry full 12 month warranties, where as the service part replacement only carries 90 days. So the chances of ANY service provider letting you walk out the door with a new off the shelf replacement when they are yet to even know whether Apple will provide them with a warranty replacement for your faulty one, let alone the replacement only coming with a 90 day warranty for them to place back on the shelf is slim.

Secondly, Apple assume that when the order for the warranty replacement is placed, that the Apple service provider actually have your whole machine in their service department, not just the battery. They give the service provider a very small window in which to “Exchange” the faulty battery for the replacement. If the provider has neither the machine nor the battery then when the replacement arrives they they to quickly contact you to get you to come in and perform the exchange ASAP or face the possibility of missing the exchange window and possibly wearing the cost of the replacement battery or late fees for the return of the faulty one (Its amazing how many people agree to come in straight away when called but are suddenly “Busy” or “away” when you call them), few service providers are willing to risk these charges (Especially as the service is free to customer) unless you an already a well established customer of that provider/store. So most providers will find a middle ground and rather then holding onto your entire machine till the exchange process is complete, will offer you back the bit you can still use (i.e the machine) keeping the battery and thus guaranteeing the battery can be exchanged immediately when the replacement arrives but you can still use you machine in the meantime. Remember Apple expects that the service provider have your entire machine during all this time. So what MagnumMac did for Chris was pretty fair to both him and them.

Additionally Chris doesn’t mention where he purchased the machine and it is highly likely it wasnt from MagnumMac. So people need to remember that Apple Service providers are not “Apple”. They didn’t make or design the product, they certainly didn’t break the product and often they didnt even sell the product and still have to try and provide you a service entirely for free (When in warranty). They have rules and limitations set down by Apple and are often trying to do as much as they can for the customers best interest but as they still are an independent commercial enterprise, they still have to cater to their own bottom line and personally I dont mind if they have to sometimes make tough choices to help keep down potential costs or fees , as long as it help them to remain in business to be available to help me with my next issue, the amount of good providers is small enough as it is. Most service providers live off their reputations and returning customers so its normally not in their best interest to P*ss you off and mostly this is not what they are trying to do, but just sometimes they just cant meet the customers exceptions and its not due to the lack of service, it sometimes comes down to unreasonably high expectations.

Im not defending MagnumMac but Independant stores such as Magnummac are in no different a position then Noel Leemings or Harvey Normans or the Warehouse but our expectation of their level of service is often a great deal Higher. I dont know why. The chain store often make higher margins (Due to having a better bulk purchase price) and often provide either minimal or no service and extremely limited product knowledge but we are happy to accept that from them but are quick to complain about independent providers.

All that said mind you, bad service is bad service and you have every right to complain and comment if you have been wronged. Its just that sometimes we are not aware of the whole picture.

I am not totally convinced you read my post completely…

I went back to try and give them some of my money.
I LOVE The Bay! They are the complete opposite of Magnum Mac. They actually listen when I talk.

I keep going back to them in the hope that they actually have something to sell me. That is my problem. I am trying to give them money, but there is nothing on the shelf! I can’t afford to wait 4 weeks for a laptop.

Here is the best part. The Bay know I went to Dick Smiths and purchased my Mac there, yet the staff member STILL offered to help me at anytime with any set up problems!! They are just that good.

They are doing everything right, except being able to sell me anything. I just feel very sorry for them, that’s all.

The Bay is clean, friendly, has knowledgeable staff, great demo tables, fantastic location AND they talk to you like you are the world to them….

BUT they NEVER, EVER have any stock of anything!!! Every time I go in there, I get another excuse as to why they don’t have any stock. ‘Sold Out’ ‘Global Demand’ (While everywhere else in town does…..). Apparently, this is common for them, as I was discussing with Mac friends who have also been in and been disappointed…

On Saturday I spoke to a nice english gentleman for about an hour, he was extremely helpful, polite, knew his products and prepared a quote for me. He had done such a great job selling me on the Mac, I was almost in tears when I was told they had none in stock. So I walked around the corner to Dick Smiths and purchased everything there….

So for great advice, help and nice friendly people, go to the Bay. To actually buy anything, avoid them like the plague.