July 16, 2008
Repairing a Macbook in South Africa
::flexes fingers:: This is going to be interesting. I am an avowed Apple lover and this is in spite of the poor Apple presence in South Africa – not to mention the after-sale service. Core IMC is the company which runs ZA Store – the unofficial official online shop for Apple (authorised by Apple South Africa, whoever they are). Core do the imports for South Africa due to an agreement with Apple and recently published an advertisment in the local newspapers saying that other shops who import Apple products through different channels are not “official” and people shouldn’t buy from them because Apple won’t support those products.
Which is rubbish. Apple will support any products bought in that particular country, and will support laptops worldwide. So, if someone buys a Macbook in the UK and 2 months later it dies in the US, they can walk into any Apple Store and get it fixed – for free, because its under warranty.
Not so in South Africa. If that same person was in SA with a broken laptop and it’s under warranty, no-one will fix it for free. Why? [update: Core and any Mac shop should support international warranties from Apple. I chose C3 and they're repairing it now...] Doesn’t Apple have an official presence here? Well, no. Core is official in the sense that they have a license from Apple UK to operate in this country (click on “Support” on the ZA Store home page and it takes you to the Apple UK page). But they’re under no obligation to deliver Apple services which are standard in the rest of the world. The ZA Store disclaimer says:
Please be advised that ZA Store is operated independently by ZA Online Store Pty (Ltd) as authorised by Apple South Africa.
Apple Inc. will not be held liable for any possible, consequential or inadvertent misrepresentation.
So essentially, “Apple” in South Africa is Core, and Core can do whatever they want. And they have. I’ve shuddered as to what might happen if my beloved Macbook Pro breaks something…and now I get to shudder on behalf of my friend Arthur, who did what every computer user should never do but which happens far too frequently…he spilt coffee on his Macbook. So I’m taking it in to get fixed…but to who?
I bought my first Mac (an iBook G4) from Cool Apple Buddy in Sandton and a quick google didn’t reveal a website for them, but rather a string of complaints. Besides, Cool Apple Buddy and Core are fighting with each other now that CAB has gone independent. I bought my Macbook Pro from Wayne’s World in Cresta, a place which does its own imports and own repairs, so that’s an option. The Core workshop is a possibility…as a last resort. My experience with many local Apple technicians is all they want to do to fix a laptop is to replace the motherboard, without looking at other options first. *sigh*
A twittered call for help got a reply from Stii and Paul to use C3 in Cresta, Joburg. I’ve heard some good things about them.
I’ll be blogging through this experience. This post turned into a bit of a rant, alas. I guess I just can’t fathom why a Macbook Pro is R4000 more expensive in South Africa than in the States…
[2008.07.23 update: I took Arthur's Macbook in to C3 last Friday. Yesterday Arthur called them to find out what was happening, and as he was talking to the receptionist she suddenly swore and hung up. Turns out that was an armed robbery and they took all of their computers. Arthur's is probably one of the ones the took...right now they're trying to get up and running again. Shame, guys - I'm glad everyone is ok! Hopefully they're covered by insurance...]
[Update: it took C3 nearly 3 weeks, but in the end Arthur's MacBook was finally fixed. Hooray! Turns out it wasn't stolen in the robbery, and C3 are a bit more vigilant about letting people in.]
Comments(120)
Roger Saner is a web platform developer (using 
Thank you for reminding me.
I have an order on ZA-Store that I made.
ORDER NO : 12873 ORDER PLACED: 2006-12-21 12:12:53
I have not heard anything about this yet, I keep forgetting about it.
Thanks
Thanx for the info.
I’m going over to mac,but its good to know the pros and cons involved.Hopefully more pros
I’m sure there will be many more questions a long the way from my side.
Till then keep informing us
JJ
Im looking for someone that can sort out my iMac’s graphic card, i was told its shot!
If you are in Joburg you can phone C3 at (011) 476-5046
Why don’t you try ECmac? I have been dealing with them for years and have never ha a bad experience with them
Thanks for the reply, i will contact them
Autodialogs 2.4 sr1.
Autodialogs 2.4 sr1.
Thanks for the info!
I bought my Mac in Taiwan along with the Apple Care Protection Plan a little more than a year ago. Recently the surface (near the keyboard) has begun to crack. The guys at Sandton were not helful at all, the only thing I discovered there was that my Protection Plan was not active and so my warranty had expired! They just told me to go somewhere else or pay a R275 fee for them to send it to someone else!!
I’ll try C3 and see if they’re a bit more helpful and can activate my Apple care
(otherwise it’s useless) or if they can repair the surface. Thanks for the info, it took me ages to find this kind of info.
Hi
Try Digicape. They are authorised distributors and then now offer their own Applecare for 3 years.
Well – I’m someone having the experience that you shudder about. My Macbook Pro – R20k it cost – broke when 15 months old. I’m sure it has been taken out by the Nvidia 8600M graphics chip problem that is biting lots of MBPs.
In the US Apple has offered a second year of free support. My symptoms don’t exactly match the described symptoms but I’m confident they would repair it for me. (And anyway, previous Macs that I bought outside SA and I bought Applecare on all of them – but Core doesn’t offer that in SA).
Anyway – I’m stuck with a R17k quote for repair, R28k for a new one, and at this stage they will not cover the repair without charging.
I love MacOS but I just can’t buy another Apple product
Steve
@Steve – that sucks! Can’t believe that it’s R17k for repair – that’s ridiculous! If I’d found out sooner, I’d have offered to take your Mac with me to the States (I left for a month on Dec 20th) and got it repaired here. That still might be an idea – find someone who can do that for you?
Hi,
I’m still trying to persuade Project 3 and Core to come to the party. I’ve suggested that a reasonable life for a Macbook Pro is 4 years. I’ve had 15 months, so I propose to pay 30% of the quote for the repair.
My guess is that that will cover most of their cost.
Its obviously the right thing to do. But so far they haven’t said yea or nay.
Steve
Hi all,
I live in the US and I’m the hugest Apple fan. iPod, MacBookPro, iPhone, you name it. I’m moving to Durban in a few months…. will I be screwed if I need service or repair?
I have AppleCare for another year, is there no Apple store in the entire country that would honor it? And here is takes 3-5 days to get full service repairs done, so what’s the turn around time there??
Thanks for your advise guys, let’s bring Apple to SA for real this time.
S
@Shawn,
Do a google search for citimac in Durban, they are one of the older authorised repair centres based in Durbs (Citimac and Apples 4 Apples.. authorised reseller and authorised repair centre).
Can probably drop them an e-mail to query the AppleCare coverage and their turnaround time.
Like any SA apple repair option, their repair costs are harsh!
I’ve sent my macbook (covered by warranty) back to Core via the Durban iStore – took about 2-3 weeks for the most basic of repairs.
Got a powerbook 12″ I need to send in to a repair centre – but hesitant to given the likely repair costs!
Anyways, Citimac in Durban – there is an option for repairs in Durbs.
@Shawn, Apple centres here will honour AppleCare warranties – the only issue is how long it takes. Last time I had something repaired it took almost 3 weeks, but hey, there *was* an armed robbery during the process.
The issue is that Apple doesn’t have an official presence in the country. A local company called Core (who are widely disliked) are contracted to look after all of the Apple stuff here (through some sort of deal with Apple Europe). Compared to the States, they are slow, expensive and annoying to deal with.
But other than that (!) there’s a growing base of passionate Mac users here, which can only be a good thing
And I’ve just gotten a quote on repairing my PB 12″.. my own uneducated diagnosis is that its likely the logic board that needs replacing..
Quotes from two apple repair centres, one in Durbs and the other in Jhb..
R10k for the logic board, excl labour..
and
R14k for the logic board, excl labour..
And thats the problem with mac’s locally, once out of warranty!
-sigh-
contemplating ordering a replacement logic board off fleabay.. but again, im not 100% certain it -is- the board, though everything I’ve googled points to it.
Alternative is to sell off the machine as parts!
@goga: wow – for that price you may as well buy a new MacBook! Have you run the hardware diagnostic cd (which I think came with the old powerbooks – I know I had one with my iBook G4)?
Hi,
Followup on my Macbook Pro that has been quoted as R17k for repair. I have argued and argued my case with anyone and everyone I can find including Paul Damhuis – he is the country manager for Applecare. But I am now at the end of the road. Neither Project 3 nor Core are willing to cover even a part of the quoted repair cost, even though mine is only 15 month old and broke out of the blue after 15 months of molly-coddling.
So if you are considering Apple hardware, my advice is to think long and hard before buying the newest Nvidia-GPU / chipset using systems. Core will not do a single bit more than their minimal legal obligation.
I note that a number of more robust laptops run great as Hackintoshes.
Regards,
Steve Davies
@Steve: you put it well: “Core won’t do a single bit more than their minimal legal obligation.” That’s been my experience with them, and is unfortunately quite different from the States – recently I bought iWork 08, and 2 weeks later iWork 09 was released. It wasn’t an upgrade, it was a full new release, and Apple was under no obligation legally to provide me with a free upgrade.
Good customer service is another thing. I went into an Apple store in Portland, explained the situation, and they very kindly gave me iWork 09. They didn’t have to, but they did. I told my wife as we walked out, “That would never happen in South Africa.”
Go figure.
@Roger
Yeah, sadly I’m learning this is the case. I’ve done most everything short of putting my MacBookPro in the microwave and every time I’ve busted something Apple has replaced is within 3-5 days. I’m from the US though and over here you have to have a certain level of customer satisfaction otherwise your customer base disappears, and quickly. So when you spend $2200 on a machine that you could have gotten two for the price of one from another company, you’re sold on the reliability of the product and the support you will be getting. Which I’ve gotten 3 fold!
What I don’t understand is you guys are saying it costs more to get an Apple product over there but you get less, rather zero, customer support? That can’t be correct. : /
I mean? Who’s making the money off of you guys and why haven’t your Apple consumers started to uprise against this and demand better service? Come on South Africa!! I see democracy working better over there than it has over here (i.e. Bush 2000/4)! Your Head of State resigns when he screws up! But Core and the PIGS that are exploiting you are still in power?!!?!?
Who’s going to head an effort to make this right. I’m in California (home of Apple) for another two months. What can we do to make this better and what can I do from here to help?
@Shawn: have you read @Steve’s experience above? He’s actually spoken with the head of Applecare in South Africa and hasn’t come right.
“I’m from the US though and over here you have to have a certain level of customer satisfaction otherwise your customer base disappears, and quickly.” That’s how it should work! South Africa is slightly different – an interesting mix of 3rd world and 1st world. We feel lucky if the machine gets repaired at all! So if it takes 3 weeks instead of 5 days, well, that’s how it is.
And that’s not right! A big difference between South Africans and Americans is that we put up with bad service. Americans don’t (which is also why they’re often perceived as arrogant over here).
The thing is, South Africa is gearing up for the 2010 Soccer World Cup here next year, and we’re aspiring to be world class in so many different industries. Apple should be no different.
To confirm: yes, it’s more expensive to buy Apple Macs here ($2370 for a MacBookPro in SA, vs $2000 in the US) and we get less customer support. And no way to complain to Apple about it, because Core essentially runs as a dictatorship – if you don’t like, sorry for you.
So, how do you suggest we Apple users demand better service? I’d absolutely love to do something about it – and something that will work, rather than something that just makes us feel good.
Firefox took out a full page ad in the New York Times a few years ago to show why Firefox is better than IE. We did a similar thing locally to protest the monopoly of our single internet service provider in SA – but it didn’t change anything.
Would some kind of petition work? Who would we deliver it to?
@Roger
Yes I’ve read a lot of blogs about horrid service in SA, I often ask my self, ‘why is it that I’m moving there, again?’ But I’m not familiar with how your government, or Better Business Bureau equivalent works over there… I’d say the first step to making something happen would be to create a forum for Mac users in SA, that way you all can compare notes of failure and progress. Remember, we are stronger in numbers. First, you have to identify your group, if one person complains, then nothing happens, if 5 people complain, nothing happens, what would happen if 500 people complained all at the same time and got international attention? If the inefficiencies of your country are brought to light then people will start to get the message, and if the soccer thing is really important, people will start to pay attention to South African news. And not to mention, Americans love a good fight with authoritative figures, Steve Jobs included, and it’s actually surprisingly easy to get his attention, you just have to be organized and make it a good PR opportunity for Apple, or perhaps a dire one to avoid.
I’d start a web forum myself, but I don’t have the knowledge of your server structures let alone enough HTML to do it, but I would commit to posting often with things like trouble shooting, who to contact, and Mac things in general.
Don’t forget, that the iPhone and iPods are the biggest and easiest customer base to capture, and there has to be a ton of those in South Africa. Not to mention, how the f*** do you guys not have an Apple store to begin with!!?!?! Not even an iTunes store?!
If anyone has suggestions about how I can bring up my case with Apple headquarters in Cupertino then I’d be happy to hear them. Even if I can’t get anywhere with getting my system repair, I’d like to get across my dissatisfaction with the SA channel.
Steve
@Shawn: South Africa is a great country – you’ll love it! I spent last year living with a community of Americans in Pretoria North – they love the country too.
Great idea about starting a web forum – at least getting users together in one place is a good idea. If I had a bit more time right now, I’d set it up immediately!
iPhones are starting to sell over here – and iPods are huge. So if we can capture that market, that’ll be great!
We only recently got an iTunes store here – can’t buy music off it, only iPhone apps. Wish I knew who to complain to!
@Steve: maybe it’s an idea to email some Apple Stores in the States and UK respectively, firstly asking them what they’d do with your situation if you were closer, and secondly asking who to complain to. That way when you start contacting people higher up the chain you can say, “I was directed here by the Apple Store in Regent Street in London,” or something like that.
Shawn has suggested an online forum for Apple lovers in SA, I guess it would be something like, “Apple is great; our outsourced Apple service in South Africa sucks.”
Hi Guys.. I’m currently living in Ireland, and i’m moving to Durban in November.. I’ve been working as an Apple Service Technician for 8 years.. anyone know what the Job Situation is Like or would i be better off going it alone.
I cover all Macs & Windows from Classic to Intel.. Win 95 to Vista.. if its not easy finding work what’s it like starting a business in SA..
@Robbie: wow, it would be great to have a world-class Apple technician working in SA! We have a few…but always need more.
I don’t know what the job situation is like – but you’re skilled, and there’s always a need for skilled people. I’d suggest emailing core – you can contact them at http://www.zastore.co.za and Project 3. They can give you some pointers…
Please let me know what you find out
wer can i hav my ipod outa guarantee fixed in the Durban – South Africa area??
@nooks: if you read this thread you would’ve noticed that Citimac is your best bet. 031 201 0849
Hi Steve
We had a similar experience with two of our macbooks, one a 17″ Macbook Pro that was 3 weeks out of warrantee, the screen would simply no longer switch on and after trying everything the answer came back from America that it won’t be fixed, quoted R16k for a repair. The second one was a 15″ Macbook Pro, about 16 months old … same story. I do believe there is a real problem with the specific configuration (Nvidia GPU) and think there should have been a recall from Apple, after all brand loyalty is one of the big differentiators between Apple and the rest.
We are forced to no longer purchase Apple products but to switch to other brands, because of the lack of support.
PS. If anyone knows of an engineer that can attempt to fix these motherboards/graphics cards for a better price, please let me know…
Hello again!
I’ve arrived in Durban and I finally got around to creating this group, let’s join and start writing things down about Mac/Apple user issues and make it a forum for ideas and tips to be exchanged and then maybe in the future I (and others, too, please lol) can make it an official site
Thanks!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110379374408
Hi!
I came across this forum after hitting a brick wall in DigiCape.
Same story as other users…my 18 month Macbook Pro 15″ video stopped working. They gave me a quote for 15k! I mean, I paid 22k for it and it is really still brand new. The customer service in DigiCape is pathetic, they don’t even try to understand that their could be a global problem with Macbook Pro’s.
I seriously think public awareness needs to be raised around this issue. I’m considering approaching the newspapers, radio, and also warning friends and colleagues to seriously stay away from Apple laptops.
I was a HUGE Apple fan, but now I don’t know.
Shawn
Hi,
I owe Shawn and others an update on my 15″ MacBook Pro and my fight with Project 3 and Core.
In the end I got a final “no” from Digicape and gave up. They said that my system’s sympoms did not match the requirement for the extended warranty for graphics chip problem, and that was that. I tried every tack I could think of to persuade them.
So I went to fetch my machine. When I got it home I went “what the hell: might as well look inside and see what I can see”. I ended up stripping a screw underneath and never got it open.
But bizzarely when I plugged it in and tried to power it up I got the chime and listening closely I could hear some disk activity. But a blank screen.
I grabbed my cellphone and started making a video showing what was happening. I was able to remote-desktop into it from another Mac and could show that the system had all the symptoms of the 8600M chip failure.
So – I was right all along and this WAS a chip failure.
The next morning I took the machine right back to Project 3, hooked it up on the bench with my old PowerBook and demonstrated the behaviour which exactly matched the 8600M failure requirements. I was so angry that they had treated me so shoddily.
Since I now had the “right” symptoms they repaired it for nothing.
I’m happy to have it back, but still angry and disappointed at the treatment.
I now run it with a program to watch the temperatures and the fan control program to keep things cooler than Apple’s default. Interestingly, the manager of Project 3 told me that she does the same, which suggests that Core and the dealers know more about this issue than they let on.
I also conclude that it is possible for a MacBook Pro with a failed 8600M graphics chip to show symptoms different from the Apple-required symptoms. In my case failure to boot at all. And its clear that Apple/Core/dealers will use this as a get-out clause even if everything else points at the machine having a graphics chip failure.
Its my belief that all seriously-used MacBook pros (by which I mean 5+ hours per day) are in line to have a 8600M chip failure somewhere between 1 and 2 years old. I also believe that my repaired unit is likely to fail again.
Shawn: Apple has extended warranty for graphics chip failure up until your unit is 24 months old. Digicape know this – but apparently they aren’t going to own up. So you need to get the info about that extension from the Apple site, maybe print some of the long threads on the Apple Discussion Forum and here, and go equipped and don’t accept no for an answer.
You should have no problem if you’ve got the “approved” symptoms (power on, get a chime, system boots but screen is blank, you can get into the box via network or remote desktop, “about this mac” shows the wrong kind of graphics chip.
Doesn’t matter how or where you got your Mac – this is a world-wide program. So don’t take any nonsense if you imported your privately. (Mine was bought from Project 3)
If your symptoms are different, then prepare to fight.
Good luck and report back!
Steve
Thanks very much for that Steve! Seems that there might be a light at the end of this tunnel by what you’re saying.
I will be handing in my Macbook Pro to Project 3 and will post all updates / feedback on this forum.
Many Thanks
Shawn
Glad you stuck it out, Steve! Just a question – has your fight been with Project 3 or with Digicape?
Shawn: looking forward to hearing how your interaction goes with Project 3!
I think the reason that service with Apple Macs in SA is so bad is that the companies involved are separate to Apple. The “Apple Store” in SA isn’t really an Apple store – it’s operated by Core, which isn’t Apple, but has a license from Apple to, seemingly, do what they want. Which means, as far as I can tell, high prices, no interaction with consumers, bad after-sale service and and attitude which says, “Screw you, we’re Core.”
The other Apple shops in SA have to work through Core, which means their independence is limited. This is a systemic problem which can only be solved by Core getting better.
I’ve not managed to get an email address for anyone at Core who knows what’s going on. I’ll keep trying…
Hi,
My fight was with Project 3 and Core,
Paul Damhuis is Apple’s Applecare Manger for South Africa – paul@applecare.co.za
Steve
Hi Steve
Thank you very much for the information – as Jaco stated on the 21st April we have had the exact same problem on 2 of our MBP’s but were told that it is not covered. In all fairness to the Apple Store in Menlyn I see the support article by Apple was only published on the 24th April 2009. I also know that the Menlyn guys did send it in twice trying to argue our case (that alone took like 3 months.) But believe me I will go back with this article.
Can you please elaborate on the “…show that the system had all the symptoms of the 8600M chip failure”?
I had a battery failure (MacBook) and after googling and jumping between discussions/comment I learned its a known failure. Bought my MacBook at zastore and didn’t even go that route, went straight to iStore in the V&A waterfront and told them about the known problem – even told them the newest version for batt update (they didn’t believe me until I showed them online) and then nothing, didn’t hear from them for over 2 weeks. Decided that I am a girl and allowed to behave like a b!tch so I phoned the managers manager and demanded a new battery….week later I got a call to come and fetch my battery.
SA is sooooo behind after sales on apples its scary!
With a blog like this, who needs the Facebook site?
Yes, I agree with most posts about the poor service in South Africa. But comparing service here with that in the USA or UK is unfair on the resellers, many of whom Apple Computer owes for the very Apple presence in South Africa.
Many are those who have dedicated themselves to Apple, through thick and thin (remember Apple disinvested when sanctions were fashionable), and have to contend with Core and Paul from AppleCare who, after all these years, have still to run smooth operations and are forever moving the goal-posts – making it difficult for resellers (and the various channels created recently) to keep up. Sadly, the end-users, you and I, suffer because the resultant structure which, strictly speaking, is autonomous from Apple and the brand we are so crazy about is more about moving boxes down the ‘channel’ than customer satisfaction.
Granted, I’ve had my share of problems and I’ve bad-mouthed Citimac and Apples 4 Apples for their ‘not in our hands’ responses, but over the years I’ve realised that they, and of course the pre-iStore Authorised outlets, are not Apple, but independent businesses who try hard to satisfy clients. As such they cannot exchange faulty products or grant refunds for any product. Once we leave with the purchase, it’s Core, Paul and I. They make much larger profits by selling direct (in contravention of monopoly laws?) – they should rightly carry the baton.
Those of us who are so quick to say ‘the customer is right’ and compare service here with any other country, should first appreciate who ‘the enemy’ is, then go for that jugular. But, of course, after reading the Terms and Conditions we habitually dismiss by pressing the ‘AGREE’ button.
And we should think about this – we are not always customers, we have customers too. When I get ‘right’ customers, I treat them as I do my suppliers – with respect, not ‘bitching’.
As if we haven’t had enough of rotten Apple core, did you hear that now Core is ‘pulling’ service parts in-house. This means that the Apple-independent Distributor now pulls all the strings!
Oh, Core is no longer Apple Authorised Distributor, but Value Added Distributor… Think Difficult!
Go Figure!
Poena: The symptoms of the 8600M graphics chip failure (the one that is eating up Macbook Pros) can be found here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
You will find multiple long threads on the Apple Discussions forum on the topic:
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1150
LC475: Interesting insights into the channel issues, I certainly gave Project 3 every opportunity to do the right thing with or without Core’s help. They blamed Core, Core blamed Apple.
I proposed to Project 3 that they do the repair at cost, or make a proposal for a goodwill discount.
My business has bought many systems from Project 3, I’d regard us as a significant customer. In my business we had a situation where a customer was dissatisfied with equipment they bought from us, for complicated reasons. We took it all back at a big financial loss to us. Ethical business practices are important to us. (We subequently sold them as used units and all the subsequent customers were satisfied with them – so we took this loss even though our product was actually fine)
So I was shocked that much bigger companies were not prepared to take a much smaller hit in order to do the right thing by a regular customer.
Steve
At some point the bad experiences people have with Core and therefore Apple are going to reach critical mass, and Core is going to have a public relations nightmare on their hands. As far as I can tell, they’re not interested in talking to the public, or at least, only as far as making it one-way-communication (as in the case of Stop Grey, their site where they say all sorts of possibly true things about why it’s a bad idea to not buy from them). If they understood what the Connection Economy is all about (that who you are is more important that what you sell), they’d be scrambling to communicate with us.
I’m continuing with my attempts to communicate with them.
Having readthese comments,is it worth buying a macbook pro at R24000.00
http://www.core.co.za/ – new office; new iStore. Bye, bye Channel Partners?
@ 42 Ivan: Yes, yes, yes. Don’t make the common error of comparing Apples with lemons. Apples with similar quality others is fair. On yourself! Then factor in the other OS and the politics that comes free with it and there’s no more tunnel – just joy! The price tag is what we get for being out here – in the sticks. But then again, we do get creamed for most imports, don’t we?
@Ivan: I bought a new MacBook pro almost 3 years ago at a dealer which Core hates: Waynes World in Cresta. Wayne’s World import Apples themselves, and don’t use Core’s channels. They also do all their repairs in-house.
Luckily, my Mac is still working fine, so I’ve never had to take it in for repair, but I think they know what they’re doing.
People will still repair your MacBook – the best bit of advice I’ll give you is buy the 3 year AppleCare plan. It means an extra chunk of change (around R3000 last time I looked) but man, is it worth it. It also means that if you’re traveling overseas, other Apple centres will repair your Mac for free.
My advice: go for it!
Roger:
There is no Apple backed Applecare available in South Africa.
Certainly Paul Damhuis, Applecare Manager for South Africa, has never corrected me when I’ve stated that as a fact.
Steve
Interesting update coming down with Software Update:
“This SMC Firmware update adjusts the fan behavior in MacBook Pro systems (15-inch and 17-inch) when running under high workload conditions.
The updater application will be installed in the /Applications/Utilities folder and will launch automatically. Please follow the instructions in the updater application to complete the update process.”
That reads like an acknowledgement from Apple that there is an issue with heat management in the Macbook Pro?
In the process of looking for comment on this I came across http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/feedback/MacBookPro_video_failure.html where there is a comment that Apple is now extending the warranty for GPU failures to 3 years – so good for them for doing the right thing.
Steve
They sell AppleCare, just not to anybody. Here, I prepared this post specially for you guys. It’s hosted somewhere temporary for now, but what the heck, here’s the URL so long anyway. http://za.charlesleaver.com/2009/06/bad-apples/ – I’ll do my best to make that URL remain a valid one.
I purchased a Mac book in November 2008. The display disintegrated and has now been at Core Jet Park for 2 months. When I enquire about it I’m told it’s ready and nothing has been done to repair it. It was bought at Incredible connection but they do nothing to help or support me. This has been a very upsetting and diappointing first experience with an Apple product. It certainly puts me off!!!
@chukaman: thanks for the link.
@Lyn Harris: so sorry to hear about your experience – it’s increasingly common. One day service for Apple’s in South Africa will be the same as the States; until that day we must put pressure on Core to get them to change. If you know of other people’s bad experiences with Core, please get them to post them here.
OK so here is some advice.
For ipods/iphone out of warranty repairs go to ifixipods, they are brilliant and a quarter of the general cost.
As for the repairs, there is not much the resellers can do, they dont get to decide how to honour warranties, its all dictated to them. I admit sometimes their service/investigations could be better but in the end it always boils down to core. Most of them really do try quite hard but when ur hands are tied there is little that can be done.
Avoid buying from ZA stores and and Istores, why? Because they are core owned, and they should not be cutting out the resellers and selling to the public themselves, by buying from them you are crippling the resellers and ruining what chance there is of decent service.
As for the job situation to the guy wanting to know…. I passed all my server exams/Xsan exams, have installed 3 Xsans and numerous server deploymens and done a large amount of support for apple. Do i work for them now? No, the pay sucks, the customers are generally (apologies here) know it all pain in the ass rich ppl who dont care what you say anyways, and the growth potential is shocking. Open ur own thing or move jobs.
As for emailing Paul, good luck, he is quite helpful if you are a reseller, otherwise sorry for u..besides storing a database on a mac mini is just dumb (side note).
Core have some really knowledgable guys (graham watts and Oliver Graaf) but generally anyone who is half decent gets abused there and leaves… And their distaste for public service shows with each passing month.
Finally if anyone wants free support, some of us hang around the mybroadband forums in the mac section and are willing to help as much as possible.
Hi!
I promised to post feedback regarding my Macbook Pro, so here goes…
There was no way I could afford a R15000 quote from Digicape.
Took my laptop to a computer repair shop, and they fixed the problem for less than R1000. The technician stated that it was a common problem in Macbook Pros, with the graphics chip separating from the main logic board due to overheating. In fact, he had a pile of Macbook Pro’s all with the same problem.
Was very glad that I now have my laptop back, repaired at a more or less reasonable price.
What I do not appreciate is the attitude of CORE & the Apple resellers in this country. As a customer, the inter-corporate politics involved behind the scenes should not be my problem. I have purchased a high priced product from “Apple”, and assume / deserve the support which goes along with that. The resellers do not make it clear to the customer that they are in fact NOT Apple, and therefore cannot meet assumed expectations. This is the crux of the whole issue.
Consumers need to be made aware. The “Apple” stores we have here in SA are borderline false advertising in this respect.
I have a friend who wants to buy a laptop, and he wants a Macbook Pro like me. Can I honestly tell him to take this financial risk?
I’m still a loyal Apple fan, but my eyes are now wide open.
@Shawn_Disappointed: let me get this right: you got your Mac repaired at a generic computer repair shop for less than R1000, but Digicape quoted you R15000?
Hi Roger, that is correct. Digicape work on the replacement principle, and state that they are not authorised to do repairs.
The computer shop I took my Pro to performed a repair job.
My laptop is as good as new.
shawn which digicape was this? I know people at both branches and would like to find out why/what happened? What was the quote for? The logic board?
As for the false advertising apple thing….the resellers are doing what they can as governed by core which is the apple IMC for us.
However the replacement principle would most likely have applied if you had taken your mbp to an overseas apple store.You deserve the support? By that you mean you deserve to have things fixed for free?
Hi tau1z
The quote was for the logic board. On the quote it clearly states it is a replacement. Digicape in Cape Town explained to me that they do not repair.
The resellers should be doing more to influence CORE, because clearly the current process is impacting customers negatively.
Of course I deserve support. That is what customer service is all about. Apple have extended the warranty to 2 years for the GPU fault, and my laptop falls into this timeframe.
Thats pricey for the logic board…. And i dont think anywhere repairs, apple generally replaces.
I agree about the resellers, but what exactly can they do? Core are difficult at best and complaining really falls on deaf ears. If people stop supporting the ZA stores,look and listen and generally any core store the resellers can have some kind of power shift. Where core realise they need them. I understand none of this should be the consumers problem, but it is and apple as a whole does not care about SA at the moment.
You do deserve support, but when ppl say “I have spent all this money and now I have to pay for support” it kinda grates.
Here is a secret, resellers get paid to do warranties, they actually make a fair amount on it so there should not be a reason they would reject one unless they truly believe it does not fall under the warranty.
If urs did, and they did not honour it, then by all means get upset and make them do it.
Just try remember, people in IT and even *gasp* Apple employees do make mistakes.
I have just bought a Macbook from EC Mac fully under the impression they are ‘authorised Mac dealers’ and will offer support. Can anyone confirm this?
EC Mac from what i understand are authorized. The owner is an awesome guy who is pretty technical. You should be just fine.
Tiger Brands, Pioneer Foods, an apparent concrete case against the cement sector, now supermarkets. Is the net closing on the rotten Core? It would if someone lodged a formal complaint – our ‘regulatory bodies’ don’t act on their own volition.
Rotten Core? Yes. On 22 May I bought a MB466 MacBook 2.0 for R15,600. The next week prices was slashed by R3,000. The MB990 MacBook Pro 2.26 is now priced at R14,600. That’s rotten!
Rotten to the CORE is an accurate description.
Digicape wanted to still charge me a rejection of quote fee of R170. This is despite them acknowledging it is probably a manufacturing fault, but cannot replace, as explained previously.
I had to argue with the customer desk to waiver the fee.
CORE is making good money here!
Well reading this litany of problems has certainly put me off buying an Apple computer. Have any of you tried getting Wendy Knowler to tackle Core in her consumer watch column?
@Shawn_Disappointed: I’m have a similar problem with my macbook in karachi, pakistan. mine won’t even chime/boot and so the nvidia test can’t be carried out. i got serious distortion/scrambling before it died.
it may really help my tech guy here to talk to your guy in south africa to figure out how to resolder the nvidia back in place. do you have/could you get me the number or email/website for the repair store in south africa that fixed your problem. tech guy here is a bit freaked out at the prospect of having to resolder the chip and it may help his confidence if he talks to someone who’s been doing it.
i’d be very grateful for your help.
aftab
hi aftab, you can try email: repairco@iafrica.com
hope this helps.
hi, i have a macbook which just stopped working. i cannot switch it on. nothing happens when i do – blank screen and no sound. the place that i bought it from said that my board burnt and asked R5000 to have it fixed. i am a computer novice[totally], and dont understand all the computer jargon. the price do seem excessive to me. is there another place in cape town where i can take it for a quote and repairs? and can anybody tell me what is the likely problem with my macbook?
regards,
try digicape or project 3.
Do not mention previous quotes etc.
If it is the logic board, 5k is about right (if its an older model mac..)
If any one can help me!!!!!!! PLS!!!!!!!
Im trying to fine a logic card for my mac book(mb466).
its two months old and all my paper work was lost in a house fire neither apple nore the core are even willing to sell me the card and Im not willing to pay R9000 to fix it.
any help will be greatly appreciated…
thought i would add the rest of my apple exp…
after they quoted me R9000 to repair my mac book I thought id get another quote. strangely the guy that took a look at my mac wanted to know who had taken the ram out of my mac!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hmmmmmmm. AVOID the apple istore in sandton that’s all I’ll say.
That’s not right (add that to the iRAPPLE (I rap Apple) list. All Macs are on a data base so it is easy to say which are within the warranty period. If your’s is, it enjoys an International Warranty! All you (may) need is a copy of your purchase invoice from the place you bought it from. Apple is not fussy about stolen machines (I’m not saying yours is), so even without paperwork, it should be fixed. I think Apple and Core are just doing what they do best – being Plain Rotten! Find Paul’s address in this thread, AND WRITE HIM!
Thanx now that i can get the serial number i can get the logic card (Ihope).
but in all seriousness my paper work was REALLY destroyed when my house burnt down just over a month ago my mac is just over 3months old (6june 2009),
some how i doubt i can get them to fix it as the cause was REALLY water damage for putting out the fire.
can you reccomend anyone that will sell me a logic card and a round about price? will add my bit to iRAPPLE thanx.
Oh. The ‘book was water damaged!? Well, that certainly changes everything. Water damage; Logic Board. Is that the worst case scenario? I’d go for the 13″ MBP. Seriously.
Hey Steve do you still have your Mac with you? Am an Apple technician and am sure the unit falls under the same recalled machines. the symptoms are lack of display but the machine turns on and chimes.
Hi Line i would like to assist if i can please mail me.
Hello does anyone have any suggestions as to where else I can go in the JHB area to get a logic board that has water damage repaired for less than the quoted R13 100 from CAB Platinum Services in Sandton. R12 000 for logic board and R1100 for labour. Or is there a way to buy a logic board and replace myself?
Hi Graham, please get in touch with me on 072 287 7678 and we’ll take it from there.
I am about to go over to Mac! However reading the comments leaves me very concerned about the lack of Customer Service from local agents. I would have thought Appel in the USA would have done something about it by now or is the maket to small in RSA for them to care?
I believe if all of you start contacting Appel head office with your complaints, surely their not that stupid as a business to ignore you. Lets put the responsibility back to Appel and shake up their service towards South Africa.
@David
I doubt one will find anyone to write to at Apple. These big companies seem adept at not providing any real opportunities to contact them.
M
@ Michael.
You are 100% correct I spent at 1 hour trying to get a contact address at Appel Corp to no avail.
When you cannot contact a Customer Care line at the very least then Quality cannot be an issue for them or is it? Like most Americans South Africa is not on their map!
Could this be the beginning of the shake-up?
http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5266796
dominicn662 [at] gmail dot com
i have a ibook G4,it just went dead it is not turning on,but when i plug the charger the green light on the charger shows but the bettery does charge,i thought of taking it for repairs in one of the apple stores for repaires,but having read the complaints here i have second thougts,any one knows any good computer repair shop i can go to,like where Shawn went,i need your advice guys
thanks
@israel: it’s pretty much a lottery when it comes to Mac repairs in South Africa. Sometimes you’ll get great service, and sometimes you won’t, and I haven’t yet figured out how to tell the difference!
Your problem doesn’t sound serious – your battery charges, but your charger doesn’t go orange – doesn’t sound like much of a problem to me. Why not hang on to your cash and buy your family something nice?
@Roger Saner:i meant to say that the battery does’nt charge,only when i put the charger in the laptop the light goes green,but it does not charge.
@israel: maybe your battery is dead. Easy way to find out: find another iBook G4 and put your battery in it. If it doesn’t charge, then you need a new battery. If it does charge, then your iBook needs repair (which will likely be quite expensive). In that case, it might just be worth making sure you’re always near a power source.
@Roger: thanks i will take your advice and get another G4 to see if it works
Oh man, I can identify with all of this big time and am in a real pickle regarding my macbook which was bought second hand, used for just less than a year and has had it’s graphics card fried.
Digicape, one of the main apple suppliers in Cape Town quotes me R12000 for a part which if I had papers would be free because apparently in my model there is a factory defect with those graphics cards.
I gave it a try to push my out of warrentee macbook pro through extended warrentee with another mac dealer and am waiting to hear if there’s even a chance apple will consider it.
What I don’t understand is, if someone with papers can get it fixed free, what makes my mac any different? It was also purchased from Apple by someone at some time and is subject to the same factory defect?
So now I’m scouting around for a 2nd hand logic board for my macbook pro and none of the suppliers or service guys will even consider thinking of dealing with 2nd hand parts.
Huge gap in the market for really good repair guys.
Apples service in SA sucks, a real shame.
After all the ups & downs I’ve had with CORE, and considering my expertise & experience in the computing industry, I’m SOOOOOOOO tempted to open up an Apple repair centre which caters for us ordinary folks who have purchased Apple products.
I currently don’t have the time, but there is definitely a market for it.
CORE needs to either shape up, or ship out!
@Shawn:when you do open your own apple repair centre,please do let me know,i wil be your first customer,my mail is ezek3611@gmail.com
My Apple Friends
Core will not allow you to open a repair centre, my friend who has +-20 yrs Apple experience was denied a work shop was denied work at any other Apple reseller or service centre because he is a threat to Core and that is a fact that came out of 3 above mentioned companies CEOs mouth. Paul might do the Applecare in SA but is dictated to by Core all the time.
Some of these above mentioned Resellers send all of their repairs to the Core workshop.
@nomadone – papers? what bull is that? if your mac has a serial number that the main apple website says is not older than two years old then surely you can tell core to piss off and replace the fried graphics card?
if not then that’s a real shame. you’d think apple, or steve jobs, or apple investors or somebody would be interested in sorting this core situation out once-and-for-all… as it must surely put at least a few people off buying macs, and that means less money for them.
this mac of mine is a wreck. the battery is supposed to be replaced apparently under the warranty as it just doesn’t work at all anymore. snow leopard says “service battery” and if i unplug from the mains the whole machine just dies despite being fully charged. the left fan was making so much noise that i had to disconnect it. the screen has some weird thing going on inside it that looks like moss slowly spreading. there’s more… so much that I forget half of it half the time. and despite having applecare i just keep not taking it in because last time doing that was such a monumental ball ache that i’m not sure i will survive going through it again. but i will… sometime.
To all who are having frustrations with their macbook pros on Graphics issue, pliz send me the serial numbers and ill be in a position of informing whether they can be covered.
Use my mail.
dominic662@gmail.com.
I have cousin returning from the USA next month, and I’m thinking of getting him to bring me a MacBook pro. Would I have any problems, with internet etc in South Africa? I don’t care about the warranty stuff.
Well I made the decision in December to buy the new IMAC 27″ I was most likley one of the first to get one in SA, also a couple of weeks later bought the Pro as I thought it would be easier to down load presentations and have the portability without the hassel of trying to load onto my conventional laptop.
MY MAC 27″ PACKED IN THREE WEEKS AGO AND OF COURSE ICORE DO NOT HAVE SPARES “IT DOSENT START UP”
HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW IMAC 27″
OR DID I JUST GET THE MONDAY PRODUCTION WITH INFANT MORTALITY? of coarse the appologies are sent but try and get a commitment to the repair taking place? not a chance. ICORE service is great when it comes to selling you the goods and thats where it ends.R40000 + later and customer service is still SH1T oh yes I have requested twice for a customer service feed back… I not to sure who would get the prize Telkom or ICORE??????
Sympathize with all you people who just can’t get a Mac fixed in SA.
DigiCrap in Cape Town are the worst. I swear they don’t even open the back up on a computer! They just decide to replace the logic board every time without looking into alternatives.Then they give you the name of a back street technician somewhere in the city as if to say “Get lost!” we’re not interested. There’s no technician there who’d even know how to put RAM in a computer never mind do diagnostics on a logic board!!
I’ve come across this too many times before – technicians who say, “It’s the logic board” because they actually have no idea. Once I took my Mac in, and the tech who opened it was just touching everything on the board (RAM included) without earthing himself. I could’ve punched him in the face.
Hey guys,
just came across your site today. I bought a macbook unibody in december overseas with the Apple Care protection plan. Ive just recently (since yesterday) been experiencing really weird things with the cursor. It moves all over the place and clicks randomly. It is impossible to deal with. Ive finally switched off the tap to click function in preferences and put the scrolling speed to the slowest speed. I now use an external mouse. Its fine now, except it still moves around randomly-just very little. Anyway, ive done nothing to damage it- havent dropped it, nothing spilt, havent even moved it around besides around the house. So the protection plan will definetely cover the costs to fix it – well it would if i was in a country with an apple store. Im in cape town, where is the best place to get it fixed?? They will have to accept my protection plan- im not paying anything… any suggestions?
Hi Luke (April 21st, 2010 | 11:58 pm) – Yes, the Apple Care is honoured here. In fact even the original 1-year warranty is. Try digicape (021-464-6800).
Hi guys
Man I wish I had read this thread before I bought my Macbook Pro. Last week my machine just plain didn’t start up at all – no bootup whatsoever. I sent it in to the local (authorised) techie and he suspected the logic board compiled a report and sent it up to JHB (I’m in PE). They say it is the Logic board that is fried, but not because of the Nvidia GPU issue even though it matches the specs/dates. Their quote to replace the board/GPU is R7500. Do I just take them at their word that it isn’t the GPU issue? They have said that targeting the disk drive, my HDD didn’t mount which to them means it’s the board not graphics card. They also say they submitted a validation code for the extended warranty claim to Apple and it was declined. So is that it, pay up for the replacement when the machine is not even 2 years old?
Hey Steven,
Really sympathise with you but don’t give up just yet. Had the same thing happen to me twice on PowerBooks. The last time I took it to an authorized dealer in Cape Town (DigiCape) and they just said the logic board is fried. They quoted me R6800 for a new board…They’re a load of idiots. Took it to a local repair shop where the guy simply re-heated the board and its totally fixed for R500.
PS. Apple are well aware of this weakness in their Logic boards but do nothing about it…but they’re still the best computers on this planet!
Hi Steven
Totally agree with MacHead.
Don’t waste your time with DigiCape – they will merely charge you thousands for a job/repair which costs a few hundred.
My problem (other than the machine being bust) is that PE is limited to having all of one local sales/support guy, and he is of the “replace/reinstall” ilk. Plus my machine is sitting JHB somewhere because he wasn’t qualified to do any repairs/replacements anyway. So getting it repaired by someone who may have the faintest clue as to what they are doing is a long shot to say the least. I’ve been a mac user my entire career and live/work the brand every day of my life, but this is leaving a very nasty (and expensive) taste in my mouth…. never had so much as a single pixel fail up until now!
Feel for ya’ mate.
Just in case anyone is interested out there in the Western Cape, the guy who fixed my mac is called Dennis and runs Repairs.com in Paarden Island. His number: 021 510 5517
I’m thinking of taking the plunge into an Apple desktop because they are so streamlined and seem great for photos. But rather daunted by this site. I’ve never heard if anyone having these problems with a lowly Fujitsu Siemans! Are Apple worth it? And is there anywhere to repair them in DBN?
Michael
Durban has Apples4Apples – 031 201 1464. I have used them since 1994 (and you what a good year THAT was!). Of course I’ve had my up hill with them, but most times it was red Apple-tape.
@Michael – Current situation notwithstanding, once you go Mac you don’t look back. The problems on this particular thread are inherently Macbook related, but with the build of desktops being completely different you wouldn’t have the same issue.
This is my first negative experience in over 10 years of working with Macs (intensively, every day)
@ Steven & Clinton
Thanks guys.
Michael
Does anyone have any feedback on ICS an Apple reseller in Windemere Rd, Durban?
Michael
Can anyone point me in the right direction of an apple support centre in Johannesburg. I have just got an imac and need someone to help me with data transfer, LAN networks, wireless applications etc. basically someone who can come out and set the whole system up and also advise what additional software, if any, I would need. Am also looking for basic operations training.
@Sharon,Please call me on 072 287 7678 and I’ll be in a position to assist.
After reading this articles and subsequent replies, i have decided that i want to become a certified Apple technician for i see a huge demand for that type of service. Now can anyone tell me where i can study for Apple Technician Certification.
SA could certainly do with more of those… FYI, my Macbook was in JHB for 7 weeks waiting for the logic board replacement. 7 weeks??!! Apple’s service in this country is non-existent. And they don’t seem to care.
Interesting post and comments; I’ve also had a poor experience in Cape Town with technical support for a problematic Mac laptop that’s barely two years old. Please read; “Some problems a future Apple (South Africa) should tackle” at http://www.travisnoakes.co.za/2010/06/problems-future-apple-south-africa.html.
Hi all i,v heard of the mac service shop in Parden eiland in cape town, needing some cd drive attention. for the love of me i just cant seem to find it any where.
any one have a number or an email address/web address contact details for them would appreciate greatly
the name of the place is Repairs.com and the number is (021) 510-5517
There is a place in Jet Park JHB selling Apple products at discounted prices.Anyone with phone numbers or address ?
I think it is Core – selling direct to the public – as Apple does, anti-competitively. Core has just opened a “Factory Shop”. You can call them on 011 535 9000 and ask for the factory shop. You can also call the Competition Board.
Is there a Mac Shop or someone who repairs Mac Books in East London or PE? I am not worried about warranties, etc. I just need it to be repaired. Some keys are not working anymore after a tea&milk spill (delete, eject, shift and the arrows). Any ideas?
Anna, not sure about EL, but in PE you could try Locomotion Technologies. Call Reuben: 083 410 8402
He can take a look at your machine for you and if it needs further attention can make arrangements.
Update: My Macbook finally was returned from having the logic board replaced in JHB – 2 months later. I have absolutely no confidence in Apple being able to provide support for products outside of its ‘official’ presence.
Hi all,
I’m very keen to buy an apple air – I was looking for a second hand one and came across this ad (http://bloemfontein.dealfish.co.za/offer/bristol-apple-laptops-IDxXC.html) by a company in East London. I was wondering if anyone had heard of them? Also – as the price is SO cheap – its probably a grey import. I was concerned about warranties etc – but after reading all these posts it seems I should just go elsewhere in any case?
Any advice is welcome!
Sam
I want to burn to my cd from my ipod; the burn icon is greyed out and also i cannot view my playlist; there is a box for the demo hiding the playlist. The only option i have is to exit the whole playlist window.
On my ipod drive i cannot see the files as they are in text now. Kindly assist.
I found this discussion googling for mac repair and it occurs to me that repair rhymes with despair.
We recently moved from US and my my mac G5 and macpro dual quad desktops did not survive shipment intact and need expert repair analysis. I saw above reference to an independent apple repair source. We are in Bulembu Swaziland, ~ 2 k from Za border station and 75 k from Nelspruit. How about some recommendations for a reliable repair source?
incidentally I probably had one of the first macs in southern africa. We brought an original 128k mac with us in 1984 just after there release. We were on a waiting list in US but was able to pick one up in UK on the way here.
thanks for any of your suggestions. they may also be helpful to anyone else caught in the despair of needed repair. apples are a great product and it is a shame that the are handicapped by shortsightedness and arrogance of those who in the long run are shooting themselves in their collective foot.