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From: francis@giza.cis.ohio-state.edu (RD Francis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Predatory Pricing Practices
Message-ID: <83613@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Date: 14 Sep 90 13:40:10 GMT
References: <6441@adobe.UUCP> <83585@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <1990Sep13.223619.19146@Neon.Stanford.EDU>
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In article <1990Sep13.223619.19146@Neon.Stanford.EDU> philip@pescadero.stanford.edu writes:
<In article <1990Sep13.171034.8056@uokmax.uucp>, rob@uokmax.uucp (Robert
<K Shull) writes:
<> In article <83585@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
<francis@giza.cis.ohio-state.edu (RD Francis) writes:
<> >In article <6441@adobe.UUCP> lemery@adobe.COM () writes:
<> >[Poster discovered power supply was dead, got confirmation from
<> >non-Apple dealer]
<> >>I took it to Computer One which is an authorized Apple repair center.
<> >>$279 EXCHANGE!! and minimum charge of 1 hour at $55.
<> >>$279 EXCHANGE. Just because you have someone by the balls, 
<> >>you don't have to squeeze.
<> >Yeah, that sounds about right.  Here's the deal.  Apple Authorized
<> >repair center are "authorized" to do one thing -- swap chunks.  In
<> 
<> True. However, I'll point out that the prices don't appear to be fixed by
<> Apple in any way (or at least enforced). Example: Swapping a Mac II
<> motherboard through the university computer store costs about $300, including
<> labor. Swapping the same board through a local Apple dealer costs about
<> $800, NOT including labor of about $100. Calling around finds prices
<> ranging anywhere between these.
<> 	Robert
<When it comes to things like parentboards (non-sexist language), Apple has
<a lot of control over the price. But $279 for a refurbished power supply
<(including the value of the exchanged broken unit)? Sounds like a protection
<racket to me: buy AppleCare or we trash your wallet the first time you need
<a repair.

OK, I used to work for an Apple VAR who had a repair department.
While I was there, my personal Mac freaked out on me.  It was a floppy
drive problem, that was solved by replacing the drive unit.  To the
best of my knowledge, I was only charged cost on the thing.  $140.
Knowing Mac Plus power supplies tend to commit hari-kari, I asked
about the cost on that at the same time.  I don't remember the
specific number, but it was significantly over $200.

Now, I freely admit that I have a lousy memory, and that I can't
guarantee that my (now former) employer wasn't screwing me over just
as nicely as they might a customer.  But I'm rather certainly of the
pricing data I've listed, and despite the problems I had with my
former employers business practices, I don't honestly believe that
this was an incidence of them screwing me over.

Unless I'm wrong about this (see above paragraph), if you don't like
the high price of Mac repairs, talk to Apple.  Ask them why they don;t
train people that the average person can get to that can fix bad parts
instead of simply replacing them.  My assumption is this is a quality
control issue; however, it can still leave the individual feeling
screwed over royally.
--
R David Francis   francis@cis.ohio-state.edu