Pain Train

I received a 2021 16" Space Grey Apple M1 Pro on an FNB Connect package. On opening the sealed Apple box and starting the data transfer from my old laptop, I noticed that there was what looked like a spec of dust above the keyboard section on the top cover, and I tried to wipe it off. I realised it was not going to, so I had a closer look at it and realised this is a manufacturing defect / damage from the factory. The spec looks like the there was something on the aluminium when it was being anodised and or dyed, and came off during whatever cleaning process happens after. I logged a complaint immediately with both FNB and Digital Planet.

Having come from a similar industry and even having worked at an actual Authorised Apple Service agent, I knew that this was going to be a song and dance... Which is why I even offered Digital Planet several alternatives that would not involve the machine going anywhere and I would live with the defect, knowing that eventually I would put my own "marks" on it and thus the pristine condition would ultimately go away. However, they were not up for that, which left 3 options on the table: Repair (not acceptable for OBF), Replacement (acceptable but a royal pain and delay), ignore it.

After a week worth of back and forth with Digital Planet, I was basically given 2 remaining options by them, after I eventually fought option 1 (theirs), the unit being repaired off the table (no one expects to pay R70k+ for a brand new "repaired" premium product!). Those 2 options essentially broke down to:

1) They collect the machine, and spend up to, possibly even over a month (1-3 w/days to collect, 1-14 w/days to assess in-house, 1-14 w/days for replacement sourcing and authorisation, 1-3 w/days to ship replacement), to verify whether or not the issue is from the manufacturer, despite them not even being an authorised Apple vendor (more on that later) and eventually get sent a replacement. All this after I have already moved my data and have been using the machine for work, and after I had already prepared my older laptop for sale (wiping data), not expecting to have an issue out the box with an Apple product.

2) Ignore the fact that it was an out of box issue, on and live with the issue... So as not to spend the next month going from pillar to post following up on, arguing with and possibly getting rejected at their discretion, as a manufacturer defect. Whereby I could be on the hook for the return logistics.

Reduced to their core: 1) Faff with them and wait possibly over a month, while being at their mercy to "maybe" get either an exchanged unit, or the same unit + a reverse logistics bill. 2) Decide option 1 isn't worth it and suck it up, ignore a very evident bright silver spot, on a dark grey cover (or get a marker and try make it less obvious).

Those are not their exact words, however, are basically the gist of the choice they are giving me.

I understand that there are processes, I might be lying and have scratched the unit and am now trying to **** them, so I understand that they need to verify my claims. What I don't understand is that it could take upwards of a month to turn around (their comms). That is ridiculous, even if it took a week it would be inconvenient, and assuming I am in the right, should at least some form of concession for my frustration at that point, but for a month without a machine I am paying R70k for, that is beyond comprehension?! If this was a R10k / budget laptop, I wouldn't have wasted my time complaining, it would simply not be worth my time at this point. But it's not, and Apple wouldn't let this fly as the people that made it, so why should I, when there is a certain expectation when you purchase a premium product, that it is free from defects, and should there be, you get premium service.

To make it worse, the option to cut out the assessment time by taking it TO APPLE THEMSELVES (iStore) for them to give me a written report confirming that it is in fact a manufacturing defect, locally, is hilariously not a viable option for them to authorise replacement.

The fact that they are not an Authorised Reseller for Apple also means that the Apple warranty coverage has already expired (according to Apple themselves) and is reported as such in the operating system. So I can't even take this laptop to Apple themselves (locally) for assessment and or replacement due to the expired coverage.

What this means is that should anything further go wrong within the 12 month claimed warranty, and where Apple may opt to replace the laptop, I am now stuck with them attempting to get the machine repaired at any repair shop Digital Planet chooses at their discretion, conceivably using aftermarket / unauthorised / second hand parts as Apple will not supply parts to 3rd parties.

Being a business, that is in such, to make money, I highly doubt Digital Planet will approach Apple (Core) to carry out an authorised repair (under Digital Planet's warrantee), if Joe's Mac Repair Shop can do it for half the price using unauthorised parts, or in an unauthorised way.

So essentially as a customer of FNB, I have become victim to a very frustrating to deal with 3rd party who takes inordinately long to follow up (I have had to chase them twice in the week getting to this point).