Tuesday, September 08, 2009

I am very disappointed with Apple and AT&T

People who know me know that I get very emotionally attached with things and am an impulsive buyer. My stuff, my work, software I use, my tables, my chairs and including my phone. With everyone around me brandishing their iPhones, I decided to buy one. Went to my company's corporate website and punched out to buy a new 16GB iPhone 3GS with an upgraded plan with AT&T. I paid $399 for this device when everyone around me did $199. I was excited and as mentioned earlier my impulsiveness took over me. Since I got this device I have been on tech support calls pretty much every week for one reason or the other. For me Apple is a name of perfection and it should have acted that way. Sadly my expectations are misplaced. First, the internet was not working if I was not connected to a WiFi, then I had trouble receiving my company's email then it refused to discover a bluetooth headset that even a $50 Samsung phone was able to do. And then after a tech support person promising me someone giving me a call on Tuesday about the excess $200 I paid no body called me. In the evening I ended up talking to someone who seemed a little more helpful created a new case and scheduled someone to call me tomorrow as the "customer relations office" was supposed to be closed at the time I called. On the other issue, after a series of tries I was asked to physically go to a "Mac-Genius" store to find what the issue with my bluetooth was? After a quick test the Genius asked me to bring the device tomorrow so that he could replace it with a new set, as I had to backup my data and apps. Besides some cool looking geeks helping customers and sleek Apple stores I don't find this company to be any different. Screwed up support, painful waits on phone, unfulfilled promises, faulty devices and messed up billing - I don't think justifies twice the dollar it asks for its products. Because when I bought iPhone at the cost of losing choice, the moment Apple asks me to get a phone service from AT&T both AT&T and Apple share a collective responsibility for giving me the top-notch service. They both seems failing.

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