OK. I might delete this (very long) thread but even though I spoke to Apple again today, I’ve heard too many different excuses and received conflicting information from different advisors regarding their protocols – and I’m sick of it.

I purchased a MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, 2 TBT3) in March 2018. It cost almost £1,500 - which was (and still is) a lot of money for me to spend. A few months after purchasing the device, I noticed some of the keys weren’t responding properly.

The keys would either stick, the characters wouldn’t appear, or the characters would randomly repeat. Initially, I thought it was me; that I wasn’t hitting the keys properly. However, it wasn’t me.

I continued to use the MacBook and in 2019, I discovered that the issues I was experiencing were actually part of a known fault with this particular device - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/keyboard-service-program-for-mac-notebooks

Not once did Apple contact me to let me know this was an issue. I found out by accident when I started to look into the issue myself to try and figure out why my MacBook wasn’t working as it should.

By the time Apple confirmed that I could send the device for repair, Covid-19 had arrived and nothing could be done. This was March 2020. So, I just had to wait but the keyboard’s condition had now deteriorated significantly.

Key buttons had fallen off the MacBook, other keys weren’t responding… at one stage, three-quarters of my keyboard had stopped working.

In September 2020, I was finally able to send my MacBook out – to an official Apple Repair Centre – for a repair. Apple arranged the shipping; a repair was made; and the device was sent back to me within a couple of weeks.

Everything appeared fine – but a couple of months later, the keys started to stick or become unresponsive. I contacted Apple and they agreed to take the MacBook in for a second repair. This was January 2021.

Shipping was arranged, a repair was carried out, and I received the MacBook back again shortly thereafter. However, within weeks, the keys once more started to stick and the trackpad stopped responding.

In March 2021, I contacted Apple again. I made it clear that I was really unhappy with the situation and did not want to send it in for a third repair. I asked for a replacement MacBook instead as mine was not fit for purpose.

I was told in no uncertain terms that the MacBook had to go for a third repair. It’s Apple policy – a device has to go for three repairs and then if the item breaks again, you are able to qualify for a replacement. I felt like I had no choice, so I sent the device away.

It was picked up on 22 March and arrived at a UPS centre in the UK later that same day, where it sat in the facility for days. No updates were provided. A few days later (25 March), when I asked for an update, I was told that Brexit and the pandemic were to blame for the delays.

I didn’t completely believe them as the previous repair was also sent under the same circumstances and the process moved along quickly, but I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. A few more days went by.

On 29 March I asked for an update as I’d heard nothing from Apple nor UPS. UPS later confirmed that my parcel was still in the UK.

However, on 1 April, UPS followed up to say my parcel hadn’t been scanned over the past three business days and I should contact Apple to start an investigation into its whereabouts.

I immediately contacted Apple to let them know, but I am led to believe that they didn’t open at investigation at this time – even though I have a screenshot from UPS telling me that the parcel was missing.

I decided to give them some time to investigate but I didn’t receive any updates. I contacted Apple again on 7 April and an advisor said it was taking too long for me to receive my MacBook. They launched an investigation.

Later that day, UPS updated my tracking status to say my MacBook would be delivered to its intended destination (the Apple repair centre) by the end of 7 April. It wasn’t.

The next day (8 April), my tracking status was updated again to say my MacBook was now “in transit”. I heard nothing more until I contacted Apple who said they would look into it.

On 12 April, UPS updated the tracking to say “parcel status was not available”. So, I contacted Apple again - because they were to contact me regarding any updates... but they didn’t.

On 14 April, UPS subsequently said an investigation had been started to try and locate the missing parcel.

Today (16 April), I received another tracking update from UPS to say the parcel was “being held in the warehouse”… yet no-one can actually tell me where it is.
So, I had to speak to Apple. Again. And here’s what they told me:

• I didn’t have to send my MacBook off for a third repair. I was entitled to a replacement MacBook because of the previous two repairs carried out.

• If my MacBook does turn up and makes it to the repair centre, they are obligated to fix the problem and therefore I lose my consumer rights to a replacement device.

• If my MacBook turns up and is sent back to me instead, I have to book an appointment with an Apple store (which is really hard to come by right now), they have to confirm it is a hardware issue, and then I have to lodge a request for a replacement device.

• Apple admitted they should have launched an investigation at least five days before they did.

• However, I still have to give UPS eight days to investigate - but any time they update my tracking status, it knocks the process back because progress has supposedly been made.

• One advisor promised me a goodwill gesture as an apology. Others have said they will speak to their staff instead to ensure proper protocols are followed in the future.

• One advisor said Apple were coming to the end of their target for the time by when a device should be fixed. That was a week ago. When I asked about it today, Apple said this wasn’t the case.

I was told that I just have to be patient and wait, but it’s fine because they “completely understand” my situation. No, you don’t @AppleSupport, otherwise you’d have tried to be better.

The only reason I’ve managed to get this far – even though no real progress has been made – is because I’ve been doing the chasing and having to fight myself. I shouldn’t have to do it. @UPSHelp @MartinSLewis

I’m a writer; a marketer; a designer. I need the MacBook back for work. I’ve family who are really ill and I need the MacBook back so I can keep in touch with them and see them while they’re still here. I need someone, somewhere, to step up and help me.