Terrible experience with the Apple Store/Good experience with Apple Support

this kind of long , drawn out, i'll try make simple possible.

i've been having intermittent "service battery" warning popping past 6/8 months on mid 2009 17" unibody macbook pro.

on friday of week, battery warning came , stayed up, took umbp apple store @ south coast plaza here in california.

genius bar took machine back, , came out 5 minutes later inform me warranty void, , "the motherboard covered in dried, sticky liquid residue" , "warranty void."

have no idea how got there, live in house kids, took word it, , asked done.

gave me 2 options: one, "send machine apple $1200 fee put under warranty," or two, "pay $129 have battery replaced."

wasn't thinking @ time, kind of in shock, didn't occur me mid 2009 umbp out of applecare warranty was.

went , had lunch girlfriend while replaced battery, come , informed had misquoted battery price 15" machine, , owed $179.00 instead of $129.00.

paid battery, , took machine home, , took off case see had been done it, , see how bad liquid damage was.

first thing noticed:


had broken 1 of clips while replacing battery.

second thing noticed lack of dried liquid residue inside machine. found small, yellowish sticky patch near hd, couldn't determine was, , if there manufacture.

third thing noticed, knows slightest bit machine knows:

can't see top of motherboard, less examine it, without taking apart entire machine. if i'd been less panicked @ time, have called them on this. took mirror , flashlight , tried inspect top of motherboard, , didn't see residue on board.

today, called applecare, , told them same story i've related above. rep reminded me have 210 days left on extended applecare warranty, , shocked apple store charged me battery instead of replacing under warranty.

told if i'd called applecare, have sent me replacement battery installation instructions free , box return original battery in, regardless of whether or not machine liquid-damaged, @ point i'm not sure was.

assured me warranty not void, , rep made comment genius bar being "full of..." before caught herself , trailed off.

i'm waiting manager call me south coast plaza apple store explain why i'm out $200, , why tech tried $1200 out of me extend applecare warranty 3 months.

 

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