THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL

A few days passed since I heard back from Mr. Tester regarding the reimbursement. I was worried that they would take long to send the check and that interest will accrue on the credit card charge I used to pay for the repair. I received an email from him on February 16th stating that they will be sending the check in a matter of days.

On February 23rd, I wrote to him again to keep within radar. He wrote back a few hours later stating that they had sent the check on the previous Friday. I walked out to the mailbox, opened it, and there it was. $930.41. They also treated me for the upgrade.

I'm relieved and resolved. Thank you Squaw Valley Lodge and MacService. I will write good reviews on these two on Yelp.

This concludes the life of this blog. I hope that this journal helps someone else out in the future. Humility, frugality, fairness, and goodwill prevailed this time and I wish that this read shines as a beacon of hope for honesty and great customer service.

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OVER BITE

My computer arrived this morning. I opened it up right away to take a look at it and had mixed feelings at first.

It now closes properly and the casings made the main body of the computer looked as new as it did when I first bought it. But, the display housing was still bent and it now looks like it has an "overbite" when closed. I sat there for a second thinking, "I wish I had included the display housing replacement in the original quote! damn!" It's a cosmetic fix but I thought that if Squaw Valley Lodge could afford it, I should've just selfishly included it. The price for the quote would have swelled to an amount equal to purchasing a refurbished version of the same computer on Amazon. But, as I looked at it, I just couldn't get over the fact that it wasn't perfect (looking) anymore.

I called Mac Service to find out why they did not attempt to bend the display housing back to shape. Sean, the rep, told me that the technician was reluctant to try it because it would've scratched it and it would still not look as good. They didn't want to damage the computer by even trying. I asked if I should just buy the housing replacement and Sean informed me that they didn't have the display housing for 17" Macbook Pros and that I would need to special order it through Apple. Even if I wanted to include the price quote for the housing, they wouldn't have been able to do the repair work themselves without getting Apple involved. At that, I felt that I should just be glad to have the computer back and working again. The display housing bend may be an eye sore but that would be all that it is.

I hung up the phone with Sean with satisfaction and assured him that I would write a favorable review article on them on Yelp.

Minutes later, I sent an email to Mr. Tester telling him that my computer is back and attached the final bill for his review. My message went like this:

++++

From: joselitosering@____.net
Subject: Fwd: MacService Order: MS404112 Order Shipped
Date: February 12, 2009 2:33:41 PM PST
To: dant@____.com

Hello Mr. Tester,

I finally received my computer from the repair shop and paid the bill charged below. The computer is not exactly in the same condition as it was before but the major problems have been fixed; namely, the hard drive and the sever damage on the casing. The display housing could not be fixed without Apple involvement which would have totaled more than the computer can be purchased for on Amazon or eBay so I opted to forego fixing it now that it's back in working condition. It shuts properly and the hard drive no longer makes noise, as identified by the technician.

Notice also that the final bill is $40 more than the previous statement I sent. The discrepancy is based on a hard drive upgrade I was consulted to consider, which I decided to authorize but did not anticipate. So, I will leave it up to you to reimburse me for the amount stated in the previous quote or the final bill as attached. You may make the check payable to my full name, Joselito Sering, and we can be done. You may also double check with MacService regarding this repair for your own records.

I appreciate Squaw Valley Lodge's commitment to total customer service satisfaction and proper business etiquette. I am wholly impressed and am now a devoted patron. Please know that this experience, although unfortunate, was a positive learning experience.

Please confirm with me that you received this message and when I may expect the reimbursement in the mail. I would like to close the debt within a week if possible. Again, thank you and see you again next winter.

Joselito Sering

****
Mac Info:
computer was dropped, works ok, please diagnose, quote for any recommendations, sm Ground Round Trip Shipping
Estimated transit 1 business days.


Quantity Name Description Price
1 HDL 250GB SATA 2.5 5400RPM 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive MB/MBP $275.00
1 Free Diagnostic Complete Laptop Diagnostic (Included with all orders) $0.00
1 922-7964 MBP 17'' C2D Bottom Case $340.00
1 922-7950 MBP 17'' C2D Top Case $340.00
4 Item(s) in Cart Sub-total $955.00
Discount: $95.50
Tax $70.91
Shipping $0.00
TOTAL $930.41

++++

The quote that I sent to Mr. Tester originally was for $891.44 which quoted for a 160G hard drive, the same as the one damaged. But, I took the advice of upgrading it to the next size up which cost $40 more. I know I should pay for that upgrade myself but wanted to see if Squaw Valley Lodge would pick it up (plus offer a free 2 day stay??). If not, that's okay. It's worth a try.

I am hoping that I hear back from them soon and that they reimburse me right away since there is an APR accruing on it with the card that I used to pay for the repair. I hope the get the check within a week.

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WRONG SHIPMENT

I was highly distraught Wednesday morning when I finally received the package from UPS that was supposed to be my computer. Tracking the shipment from Mac Service, I stayed at home to welcome my fixed computer back after a week without it. When the UPS guy came, he joked that it was just a box, feeling that the package was very light. I took it to the kitchen and opened it and, to my big surprise, it was a totally different computer: a white 13" Macbook.

I completely freaked out thinking that my computer was sent to someone else who may easily have kept it. I called Mac Service and was a bit snappy at the rep, who told me that I must first send that computer back and only then can they ship my computer to me, which would be another 2 days. I flipped but the rep, Jenna, calmed me down with a sincere apology and, against their policy, sent my computer to me that day in good faith that I will also send the wrong computer back, which I did.

One more day.

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GREEN LIGHT

Last Monday, Feb 10, I received an email from Mr. Tester stating his reassurance that they will cover the expense for the repair. I had sent him the quote from MacService the prior week and he responded in a short message the following:

++++

From: dant@_____.com
Subject: RE: MacService
Date: February 10, 2009 5:53:43 AM PST
To: joselitosering@____.net

Sorry for the delay. We will pay for the repair based on the attached
quote.

-----Original Message-----
From: joselitosering@____.net
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 11:49 AM
To: Dan Tester
Cc: Sean M.
Subject: Fw: MacService

Hello Mr. Tester,

I received the repair diagnostic quote from Mac Service and I wanted to
forward it to you so that there won't be any surprises. Based on their
professional diagnosis, the technician identified another problem that was
caused by the drop. The internal drive had been slightly damaged from the
impact (loose parts) and will soon breech functionality unless replaced.
Although I didn't anticipate it, they urge that I also replace it now or
suffer it later. They did, however, offer to service the parts with a great
discount considering the situation. Based on my research, they have the
best deal in the country.

I hope this is okay with you. You may call them directly and speak with
their representative, Sean M., if you wish to speak to them about the
repair. Their number is 877-622-3473. Or, you can call me directly and
discuss it before I okay the work, which I would like to do before 2pm
today. If you have any concerns, please do call me. I've attached a copy
of the .pdf price quote they sent me for your review.

Thank you,

Joselito Sering

--- On Fri, 2/6/09, Sean M. wrote:

From: Sean M.
Subject: MacService
To: joselitosering@____.net
Date: Friday, February 6, 2009, 9:55 AM Hello Joselito,

This is the quote for the needed repairs for your computer. The hard

drive has a dent due to a impact as well as the casing. You may call
me at 877-622-3473 or reply to this email with how you would like to
proceed.
Thank you,
Sean M.
Service Advisor
MacService.com/PCService.com

++++

At that, I felt more at ease.

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REPAIR QUOTE

Since I last posted, I've been corresponding with the Mac Service representative, Sean, and he's been keen on making sure I get the proper fix. Explaining to him the whole situation, he worked with me to come up with the proper quote that includes all the fixes for the damage done from the incident. It was to their technician's recommendation that a replacement for the hard drive, which was also damaged from the drop, be the first priority. I didn't anticipate that and had not mentioned it to Squaw Valley Lodge. The quote eventually included a replacement for the following parts for the following price:

top casing $370
bottom casing $370
hard drive $240

Altogether, the cost of the repair will be about $950 including tax minus a 10% discount he decided to give.

I sent the quote to Mr. Tester last Friday and requested that he respond if there's a problem with the repair cost. I didn't hear from him so Sean and I spoke on the phone and decided to put off the repair until Monday (2/9) in case they contest it during the weekend.

It's Monday and I haven't heard back from anyone at Squaw Valley Lodge. I called today at around 12:30 pm authorizing them to go ahead with the repair which included the hard drive. I will go ahead and pay for it myself and request Squaw Valley Lodge to reimburse me within a certain timeframe as soon as I receive the computer back. Hopefully, they cut me a check asap and will conclude the life of this blog.

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A MILESTONE

Worried that Squaw Valley Lodge may be avoiding me, I wrote an email this morning requesting for someone to get back to me regarding the computer damage. It's been since Friday and I was lenient with waiting for their response.

This afternoon, I got an email from the General Manager responding to me from our conversation last Friday. The email went as follows:

++++

From: dant@____.com
Subject: RE: Property damage policy
Date: February 2, 2009 4:02:32 PM PST
To: joselitosering@____.net

Good Afternoon,

I spoke with our bellman and he acknowledged dropping your laptop. So, please send us the bill for the repair of your computer. Again, sorry this happened to you and we hope to see you again.

Dan

>From: Joselito Sering
>Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 11:24 AM
>To: Dan Tester
>Subject: Re: Property damage policy
>
>Hello Mr. Tester,
>
>I didn't hear back from you last Friday regarding a resolution to the computer damage case. Let me know how to proceed at >this point. Thank you.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Joselito Sering


++++

I was completely relieved to receive this in writing. Now I can proceed to repair the computer back to its form when we first got there (or at least close to it). But, I will not call it a "touchdown" until we cross the end-zone (receive the reimbursement check). So, congratulate me and continue to wish me luck. The story is not over but I'm glad it's short and not long drawn.

=)

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FAIR AND BALANCE

Yesterday, I called Mr. Tester after sending him an email stating that I had news regarding insurance on my side. Our conversation remained cordial and open. I mentioned to him that I was afraid of any detriment on the bellhop and acknowledged that it was an accident. He assured me that he, himself, was once a bellhop and understand fully-nothing bad will happen to the bellhop aside from some re-training. On that, we moved the conversation when he asked me frontly, "what do you expect?"

At that, I told him about the results from my research with my own VISA protection plan and travel insurance. I told him that I looked into a Mac repair service that could replace the severely damaged component (top panel) and bend back the rest just so it shuts right. I told him the cost of that and the cost of fixing the bottom more properly. He remarked that repairing the damage versus replacing the whole computer is a better idea and totally different costs. He mentioned that he will speak with the bellhop just to get a better idea of what happened and will try to resolve the matter by the end of the day.

That was yesterday. I haven't heard from him yet but I feel better that we agree in many things and assured each other of positive will.

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