Reply to post: Why anyone would do business with Apple is a mystery.

Why anyone would do business with Apple is a mystery.

I recently attempted to buy a new Imac because Apple has the best screen reader for the blind, hands down bar none.

First I went into a store, specced it out, handed over my CC, & went home thinking I had just bought myself a new computer. Custom order with free shipping to my home, and I was looking forward to getting it. I hadn't been home even thirty minutes when I get an SMS & email stating there was a problem charging my card & I need to contact my bank. I get said notices five minutes after my bank closes for the rest of the weekend. I get to twiddle my thumbs until Monday, but at least I figured that my bank was on their toes to block the potential fraud use of my card. First thing Monday I call my bank, authorize the charge, get the fraud limit raised on a one time, temporary for 24 hours, so Apple can try to make the charge again. Call up Apple, explain situation, give order number, reconfirm my CC details, & tell them they've got less than 24H to place the charge or they'll hit a wall again. The CSR assures me the charge went through fine. Wednesday morning I get another SMS & email stating there was an issue with charging my card & I needed to talk to my bank. I check my balance & Apple didn't bother to even TRY to place the second charge, so they ignored the 24H limit & slammed face first into the fraud wall again. I decide I'll let the order die, take cash out of my account, & go back to the store to pay it all up front. Except later that same day I get an SMS & email congratulating me on my order, informing me that the next notices will be when it ships, & to enjoy my new computer. I check my bank again & *NOW* there's a charge for the computer - dated Monday. Except there was no charges pending when I checked earlier, my bank knew nothing of any Apple attempt, & it appears out of the blue in the hours between breakfast & lunch. Thursday the computer shows up & I sign for it. It doesn't work. I call up Apple "Accessibility Tech Support" (ATS), let them know the situation, & we spend the next two days trying to troubleshoot the issue. We finally make an appointment back at the store where I bought it for an "Accessibility Urgent Matter - Accessibility Expert Required" meeting. I get there 15 minutes before the appointment only to find out they had let their "Accessibility Expert" *go for a three hour lunch* & wouldn't be back any time soon. They give me a newly hired, not acquainted at all with accessibility, still wet behind the ears Rookie instead. He has to ask multiple questions of multiple coworkers before he can even figure out how to enable the screen reader (I tried to tell him it was Command F5), but once he was there he found the right bits. He plugged in their local keyboard & didn't even unpack the one that came with my machine, and when I asked if we could swap mine for another one I got no answer. He made sure the 'reader was on, auto launched after reboot, then packed my system back up & told me to have a nice day. I take it home, set it up, & it still won't acknowledge any keyboard I use. Three different Windows-centric, the Apple specific, & *none* of them were recognized by the machine. I called ATS back up again & told them the situation. They suggest I take *just* the keyboard back & exchange it. Except when I DO the CSR claims they can't find my order & wants to charge me for another keyboard. I'm so livid I go back home, pack it all back up, & arrange to return it the next day for a refund. The fuckers at the store tried to tell me I had to initiate the return online, even though I made the original purchase at their own counter. I told them they could either take it back & give me my refund, or I could place it on the hood of my sighted helper's car & plow it through their front doors in a shower of broken bodies, shattered glass, & chunks of brick. They opted to give me my refund.

I don't know WTF they thought they were doing, it could be just issues with THAT store, but it has painted Apple with a very shitty brush & I'll *!NEVER!* do business with them again. Why anyone else would do business with them is a mystery to me, but obviously mine is one case out of millions. Still, Apple can go fuck themselves with a 21.5 inch Imac, spinning, with the keyboard & mouse tethered to the sides.