Beware of 'Amex My essential insurance for Apple gadget users'

jesuischarlie

I want to warn on this service provider, My essential insurance under Amex.

This will be long story I’m afraid, sorry.

My Macbook air laptop has been water damaged causing partial keyboards weird pressing feeling and noise, dimmed backlight while I was in overseas.

My essential team asked me to get estimation from Apple authorized store and I did then given go ahead with repair but unfortunately they didn’t have UK keyboard to replace entre top case quoted just £175.

So I got back to My essential then they gave me two options :

1. Take laptop to Apple store
2. Use their repairer

Given that urgency and jet lag, I chose the option 2 then they arrange career service to pick it up and returned back to me after couple of days with letter stating that it’s been fully tested and repaired.

However the keyboards had same problem (no backlight, weird sounds/feelings) with only slight level of improvement (less noisy keyboard). While they’re closed, I consulted with Apple engineer and they asked me who’s been handled the repair. It turned out to be they’re NOT Apple Authorised repairer!

I was genuinely shocked and made a claim since I was not advised fully when I was given two repairing choices and had no doubt that they’ll send this to the Unauthorised repairer to fix such a sophisticated gadget (from my subjective view)

Now after spent days with claim managers, customer relations manager, I was only given one option to send my laptop back to this unauthorized repairer again without knowing that whether they’ll be able to fix it or wasting my another time. The claim manager made the poorest excuse this year so far, saying that they sent it to repairer to DIAGNOSE the issue NOT necessary to fix the issue while it came back with confirmation letter saying that it’s been fully tested and fixed. Was he out of mind or is it new trend of joking??:mad:

Therefore I’m seeking independent advisor and help on this dispute and protect my consumer right. It would be very appreciated if someone can advise me.

I would not recommend this service provider to Apple owners or Please be aware that their repairer service provider is not Apple authorized one if the carrier pick up service sounds good to you.

I’ve been with My essential for couple of years and it’s a shocking and huge disappointment from Amex in this occasion since I was not given single apologies nor admittance of their mistake, fail to provide full customer information before making decision on their valuable property.

InsideInsurance

Have to say that I am not a fan of this product from AmEx but thats an aside.

I cannot see where you say that they had told you their own repairers are Apple Authorised? If they didnt claim they were then you dont have any grounds to complain that they arent.

Brand authorised repairers can be necessary when it comes to warranties but outside of that a laptop is a laptop and someone who can repair a Dell laptop can also repair a Sony, Apple, IBM etc.

My wife's MBA was repaired by an extended warranty by a non-Apple authorised repairer after the screen failed and other than the timescales involved in the repair I have no complaints about the service at all.

jesuischarlie

Thanks for sharing thought!

Yes, They didn't say that they're using Apple authorised repairer but confused me enough to insist to go to only Apply authorised repairer in overseas which made me think that they're careful with my property.

Unfortunately the repair result was shocking while Apple quoted under £200 to replace top case to resolve the issue, this repairer certainly didn't do that job and laptop is same condition with dimmed backlight of affected keyboards, noise same and I had to wait for couple of days to get this.

Hence although I accept that they're using not necessary Apple authorised repairer I would expect to do the same job that I can get it if I was given the choice with clear statement which I would have taken my laptop to Apple store.

Unfortunately their approved repairer is not capable of providing same service level based on this occasion hence I'd like to warn Apple owners to be aware of this before you choose option.

Plus, you have no other way if things go wrong with this unauthorised repairer as They're insisting to send it back to their originally approved repairer who couldn't do the simple job in a first place with more days for you to go without laptop without guarantee of repairing it.

This is clearly frustrating and I feel extremely unfair to getting this all hassles at my end without single apologies from My essential team in regard to the result of repair THAT IS FAILED.

What an attitude, I would not recommend them to anyone.

silvercar

Your problem now is that Apple are unlikely to touch it, if it has been repaired by a non apple authorised repairer.

Hopefully the insurer will take it back and repair it properly second time around.