Just as a reminder, their phone "independent repair program" has you signing rights to your business away (you are forced to let apple audit you at any time, you have to share personal client data on all of your clients with apple. All of this not limited to Apple repair part of your business) for the right to:
- remove battery / screen from client device
- send battery / screen to Apple with all clients personal information
- wait for replacement unit (at a price not dissimilar to the price of same model 100% working used device)
- mount new battery / screen after about a week
Its designed in a way to not make any economical sense, but sound like Apple is a real independent repair champion.
IME, they've really hobbled the functionality of independent repair shops, making it necessary to supplicate to the Apple Store. I was trying to get the battery replaced in a 2015 MBP and the independent shops were 'required' to keep my machine for about 7 days since they had to first 'diagnose' that the battery was dying, order it, wait for it to arrive, and then replace it. In contrast, one could make an appointment at the Apple Store to get the battery replaced while one waited.
I forgot the best part - just like Apple Authorized, "independent repair program" prohibits you from performing ANY other repairs on Apple products, you can only do battery / screen replacement and thats it.
Btw Apple also doesnt give you any warranty on supplied parts.
That doesn’t sound legal in the EU. Is it true in Europe that to be an independent repair shop you have to get your customers to consent to having their personal data processed by Apple before they can get their phone fixed?
> you are forced to let apple audit you at any time, you have to share personal client data on all of your clients with apple
I assume they want to be able to confirm the shops aren't also buying counterfeit Chinese components on the side and swapping them in for the genuine ones.
I also assume they want the repair information to feed into their tracking of the history of the device, as it can affect warranty, AppleCare, whether Apple is willing to service the device in the future, etc.
I don't know the details, but can you point to specifics (actual text) that seem unreasonable, or that don't make economic sense? Also remember that with franchises, repair shops, etc., agreements commonly give the franchiser/manufacturer tremendous power. They don't need it in normal cases, but it's reserved to be able to act against "badly behaving" companies trying to cut corners, falsify records, etc.
I thought specifically one benefit of an IRP was that they had official Apple inventory on hand like screens and batteries without resorting to grey market stripped/scavenged parts. Is that not the case?
The independent repair program is designed to destroy independent repair businesses and mislead people in the process. It forces their customers to wait 1-2 weeks for any repair (even just a battery replacement) after being forced to provide their personal identifying information, and even then, does not provide parts for anything nontrivial at all. It ensures repair shops don't actually stay in business—customers wouldn't wait 1-2 weeks for just a battery replacement. Louis Rossmann explains it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPRjVvccQVM, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rCUF-V1esM
Just for some perspective, I can call up my Dell small business sales rep (who reached out to me after I bought just three or four machines over a period of some years) and give him an obscure part number. He says he needs a minute to look up the part, etc and asks if I’m taking this to a Dell-authorized technician; I say no. He takes advantage of how long it takes for the likely instantaneous result to pop up on the screen to ask if I’m interested in the specials he has going on for business laptops, I politely decline but express interest on behalf of future me. He gives me a quote for the part around 1.5x to 2x what the Chinese knockoff that won’t last a week (I know because I tried) costs, I agree and give him my credit card number which they refuse to keep on file, then he throws in free next business day shipping. I get the part, reference the service and repair manuals Dell makes freely available, and do the repair myself. Oh, and depending on the part in question, there’s a good chance that it is under a two year warranty even though I did the repair myself.
For Apple, I buy used parts in the hope that they come from a genuine device being parted out on eBay each for 50% of the cost of the original device because I know all the new parts are not just fake but bad fakes. I get a part that is past its expiration date, rather abused, but will work. I soak the MacBook in corrosive chemical baths to get the industrial super-strength glue (thank God it’s not epoxy?) to loosen up a little before I get out my exacto, needle nose pliers, a scraper, and a plastic pry tool. I pray nothing breaks while I try to get the part out. Something inevitably breaks (also, try to avoid piercing a battery while you pry it out; li-ion batteries do not like to be manhandled). The cost of a replacement part does not make economic sense. I either let the product sit disused on a shelf hoping to find the part cheaper at a later date, hock the device on eBay for pennies on the dollar for a parts shark to snap up then part out, or throw it in the trash because I’d rather not sell my eight hundred dollar phone for a hundred dollars and this at least gives me the satisfaction of cursing at Apple while I do it.
(Yes, the Apple story is an amalgam of many different adventures with different endings over a decade with many different devices, the majority of which were either ultimately written off or else repaired at prices that didn’t make much sense.)
Oh, in addition to sometimes doing my own repairs, I’m also the final arbiter when it comes to all IT purchases for a school. When I’m asked if we can/should get a fleet of Macs for the faculty and students, I insist we get Thinkpads or Latitudes instead.
Apple independent repair is a scam, and public media should call it out on it.
Not only are the terms extremely abusive, what you get from them is a joke.
The benefits of independent repair is that they can repair the actual damage, e.g. by replacing some broken capacitors, connectors or ships on the motherboard. Which might sound supper hard but this are skills anyone who has a stable hand, reasonable good hand eye coordination and is bit clever or at least not stupid can learn in a view month maybe, half a year if they have proper guidance.
Heck anyone who enters the program will not only not get support from Apple to do proper repair they will lose their ability to do so because Apple forbids them to have potential replacement parts for this chips around... (And also makes sure they are not available on the marked.)
I think you all are reading more into this that Apple is claiming. Apple is claiming expanded access to genuine parts and it seems they are delivering that.
"Apple said Wednesday that 140 businesses with 700 locations have signed up for the program in the United States. Some of the independent shops, such as uBreakiFix, have multiple locations, while some are sole proprietorships."
That seems like expanded access, for shops and customers, to me.
I guess that they can't legally claim it's inferior, because of how dreadful their service is in comparison to Rossmann. Apple wants to level the playing field to the bare minimum, i.e. their official repair quality standards.
Based on my repair experience back in China, I understand and support Apple doing this. My opinion is based on the personal experience I had before, and I support people with different opinions.
Back the days (and I still believe it's the case right now) in China there are a lot of phone repair shops ran by individuals or small businesses, and those shops are not certified by any programs, they "operate" by someone has skills to repair electronics. I was tricked by them multiple times.
The first time I was repairing my Nokia N95 with a broken screen (N95 has an exposed "soft" screen), I sent it in to one of those shops; a few hours later, I got a call with an estimated price, and I accepted. Until months later I realized the price they charged me almost doubled the price it supposed to be if I went to a Nokia office service center. I agree I had some fault on this one, but I'm not a pro-consumer that knows everything.
The second time I was repairing a SE M608. Based on the lesson from last time, I refused the price they gave to me and want to get another quote from SE certified repair center. Then the latter told me my phone's internal components was swapped and no longer the original one. I suppose that was done overnight in the repair shop after I refuse their price.
Not to mention my friend got working components in her phone "repaired".
Then I never go to independent or 3rd party repair shops anymore, no matter they're certified or not, because I don't trust them.
I know HN have lots of people know how to repair stuff or able to learn from iFixit, but that's not for everyone. I strongly support Apple put more control and audit to the IRP or ASP to make sure they don't trick their customers. On the other hand, I also think Apple should sell repair components directly on their website, so anyone can repair by themselves if they want to.
My repair experience in China was completely the opposite, and I think you made the first mistake: leaving the device with the shop for any length of time and out of your sight.
Some time ago, in Shenzhen, I saw a friend get his laptop component-level-troubleshooted and repaired while we waited and watched. It was a busy shop too, with multiple stalls and a lineup of others waiting for service.
I have different experience in China. I have been to Shenzhen where is the biggest market for Apple and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Battery replaced in minutes and I could have watched them. The only thing they said is that I need to bring my own battery - there were numerous sellers on the same floor. I also bought my iPhone XR (2nd hand) for a very cheap price and there is diagnostic for free (computers that have licensed software).
Now when I was asked to pay 400eur for battery replacement for MBP that has double the value I declined. I replaced it myself for some 3rd party battery.
I have a 2013 MBP that started random crashing several years back. I took it into a Mac store and they could not help me. I have always suspected a hardware issue. Repair for a new board was just not worth the cost.
If this works and it would bring the cost down, I would still consider trying to get this machine fixed.
Recently my MBP 2015 couldn’t boot because of the dead battery. I asked authorized repair centre and they quoted 400EUR as they need to order whole topcase. This is such a ripoff from Apple. Almost no one ships batteries cross border now. Finding a good replacement is almost an impossible task. The only thing I want the battery to be safe (not catching on fire or damaging my MBP)
I'm a little puzzled. I went on amazon uk where I happened to be and searched "macbook pro battery 2015" and got dozens of results, some with 5* reviews and from reputable companies like Sloda for example. Prices around 70 EUR. I swapped my 2013 Air battery the other day which takes about 2 mins. Not sure how hard it is on the 2015 pro.
One should start from the premise that whatever apple are doing is wrong.
They have implemented their strategy of it being cheaper to pay lobbyists, advertising, events and PR than it is to do the right thing. Eg they don't pay their tax but have a much bigger say in making and enforcement of law than any US tax-payer.
Treating their actions with suspicion and hostility until shown without doubt to be benign is the only sensible response to a company that employs these policies. You're paying for the enforcement of their property rights because you pay a big whack of your income in tax, they don't, they mooch off you.
That is the only correct state of affairs for corporations (and governments) as big and powerful as Apple. Constant criticism no matter what they do. It's the only way to hold them even remotely accountable.
Lack of repairability is the main reason I do not buy Mac Books. Yes, they are more reliable, however, if you encounter a problem, you endure a long wait at a Mac Book repair centre that is miles away. My work laptop developed an issue while I was on holidays in Spain, and if it had been a PC it could have been easily fixed by any of the local repair centres. Of course Apple being Apple, I would have to drive 2 hours to the nearest Apple repair centre with no guarantee it would have been fixed in time before I returned back home.
This may be controversial (or maybe not, this is HN and not reddit), but there's a question I've never seen answered.
I don't really care about how easy it is to repair my phone, or at least not as much as I care about using iOS. I knew if my iPhone were to break I'd have to take it to Apple, so I pay for Apple Care (like I pay for iCloud for my backups).
I don't feel like I've been swindled. I feel like I made the purchasing decisions that reflect my budget and concerns.
Similarly for laptops. I had a Macbook Pro that died from a burnt out reverse voltage protection diode (probably cost less than a penny). Apple quoted me the cost of the entire main board. My next laptop was not a Mac, it was a device that was easier to repair and upgrade because that reflected what I valued in a personal laptop.
Why should companies not be allowed to compete along this axis of features? Why do we need to kneecap one business model in favor of another, and limit engineers ability to make design decisions because that business model is not viable?
Surely the markets have spoken. Apple's customers don't care about having a right to repair. If they did, Apple would be selling machines that could be repaired by anyone.
Because there is other issues like e-waste. With repair we expect less e-waste.
As you know Apple repair tends to replace the whole things instead of the broken part.
Thinkpad customers want a laptop with a 16:10 screen. Has Lenovo given it to them? No. Will they go and buy a Macbook with a 16:10 screen? No. So Lenovo can screw them ad infinitum.
So, I’m feeling the swindled part just a little bit. I had an iPhone 8+. Had a charging issue, apple care replaced it free of charge.
The refurbish iPhone I got, lasted ~100 days before the screen broke. Had to get a new phone. Now maybe I could have gotten apple care on that refurbished phone, but it was new and I didn’t expect to have issues like that
> Why do we need to kneecap one business model in favor of another, and limit engineers ability to make design decisions because that business model is not viable?
That is what _every_ business-related regulation is designed to do so the general rhetorical question is a bit odd. As to why, well honestly there are many reasons. User control, business competition, e-waste, etc. Look into the reasoning behind similar sorts of regulations involving cars in the US for the last couple generations.
You may not agree with the reasoning, but acting like this sort of regulation is somehow odd doesn't make much sense. There's enormous precedence and lots of reasoning behind it.
I agree you with this one, it's not one way is better than the other. Personally I care about the design or portability much more than the repairability; I'm totally fine with them swap the whole logic board to repair one tiny chip, or even give me a new one instead; this "reflect my budget and concerns".
The "right to repair" act seems will hurt consumers like me, which prefer a slimmer design than if it's repairable or not. How much repair does it want to push? Repair individual CPU cores?
The free market lets companies make stuff for their targeted consumer groups, which is great. Everyone has a choice, based on individual "budget and concerns".
I think Apple should make a developer/hacker/ifixit score 10 version of their devices. As a consumer you could then choose between the consumer design version or the hacker version.
The hacker version of the hardware should have user serviceable parts such
as motherboard, ssd, battery, screen, memory, keyboard and use standard philips or torx screws.
I remember last year when Best Buy stores all became AASP’s...except they don’t really do any work on Macs at all. They send them out to their service centers and don’t even use OEM batteries in their replacements, for example.
With the nearest Apple store two hours away (and not even open this year), it would be nice if Best Buy could do the work...sigh
Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Provider are two separate programs. IRP was created a few years ago specifically for iOS devices. This article says that it's expanding to Macs.
ASPs have been around for decades. Computing stores in many US colleges/universities are ASPs. In the past, when Macs were much simpler, they were allowed to do a fair amount of work on then. However, you're right. As Macs have changed and everything has become fused together, ASPs have basically just become an interface between the customer and real Apple. Basically a "Genius" bar not in an Apple Store.
Every repair to my iPhone that has been done outside of Apple certified channels has ended in needing a replacement device. Have heard/ read some horror stories of Apple Store repairs, although have yet to experience any myself. Personally I haven’t had a single repair from a third party that has actually been passable.
All this to say that I’m not really seeing a huge benefit of right to repair for consumers. A race to the bottom in price means that there’s no money left to pay/train repair techs well enough to perform the repairs properly (i.e. without taking shortcuts/rushing & thereby causing further problems). This has been my experience so far with the third party shops vs Apple Certified.
Years later, and I've had a ton of problems actually finding an Independent Repair provider. As far as I can tell Apple does not actually maintain a directory, and it's left for local repair shops to market/advertise. The later, then is highly dependent on their Google ranking skills.
I went to a local repair shop for years. I went in a third time in a year to change a battery on an iPhone 8. Each time they apologized, blamed it on a bad shipment of batteries, and repaired it for free. However, on that third time, I chatted them up about the IRP. The guy got extremely hostile about the program.
Screw that place. Took me a while, but I finally did find a IRP after much googling and asking around.
Google adsense banned repair and data recovery from advertising on their platform "We need to discuss Google's anti-repair advertising discrimination." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUBJ2LD-Dao
[+] [-] rasz|5 years ago|reply
- remove battery / screen from client device
- send battery / screen to Apple with all clients personal information
- wait for replacement unit (at a price not dissimilar to the price of same model 100% working used device)
- mount new battery / screen after about a week
Its designed in a way to not make any economical sense, but sound like Apple is a real independent repair champion.
[+] [-] sinak|5 years ago|reply
Consider taking a moment to donate to https://repair.org/ - we're pushing to get Right to Repair laws passed in state legislatures across the US.
[+] [-] abawany|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rasz|5 years ago|reply
Btw Apple also doesnt give you any warranty on supplied parts.
Jessa Jones analyzing leaked IRP paperwork https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OawkqCPi1LQ
[+] [-] robin_reala|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] crazygringo|5 years ago|reply
I assume they want to be able to confirm the shops aren't also buying counterfeit Chinese components on the side and swapping them in for the genuine ones.
I also assume they want the repair information to feed into their tracking of the history of the device, as it can affect warranty, AppleCare, whether Apple is willing to service the device in the future, etc.
I don't know the details, but can you point to specifics (actual text) that seem unreasonable, or that don't make economic sense? Also remember that with franchises, repair shops, etc., agreements commonly give the franchiser/manufacturer tremendous power. They don't need it in normal cases, but it's reserved to be able to act against "badly behaving" companies trying to cut corners, falsify records, etc.
[+] [-] virtue3|5 years ago|reply
Louis Rossmann has a ton of videos of this program originally.
totally bunk stuff they're doing. "Look, we're complying".
[+] [-] snapetom|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mehrdadn|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ComputerGuru|5 years ago|reply
For Apple, I buy used parts in the hope that they come from a genuine device being parted out on eBay each for 50% of the cost of the original device because I know all the new parts are not just fake but bad fakes. I get a part that is past its expiration date, rather abused, but will work. I soak the MacBook in corrosive chemical baths to get the industrial super-strength glue (thank God it’s not epoxy?) to loosen up a little before I get out my exacto, needle nose pliers, a scraper, and a plastic pry tool. I pray nothing breaks while I try to get the part out. Something inevitably breaks (also, try to avoid piercing a battery while you pry it out; li-ion batteries do not like to be manhandled). The cost of a replacement part does not make economic sense. I either let the product sit disused on a shelf hoping to find the part cheaper at a later date, hock the device on eBay for pennies on the dollar for a parts shark to snap up then part out, or throw it in the trash because I’d rather not sell my eight hundred dollar phone for a hundred dollars and this at least gives me the satisfaction of cursing at Apple while I do it.
(Yes, the Apple story is an amalgam of many different adventures with different endings over a decade with many different devices, the majority of which were either ultimately written off or else repaired at prices that didn’t make much sense.)
Oh, in addition to sometimes doing my own repairs, I’m also the final arbiter when it comes to all IT purchases for a school. When I’m asked if we can/should get a fleet of Macs for the faculty and students, I insist we get Thinkpads or Latitudes instead.
[+] [-] p1necone|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] LockAndLol|5 years ago|reply
God for business, shit for the world. But Apple customers don't seem to care one bit.
[+] [-] legulere|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] maire|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dathinab|5 years ago|reply
Not only are the terms extremely abusive, what you get from them is a joke.
The benefits of independent repair is that they can repair the actual damage, e.g. by replacing some broken capacitors, connectors or ships on the motherboard. Which might sound supper hard but this are skills anyone who has a stable hand, reasonable good hand eye coordination and is bit clever or at least not stupid can learn in a view month maybe, half a year if they have proper guidance.
Heck anyone who enters the program will not only not get support from Apple to do proper repair they will lose their ability to do so because Apple forbids them to have potential replacement parts for this chips around... (And also makes sure they are not available on the marked.)
[+] [-] sushshshsh|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] simik|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] egsmi|5 years ago|reply
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/08/apple-offers-customer...
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-repair/apple-expand...
"Apple said Wednesday that 140 businesses with 700 locations have signed up for the program in the United States. Some of the independent shops, such as uBreakiFix, have multiple locations, while some are sole proprietorships."
That seems like expanded access, for shops and customers, to me.
[+] [-] zamalek|5 years ago|reply
I guess that they can't legally claim it's inferior, because of how dreadful their service is in comparison to Rossmann. Apple wants to level the playing field to the bare minimum, i.e. their official repair quality standards.
[+] [-] sushicat|5 years ago|reply
Back the days (and I still believe it's the case right now) in China there are a lot of phone repair shops ran by individuals or small businesses, and those shops are not certified by any programs, they "operate" by someone has skills to repair electronics. I was tricked by them multiple times.
The first time I was repairing my Nokia N95 with a broken screen (N95 has an exposed "soft" screen), I sent it in to one of those shops; a few hours later, I got a call with an estimated price, and I accepted. Until months later I realized the price they charged me almost doubled the price it supposed to be if I went to a Nokia office service center. I agree I had some fault on this one, but I'm not a pro-consumer that knows everything.
The second time I was repairing a SE M608. Based on the lesson from last time, I refused the price they gave to me and want to get another quote from SE certified repair center. Then the latter told me my phone's internal components was swapped and no longer the original one. I suppose that was done overnight in the repair shop after I refuse their price.
Not to mention my friend got working components in her phone "repaired".
Then I never go to independent or 3rd party repair shops anymore, no matter they're certified or not, because I don't trust them.
I know HN have lots of people know how to repair stuff or able to learn from iFixit, but that's not for everyone. I strongly support Apple put more control and audit to the IRP or ASP to make sure they don't trick their customers. On the other hand, I also think Apple should sell repair components directly on their website, so anyone can repair by themselves if they want to.
[+] [-] userbinator|5 years ago|reply
Some time ago, in Shenzhen, I saw a friend get his laptop component-level-troubleshooted and repaired while we waited and watched. It was a busy shop too, with multiple stalls and a lineup of others waiting for service.
[+] [-] xhruso00|5 years ago|reply
Now when I was asked to pay 400eur for battery replacement for MBP that has double the value I declined. I replaced it myself for some 3rd party battery.
[+] [-] tmaly|5 years ago|reply
If this works and it would bring the cost down, I would still consider trying to get this machine fixed.
[+] [-] xhruso00|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tim333|5 years ago|reply
I'm a little puzzled. I went on amazon uk where I happened to be and searched "macbook pro battery 2015" and got dozens of results, some with 5* reviews and from reputable companies like Sloda for example. Prices around 70 EUR. I swapped my 2013 Air battery the other day which takes about 2 mins. Not sure how hard it is on the 2015 pro.
[+] [-] zubiaur|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TheBillyMania|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] harry8|5 years ago|reply
They have implemented their strategy of it being cheaper to pay lobbyists, advertising, events and PR than it is to do the right thing. Eg they don't pay their tax but have a much bigger say in making and enforcement of law than any US tax-payer.
Treating their actions with suspicion and hostility until shown without doubt to be benign is the only sensible response to a company that employs these policies. You're paying for the enforcement of their property rights because you pay a big whack of your income in tax, they don't, they mooch off you.
[+] [-] damnyou|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] shmerl|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Apocryphon|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] oxfordmale|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] qppo|5 years ago|reply
I don't really care about how easy it is to repair my phone, or at least not as much as I care about using iOS. I knew if my iPhone were to break I'd have to take it to Apple, so I pay for Apple Care (like I pay for iCloud for my backups).
I don't feel like I've been swindled. I feel like I made the purchasing decisions that reflect my budget and concerns.
Similarly for laptops. I had a Macbook Pro that died from a burnt out reverse voltage protection diode (probably cost less than a penny). Apple quoted me the cost of the entire main board. My next laptop was not a Mac, it was a device that was easier to repair and upgrade because that reflected what I valued in a personal laptop.
Why should companies not be allowed to compete along this axis of features? Why do we need to kneecap one business model in favor of another, and limit engineers ability to make design decisions because that business model is not viable?
Surely the markets have spoken. Apple's customers don't care about having a right to repair. If they did, Apple would be selling machines that could be repaired by anyone.
[+] [-] zakki|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nojokes|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] stale2002|5 years ago|reply
They can be allowed to compete in those features. That's fine. But people should also be allowed to do whatever they want with devices that they own.
Including getting it fixed by a 3rd party.
> Surely the markets have spoken
No, the market has not spoken. Because Apple will sue you if you try to do independent repairs, without going through them.
[+] [-] notwhereyouare|5 years ago|reply
The refurbish iPhone I got, lasted ~100 days before the screen broke. Had to get a new phone. Now maybe I could have gotten apple care on that refurbished phone, but it was new and I didn’t expect to have issues like that
[+] [-] CogitoCogito|5 years ago|reply
That is what _every_ business-related regulation is designed to do so the general rhetorical question is a bit odd. As to why, well honestly there are many reasons. User control, business competition, e-waste, etc. Look into the reasoning behind similar sorts of regulations involving cars in the US for the last couple generations.
You may not agree with the reasoning, but acting like this sort of regulation is somehow odd doesn't make much sense. There's enormous precedence and lots of reasoning behind it.
[+] [-] sushicat|5 years ago|reply
The "right to repair" act seems will hurt consumers like me, which prefer a slimmer design than if it's repairable or not. How much repair does it want to push? Repair individual CPU cores?
The free market lets companies make stuff for their targeted consumer groups, which is great. Everyone has a choice, based on individual "budget and concerns".
[+] [-] acd|5 years ago|reply
The hacker version of the hardware should have user serviceable parts such as motherboard, ssd, battery, screen, memory, keyboard and use standard philips or torx screws.
[+] [-] bluedino|5 years ago|reply
With the nearest Apple store two hours away (and not even open this year), it would be nice if Best Buy could do the work...sigh
[+] [-] snapetom|5 years ago|reply
ASPs have been around for decades. Computing stores in many US colleges/universities are ASPs. In the past, when Macs were much simpler, they were allowed to do a fair amount of work on then. However, you're right. As Macs have changed and everything has become fused together, ASPs have basically just become an interface between the customer and real Apple. Basically a "Genius" bar not in an Apple Store.
[+] [-] musiccog|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|5 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] unknown|5 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] tommymachine|5 years ago|reply
All this to say that I’m not really seeing a huge benefit of right to repair for consumers. A race to the bottom in price means that there’s no money left to pay/train repair techs well enough to perform the repairs properly (i.e. without taking shortcuts/rushing & thereby causing further problems). This has been my experience so far with the third party shops vs Apple Certified.
[+] [-] grugagag|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] snapetom|5 years ago|reply
I went to a local repair shop for years. I went in a third time in a year to change a battery on an iPhone 8. Each time they apologized, blamed it on a bad shipment of batteries, and repaired it for free. However, on that third time, I chatted them up about the IRP. The guy got extremely hostile about the program.
Screw that place. Took me a while, but I finally did find a IRP after much googling and asking around.
[+] [-] rasz|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] reaperducer|5 years ago|reply
Call AppleCare. That's how I found the one that I used.