When your device misbehaves after the 12 month warranty is up ...

Last Friday I met with the new owner of Pentagon Digital in Mont Albert (546 Whitehorse Road, corner of Whitehorse and Union Roads).

​His name is Neel Saraiya, and he took over Pentagon in February, from the previous owner of 35 years, Helmut Imberger. 

I was really impressed with Neel's attitude to customer service and improving things at Pentaqon. A particular topic that we discussed was Pentagon's status as an Apple Authorised Sales and Service Provider.

I mentioned to Neel that I had, up until now, tended to refer clients to Apple stores (and the Genius Bar) if they had issues with their devices, especially if the device was more than 1-year old and therefore past the standard 1-year warranty period. 

What I had not realised was that Pentagon can provide the same 'in warranty' support for devices up to 2 years after purchase, not just the 12 months of the official warranty. In some cases, this period might even extend beyond 2 years, especially for devices impacted by a recall program.

I mentioned to Neel that I had a MacBook Pro that was a late 2016 model - one that has keyboard issues that I suspected might be covered by a recall program that Apple has in place.  (Here's the Apple web page on this particular recall. And here is the Apple page that covers ALL of Apple's current recalls.)

I had been meaning to take the Mac to the Apple Store at Chadstone or Doncaster, but needed to find some time when I could give it up for a few days. It was in the 'too hard' basket for quite a while, especially because I would have to schedule a Genius Bar appointment and allow sufficient time for the visit to Apple. My most recent visit had resulted in quite a wait for my 'Genius' - so I was a little put off by this.

Neel told me that Pentagon could fix my Mac under this recall program, and outlined a special Pentagon service relating to repairs like mine.

While I was with him Friday, he placed the order for the necessary replacement parts for my Mac. He will call me when they are in, so that I can drop my Mac off at that point - and it will then be fixed in 1-2 days. 

​This means that I didn't have to leave my Mac with him until the parts arrive, so greatly reduces the time that I am without my Mac. (Neel is taking a risk by doing this, as he must have used the received parts in the client's device within 2 days for them to be covered by Apple's warranty, otherwise he must wear the cost of them. So he is relying on clients getting their device straight back to him when the parts arrive - something that I am only too happy to do.)

It will also be so much easier to get to Pentagon than to the Apple store at one of the big shopping centres, and the process of handing over and getting back my Mac will also be much quicker than I know would be the case at Apple.

And, just like if I had gone to Apple to get this work done, there will be no cost involved!

Unlike with the Apple Store, I never have to make a Genius Bar appointment if I have a issue I want to discuss. I can just turn up at Pentagon. I can park only a few steps away from Pentagon's front door and I can get several devices looked at as part of the same visit to Pentagon. At the Apple Store, I would have to make a separate Genius Bar appointment for each device I want looked at.
 
Now that I have spoken to Neel, I will also be getting Pentagon to take a look at my iPhone X which has been exhibiting some strange behaviour – knowing now that its 18 month age does not exclude it from warranty repairs. 

So, if too you have an Apple device that is misbehaving - even if it is beyond the 1-year warranty - it might be worth a quick visit to Pentagon Digital, to find out if it can be serviced or repaired for no cost.

(Please note that iTandCoffee receives no payment for the above article. We are just happy to tell our subscribers about a fellow local business.)