NotQuiteLeet.com

The brunt of my recent headaches has been with an AT&T policy that seems not only intrusive, but simply appalling.

Want a job with AT&T? You’ll have to give them your social security number before even being considered for an interview.

I receive emails from headhunters almost daily. In some of these emails I have responded with interest to an AT&T opportunity, but an interest that quickly evaporated. This happened when several head hunters from different agencies (that shall remain unnamed) requested that I *email* them my social security number. This was a requirement and one that was neither waived nor circumvented.

Upon questioning this method one head hunter sent me the confidential letter from AT&T to the Enterprise Contractor Acquisition and Management (eCAM) group which I suppose the head hunter agency is a member of.

Here is the letter in its entirety:

February 20, 2008

[name removed]
eCAM Vendor Liaison
675 West Peachtree Street
39M30
Atlanta, Georgia 30375
[phone number removed]

*I removed the name and phone number of the employee out of respect and privacy of that individual. It is my position that any change in this policy is above the head of this employee, and complaining etc directly to the liaison would not be productive nor fruitful. However if the readers of this site desire to contact AT&T, please use the mailing address provided in the letter.

I have two questions for AT&T representatives.

#1. “What the hell are you thinking?”

#2 “Who is actually stupid enough to email *anyone* their social security number?”

Aside from this issue AT&Ts ethical behavior in the telecommunications industry is almost, in my opinion, a bit abhorred. These behaviors include but are not limited to: consumer rights violations which has moved in to class action status, suppression of Internet based Civil Rights, “illegal” cell phone locking which is still very controversial, the huge whammy of illegal involvement in the NSA domestic wiretap campaign - of which Wired Blog Network had a huge contribution in publicizing this issue, and Im sure a myriad of other things I have neither the time nor patience to keep up with.

I appreciate the efforts of AT&T in the Net Neutrality campaign, a campaign I think is vital to the future growth and maturity of the internet. However I find a very conflicting and utterly confusing message when the Head of AT&T finds that Net Neutrality isnt necessary.

As you can see the issues I have spread across many markets, each equally as concerning as the other. For a company with the profile and influence such as AT&T, I can only hope that more ethical and *reasonable* policies come to fruition from this point forward. Until then this is why I won’t, and blatantly refuse to work for AT&T in any capacity.

So a week or so ago I purchased a wireless keyboard and some other things from the local Apple Store.

During the transaction I was pretty shocked at all of the information they request from you. The employee asked for my phone number, zip code, address, etc. Umm… WHY? I understand they use it for metrics concerning where their customer base is coming from, and how many customers from what location. That alone can help them best decide where to build a new Apple Retail Store. However its not REQUIRED for them to have for any transaction. Whats worse is they do not tell you that its optional. In fact, what happens if you move? Are you not allowed to purchase future products until you notify their postmaster? Anyway, on to the point…

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First of all I would like to thank My Biggest Complaint for running my story and aiding with the visibility of this issue. In fact it has drawn so much attention one of my articles, it is nearly their most popular complaint of all time. Put a gold start next to my name why dont’cha!

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In my efforts to prove what shoddy service I was receiving at the Apple Store concerning Apple refusing to fix my Macbook Pro, I went in to the store (the third time the display was replaced) to check it out with the video rolling on my Treo. I was hoping I would capture another BS excuse about the bend in the display, or an excuse that its acceptable and listed in their “confidential” specs. Well it looks like I gathered much more than I could have asked for.

Thanks to the guys from My Biggest Complaint they have edited the video and added subtitles since I dont have the software to do so. My Biggest Complaint has been a huge help in raising awareness to this issue and they have earned such due credit.

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Apple Store
CRABTREE VALLEY MALL
RALEIGH, NC.

I was called on the 21st of May by Apple to come pick up my Macbook Pro after having it repaired.

Why was it repaired? Here is the short back story.

I had a cracked LCD screen a few months ago. I paid nearly 1400 bucks to have it fixed and repaired (which included the top and bottom assembly). A month after I got it back I noticed that the display would not latch properly, not without my forcing it shut. I also noticed separation between the plastic lining and the metal assembly on the top and bottom of the chassis. This was also noticed on the display. At the time I needed it for school and for work setting up a few websites, making money etc. Semester was over, caught a break in work and met the tech at the Genius bar to address the issues on the weekend of the 12th of May. Genius tech agreed it was flawed, sent it to Apple Care to be fixed at no cost to me.

Went to pick up the laptop the first time on or around the 17th of May. I refused to accept the repair because there was still a large bulge between the lining and bottom assembly from the audio port to the back of the laptop. I could easily get my thumbnail in it. It was still present on the other side of the laptop but less prevalent. The display was never replaced so the condition on it still existed. The genius tech said he sees a lot of laptops come in with this “condition” and it seems to be typical. He said he couldn’t guarantee anything, but he would send it back to Apple Care. He also said they may send it back without touching it.

Well here we are on the 22nd of May and this time its MUCH worse. Though I was optimistic, I still couldn’t accept the repair. The top and bottom assemblies looked great, no issue there.

My issue was now the display itself. It has what I would say is a horrendous U bend when closed and latched.

Please let me know if I’m being a little over sensitive, here are the pics (click for 6 MP version):

I was helped by Khalil Smith, the General Manager of the Apple Store at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, NC. I told him that I was not comfortable accepting the laptop in this condition.

I told him the assemblies and plastic lining looks great but I was concerned about the bend in the display. I asked him to send it back to Apple Care.

He said, “I will not authorize any more work on this laptop”!

I asked again that he send it back to Apple Care since I did not feel confident in the integrity of the display due to the large bend.

He replied that, “The repair falls within our specs.”

I asked to see the specs.

He said, “They are confidential”.

I almost lost it at this point. He then said if I refuse to pick the laptop up, they would follow their abandonment procedure where I would be called at a regular interval for 60 days. I picked up the work authorization paper work and said that I would like this as a record of the repair on it. He forcefully snatched it out of my hand and said “that is only if you pick it up”. I asked him to make a copy of it, twice if not three times, before he went to the back and did it. He didn’t copy the itemized repair page that showed exactly what was repaired.

So if you could let me know if I’m just being a little too sensitive about this Id appreciate it. They know perfectly well how much we spend on these machines, and at that price we deserve to have it looking and functioning perfectly, especially right out of a repair depot.

I worked for the Apple Store at Southpoint Mall in Durham, NC. for about 10 months (approximation) or so when I was in College, this being about 2 years ago. I left when I was offered and internship at a Fortune 100 company where I currently work now as full time Engineer.

Given the experiences Ive been through the past 2 weeks I’d like to thank Apple for disowning one of its “own”.

Not only do I feel discriminated against, I am thoroughly disgusted, and deeply offended by the way Khalil Smith, a General Manager handled the situation. I have no confidence in the Management of the store to do what’s right. My trust in Apple has been violated. My enthusiasm as an advocate of Apple and its products is substantially degraded. I also have little faith now in the Depot, nor any repair entity of Apple to fix this machine properly.

After all, the more time I have to wait for the Macbook Pro to get fixed the more money I lose. That isn’t good.

It also seems that this is a long, on going problem. A thread on Macoshints forums took a poll of the Macbook Pro display warpage.

Apple Inc, Digg, Slashdot, Consumerist, Reddit, MyBiggestComplaint, MacOsHints, will someone please help me?