Ex-Employee Takes Apple All The Way To Court For $60. – ‘They assumed I was bluffing.’

Almost everyone seems to have bought into the idea that Apple is amazing, inventive, and at the top of their game, but does that mean they can do no wrong?

OP, an ex-employee, says no. He wanted his laptop and phone to be repaired at the Genius Bar. But, in order to get an appointment, he had to agree to change his password.

About a year and a half ago, I was having issues with both my MacBook and iPhone, and went on to schedule a Genius Bar appointment.

This used to be an easy task – you just went to the Support site and scheduled one – but over time, Apple has foolishly attempted to reduce the load on the Genius Bars by putting up various roadblocks to getting an appointment.

I assume Angela has just decided that this is cheaper than hiring more staff, and that most of the customers are rabid enough to still buy Apple tech despite the blow this causes to decent customer service.

After finally, jumping through a number of hoops to get a Genius Bar appointment, I’m prompted to enter my Apple ID and password.

I’m told that, since it’s been 3 months, I need to change it, for what is now probably the 10th time since having that Apple ID.

I can continue to use it on the App Store and iCloud and such, but if I want a service appointment, I must change it.

OP didn’t want to do that, but was told repeatedly – even after filing with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) – they need him to change it before he could get service.

Having gone through this for the last several times to get an appointment, I finally hit my wit’s end, decided it’s an unnecessary step to just get my products serviced, and escalate the matter through the BBB.

Apple’s initial response to the BBB is a form letter saying that I need to just change the password because it’s in my best interests for security reasons, and that they won’t make any exceptions.

I respond again, indicating that this is bad customer service and incongruent with the Apple Credo (customer service principles) that all employees are trained in. Their next response was that “Apple considers this matter closed.”

I hate that response. It’s corporate speak for “you’re not worth our time anymore, go away.” The BBB closed the case shortly thereafter.

That wasn’t true, though, according to his AppleCare terms of service.

I do some research and determine that, through my AppleCare+ policy that I was paying for on both devices, there was actually no catch-all clause for why Apple could refuse to service the device.

There were several exclusions, but arbitrary account security requirements were not part of them.

I file suit in small claims court for replacement value of the laptop and phone.

They sent a manager from his old store, not a lawyer, which upset the judge.

Here’s where things got interesting: I show up to the court date, and the case is called. I come up to my podium, and at the defendant’s podium, appears the manager from the store I used to work at. It was in the same county as the court, but significantly farther away than an Apple Store that was actually a mile from the courthouse.

I never confirmed this, but I think Apple didn’t pay attention to the details of the complaint on the form, just did a name lookup, and assumed that because I had previously worked at the store, that this was some employment dispute.

The judge asks me to explain why I am suing, and in about a minute I’m able to concisely explain that Apple was putting up an unnecessary and extra-contractual blockade to me getting a service appointment for my broken devices, so I was suing to replace the devices.

The judge then turns to the store manager, who has arrived at court in a T-shirt and jeans (I’m in a full suit out of respect for the court), but before asking for Apple’s side of the story, asks if the manager is a lawyer. The manager says he is not.

The judge says that my state’s laws require that only a chief executive or registered agent can represent a company in court, or they have to hire a lawyer to remove it to a higher district court.

The manager responds that he understands, but that he’s happy to set up a Genius Bar appointment right here, right now, at my convenience, to get the products repaired.

The judge deems this reasonable, we agree on a time for me to come into my old store for service, and the case is continued for two weeks out on the chance that things don’t work out.

OP got his devices to work, but decided to go back to court because he wanted Apple to pay his court costs.

I attend my appointment and the technician is able to resolve all of my issues, and in addition, a senior Apple technician contacts me by e-mail to indicate that he’s overriden the password expiration requirement on my Apple ID, and I will never have to change it again. Cool deal. But I’m still out $60 for filing this court case to actually get things moving along.

I appear for the continued court date, and the same manager appears again, too. The docket is especially busy on this date, and we have a different judge who is slashing through cases, no-nonsense.

We’re called, and I indicate that while we were able to resolve the problems with my equipment since the original trial and am no longer seeking replacement value for my products, I should not have had to sue Apple to get this type of treatment that aligned with their contractual obligations to me as an AppleCare+ customer, and believe that I should be awarded the $60 in court fees.

The judge turns to the store manager, and asks if he is a lawyer. Manager says no. Judge #2 gives him the same spiel. Manager retorts that he still believes that the court fees shouldn’t be Apple’s responsibility because blah blah blah, and judge, pressed for time, turns to me and says “I assume you don’t want to have to come back here again for them to get a lawyer?”

I say no, thinking that he’s going to give me the full $60, but instead he says “okay, then you’ll just split it so that we don’t have to waste anymore time on this. $30 to the Plaintiff.”

Now, OP could have let it go. It was just $30, after all. But when Apple still didn’t want to listen to reason and he knew the judge had been in the wrong, he appealed.

According to my state’s laws, a prevailing party gets all of their court costs. As such, I really disagree with the way the judge handled that, splitting it because he was in a hurry.

I reach out to Apple’s paralegal who had e-mailed me right after the original trial to confirm that Genius Bar appointment, cite the relevant law and say that the judge was pretty clearly in the wrong, and ask Apple to just cut me a check for the full $60.

Otherwise, I’d have to appeal, which was an extra $125, they would surely lose, and then owe me $185. I was more or less appealing to their common sense.

They didn’t have any, responding that “they would follow the court’s judgment only, and cut a check for $30.” I think their pompousness continued in assuming that I was bluffing about the appeal.

So, I appealed.

The same non-lawyer showed up.

Since the small claims court is a subordinate of the district court, it actually got appealed to the highest court in the county, the circuit court. This is big boy court.

I appear for my court date, and again, the same manager shows up. Judge is a bouncy guy in a bowtie, clearly had his coffee and is pleasant to everyone. I present my case – that the lower court only awarded me partial costs and the state law required that I get the entire amount since judgment was entered in my favor.

Judge turns to the manager: “Are you a lawyer?” He says no, but he has a letter from Apple’s chief legal counsel saying that it’s okay with them that the manager represents them.

The judge does not like this and his demeanor changes instantly. “Apple does not decide what you can or cannot do in my courtroom. You need an attorney, so we’ll probably need to continue this case.”

Judge turns to me: “Do you object to a continuance for the defendant to get an attorney?”

I say “Yes, I do, your honor, because they’ve actually been told three times now that they need to have a lawyer, and they keep disrespecting this court by sending the same layman to argue on their behalf.”

Judge turns to the manager, and with a sarcastic grin and obviously fake “it’s out of my hands” hand gesture, says: “Sorry!”

Judgment is entered in my favor for $185.

The whole judgement went for OP this time, and when Apple still didn’t pay, he used his judgement to get the money directly from their bank.

As if that wasn’t good enough, after 30 days, Apple still hasn’t paid.

I reach out to the paralegal again, and they say that they are still looking into their options (as if they were going to appeal to the state supreme court – which had to have been done within those 30 days).

Again, Apple thinks that they’re too good to follow court instructions or do what’s best for them. But they seem to have forgotten that I used to work from them.

I have my credit union look up one of the old ACH transactions from my payroll and I ask them what bank that was drafted from: they tell me Wachovia.

I go back to court, file garnishment proceedings against Apple via Wachovia (I was able to skip the discovery portion since I already knew where they were keeping at least $185), and Wachovia of course cuts me a check within days.

Boom.

They say the execution was as pro as it gets.

This person says Apple is counting on most people thinking the amount is too petty to proceed.

In this case, their hubris actually cost them quite a bit.

Of course, some poor sap is going to have to figure it out.

All around, everyone loved this story.

Talk about a dog with a bone!

I am equal parts impressed and scared by this man!

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.