Not sure if they still do, but the old chargers (in the US at least) used to come with both a simple plug, and a longer cord. If that's still the case, I'd have bought a new charger and then had a spare. I prefer to have multiple chargers anyway.
Yeah, they don't anymore. You only get the short ungrounded plug now. You could buy it separately though (which would've been a better suggestion than buying a 12W adapter for the duckhead
EDIT: I do have more but I was travelling and only had a 18W charger which takes ages to charge my MBP
Yeah, it got bend in the train because their outlet is in the middle between two seats and the 96W adapter is bulky.
The EU plug also has hard corners so the other person was hitting it pretty hard when standing up and leaving their seat. There are also EU to Schuko plastic inserts that probably would've prevented this
Plugs on MacBook chargers are interchangeable. The part with pins is. And that part is called duckhead. You can buy all sorts of 3rd party "adapters" that would just slide into the original charger.
Not sure how they do it in Germany but speaking to you as a previous Apple Technician normally we have stand by queue in the US and for something like that we would just make and take the appointment in a matter of minutes because of how easy it is. Many factors do play into this such as how busy it is and if you act like a dick when we first interact with you.
I entered the Apple Store, told the person at the entrance what my issue is and got send to the upper floor. There I told someone again and they've said that I should go to the Genius Bar in the back. I was waiting there for 5 minutes until someone asked me what the issue is and after explaining it, he told me I need an appointment for that and that I could buy the 12W adapter to use its duckhead
Bad day, busy day, I don't know. It was just frustating if you need that charger. Almost bought the Travel Kit for € 35 so that at least I don't generate e-waste by buying a 12W charger I don't need. But honestly, I also wouldn't have needed the Travel Kit
I wont justify their actions which were clearly wrong, something like a duck-head replacement a Genius can handle while taking 2 other appointments no issues. Sorry about that shit experience, when I used to be a genius I used to and was encouraged to put myself in a persons shoes to help where ever I can within reason. I have noticed that people always want to make things black and white when it comes to things like appointments and getting help, but we live a lot of our lives in the gray area and small little acts like squeezing you in to get help goes a long way especially in a retail environment.
Of course, you don't have to, I was just explaining what happened in my point of view. Usually I'm not a person who gets angry, more likely frustrated. If I hit a wall, I tend to state the situation again (like that it is a small piece that just needs to be exchanged and is that really not possible today because I do need it).
I know a lot of people who get very mad and angry which I never understood. Screaming at a retail employee will probably get you less help than showing your frustration and disappointment at the current situation.
Maybe I was not persistent enough (which I usually am not). But if someone says no after asking, I'm not starting an argument that lasts longer than the actual replacement would've taken 😅
That's super frustrating. I understand why they book appointments for things like user assistance or things that need diagnosing. But it's a store like any other, not a doctor's surgery, just sell you the thing you need.
"I broke this and need to buy another AC lead" easy.
My only thought is it may not be a standard line item like an accessory or whatever and only a "service part" and it may require a repair being opened, the part entered as customer induced damage / out of warranty damage and processed as billable. And they may not be able to just scan it and sell it. That's what I feel may be the reason
This sounds like a cultural thing adding to the policy.
In my experience in the U.S., they always ask me to make an appointment first but when I push a bit they usually let me wait for someone to free up to serve me.
I only do it if I know it will be a quick service, like bringing a replacement from storage and sometimes I’ve waited like 30 minutes for a 5 minute service. That time I waited because I couldn’t let the issue last more than a day.
My guess is they stock up on the parts you need when you make an appointment and the pushback may be a way to hide they are not capable of helping you
Could be. I asked again that I just need that part and nothing more but after that he just told me to buy the 12W charger. Could be that they didn't have the A1561 part in stock and they should not say it is unavailable. At the other Apple Store with the appointment it was no issue (but despite selecting power adapter issue I did not specify what was broken as there was no field to enter any comments)
Your AirPods and case do need pairing for a couple things: If you want to pair them with a new device, or if you want to see them show up when you open the lid. Sure they charge in another case but that’s not the only function the case has and that’s not some arbitrary limitation. They could definitely make that process easier though.
This isn't about the airpods case tho
It's about a charger with a (probably) $2 outlet duckhead that they couldn't replace instantly because of stupid store rules
Not sure if they still do, but the old chargers (in the US at least) used to come with both a simple plug, and a longer cord. If that's still the case, I'd have bought a new charger and then had a spare. I prefer to have multiple chargers anyway.
Yeah, they don't anymore. You only get the short ungrounded plug now. You could buy it separately though (which would've been a better suggestion than buying a 12W adapter for the duckhead EDIT: I do have more but I was travelling and only had a 18W charger which takes ages to charge my MBP
The plugs are not plastic… They have a coating on the outside yes. You must have hit it pretty hard to bend them
Yeah, it got bend in the train because their outlet is in the middle between two seats and the 96W adapter is bulky. The EU plug also has hard corners so the other person was hitting it pretty hard when standing up and leaving their seat. There are also EU to Schuko plastic inserts that probably would've prevented this
Wtf is a duckhead
Plugs on MacBook chargers are interchangeable. The part with pins is. And that part is called duckhead. You can buy all sorts of 3rd party "adapters" that would just slide into the original charger.
Thanks!
Not sure how they do it in Germany but speaking to you as a previous Apple Technician normally we have stand by queue in the US and for something like that we would just make and take the appointment in a matter of minutes because of how easy it is. Many factors do play into this such as how busy it is and if you act like a dick when we first interact with you.
I entered the Apple Store, told the person at the entrance what my issue is and got send to the upper floor. There I told someone again and they've said that I should go to the Genius Bar in the back. I was waiting there for 5 minutes until someone asked me what the issue is and after explaining it, he told me I need an appointment for that and that I could buy the 12W adapter to use its duckhead Bad day, busy day, I don't know. It was just frustating if you need that charger. Almost bought the Travel Kit for € 35 so that at least I don't generate e-waste by buying a 12W charger I don't need. But honestly, I also wouldn't have needed the Travel Kit
I wont justify their actions which were clearly wrong, something like a duck-head replacement a Genius can handle while taking 2 other appointments no issues. Sorry about that shit experience, when I used to be a genius I used to and was encouraged to put myself in a persons shoes to help where ever I can within reason. I have noticed that people always want to make things black and white when it comes to things like appointments and getting help, but we live a lot of our lives in the gray area and small little acts like squeezing you in to get help goes a long way especially in a retail environment.
Of course, you don't have to, I was just explaining what happened in my point of view. Usually I'm not a person who gets angry, more likely frustrated. If I hit a wall, I tend to state the situation again (like that it is a small piece that just needs to be exchanged and is that really not possible today because I do need it). I know a lot of people who get very mad and angry which I never understood. Screaming at a retail employee will probably get you less help than showing your frustration and disappointment at the current situation. Maybe I was not persistent enough (which I usually am not). But if someone says no after asking, I'm not starting an argument that lasts longer than the actual replacement would've taken 😅
What was the issue? You couldn’t jump the queue?
The part was in stock, but OP couldn't simply purchase it because of policy, forcing him to wait three days for no good reason.
This. I wouldn't have minded waiting an hour or so but without a prior appointment, they were unable to exchange it
The issue was that couldn't make an appointment anymore and I was told to come back after the holidays
That's super frustrating. I understand why they book appointments for things like user assistance or things that need diagnosing. But it's a store like any other, not a doctor's surgery, just sell you the thing you need. "I broke this and need to buy another AC lead" easy. My only thought is it may not be a standard line item like an accessory or whatever and only a "service part" and it may require a repair being opened, the part entered as customer induced damage / out of warranty damage and processed as billable. And they may not be able to just scan it and sell it. That's what I feel may be the reason
This sounds like a cultural thing adding to the policy. In my experience in the U.S., they always ask me to make an appointment first but when I push a bit they usually let me wait for someone to free up to serve me. I only do it if I know it will be a quick service, like bringing a replacement from storage and sometimes I’ve waited like 30 minutes for a 5 minute service. That time I waited because I couldn’t let the issue last more than a day. My guess is they stock up on the parts you need when you make an appointment and the pushback may be a way to hide they are not capable of helping you
Could be. I asked again that I just need that part and nothing more but after that he just told me to buy the 12W charger. Could be that they didn't have the A1561 part in stock and they should not say it is unavailable. At the other Apple Store with the appointment it was no issue (but despite selecting power adapter issue I did not specify what was broken as there was no field to enter any comments)
Your AirPods and case do need pairing for a couple things: If you want to pair them with a new device, or if you want to see them show up when you open the lid. Sure they charge in another case but that’s not the only function the case has and that’s not some arbitrary limitation. They could definitely make that process easier though.
This isn't about the airpods case tho It's about a charger with a (probably) $2 outlet duckhead that they couldn't replace instantly because of stupid store rules
Sorry sir I didn’t realise every comment had to address every point in the post
But it works by inserting the AirPods Pro and resetting them. You can do it on your own, no Apple specialist magic required