Apple Care+ and Repair Times
I have a 2022 M1 Max Mac Studio that was throwing a diagnostic code that indicated a bad Ethernet controller (or port). It was under the 3 year Apple Care+ warranty, so I decided to call Apple Support to get it fixed. The only options given to me (after incorrectly advising me I could send it in directly, which I could not apparently at my location) were to drop it off at an Apple Store (140 miles one-way) or take it to an Authorized Apple Service Provider (approximately 1 hour one-way). I chose the latter, as my pickup truck would probably not make the 5 hour drive to and from the Sonoran Desert.
The repair shop indicated that the logic board was faulty, and I would need to provide an external drive to back everything up onto. So another 2 hour round trip to provide a backup solution. After being at the shop for 10 days, I was notified that it was done and ready to be picked up. So I took round trip 3 to pick it up. The following day I powered it up, and noticed the wrong logic board was installed (half the memory, incorrect CPU cores and GPU cores). The shop ordered the incorrect part, and admitted as much. So I took it back to the repair shop - round trip 4.
The repair shop was sent a substitute logic board from Apple as mine was not available immediately (or in a reasonable amount of time). Apple sent the shop an M1 Ultra logic board. The technician called me and told as much, but of course was unable to install it into the chassis.
So current status of the repair is that he is trying to get the correct logic board. I am now 1.5 months without the machine, and Apple Care seems to not really "care". No financial compensation for my 8 hours of driving, time without my Mac Studio, that I use for audio recording/editing and digital media creation, or much of any response that holds merit. I get the typical, "oh we will escalate this", blah blah. My case has been escalated some 8 times at least.
So my question is, have any of you in this community had this unacceptable and disappointing experience with Apple Care or with Authorized Service Providers?
Mac Studio, macOS 15.4