Mikey Campbell
In a move that increases security at the potential cost of usability, Apple recently changed its online technical support and service coverage monitoring tool to display information relating only to those products for which a user is registered through Apple ID.
Apple instituted the policy change by migrating its online Support Profile database to a new "Get Support" web asset. As noted by MacRumors on Monday, Get Support offers the same type of information as Support Profile — warranty coverage, technical support, repair tickets and more — but does not allow users to add devices outside of those registered to their Apple ID.
Since an Apple product can only be associated with one Apple ID at a time, the change makes it difficult for administrators of multi-device deployments such as small businesses or families to monitor, change or request support.
Further, the backend mechanism responsible for associating Apple ID data with the Get Support web tool appears to be under construction, as our tests showed unaccountable discrepancies. For example, we have 11 working and connected devices registered to our Apple ID account, though only three show up on Get Support.
Apple's erstwhile Support Profile interface.Launched in 2011 as an online tech support hub, Support Profile offered Apple customers the ability to set up and track repairs, check warranty status, purchase additional AppleCare coverage and more. Certain features were transferred under the Apple ID umbrella.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Andrew Orr
5 Comments
That's too bad. I used the Support to go through all of my products and there were items I've sold, given up as dead and other things. It gave me the opportunity to name things, keep a list of all my Apple stuff. Sometimes I get frustrated with Apple's move to give the user less access. I don't like it.
+1 Gave me a good overview (with serial #) off all my Apple products. Had 5 pages filled and now it shows only 1 product...
For a long time, the Apple customer web interface has been an increasing kludgey and confusing thing.
Apple still needs to converge the ID and Support sites and streamline other aspects.
A single channel into the Apple system for customers for all non sales (apple dot com) customer facing sites or better yet Apple dot com could offer link to Apple ID below the product links in the left menu sidebar.
A customer shouldn't have to have more than 1 bookmark to get to Apple and everything else should flow from that first site.
By by consolidating all of these sites under the Apple dot com site, customers will have the chance to be tickled by the latest product offerings and news (a synergy that's missing from the current setup) as they move to their other business.
This new Get Support is FUBAR. I logged in and only saw my iPhone and MBP there. Went to my Apple ID profile to see what it listed, which showed same, went back to Get Support, then it told me I had no products associated with my account. Signed out, back in, now only showing the MBP.
Prior to this I had taken care to add all our household products to Support Profile - six devices in total. Even if this was functioning correctly, it would still be a step backwards for households where one person is the support provider for all of the devices and needs to be able to access information about all devices in one place. Support Profile provided that; Get Support does not.
Bad Apple! No Biscuit!
I absolutely hate this change and had actually utilized the old system just a coupe of days before the undesirable "make-over" to verify that an Apple TV Apple Care plan covered an AirPort Express purchased within a couple of months of the ATV. Now I have lost all information to four screen pages of Apple devices. FUBAR is right...