Shane Cole
Apple has begun rolling out changes to its online chat support service that will require some customers to pay a per-incident fee, though the new policies could result in lower costs for those who might otherwise dial the company's telephone support line.
After entering their device's serial number in Apple's support portal, customers whose AppleCare coverage has lapsed are now notified that they may be asked to pay a new $19 fee during the chat session. Support staff have been given flexibility in deciding when to levy the tariff, however, and consumers with quick queries — such as "how can I change the time display format" — are not likely to incur any charges.
Users can also ask that the fee be waived in advance if their issue falls into one of a few predefined categories, including "I recently purchased Mac OS X" and "I recently purchased Apple branded software, and I'm having issues using it with this computer."
One Apple support representative told AppleInsider that incidents which do require payment will be covered for 30 days, both online and via phone. That means customers can begin a case online and then continue to receive support for the same problem over the phone without paying any additional fees, saving as much as $30 compared to AppleCare's current per-incident telephone charges.
Apple introduced the live chat service as part of a larger online support overhaul last August, and reports that it would soon transition to a fee-based option began to surface in late February. The company is said to have developed a new, proprietary payment method specifically for the live chat that will also allow customers to fast-track hardware repairs and replacements that usually require a credit card.
AppleInsider Staff
Malcolm Owen
Oliver Haslam
Andrew O'Hara
Wesley Hilliard
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
30 Comments
Apple should consider going to free support, this is just petty.
Sounds pretty good! We've been Apple customers for three decades, and our new Macs and iDevices have been running flawlessly for a long time. But it's good to know about this new type of support.
[quote name="tomhayes" url="/t/165555/apple-now-charging-for-some-online-chat-support-rates-cheaper-than-phone-support#post_2489552"]Apple should consider going to free support, this is just petty. [/quote] With more than half-billion* customers giving away technical support for all products for all customers regardless of how old the product is would probably not end well. However, I do think it could be in Apple's best interest to extend technical support to 1 year from their current 90 days without AppleCare. [SIZE=0]* assumption[/SIZE]
[quote name="tomhayes" url="/t/165555/apple-now-charging-for-some-online-chat-support-rates-cheaper-than-phone-support#post_2489552"]Apple should consider going to free support, this is just petty. [/quote] Why should they support out of warranty products for free? Good customer serivice cost a lot of money. You do understand we are not just talking about people calling in months after their warranty expired, but rather years? Like folks with iPhone 3GS, iPad 1, pre-unibody Macs or anything older than three years old. If anything, Apple should extend their warranty to three years on everything for free, which include this support for free. After that, you should pay up.
* assumption
Yes, I always thought this was BS. If Apple really wants to stand behind its products, it should be a complete 1yr warranty.