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- dimkaras, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6We try to describe this situation in an easy-going though sarcastic manner, hoping that things might change and Apple takes the decisive step to create in our country the much desired Apple Greece or, even better, Apple Hellas!
Thank you for your support. - thanar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Actually, the whole situation is a bit complicated:
Rainbow was selected as an Apple IMC very early in Apple's history (in the early 80s). They've been Greece's only connection to Apple headquarters for all these years. That said, it is clear that they (Rainbow) can manipulate the Greek Mac sales report as they wish, according to their short-term needs.
Rainbow has a bunch of big-fish customers (newspapers, mostly), which alone offer the IMC great proffits, mainly by upgrade and support contracts. Rainbow just doesn't care for the consumer market in Greece, since consumer after-sales income is nuisance. The bottom line is that a huge percentange of the Greek Mac users buy their Apple quipment from abroad (being the EU, US or "importers"), hence Apple has no clue on the real share of Apple products in Greece.
If Apple was to open an Apple Hellas branch, WITH NO CONNECTION to Rainbow, they would be able to get the real picture of the Greek Mac market share and interest on Apple products, which (interest) is getting bigger day by day.
Personaly, I'm not very optimistic about it, since there have been noumerous rummors about close relations between Rainbow's owner and high-standing staff in Apple Europe hq. Of course, it all remains to be seen, always hoping for the best. (btw, w8ting for my brand-new iPod video from Atlanta!) - stefbystef, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The Mac Community in Greece is growing. The support is a big fat huge ZERO. People have to travel up to 800 kilometers (sometimes even more) to get a Mac, or have to buy it abroad.
Greek Mac users are being treated like 3d-class citizens when it comes to replacing or repairing Macs.
We are talking about the same products that enjoy the same policies. Well those policies here get rewritten!
We want Apple Hellas now! - dreamchase, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4First comes the product. Then comes the service. We don't care about that vendor's products, so we don't care about its service either.
- vgolf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4There's been a week since I sent a question to customer support of Apple IMC Greece, concerning a memory purchase. I haven't heard from them since. Of course, I don't care any more, as I installed the new memory I ordered from Crucial yersteday. It arrived in three days, and it is half the price!
Great effort, I hope it works. - mikev, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The problem with this is, in Greece computers aren't popular. Most of the internet access is in internet cafes where the gamers go. For the 2% of Greece that do know what a Mac as, we have (I think) two Apple 'display' stores. One in Athens, one in Thessaloniki.
Greece just doesn't have enough computer users for there to be a market. It's too late to teach yiayia how to connect to the xorio network to download some of her favourite Stamatis Kokotas hits of the 30's. >_>
One day...
Apple products would sell well in Eleftherios Venizelos airport. - vrypan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I have been trying to replace my MBP battery for more than 10 days now. It will take some more. This is one of the batteries that Apple has recalled! And I keep losing hours of work when the MBP shuts down without saving anything (due to battery failure).
I am an Apple user in Greece... :-( - SeniorCarbone, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yeah,i agree although i don't have a mac (for now).
Service given by rainbow sucks, they just hire some little boys
(they cost almost nothing) who think that they are programmers and they
just turn things worst. I saw that on a friend's g4 which is in a very bad condition
because of rainbow updates and stuff.
He tries for months now to fix the problem and he can't find any solutions, either do I
(I'm a programmer).
Apple deserves a good service in Greece and it's time for rainbow to step back cause it ruins apple's reputation and fame in Greece..it's such a pity.
One of the reasons I don't buy an apple computer is that I have to pay a looot for a service and that I'll not be treated as a European on supports.
I'm with u guys and I hope that apple will see and think about this movement of yours. - dimkaras, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Thank you! We appreciate your help in order to publicise our action.
- manos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3
Two things come in mind:
* The ridiculus margin resellers get here (it is in their best interest to sell PC boxes instead). I've heard things like 15 euros per macbook or something. Not sure this is the distributor's fault though.
* Lets not forget the amount of support offered to apple owners from the local distributor when the original purchase was made abroad: none. - trianta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Apple's representative in Greece is one of the worst examples of customer service (??!!) I know of ... never mind the prices -which are always higher than rest of Europe-, they are indifferent towards users who buy and spread the word ...
... I have personally converted 4/5ths of family members using computers to the Macintosh, and most of the times the purchasing has been from Germany or the UK ... I HATE giving any money to the local rep, and when I have to, I always regret it
I have the feeling that most users in Greece have learned how to get along with minimal or NO support or relations with the local rep.
It would be interesting to see Apple acknowledge the problem, and perhaps do something about it ... the service we get from these people is completely against what Apple stands for - ilamprinos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Haven't read all the comments yet but
1. what I have noticed from comparing the US and Greek applestores is that the option of a glossy screen on a MBP attracts a 10 euros extra cost on the Greek applestore but it is a free option in the US applestore and I assume the rest of the world.
2. It is a little silly having a Greek iTunes Music Store but no direct Apple presence in Greece.
3. I have tried to buy a MBP in Greece and the documentation and time required is crazy! Totally against Apples own policy and mentality of simplicity. Shameful business plan.
- ilamprinos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It seems you guys have pinged some international Apple sites and other Apple fans and consumers worldwide for awareness...
http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/index.blog?entry_id=1567926
Well Done! - crops, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3There as never been an advertisement , or even a leaflet or even a page on a related magazine for Mac's in Greece. I'm not a mac user but i have friends that are so disappointed by the support and the ridiculous high prices that they have to pay just because they decided to buy a MAC!!! I don't blame the lame bastards that call themselves distributors of MAC in Greece but i blame the company itself for not having an idea of how things are in Greece and that its name gets ***** up by some bastards who probably made a deal with Microsoft (that's my only explanation) in order to keep sales down..
- wizgha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I'll dig this in solidarity.
Over here, in Malta — ironically an EU member country too (albeit a relatively new one at that) — there is no official Apple division either. Needless to say, the prices are outrageous too.
To be quite honest, this is what is keeping me from switching to Macs. Don't feel like spending a fortune on something I will have a hard time getting repaired. - vrypan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Here is why Apple support sucks so badly in Greece: It is an "IMC country". (http://www.apple.com/euro/cemea/)
- djart666, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I promise to replace all my 3 workstation home PCs with Apple computers if AppleHellas becomes a reality!!!
--RAINBOW GO HOME-- - dreamchase, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Go go go! We want Apple Greece!!!
Rainbow sucks!!! - spdd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Great idea... Let's see if we can accomplish anything....
- VoRo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I am into electronic dance music production and I know that a Mac is by far better than an IBM comp. pc in this field. I am using an IBM comp. though because I'm not sure if I will have the support that I want here in Greece... If there was an Apple Greece, I would def. buy a Mac to do my job better and easier...
- Thermaikos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If Apple conceives what happens all these years in Greece, it will act in very short time interval!
It is enough, if the bitter truth of Greek Mac Users, reaches in the suitable ears. - nikosv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3We want Apple Hellas...!!!
The most "common" story I hear very often is:
"Yes, I agree that Mac is better for our work as graphic designers, but what about service?? - ru(sic), on 10/12/2007, -0/+2dugg cuz europe needs more official apple stores... why should we pay 2x the price of apple.com/store offerings...
- aopvet, on 10/17/2007, -0/+2I am a clasic PC user from Greece but I am intrested in going iMAC. I did a web search for iMAC prices both in US and Greece and I discovered that apart from the differences in prices, also in Greece we can't choose diffrent features for iMAC (memory, graphic card, wireless keyboard etc) from the Greek official online distributor (Rainbow). Please treat us with respect as we deserve and not like kids of a minor God!
- kounavi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2this is obviously not the case.
If we didn't buy, indeed, rainbow would not be rainbow, and this thread would never exist. - ZooL, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Here's how I made my switch from the win-tel to the mac-tel world:
I first visited www.applestore.gr and got a first glimpse of how things were "working" in the greek-mac-world... I should send a number of documents by snail-mail in order to "issue me a buying-on-line-from-their-store-permit "... Is this science fiction or what?
Then I visited an applestore show room... I was now sure: RAINBOW SUCKS.
Then, I got my mac from Systemgraph - they may not be "officially apple", but they know their subject well, their prices are much better than applestore.gr - and most of all, they don't have the colonialist way of thinking of Rainbow. - Stefannos, on 10/17/2007, -1/+3Yes, Yes, Yes!!
Now it's the time!
We want Apple Hellas now! - cupevampe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I think they should do something like Apple Italy & Greece, and manage the thing from Italy, if they don't feel like opening an Apple Greece branch. Or something like that. I am italian and i dugg this one to support you guys!
- qbelek2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2we have the same problem in Poland ;-)
http://www.digg.com/apple/We_Want_Apple_Poland - pkorros, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I bought a new MacBook from Rainbow at August 24 and it had a faulty speaker. I gave it to Rainbow Services for repair at September 18, they told be that it will take around 5 days to fix.
Now almost 3 weeks after...
1. They don't have the repair part available, I have to wait until Apple sends the part.
2. They don't have an estimation about when they will have the repair part.
2. They can't give my laptop back until it is fixed (although I could live with a faulty speaker until the repair part arrives).
3. They can't provide me with another MacBook until I get mine back.
So this what i call the WORST service I have ever had. I am too sad that I Apple has this reseller in Greece because it is really hurting the mac adoption in Greece. - DiggerAmigaOS, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I wanted to buy a macbook but they said me that I can't buy it directly from their store 'cause they are an online store... so they said to me that I had to apply an application to obtain a mac account and that then there was a waiting list. Fine there is a waiting list if there is a shortage but it wants 2 days only for the account!!! What is this store? Does it belong to the Public Sector and it wants 2 days just for an account? I had the money, I just wanted to pay them all the money at once take the macbook and leave. I could not await for two days and then hope that the waiting list is short. In two days I wouldn't even be in Greece, I had to travel.
Oh well, one less mac user.... - macsga, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2There's another way to buy a Mac in Greece. It's called FNAC (http://www.fnac.gr/index.asp?pathID=1_2_36_57_65_66). You can find it at the "MALL - Athens". It's a French company that (as they say) manages to replace or provide service to the faulty computer you have bought off them. I haven't confirm a single case of what I am claiming here but I will get my new iBook from them within two months (Christmas). If you live in Greece take your pick - you can even use the ibooks there before you buy them!
By the way - I have bought my 2 ibooks off ebay... - thessaloniki, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I live in Thessaloniki, Greece, and I'm a mac user for the past 3 years. My mac broke down 6 months after I bought it. Since my guarantee hadn't expired yet, I was told that I had to sent it in Athens for repair. It took me about a month to do so and when I finally got it back, my mac was full of scratches from transportation. The best part is that it broke down 3 months later and I had to do the same thing all over again. Have in mind that I had to deal with the worst and rudest customers service. This has to stop, FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- kounavi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2There I was, some months ago, playing with my Powerbook, on a long flight. The person next to me started a discussion, and they proved to be a Rainbow Employee. I will not mention the name/position or anything, although they said nothing really bad about the company, apart from the truth.
That person told me that Rainbow in 2006, was still using plain old paper, and the computers were nothing but a product for them. I am having trouble expressing this (in english, especially) but this company had almost NO computerized ways of tracking service procedures, clients data, product's stock, no.. nothing. In addition to that, the term "logistics" had not entered the company's management policy until very recently, when they got a university student to do it for them.
Now, the above information totally fits the picture, and I can understand what was previously not so obvious to me: "how can a single company produce such chaos?".
But really, if Apple cared about Greece, dont you think there would have been a way to find out all that? I mean, its not something you can /hide/. - quadra80, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2We are not only 105 people voting for this ....we are much more than "u" can imagine!
Please give us what common Apple customers deserve... better services and better prices! Give us an official apple store! - Ahill2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I live in Greece, i heard for mac from a friend in Malaysia 3 years ago untill then i thought macintosh stop to exist and the company that makes them was closed,this is how good the advertisement is in Greece,anyway i started to learn about mac before i go and get one for myself and i was amazed from there power design and simplicity so i desided to get one,then hit me the price in greece was really out of this world compare any other country that is on selling mac computers, so i went and bought my first from Malaysia (a powerbook) awesome.
Now i have my 2nd a iMacG5 anyway to end this long talk,did you know that if you want to buy the "english version" in Greece you have to wait for a long long long time longer than the "greek version" since rainbow herself discurage people with there methods so they sell there "greek" version....of mac,i fear the day any of my macs will have a hardware problem since i never buy them from Greece and since even if they where service here is worst from tibuktu.
APPLE and Mr Steve Jobs all we ask is to have the shame treetmend as all Europians and stop this cancer that calls himself Rainbow from hurting the name Apple and there products.
APPLE HELLAS is our request,thank you. - badmin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I live in Thessaloniki, and I've been buying and using macs since '85, more than 10 of them personally, and a whole bunch for companies. I can't stress enough the need for Apple presence in Greece.
So Apple please give us APPLE HELLAS STORE. Now.
Thank you - pixelcitizen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Though I'd really love to buy a mac, I reconsider due to issues like these (I'm living in Thessaloniki, Greece). I want to be treated like everybody else in Europe...and I'm very patient.
- nikza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Isn't fair at all!
We Want Apple Greece!! (or Apple Hellas :P) - dennispouka, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1A friend of mine who just took his iPod from "Rainbow"'s service is depserate from the conditions of this company, it was not enough to pay for just a display replacement 356euros!!!They gave to him an iPod with another serial number.Now his old iPod is lost by the Apple IMC Rainbow .
WE WANT APPLE GREECE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! - alwinred, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm a mac user for the past 2 years. And i work as graphic designer thats why i needed to by a mac. I have travel to UK to get it and now when i need a support i dont have it why?
Maybe cuz i leave in a 3d-class *****? Nah we are in the europian union we are europians we MUST have the same support like the rest europians from Apple.
I can see why Apple is not taking the big step to open one store here in Greece they are thinking that we are a small market for them for God sake we are 10millions and we love Apple.
JUST GIVE AS WHAT WE WONT ONE APPLE HELLAS STORE!!!!!!!! - Anemovatis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1We want APPLE Greece! plus a cool Apple Store.
- choko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Recently i had to get a battery replacement for my ibook. I phoned many times (ten to be exact) Rainbow in Athens (while I was visiting my parents) but they did everything to avoid answering or giving the replacement battery. Then I went back to Germany where I normaly live (my ibook was bought in the UK) i filled in the form online and had the replacement in three days. I plan to buy a new macbook soon. I will buy this from Germany. I have also heard many negative things about Rainbow for a long time before this petition.
- mariner1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I am a foreigner traveling in Greece. My Airport card failed, and I called Rainbow, who invited me to contact the office for foreign warranty repairs -- between the hours of two and three.
I was sure I had mis-heard -- perhaps my Greek wasn't up to snuff? No -- "two to three." Maybe that was when they were *closed*? Nope.
I have had to use Rainbow once before, to get an iPod fixed. Good thing I was on a really long trip. I couldn't reach them in August, because they were closed -- and this is an exact translation of their voicemail message -- "because of summer." When they returned from the beach, the repair process took weeks, because they insisted on my filling out a series of forms, which they refused to send or receive by email or fax -- so I had to wait for the form to arrive, fill it out and mail it back, and then wait for the *next* form to arrive. Eventually I sent the iPod by courier, at my expense. When they returned it to me, also by courier, it transpired that they hadn't paid him, so I had to.
This is insane. Save us, Steve! Do you know how bad this makes Apple look? - nassosc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1WE WANT APPLE GREECE!
- dennispouka, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Lets hope that the new apple stores at least on of them will be GREEK!!
- molder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The fact is that Athens Fnac buy macs from the Greek Apple IMC!
So you would have the same problems... :-( - myvideopodcast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You have my support. Wishing you all the BEST for your AppleStore.
http://myvideopodcast.libsyn.com - marike, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'm a New Yorker who married in Athens to a Greek woman. For our wedding, my mom gave us an iMac G4. She had no real option but to buy from Rainbow (no fnac at the time), as we wanted the Greek operating system. She ended up paying more than 2400 euros, more than double of the price of 1299 USD in the states. Yikes!!! That's a pretty healthy premium. But I've been a loyal Mac user both at home and work for years and we did not want a PC.
If Apple doesn't want to build an Apple Store out of a sense of altruism for the Mac starved Greek people, they should realize that an Apple Store would do an incredible amount of business in Athens/Thessaloniki. All of the younger Greeks that I know want iPods, MacBooks, etc., and are sick and tired of dealing with half-assed solutions like Rainbow or Apple Store UK. Please Apple give us an Apple Store and give the Greek people at least as much respect as you give the rest of the European union. - Argp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1We just want to escape from misery...
We just want equivalent treatment...
We want Apple Hellas.... -
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