APPLE CORE’S DEAFENING SILENCE CONTINUES
With the comments section of our original Waterfront Apple Mac iStore article closing in on the 100 mark, Core’s non-response seems very much in line with those same comments.
And I doubt they aren’t aware of it. When the comments section includes responses from current and ex-employees, as well as the owner of the Claremont iStore and a Google number 1 result for the search phrase “waterfront apple mac,” one would think it had come to their attention.
Not enough..
This, from a current Waterfront iStore employee (featured in the comments section of the original article):
Anonymous Says:
May 15th, 2009 at 5:41 pmI am a current iStore employee (I cannot say which store), and I just have to say that I fully agree with Seth.
While I consider myself and a select few of my colleagues to be great salespeople and very knowledgeable with Apple’s products and accessories, as well as the tech industry in general, the majority of employees are not.
The reason for this is that the turnover of staff is very high (the average period of employment is usually only a couple of months before they decide to leave) & as a result they don’t have time to be trained properly or gain experience.
In my opinion, the reason the staff turnover is so high is because Core treats their employees, to put it simply, like complete shit. They do not keep their promises, their demands are unrealistic and they are very stingy.
I really hope Apple enter the market in South Africa and open up one of their official retail stores. Employees like myself and a few of my colleagues will happily abandon Core to work for Apple, officially.
Regards,
Anonymous iStore employee.
Do yourself a favour and check out the rest of those comments . Out of a current 85 comments, there is ONE positive comment. ALL the rest are negative and most of them are directed at both the iStore and the SA distributors, Core.
Look, they’re consistent – I’ll give them that.
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18 Comments
Jon
17 May 2009
You see Seth, I’m concerned that it will look like you’ve been holding the Apple store’s rep to ransom when they inevitably get wind of your little campaign of rage and send you an expensive pack of Apple products. So when it arrives, rather than a smug little post about your valiant consumer action against an uncaring corporate world, do your credibility some good by auctioning it off and putting the money to a good cause? (I say “good cause” so you’ve got a cute little out that lets you spend the money on yourself – don’t say I never give you anything)
Hectique Prognosis
17 May 2009
Let me see if I get this:
Core is the sole importer of Apple products in South Africa, because they have sole rights for distribution. They resell to retailers in South Africa… AND they have their own retail stores? Does that not sound teensy bit wrong? They must really have the other Apple resellers by the balls. Any wonder they behave as if they own the place? Talk about a conflict of interest…
Liz
18 May 2009
It would be nice to bring this to the attention of the international company who gives Core the distribution/reseller rights. That may wake Core up a little.
NOT!!!
18 May 2009
@Hectique Me thinks you’ve hit the nail on the head with that one!
Nicholas
18 May 2009
Core will never respond, it’s not how they do business. Rather link these comments to an e-mail and send it to steve.jobs_AT_apple.com. Apple’s marketing people read the mails.
Nicholas
18 May 2009
Core would never respond, not the way they do business. Rather e-mail the link to steve jobs at apple dot com. The apple marketing people will read it.
Anon a miss
18 May 2009
They won’t respond and why should they? This Core flaming will all blow over soon and then it will be business as usual. Besides, what do they care? Those Apple products that you guys bought from Incredible Connection/Digicape etc were IMPORTED BY CORE anyways! And where are those resellers gonna get more stock from? From Core, LOL. Its not like anyone else is even ALLOWED to import Apple products into SA. Monopolies are so lame and there are LOTS on South Africa.
Guess Who
18 May 2009
I worked for Core HQ. Most resellers really hate The Core Group. Makro, Hifi and IC, the are forced to do business with Core. Believe me, some people from Core are not welcome anymore at these Head Offices.
They lost TomTom, (google TomTom / Core South Africa,) there are law suits because they ruined the TT Business. Unfortunately they have Nintendo as well, this is going strong as far as I can see. Go to Apple Sandton, they are grey importers as Core will call them, believe me the offer good service and full warranty ! Glad I am not working for this jewish company anymore. !!!
nunu
18 May 2009
I have notified the “right” people at The Core group and have made sure that this has been brought to their attention..whether they ignore it or not is not in my hands but they do know about it!!!
Shit Storm in a tea cup … eww
18 May 2009
Apparently the blog did cause some reaction at Core headoffice, there’s a shitstorm going on, will report back with the details as soon as I have them.
Damian
19 May 2009
Can’t wait to hear what you have to report back! I think Core has caused pain and heartache to South Africans as well as Apple Inc. for too long now. Either they must sort themselves out, or Apple must end their contract with them and come into the country themselves. It is actually just detrimental to the Apple brand for it to continue as is…
Shit Storm in a tea cup … eww
19 May 2009
Well my contact says that Core is contacting ex-employees to try and find out who has been commenting on this website, they have received all the e-mails everybody has been sending to them AND apparently their pricing structures is being leaked by insiders. Good times.
Mac Lover
20 May 2009
You guys are pathetic. Seth is prob just sour because he cant afford a mac. Get a job and stop loafing around on the net looking for support. You have no idea what it takes to run a huge corporation or at least keep up the standards that Apple has set.
If you had any business sense you would not attack a company because a staff member asked you for details. Details that he prob needed just incase your dumb ass lost your slip and had a prob in the future with warranty. These are measures that “core” put in place to make things easier for you in the future, should you have a defective product. So everyone that had negative comments should go F**K themselves!!!! If any of you can show me a “perfect company then we can chat, but for now rather shut up!
I think Core has been doing a fantastic job of it so far and yes there are prob slip ups here and there but the same applies in any company anywhere in the world.
Be realistic and not arrogant sons of bi*c*es.
Roger Saner
08 Jun 2009
@Mac Lover wrote: “You have no idea what it takes to run a huge corporation or at least keep up the standards that Apple has set.”
There are 2 problems with Core and Apple in South Africa, Mac Lover. First is that many people are enormously irritated with Core for what they see as Price gouging.
Second is that, in spite of all of the attempts to contact Core, they haven’t responded, and they refuse to engage in dialogue with their customers. This is the bigger problem.
Yes, there might be excellent reasons why Core’s prices are so high – reasons that, when explained, would convince the South African Apple community that yes, Core is doing a wonderful job of importing Macs, and wow, it’s hard to do all of that corporation stuff.
However, Core’s deafening silence on this issue means that there is no “other side” which can be heard. Regardless of how good or bad a job a company is doing with their products, if they don’t talk to their customers, they’re doomed.
Core doesn’t talk to their customers. Until they do, it doesn’t matter what happens to problem number one, because they are unwilling to solve problem number two – dialogue.
If you can point to a single official press release, or a comment by Core on a blog post of ANYBODY which explains how they get to their prices, you’ll make my day.
ryan411
08 Jun 2009
i ordered griffin tunebuds from Core/zastore in Sept 2007 and it took 21 days to deliver something that should have been delivered within 7 working days max. I found a list of issues I had with my Core experience but never sent it to them as they seemed to be so apathetic about customer service.
Complaints about Core.
1. They never bothered to contact me to tell me the item was out of stock. I had to email them 3 times before any reply. After 2 weeks then I find out that they don’t have stock of my ordered item.
2. When Tebogo left voicemail he didn’t identify himself as phoning from Core/ZA Store. Why does he not reply by email? Is he illiterate?
3. If they are out of stock, why do they not supply information as to that fact on the website as well as info on the replacement models.
4. Why do they not have my cell number? It is on the order form I filled out.
5. Why are they not delivering to Epping as I instructed?
6. Why are they phoning my father at home and not speaking to me and without my consent delivering the order to our residential address? When Tebogo phoned my father, he did not identify himself, again!
Reinard Eberhardt
01 Jul 2009
I agree that prices have been really really unfair, to put it mildly. About a year ago I purchased two Apple G5 Quads from a Retailer in the United states. In comparison with the addition of expensive Quadro 4500′s I paid up to 40% less, compared to what I would’ve paid here.
This really seems to be the trend with all ‘new’ products, especially ‘custom’ orders.
Pity really… I wonder if they’ll honor my 3yr international Apple Care plan locally.
Ray
PC Direct
02 Jul 2009
Wow, what an issue! As resellers of Core’s Apple products we’ve been fairly successful to date (holding thumbs). We (I) have personally always known the issues around Core’s pricing issues (being a MyAdsl member getting the news) and obviously we can’t fight it as resellers. The price is the price and that’s what we pass on to our customers. (Yes our sites out of date – new employee’s due to update soon!).
As far as service is concerned I can wholly agree that Core is lacking (even to us resellers) and I hope that can be fixed (along with better pricing).
Here’s a ^5 to better service and pricing for South Africa.
Allan
PC Direct
Matthew Bayley
09 Nov 2010
I own a marketing/promotional company and recently a customer of mine asked me to source 30 Ipod Nanos for a launch they were having. I contacted Core and they were very efficient and willing to help. That’s all they were good at. I was quoted on the Ipods a price which was 2% less than the retail value. How is one supposed to make any kind of margin when reselling to my customer? I bought them for R1567 and sold them to the customer for R1583. Absolutely ridiculous and terribly disappointed in Core Group!
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