Avoid PBTech Service Centre

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#3456653 28-Jan-2026 11:21

Goosey:

Where’s your pbtech job number?

did you get one?

what happens when you track that number on their website?

Last update was two days after the drop off.. rubbish

Ricardo Castilho

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#3456655 28-Jan-2026 11:24

And assume you have tried visiting the branch again?

also two days after the drop off was clearly a public holiday time of year

turtleattacks

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#3456663 28-Jan-2026 11:54

I've noticed that the quality of Apple's 'Official repairer' vary.

Ubertec was wonderful, very professional while Fonefix claimed my hardware fault was due to MacOS Beta and wanted to charge me $250 to reinstall the OS or $80 to return the laptop.

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jpwise

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#3456694 28-Jan-2026 15:06

ricardocastilho:

wellygary:

Was it booked though the Apple Service Portal, or direct with PBT?

PBTech, unfortunately. I tried contacting Apple earlier, but they can't do anything as it was not through them

100% biased opinion as I work for them (albeit in a different city) - but I'd be suggesting Service Plus - serviceplus.co.nz/brands

As others have said - yes, NZ doesn't have Apple Stores - it's supported by the Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) network instead.

For Auckland the list is at: https://locate.apple.com/nz/en/service?pt=4&lat=-37.0035972&lon=174.8894958&address=Auckland%2C+New+Zealand

If you haven't had any traction with getting it repaired after now almost a month - I'd be considering trying to uplift it and take it elsewhere (such as Service Plus).

Looking at one of our internal trackers the Mac service queue for ServicePlus AKL you should be looking at (on avg) less than 3 days for it to go to a tech for assessment, and then it comes down to whether it's a clear cut issue, can't be replicated, or found to be a non warrantable issue/damage. If a legitimate fault with covered parts is confirmed, parts are typically another 1-2 days from Apple Australia depending on the time of day they're ordered, and installation would typically be the same/next day after receipt. You would also get txt/email updates as the job progressed.

For everyone else - keep in mind also that typically as long as you have the receipt (/proof of purchase), you can generally take it to any Authorised Service Provider for the brands product. You're not required to take it back to where you purchased it. Most vendors and ASP's should have processes in place for CGA cover within a reasonable period dependent on the issue, but beyond that if you are seeking CGA cover outside the scope of what the ASP can cover - you do basically have to argue you case with the retailer, or the manufacturer - this being said - you're still going to need a service report regardless, and taking it to an ASP should give you an unbiased report that you can then review and discuss further with the retailer or manufacturer as needed.

As a general rule of thumb for us as Service Plus - we make our money from service - we don't sell machines, so we'll always try to cover a repair if it's eligible to be covered. If not - we'll let you know what we find and give you the quote to decide how you want to proceed. When it's not covered there is a fee for our work, but after that it's up to you to decide if it's cost effective to repair. If not - you can consider replacement through your preferred reseller.

Also don't forget about home/contents insurance for accidental damage if that was the finding - we still see huge numbers of customers that have been paying their premiums for years, and only ever think about it covering fires, or theft from break-ins, forgetting that accidental damage from a drop or spill is typically also covered by insurance as well.

Jp.

Working for Service Plus - serviceplus.co.nz

Authorised Service Provider for Apple, Asus, BenQ, Dynabook, Lenovo, and others - refer serviceplus.co.nz/brands

ricardocastilho

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#3456699 28-Jan-2026 15:17

I have been using Apple for more than 20 years, and I certainly used other services. The last couple of times I used ImageText in Auckland, and I could not be happier.

Ricardo Castilho

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#3456974 29-Jan-2026 13:07

Update on the situation:

I got a call from PBTech, and my Mac has been fixed. They replaced the entire top part.

They also gave me a Logitech keyboard stand and $100 in vouchers.

I think they know they dropped the ball and are trying to make up for it, which is appreciated. However, I really hope they improve their communication going forward.

Ricardo Castilho

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MadEngineer

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#3457040 29-Jan-2026 19:44

I had something under warranty repaired by them semi-recently and it too took some time for it to be sent back to me. Fairly certain they had it sent to a third party. You said: "I took the device to the Westgate store on 29/12/25" - you can never expect miracles at that time of the year. I'd easily add a week or two to any expectations.

I deal with PBT on an at least a weekly basis. I once complimented them on their service and got a free non-insubstantial gift in return.

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KiwiSurfer

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#3457058 29-Jan-2026 21:24

Wonder if they sent it off to Apple to fix. Apple when I used to be in their ecosystem used to take quite soem time to repair laptops -- including a few times when the laptop held by Apple for 1-2 weeks (happened both to my personal laptop when dealng with Apple direct and also my work laptop where work sent it off to their IT provider). Delay may not have been PBT's fault if it was a repair where they needed parts from Apple or send it off to them. But looks like comms could've been better -- but then again Apple's own comms is not great either. YMMV.

NPCtom

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#3485188 28-Apr-2026 18:42

jpwise:

100% biased opinion as I work for them (albeit in a different city) - but I'd be suggesting Service Plus - serviceplus.co.nz/brands

As others have said - yes, NZ doesn't have Apple Stores - it's supported by the Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) network instead.

For Auckland the list is at: https://locate.apple.com/nz/en/service?pt=4&lat=-37.0035972&lon=174.8894958&address=Auckland%2C+New+Zealand

If you haven't had any traction with getting it repaired after now almost a month - I'd be considering trying to uplift it and take it elsewhere (such as Service Plus).

Looking at one of our internal trackers the Mac service queue for ServicePlus AKL you should be looking at (on avg) less than 3 days for it to go to a tech for assessment, and then it comes down to whether it's a clear cut issue, can't be replicated, or found to be a non warrantable issue/damage. If a legitimate fault with covered parts is confirmed, parts are typically another 1-2 days from Apple Australia depending on the time of day they're ordered, and installation would typically be the same/next day after receipt. You would also get txt/email updates as the job progressed.

For everyone else - keep in mind also that typically as long as you have the receipt (/proof of purchase), you can generally take it to any Authorised Service Provider for the brands product. You're not required to take it back to where you purchased it. Most vendors and ASP's should have processes in place for CGA cover within a reasonable period dependent on the issue, but beyond that if you are seeking CGA cover outside the scope of what the ASP can cover - you do basically have to argue you case with the retailer, or the manufacturer - this being said - you're still going to need a service report regardless, and taking it to an ASP should give you an unbiased report that you can then review and discuss further with the retailer or manufacturer as needed.

As a general rule of thumb for us as Service Plus - we make our money from service - we don't sell machines, so we'll always try to cover a repair if it's eligible to be covered. If not - we'll let you know what we find and give you the quote to decide how you want to proceed. When it's not covered there is a fee for our work, but after that it's up to you to decide if it's cost effective to repair. If not - you can consider replacement through your preferred reseller.

Also don't forget about home/contents insurance for accidental damage if that was the finding - we still see huge numbers of customers that have been paying their premiums for years, and only ever think about it covering fires, or theft from break-ins, forgetting that accidental damage from a drop or spill is typically also covered by insurance as well.

Jp.

I had my first interaction with ServicePlus last week and was fairly happy with the turnaround time on the initial assessment side of things (I like the online tracking). What I don't really like applies to all AASPs (I assume):

1) It's not clear if a service report is paid for or not. I have had different AASPs say either $0 or $50~. I've experienced both and Apple reimburses eventually - but it would be much nicer if they paid the AASP directly! I just need a quick clarification e.g. If this is a CGA claim with a very well known fault, do I pay AASP now and get reimbursed later; or does AASP get paid by Apple?

2) Some AASPs (ServicePlus included) tend to send everything to QSL immediately, even if we request that NOT to be done (if we are getting retail replacements/refunds directly etc.)

3) Once it goes to QSL there is very little information other than a small note in GSX which doesn't seem to be actively tracked by AASPs. It appears to just "magically arrive" a week later...

4) Fragmented communication between customer + Apple + AASP + QSL on requested service outcomes.

The combination of the things above lead to a very lengthy repair/replacement time. I have now learned to take my product to an AASP immediately to obtain service report, reject all depot repair options and call Apple later so that I can bypass the whole 1 hour phone fiasco of "making a booking at an AASP" thing.

Sometimes I do wish we had an Apple Store in NZ... mostly for consistency/speed.

Now with PB Tech doing "repairs" in Manukau, what happens now? For example, if I give my device to PB Tech Palmerston North; is the timeframe 3 days to reach PB Tech Manukau + 3 days PB Tech "assessment" + 2 days shipping to QSL + 3 days QSL repair time + 3 days shipping back to me - now you're looking at a 2 week turnaround time minimum!

EDIT: Added image of service plus job.

Apologies for my rant on Apple RMA processes :(

NPCtom

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#3485189 28-Apr-2026 18:45

KiwiSurfer:

Wonder if they sent it off to Apple to fix. Apple when I used to be in their ecosystem used to take quite soem time to repair laptops -- including a few times when the laptop held by Apple for 1-2 weeks (happened both to my personal laptop when dealng with Apple direct and also my work laptop where work sent it off to their IT provider). Delay may not have been PBT's fault if it was a repair where they needed parts from Apple or send it off to them. But looks like comms could've been better -- but then again Apple's own comms is not great either. YMMV.

I completely agree with this. It's very difficult to deal with a service provider (PB Tech/depot) that you can't talk to directly via somebody in another country (primarily the Philippines) who has little knowledge of Apple's operations here in NZ (CGA/no retail stores etc.)

jpwise

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#3485788 30-Apr-2026 14:32

NPCtom:

I had my first interaction with ServicePlus last week and was fairly happy with the turnaround time on the initial assessment side of things (I like the online tracking). What I don't really like applies to all AASPs (I assume):

1) It's not clear if a service report is paid for or not. I have had different AASPs say either $0 or $50~. I've experienced both and Apple reimburses eventually - but it would be much nicer if they paid the AASP directly! I just need a quick clarification e.g. If this is a CGA claim with a very well known fault, do I pay AASP now and get reimbursed later; or does AASP get paid by Apple?

2) Some AASPs (ServicePlus included) tend to send everything to QSL immediately, even if we request that NOT to be done (if we are getting retail replacements/refunds directly etc.)

3) Once it goes to QSL there is very little information other than a small note in GSX which doesn't seem to be actively tracked by AASPs. It appears to just "magically arrive" a week later...

4) Fragmented communication between customer + Apple + AASP + QSL on requested service outcomes.

The combination of the things above lead to a very lengthy repair/replacement time. I have now learned to take my product to an AASP immediately to obtain service report, reject all depot repair options and call Apple later so that I can bypass the whole 1 hour phone fiasco of "making a booking at an AASP" thing.

Sometimes I do wish we had an Apple Store in NZ... mostly for consistency/speed.

Apologies for my rant on Apple RMA processes :(

Hey Tom, I believe the tech already filled you in on this, but for anyone else - yes, the service process does vary by product line. But for Service Plus at least (and likely most everyone else in NZ) - different product lines have different service strategies.

For Service Plus at least we're under the following model depending on whether it's a WUR (whole unit replacement) or SUR (same unit repair) process.
AirPods, iPad, iPhone, Mac - typically handled in branch, although for AirPods, iPad, and iPhone - Apples system may occasionally enforce it to be sent away for service.
Beats, Watch - cables/chargers usually in house, but for main unit typically enforced to be sent away for service

For depot repairs - when we have to send them off to the Apple depot - then yes, we essentially have to wait as well. If they believe it's not covered they quote us and we have to pass that quote on to the customer. Otherwise if they agree on coverage they'll either ship a replacement directly to us, or trigger for the part to be fulfilled from the main parts distribution warehouse (Sydney), and which point the 1-2 days delivery kicks in. We then process the exchange once it arrives. Sometimes the depot may also ask follow up questions, or ask for the proof of purchase to validate ownership, and we'll pass these queries along as needed.

In terms of 'assessment only' - yes, anyone can request assessment only, but Apple doesn't pay the AASP for it by default. I believe the tech did speak to you about this case beforehand, but if not standard process is that this should be done first when assessment only was requested. If no 'repair' is performed - we don't get paid, so we do charge the assessment fee if a customer requests not to proceed with repairs.
Unfortunately this applies even if the issue would have been covered by warranty, but we only get reimbursed if we actually process the warranty claim. As you noted - you can escalate this with Apple and if they grant an exception to cover labour for assessment only - we can claim it back through this, but it does need to be escalated by the customer (owner of device), and is entirely at Apples discretion. If they say no - we can't override that.

Hope that helps for anyone.

Working for Service Plus - serviceplus.co.nz

Authorised Service Provider for Apple, Asus, BenQ, Dynabook, Lenovo, and others - refer serviceplus.co.nz/brands

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snj

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#3485793 30-Apr-2026 15:00

jpwise:

For Service Plus at least we're under the following model depending on whether it's a WUR (whole unit replacement) or SUR (same unit repair) process.
AirPods, iPad, iPhone, Mac - typically handled in branch, although for AirPods, iPad, and iPhone - Apples system may occasionally enforce it to be sent away for service.
Beats, Watch - cables/chargers usually in house, but for main unit typically enforced to be sent away for service

Was still following the thread and this caught my eye a little, did Apple change the process for iPads? I think it was at Service Plus, but I remember been told a few years back that iPad repairs for NZ were basically exchanges and they didn't do actual repairs on them.

NPCtom

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#3485794 30-Apr-2026 15:09

jpwise:

NPCtom:

I had my first interaction with ServicePlus last week and was fairly happy with the turnaround time on the initial assessment side of things (I like the online tracking). What I don't really like applies to all AASPs (I assume):

1) It's not clear if a service report is paid for or not. I have had different AASPs say either $0 or $50~. I've experienced both and Apple reimburses eventually - but it would be much nicer if they paid the AASP directly! I just need a quick clarification e.g. If this is a CGA claim with a very well known fault, do I pay AASP now and get reimbursed later; or does AASP get paid by Apple?

2) Some AASPs (ServicePlus included) tend to send everything to QSL immediately, even if we request that NOT to be done (if we are getting retail replacements/refunds directly etc.)

3) Once it goes to QSL there is very little information other than a small note in GSX which doesn't seem to be actively tracked by AASPs. It appears to just "magically arrive" a week later...

4) Fragmented communication between customer + Apple + AASP + QSL on requested service outcomes.

The combination of the things above lead to a very lengthy repair/replacement time. I have now learned to take my product to an AASP immediately to obtain service report, reject all depot repair options and call Apple later so that I can bypass the whole 1 hour phone fiasco of "making a booking at an AASP" thing.

Sometimes I do wish we had an Apple Store in NZ... mostly for consistency/speed.

Apologies for my rant on Apple RMA processes :(

Hey Tom, I believe the tech already filled you in on this, but for anyone else - yes, the service process does vary by product line. But for Service Plus at least (and likely most everyone else in NZ) - different product lines have different service strategies.

For Service Plus at least we're under the following model depending on whether it's a WUR (whole unit replacement) or SUR (same unit repair) process.
AirPods, iPad, iPhone, Mac - typically handled in branch, although for AirPods, iPad, and iPhone - Apples system may occasionally enforce it to be sent away for service.
Beats, Watch - cables/chargers usually in house, but for main unit typically enforced to be sent away for service

For depot repairs - when we have to send them off to the Apple depot - then yes, we essentially have to wait as well. If they believe it's not covered they quote us and we have to pass that quote on to the customer. Otherwise if they agree on coverage they'll either ship a replacement directly to us, or trigger for the part to be fulfilled from the main parts distribution warehouse (Sydney), and which point the 1-2 days delivery kicks in. We then process the exchange once it arrives. Sometimes the depot may also ask follow up questions, or ask for the proof of purchase to validate ownership, and we'll pass these queries along as needed.

In terms of 'assessment only' - yes, anyone can request assessment only, but Apple doesn't pay the AASP for it by default. I believe the tech did speak to you about this case beforehand, but if not standard process is that this should be done first when assessment only was requested. If no 'repair' is performed - we don't get paid, so we do charge the assessment fee if a customer requests not to proceed with repairs.
Unfortunately this applies even if the issue would have been covered by warranty, but we only get reimbursed if we actually process the warranty claim. As you noted - you can escalate this with Apple and if they grant an exception to cover labour for assessment only - we can claim it back through this, but it does need to be escalated by the customer (owner of device), and is entirely at Apples discretion. If they say no - we can't override that.

Hope that helps for anyone.

Thanks for getting back to me.

I am just unimpressed with the entire Apple repair operation here in New Zealand. As you know waiting for AASP assessment/shipping/depot repairs result in 2 week+ wait times. For a normal person, I guess the process works ok-ish.

I forgot that raising an exception code with Apple is possible - I should've done that from the very beginning (this is probably why I've had varied experiences with AASPs re $0/$50 etc.). Service Plus were fine, I just would have appreciated more proactive contact following the assessment (as the job notes specifically said service report only as above) instead of being proactively sent to depot.

Apple should permit AASPs to order a wider variety of parts directly e.g. AirPods Max left/right cup, Apple Watch replacements (for "battery service") or complete retail unit replacements (not the "brown box" replacements - which I believe is WUR?). Do you know what the purpose of depot repairs are if AASPs are more than capable of doing it themselves? If AASPs can replace entire top cases of laptops surely they can do modular part replacements themselves?

Example of depot repair notes:

SNR passed through HDI

Device has Connectivity issue with both buds

Magnet check pass

No signs of internal liquid damage

Replacing both left and right buds

Fairly certain independents are skilled enough to rub a magnet over some metal lol

NPCtom

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#3485795 30-Apr-2026 15:11

snj:

jpwise:

For Service Plus at least we're under the following model depending on whether it's a WUR (whole unit replacement) or SUR (same unit repair) process.
AirPods, iPad, iPhone, Mac - typically handled in branch, although for AirPods, iPad, and iPhone - Apples system may occasionally enforce it to be sent away for service.
Beats, Watch - cables/chargers usually in house, but for main unit typically enforced to be sent away for service

Was still following the thread and this caught my eye a little, did Apple change the process for iPads? I think it was at Service Plus, but I remember been told a few years back that iPad repairs for NZ were basically exchanges and they didn't do actual repairs on them.

I believe iPads are replaced with refurb units from AU - I'll let jpwise answer though as I may be wrong.

jpwise

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#3485800 30-Apr-2026 15:35

snj:

Was still following the thread and this caught my eye a little, did Apple change the process for iPads? I think it was at Service Plus, but I remember been told a few years back that iPad repairs for NZ were basically exchanges and they didn't do actual repairs on them.

iPads are still by and large WUR as whole unit service replacments - but we typically handle the order and exchange process in house as opposed to having to send the unit off for it to be done elsewhere. It's only occasionally that we have to send them away - a swollen battery might be one example - in that we can't ship swollen product back to the AU distribution centre (lithium ion - dangerous goods shipment restrictions).

There are some signs they may be releasing SUR however on the 'new new' models, but I don't know what the status of if/when this will be available in NZ is yet. They've at least published the self service manual for some of them at least: https://support.apple.com/en-us/122080 so it's somewhat of a 'watch this space' category, and then it's down to whether the tooling required to faciliate is viable from a cost benefit aspect. Being able to actually replace a faulty battery, or a broken screen would certainly have some merit for customers IMHO, but there's still a lot of variables on that from a business perspective.

NPCtom:

I forgot that raising an exception code with Apple is possible - I should've done that from the very beginning (this is probably why I've had varied experiences with AASPs re $0/$50 etc.). Service Plus were fine, I just would have appreciated more proactive contact following the assessment (as the job notes specifically said service report only as above) instead of being proactively sent to depot.

Apple should permit AASPs to order a wider variety of parts directly e.g. AirPods Max left/right cup, Apple Watch replacements (for "battery service") or complete retail unit replacements (not the "brown box" replacements - which I believe is WUR?). Do you know what the purpose of depot repairs are if AASPs are more than capable of doing it themselves? If AASPs can replace entire top cases of laptops surely they can do modular part replacements themselves?

Fairly certain independents are skilled enough to rub a magnet over some metal lol

No worries - and yes, the WUR units are typically the minimum - bare main unit, no accessories, adapter, cords, manuals or other. I believe they were usually a white box, but may be some brown box ones now as well. In terms of who's authorised to do what - that is very much an Apple question. We can only do what Apple authorizes us to do - upshot for the customer - our work is qualified by Apple and it's an Apple backed warranty. Downshot is we're limited to only do what they authorize - which means if a product is enforced as depot service - we can only faciliate that. It's also another reason non Apple Authorised Service Providers can do some stuff outside the scope of what we do - in that they're not under contract with Apple - they can do what they want. The process for Airpods has also changed several times over the years. If i'm recalling correctly we did originally do Airpods in house, then we had to send them away, then in house, and it's presently back to send away again.
I imagine there is some justification from Apples side, and it may even be as simple as stockholding to bulk ship the left, right, and case components to a central location rather than individually packed and then shipped singularly to the AASP's as they order them. For the AirPod/Beats Cases - they're also qualified as a lithium ion battery and subject to the UN3480 standalone battery shipping regulations which means cargo/freight only flights and road freight. Noting also that there are A LOT of fake AirPod and similar products in the market - so that may be part of the current handling restrictions to filter those out from being inadvertantly replaced by perhaps a junior staffer and the AASP being stuck wearing the cost.

Working for Service Plus - serviceplus.co.nz

Authorised Service Provider for Apple, Asus, BenQ, Dynabook, Lenovo, and others - refer serviceplus.co.nz/brands

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