this is long, but should help you.
My sister told me this story of one of her friends in Australia who got a powerbook, and desperately needed it to finish his thesis for his masters. He had bought his computer 18 months prior to his hard drive breaking. He didn't get the 3 year service plan/warrenty cause he didn't have enough money, so he got the one year. He went to the apple store and tried to get a new g4. They said, no, you needed the 3 year service plan, we cant help you. So he talked to the regional apple austrailia office. they gave him the same thing. They wouldn't help him at all. He needed to finish his honors thesis. Years of work had the possibility of being for nothing cause he needed a new laptop. He asked apple to at least let him rent one. they said no. they wouldn't help him at all. He found a way to call steve jobb's office. He talked to his secretary or representative, explained his situation. she wouldnt do anything. he went through it again and kept calling. Next thing he got was a call from apple austrailia telling him to pick up his new powerbook, and tons of other software.
While, you situation is no where near as bad. You can keep going up the chain, because im sure steve jobbs wants what is best for his customers.