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Is It Time For Apple To Acknowledge Flexgate? (macobserver.com)
In January 2019, iFixit revealed a design flaw where the ribbon cable that connects the body of some MacBook Pros to their display wears down too quickly, causing uneven backlighting at the bottom of the display. There now appears to be growing frustration among users at Apple's reaction. Vlad Savov from The Verge said it is time for the company to acknowledge and deal with the issue: A petition, now numbering more than 15,000, would beg to differ. It calls for Apple to publicly recognize Flexgate as a design flaw, and to commit to repair all MacBook Pro laptops affected by it. I think that's exactly what Apple should do, and it's no less than we should expect from a company that touts its reliability and user satisfaction numbers any chance it gets. No one should have to pay upwards of $500 to replace an entire display just because Apple (a) decided to affix a fragile cable to one of the most expensive components in its MacBook Pro, and (b) miscalculated the necessary length of that cable in its first design.
By then they'll have gotten enough people to pay for the repair or buy new laptops to replace the broken ones. Then they'll acknowledge the flaw and offer a cheap repair for the other suckers they couldn't fleece.
Start by referring to the problem using a less infantile word than "flexgate".
By then they'll have gotten enough people to pay for the repair or buy new laptops to replace the broken ones.
This happened to me. My 2017 MacBook had the exact problem described in TFA.
I sent it in to be repaired in January of this year. There were a few other issues that were fixed at the same time: Sticky keys, and one USB-C port didn't work.
My repair bill was $800.
Here's better idea, just stop buying Apple.
While I concur with your sentiment, you really ought to credit the late Bill Hicks, if you're going to use his material.
This happened to me. My 2017 MacBook had the exact problem described in TFA.
I sent it in to be repaired in January of this year. There were a few other issues that were fixed at the same time: Sticky keys, and one USB-C port didn't work.
My repair bill was $800.
When it comes time to buy a new laptop, will it be from Apple? If so, then I see no reason why they would care to fix this issue. Or worry about such things in the future.
I'm curious, how long did you own your 2017 MacBook before you had to send it in? While I'm not a big Windows fan, my Dell laptops for work have always lasted for 5+ years with heavy travel. They've always been replaced due to company policy, not because they had any issues, other than the battery wear.
I have bought a few Apple devices over the years, mostly with good success of not needing to repair or replace them.
However, my experience with them yesterday was appalling - brought a phone in for a battery replacement, and checked the "water damage" stickers myself before leaving it. They were all clear.
I go back two hours later to pick up my repaired iPhone - no can do - showing me a static picture of one of the stickers with water damage. I asked them to show me a video that shows the phone from me leaving it, to them opening it and the condition of the sticker at that moment - they didn't. They claim "water damage" void warranty, which my phone already doesn't have so it is fine with me. But they refuse service I want to pay for.
So Fuck them. I am still considering taking them to small claims court for destruction of property, as they explained that phone is now blacklisted from receiving any service and updates.
Regarding the Dell laptops, they've been Percision M. So not their low end models. But probably in a similar price range of a MacBook Pro.
It's time the people in the USA actually got some consumer protection laws and ombudsmen to represent consumer interest so that *any* company is forced to actually address design flaws or other things they do that prevent their product from being fit for purpose.
When it comes time to buy a new laptop, will it be from Apple?
Unless someone else starts shipping laptops with MacOS, yes it will be another Apple. My spouse has an app business, and I help her out with it, so using Windows or Linux isn't an option. But I do run Slackware on my desktop, so I am not a total Mac-dweeb.
If so, then I see no reason why they would care to fix this issue. Or worry about such things in the future.
Indeed. I wan't happy to pay $800, but I just see it as a cost of doing business.
I'm curious, how long did you own your 2017 MacBook before you had to send it in?
About two years. In November it started having problems if I opened it more that about 80 degrees, but I could still use it by wedging something under the keyboard. By December, I couldn't open it more than 45 degrees, which was unworkable, so I could only use it with an external keyboard and monitor. After Christmas, I sent it in for repair.
By then they'll have gotten enough people to pay for the repair or buy new laptops to replace the broken ones.
This happened to me. My 2017 MacBook had the exact problem described in TFA.
I sent it in to be repaired in January of this year. There were a few other issues that were fixed at the same time: Sticky keys, and one USB-C port didn't work.
My repair bill was $800.
Should have bought the warranty, and if you did, was anything actually covered under it?
Should have bought the warranty, and if you did, was anything actually covered under it?
Extra warranties are rarely worth the money. Even if you might occasionally "win" in a case like this, you will lose even more often.
The warranties are priced so that they are profitable. If the company wins, on average, then obviously the consumer loses.
Our K12 used to pay for a $100 warranty on $400 ipads.
Even assuming they had absolute no questions coverage (dropped, stolen, lost (and found later??), toilet swim, fire, etc) there was no way we could pretend 25% usage was happening. I don't know who was behind the practice, I don't know when it stopped, but we don't bother anymore, on any apple product. You'd probably get better value throwing the extra wad at a casino table. Those also have an existence based solely on the hard "Consumer loses." reality.
Exceptions exist, exceptions aren't the rule.
Explain it to us. Companies sell insurance but they do it at a lost because it benefits the consumer, who always comes out ahead.
Really?
Really??
One example I ran across recently was the keyboard cover Apple sold for the 9.7" iPad Pro (original model). Mine started having issues where I'd open the cover to use the iPad and randomly get dialog boxes popping up saying "Accessory not supported". At first, I blamed my Apple Pencil, thinking it was having connectivity issues. But I eventually realized it was something with the keyboard not maintaining a solid connection with the iPad via its magnetic connector.
I brought it by Apple, just to see what they'd say. (I knew it was past the 1 year warranty period and they've gone to 10.1" iPad Pros now with all new accessories. But hoped at least they'd have some "old stock" of the keyboard cover I needed.) Turns out one of their techs was immediately aware of my issue and said that was part of a "silent recall" inside Apple. He went and got me a brand new keyboard cover and swapped it with my defective one, and sent me on my way!
If you visit Apple's web page listing all the recalls ... the iPad Pro cover is not mentioned anywhere.
Same here, two years, open past 70 degrees or so, and display goes off. It was under a third party three year warranty, which they honoured.
Help me understand. It's a 2017 Macbook, and it failed in 2018... Presumably it came with a mere 1 year warranty and was just outside that, but don't have you any consumer protection laws to help you?
In Europe that would have been a free repair.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
They did that to my wife. By the time they admitted to the iPhone 6 battery problems she had got a 3rd party replacement one installed, and they wouldn't offer her the cheap replacement. Then a few years later they started offering the cheap replacement to people who got 3rd party batteries too, but which point she had long switched to Android.
This is their modus operandi, delay for so long you throw the useless and too-expensive-to-fix product away before offering to fix it at cost.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
We have insurance instead. You pay for the level of support you want. The law doesn't even cover one year in many U.S. states. Insurance is fine though. Remember that electronics are typically cheaper in the U.S., so we have enough left over to pay for EU level support if we so choose.
Electronics prices in the US seem to be about the same as the EU, once you remember to subtract local taxes. Particularly for computer hardware.
Also looking at Applecare it's a lot more expensive than what we get for free.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
I just brought my niece's Macbook 2017 to the Apple Store for the same problem and they had the nerve to try and sell a new screen for a faulty cable. They claimed the cable and screen can't be sold separately. I told them that this behavior was clearly a manufacturing flaw. The engineer said "Yes it is" and I asked "So?" and he said "It's out of warranty". I asked "how much" and they actually said they can give me a deal for only $380.
I just ordered a replacement for $20 and will ask a friend in the area to replace it.
Yes, warranty is included in the price here.
-- Cheers!
Of course millenials know who Ford is. He's the guy who invented cars!
#DeleteFacebook
Which laptop brand/model are you talking about?
#DeleteFacebook
At my last workplace I used a 5 year old Dell Inspiron 3000 series laptop. This was in a (fairly nice) trailer on a construction site. After i left, it was given to someone else. Most likely it will be used until the hard drive screws up, and they will replace it with a new laptop. Hopefully, just as reliable. TOM...
I'm getting tires of hearing about new flaws to be worried about on my most expensive in class laptop after my most expensive in class support agreement ends.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
There have been many issues brought forward in the Apple support forum that go nowhere unless the answer is., "yes I will download the third party software that fixes that basic issue with iOS". There are many long threads that go nowhere. Specifically about the keyboard problem.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Apple builds laptops for people with no pets, who vacuum daily or have a maid, who have a flat desk with no encumberances and who always work at that desk. This goes for Macbook Pro as well. It is not a laptop that is made to be taken anywhere with you but to another clean room in a clean bag.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Negative. Macbooks, after adjusting for the current exchange rate and according to everymac.com, which lists the historical MSRPs of ever Mac, the French and German markets pay about a 15% premium. The nominal prices are similar, but USD is cheaper than EUR.
So, you are essentially forced by your government to pay for the extended warranties which are optional in the U.S.