Apple store refuses to fix my m1 macbook air, any advice?

[Trenches]

From https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/6602:



Now you have to argue that losing 1% of battery per hour of sleep is a significant and substantial issue that severely impacts the usability of computer. I don't think you would have much chance here.

So far, the factual basis is that there is a very minor issue and that Apple has promised to fix eventually. I don't think they have to do anything more than that according to the law.

Lol. Um, yeah it is a material defect. I’m glad you can Google, but can you think? Or is all you know is what the big corporation tells you? You know their word is not binding, right? OP has no obligation to wait for their fix. I wouldn’t. The Apple Store will give a refund most likely. I brought back an iPhone 6s Plus a year and a half later when it started performing poorly. A smile and an explanation goes a long way, but if they don’t want to budge, so does a certified letter.

 

[Trenches]

And if they do show and the court agrees that your claim is frivolous and without substance, what are the consequences for you?

Um, nothing. They dismiss the case. This isn’t complex civil litigation. There are no punitive damages. It’s a computer…

 

[spiderman0616]

Lol. Um, yeah it is a material defect. I’m glad you can Google, but can you think? Or is all you know is what the big corporation tells you? You know their word is not binding, right? OP has no obligation to wait for their fix. I wouldn’t. The Apple Store will give a refund most likely. I brought back an iPhone 6s Plus a year and a half later when it started performing poorly. A smile and an explanation goes a long way, but if they don’t want to budge, so does a certified letter.

I've had to argue with Apple before about battery issues too. I've found the most effective way is to give them a bad survey when it comes to your inbox after the visit/conversation. They do NOT like bad surveys. I've had to do that a couple of times, once for a faulty iPhone 4, and once for a faulty iPad Pro 11". Both times I've gotten a call back from some kind of manager and the issue was immediately resolved.

So yeah, sometimes you have to go the extra step and complain, but in my experience, Apple always makes it right as long as you can get past that front line of "Geniuses" who are just following a flow chart to answer your questions.

 

[Trenches]

I've had to argue with Apple before about battery issues too. I've found the most effective way is to give them a bad survey when it comes to your inbox after the visit/conversation. They do NOT like bad surveys. I've had to do that a couple of times, once for a faulty iPhone 4, and once for a faulty iPad Pro 11". Both times I've gotten a call back from some kind of manager and the issue was immediately resolved.

So yeah, sometimes you have to go the extra step and complain, but in my experience, Apple always makes it right as long as you can get past that front line of "Geniuses" who are just following a flow chart to answer your questions.

Good you did that. I agree they make it right. People irritate me when they try and give Apple a way out and also when they act like they have no recourse. Most just don’t take advantage and are clueless and would rather gripe than be a “Karen” and ask for the manager. It’s like… cool… take the chill and easy road… and live with the effects of your dispositions: getting screwed over. I read on here something like “they’re fulfilling their contractual obligations to the letter” and laughed. Really? Because last time I checked, the computer has a WARRANTY and they aren’t honoring it by shoving a customer away and saying “wait for us to fix it” while acknowledging the defect. A warranty is not a “wait until the warranty lapses for us to fix it!” SMH.

 

[moosinuk]

I don't know for sure, the last time I left my macbook at the store 11.4 wasn't out yet but they told me they've updated the mac and the issue is still there so I would say yes

@Koalified, please post a screen shot from the About This Mac, but remove your serial number, so we can see which version you are on.

 

[deanforwin]

They’re refusing to fix by acknowledging the issue and saying “wait for a fix!” That’s a material defect (a hidden defect) in the product for which OP has a claim under the implied warranty of merchantability. I’d sue them in a half second.

Good luck with that.

 

[Marshall73]

No adapters, no monitors, nothing.

And you shutdown the Mac before closing the lid? Because why would you sleep your Mac rather than shut it down? I shut mine down often but had put it away in sleep mode and it still had half the battery charged after 3 days.

 

[deanforwin]

The mac is waking every couple of minutes during sleep so it depends on the amount of time you leave it closed.
It's 1%/hour minimum with everything disabled(no power nap, no icloud, no handoff, no wifi, no bluetooth, no app installed, no indexing, no nothing). It's not normal and the store recognised it too and told the apple is aware of the issue. There's a thread in this forum where people are discussing the same problem

I've had multiple MacBooks and 1% per hour is a normal drainage during sleep.

 

[Koalified]

I've had multiple MacBooks and 1% per hour is a normal drainage during sleep.

No it's not, Apple said that same as they said that it's a real issue that affect many people, stop saying nonsense.

 

[leman]

is 1% with nothing installed, as soon as I have my normal work stuff and my icloud is 20%+ every normal night.

I'm not going to sue anyone, I live in Europe btw, it's not a very minor issue for me working remotely and moving a lot.

Ah, 20% per night is a different thing and I agree that it is significant. As other's have said, please make sure you are on 11.4 and update if not — it does fix a bunch of more annoying issues with M1 machines. If your problem persists after this, you can always email Tim Cook and state your disappointment with the situation, there is a good chance that they will escalate your issue and offer you a recourse.

 

[deanforwin]

No it's not, Apple said that same as they said that it's a real issue that affect many people, stop saying nonsense.

*1-2% overnight. Go to System Preferences > Battery > Power Adapter > Uncheck wake for network access and make sure prevent from sleeping automatically is unckecked too. Nonsense is the fact that you don't' know your macOS version.

2. Go to activity monitor and see what's eating battery while sleeping.

 

[Koalified]

*1-2% overnight. Go to System Preferences > Battery > Power Adapter > Uncheck wake for network access and make sure prevent from sleeping automatically is unckecked too. Nonsense is the fact that you don't' know your software version.

We already tried everything also at the apple store with the terminal.

I said that when I left my macbook at the store 11.4 wasn't out yet(it was on 11.3.1) and they still have it, they told me today that they updated it between the other tests so I think it's on 11.4 now but since I don't have it right in front of me I can't tell for sure it's on 11.4

 

[4sallypat]

I've had multiple MacBooks and 1% per hour is a normal drainage during sleep.

My 16" MBP drains at 2% per hour while sleeping (lid closed).

But then my battery capacity has diminished to 82% within 15 months.

I'd complain, but I'll wait until it gets to 79% and then get an AppleCare replacement.

 

[laptech]

Apple cannot tell you to wait for a fix. Under consumer law Apple have to give you a timeline for the fix. You can either agree to the timeline or ask for a refund. Because the computer has been used, it is at Apples discretion how much of a refund they give you. if you argee to the fix timeline, Apple have to strictly adhere to that timeline. If the timeline passes and the computer has still not been fixed, Apple can again ask you to wait for it to be fixed and give you another fix timeline. If that timeline passes and still no fix then under consumer law you can claim a full refund because the computer fails the 'fit for purpose' test.

 

[deanforwin]

We already tried everything also at the apple store with the terminal.

I said that when I left my macbook at the store 11.4 wasn't out yet(it was on 11.3.1) and they still have it, they told me today that they updated it between the other tests so I think it's on 11.4 now but since I don't have it right in front of me I can't tell for sure it's on 11.4

Alternatively, demand to speak to a manager. Those Geniuses work under constraints. Tell the manager it's a work laptop, you need it asap and they've had it for weeks. You need a replacement asap, otherwise you might consider a litigation.

I had a similar situation. My maxed out M1 was crashing consistently and the "genius" was a prick. He told me, "well you'll have to buy a new one if you need it sooner, we won't replace it." Then after a brief conflict manager showed up, I told her he was being rude and that because of the Covid I couldn't schedule an appointment to replace it. Anyway, they switched with the base model (that's what I wanted) and refunded $500 since I had it maxed out. I'm tying on it right now. Just be confident, precise.

 

[Wando64]

No it's not, Apple said that same as they said that it's a real issue that affect many people, stop saying nonsense.

You are clearly worried and frustrated at what you think is a problem with your Mac, however there is hardly any point in asking for advice on a forum if you are going to dismiss other users experience as "nonsense".

If your Mac is using battery it is because it's doing something.
My advice to you would be to spend some time trying to find out what it is doing.
There are systems logs that can tell you exactly what happened while the system was in Sleep mode.

 

[Koalified]

You are clearly worried and frustrated at what you think is a problem with your Mac, however there is hardly any point in asking for advice on a forum if you are going to dismiss other users experience as "nonsense".

If your Mac is using battery it is because it's doing something.
My advice to you would be to spend some time trying to find out what it is doing.
There are systems logs that can tell you exactly what happened while the system was in Sleep mode.

Yes I'm frustrated because it seems like you think I haven't tried everything I could before going to the apple store.

I showed the logs to the genius and they didn't even know what they were. They spoke with apple's engineers and they said that they are not even sure why this is happening. They think it's a macos bug but they are not even sure.
That's why it's bothering me.
I have a problem that Apple recognise and think that can be fixed in a future update.
- Nobody knows when this is going to happen
- It's not even sure it is going to happen since they are not 100% sure where the problem originates from
- Only a small group is affected, meaning that most people are not, meaning that it is actually possibile to have a working machine
- I'm fully under warranty and I don't accept a "wait maybe something will come out" as a solution

I spent 1000€+ on this laptop and one of the biggest deciding factor was to have better battery life compared to what I previously had. It's a lot of money to me also because it's a tool that I use for work, also I'm a software engineer so though I'm not an expert I still know a thing or two

I apologise for saying "nonsense" but it seems like people are trying to minimise the problem even if apple said that it's real

 

[deanforwin]

brrr toxic vibes I'm outta here. I tried.

 

[Joelist]

If the frustration is with the Apple Store then escalate to the next level up. Do you have AppleCare? Or whatever the overseas equivalent is? Take your Serial Number and contact Support (not in store Genuises Support) and tell them you want a manager. And keep emphasizing you want a manager until they get you one. You need someone with the authority to resolve the issue and frequently first line support (and Genuises) don't have that authority.

If you get the machine back and it still misbehaves then doing things like turning off "wake for network access" and also running Activity Monitor may provide a hint as to WHAT is running. Because the only way you can be losing battery is if it is being burned off for something.

 

[Devin Breeding]

I don't know for sure, the last time I left my macbook at the store 11.4 wasn't out yet but they told me they've updated the mac and the issue is still there so I would say yes

Check and verify? You are assuming without knowing for sure when it is a really easy thing to check. If it is not, it is worth your time to check so you can update.

 

[Koalified]

Check and verify? You are assuming without knowing for sure when it is a really easy thing to check. If it is not, it is worth your time to check so you can update.

They still have my macbook...I'll go to the store after work

 

[Nozgog]

Alternatively, demand to speak to a manager. Those Geniuses work under constraints. Tell the manager it's a work laptop, you need it asap and they've had it for weeks. You need a replacement asap, otherwise you might consider a litigation.

I had a similar situation. My maxed out M1 was crashing consistently and the "genius" was a prick. He told me, "well you'll have to buy a new one if you need it sooner, we won't replace it." Then after a brief conflict manager showed up, I told her he was being rude and that because of the Covid I couldn't schedule an appointment to replace it. Anyway, they refunded $500 and I went with a brand new base model. I'm tying on it right now. Just be confident, precise.

You got a 500$ refund for a maxed out M1?

 

[ouimetnick]

It is probably a software problem. You don’t have much choice but to wait for a possible fix, or sell the Mac and get something else.

No need to be rude to Apple.

Apple is a major company, I'm not going to treat them and respect them like I would an actual individual. If you ship buggy software or flawed hardware and I have to deal with the consequences of Apple's sloppiness, you can be damn sure I'll try first with honey and then resort to whatever is necessary to correct (what I feel is) a wrong.

If it's a "software problem" why is that even a thing when Apple is shipping and building both the hardware and software? This isn't Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc, this is Apple. (I'm being somewhat facetious since I realize humans will always make mistakes, but some of the bugs that Apple ships are laughable, and make one question where their QC team is.)

 

[Duane Martin]

Of the many Apple computers I have owned I have had one lemon (it would just shut down, sometimes when using it, sometimes when just standing at the desk). The problem was intermittent but would happen every couple days and Apple diagnostics at the Genius Bar revealed nothing. I had it in three times for them to replace components and on the fourth visit I asked the Genius to look at it’s repair history and to get me a manager. I walked out of the store with a new replacement computer.

Take-away - being polite and patient works until it doesn’t, then you need to draw attention to the efforts you have made and the repair history. I sincerely hope they will replace your computer, it would be the right thing for Apple to do.

Bonus - this was a refurbished unit, no longer for sale, so it was replaced with the latest model.

 

[Never mind]

Have you done below ? Report back to us

Go to activity monitor and see what's eating battery while sleeping