Got my NEW 2016 15" MacBook Pro...SCRATCH right out of the box?

[elf69]

Macbook is solid alloy.

most other machines are plastic molded.

These unibody machines should survive a little battering.

 

[vipergts2207]

Tosh…. A machine that costs as much as a MacBook Pro should be used well, and get plenty more scratches along the way. They are rugged enough to handle it.

Poor souls who pride themselves on the pristine appearance of what should be a tool, not an ornament, probably have no real use for what they have splashed out on. More money, or access to credit, than brains I reckon.

You realize we're talking about a computer and not a wrench or a hammer right? Its job as a tool is to sit there and process things. They're generally used at a desk, or perhaps on a couch. Where scratches would come from I'm unsure, unless you're careless or clumsy. One doesn't have to treat it like a newborn baby to avoid cosmetic damage of this nature. And in any case, cosmetic damage should come from the owner, not the manufacturer out of the box. Btw, I've never seen somebody so sanctimonious about their lack of money. Comes across as being a bit salty.

 

[MrHopsing]

Tosh…. A machine that costs as much as a MacBook Pro should be used well, and get plenty more scratches along the way. They are rugged enough to handle it.

Would you accept a brand new car from the dealership with a scratch on it? A car is also a tool to get you from point A to B, they are rugged enough to handle scratches.

 

[vipergts2207]

Would you accept a brand new car from the dealership with a scratch on it? A car is also a tool to get you from point A to B, they are rugged enough to handle scratches.

He pointed out that he's not "affluent enough" to afford a new car. Also, only wealthy people and "poor souls" handle their possessions with even a modicum of care. Sensible people just throw their laptops around willy-nilly, beating the crap of them. He'd probably tell people to get over it, even if their computer came out of the box like this.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ld-2016-15-macbook-pro-on-the-ground.2019541/

It is just cosmetic damage after all.

 

[Wowereit]

Even if you don't really care about the scratch, consider the following:
- Scratch hints to a drop or other harsh treatment -> unlikely, but in theory another reason for them to void the warranty.
- Resell value.

You've bought a 3000-5000$ BTO MacBook Pro, at this ridiculous price point you sure can expect a machine that's not damaged right out of the box.

 

[fs454]

Even if you don't really care about the scratch, consider the following:
- Scratch hints to a drop or other harsh treatment -> unlikely, but in theory another reason for them to void the warranty.
- Resell value.

You've bought a 3000-5000$ BTO MacBook Pro, at this ridiculous price point you sure can expect a machine that's not damaged right out of the box.

It's a tooling issue likely during the cutting process of the speaker dimples, and it gets anodized over afterwards which masks it. This scratch is in place before any components are inside the machine.

It's not going to hurt resell value, especially when thousands and thousands of them have this. My replacement I got yesterday for the speaker issue had it coming right out of the box, and the machines on display had it as well.

I've chosen to get over it and be happy with a machine that has no other technical or cosmetic faults.

 

[Micky Do]

Would you accept a brand new car from the dealership with a scratch on it? A car is also a tool to get you from point A to B, they are rugged enough to handle scratches.

Yes, I would; it's not going to affect function. Going fishing and hunting in remote places on unsealed roads and tracks would soon add a few more chips, scratches and maybe the odd dent. C'est la vie.

He pointed out that he's not "affluent enough" to afford a new car. Also, only wealthy people and "poor souls" handle their possessions with even a modicum of care. Sensible people just throw their laptops around willy-nilly, beating the crap of them. He'd probably tell people to get over it, even if their computer came out of the box like this.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ld-2016-15-macbook-pro-on-the-ground.2019541/

It is just cosmetic damage after all.

There is a difference between a modicum of care and being obsessively pernickety. I ride a small 20 year-old motorcycle that should be good for a good few more years because, being sensible, I maintain it properly

Likewise my few other possessions, which I own to use, not to show off with. My 2009 Mac Mini and Fujifilm camera get well used to produce photos that illustrate stories in the local newspaper. They are carted hither and yon by bicycle or motorcycle from time to time, and do get the odd knock in the process, but I certainly don't throw them around willy nilly.

Post purchase damage to the computer pictured would not bother me, as long as the thing still worked. It is a bit spurious to suggest that such damage would occur prior to purchase. Buying goods in shops, as I do, it would not happen. In my experience goods are opened and checked before the purchase is completed.

You realize we're talking about a computer and not a wrench or a hammer right? Its job as a tool is to sit there and process things. They're generally used at a desk, or perhaps on a couch. Where scratches would come from I'm unsure, unless you're careless or clumsy. One doesn't have to treat it like a newborn baby to avoid cosmetic damage of this nature. And in any case, cosmetic damage should come from the owner, not the manufacturer out of the box. Btw, I've never seen somebody so sanctimonious about their lack of money. Comes across as being a bit salty.

Btw, you have never seen me, and are unlikely to do so given that I seldom associate with the supercilious nouveaux riche.

True, I don't have or earn much, but what I have is adequate for my simple life. I have neither the need, nor the desire for a laptop computer at this stage, though soon could enter a more itinerant phase where it would make sense to go that way. Given its ability to take a few knocks, a MacBook Pro might suit my purpose…. and it would be paid for in already earned cash.

 

[Bootleg Gucci]

You realize we're talking about a computer and not a wrench or a hammer right? Its job as a tool is to sit there and process things. They're generally used at a desk, or perhaps on a couch. Where scratches would come from I'm unsure, unless you're careless or clumsy. One doesn't have to treat it like a newborn baby to avoid cosmetic damage of this nature. And in any case, cosmetic damage should come from the owner, not the manufacturer out of the box. Btw, I've never seen somebody so sanctimonious about their lack of money. Comes across as being a bit salty.

I totally agree Viper, my 2012 MBP Retina 15" has no such scratches after 4.5 years of usage. Primarily I use 15" size laptop as desktop replacement at home and occasionally bring it out for presentations.

With this 2016 MBP scratch, it's highly visible and reflects light whenever I open it up to use, maybe space gray finish makes it more noticeable. The location matters, seriously would keep this unit if scratch was on the bottom.

 

[bevsb2]

Yes, I would; it's not going to affect function. Going fishing and hunting in remote places on unsealed roads and tracks would soon add a few more chips, scratches and maybe the odd dent. C'est la vie.

True, I don't have or earn much, but what I have is adequate for my simple life. I have neither the need, nor the desire for a laptop computer at this stage, though soon could enter a more itinerant phase where it would make sense to go that way. Given its ability to take a few knocks, a MacBook Pro might suit my purpose…. and it would be paid for in already earned cash.

I'm sure there is a lot to be said for your lifestyle, but why aren't you out hunting or fishing and enjoying your simple life instead of posting on a MacRumors forum?

 

[graphic_designer]

Yes, I would; it's not going to affect function. Going fishing and hunting in remote places on unsealed roads and tracks would soon add a few more chips, scratches and maybe the odd dent. C'est la vie.

There is a difference between a modicum of care and being obsessively pernickety. I ride a small 20 year-old motorcycle that should be good for a good few more years because, being sensible, I maintain it properly

Likewise my few other possessions, which I own to use, not to show off with. My 2009 Mac Mini and Fujifilm camera get well used to produce photos that illustrate stories in the local newspaper. They are carted hither and yon by bicycle or motorcycle from time to time, and do get the odd knock in the process, but I certainly don't throw them around willy nilly.

Post purchase damage to the computer pictured would not bother me, as long as the thing still worked. It is a bit spurious to suggest that such damage would occur prior to purchase. Buying goods in shops, as I do, it would not happen. In my experience goods are opened and checked before the purchase is completed.

Btw, you have never seen me, and are unlikely to do so given that I seldom associate with the supercilious nouveaux riche.

True, I don't have or earn much, but what I have is adequate for my simple life. I have neither the need, nor the desire for a laptop computer at this stage, though soon could enter a more itinerant phase where it would make sense to go that way. Given its ability to take a few knocks, a MacBook Pro might suit my purpose…. and it would be paid for in already earned cash.

Look, I agree with the simple life, but I'm not sure why you keep on bringing this back to a wealth issue. If anything, rich people don't care. They would just buy a new one anyway. If anything, it's those who have a more modest income who deserve not to be cheated out of their hard-earned money. When I was a student at Parsons many many years ago, I scraped together all I had to buy the latest Apple computer for my projects. I sure would have been pissed off to receive a defective item.

More importantly, I think this quality control lapse is an insult to all the hard work and effort of Apple's design and engineering team. Every square mm of the MBP is thought and re-thought who knows how many times.

As for as cosmetics crossing over to functional use, at work today, people noticed the scratch quite quickly on the laptop. It's glaring, thereby negating any use this laptop will have for client-site presentations. My 2015 MBP does not have one scratch on it and, in my business, it gets PLENTY of use at home and at work, going cross-country 3 times in the last six months. It's not difficult to keep it pristine. Just buy a nice sleeve and, as you said, use a "modicum of care." In fact, I will probably sell it which will help offset the cost of the new MBP w/TB (as soon as I get it replaced), and the fact that it is in such excellent condition helps the price.

 

[vipergts2207]

It is a bit spurious to suggest that such damage would occur prior to purchase. Buying goods in shops, as I do, it would not happen. In my experience goods are opened and checked before the purchase is completed.

Yes, pre-purchase damage like that is unlikely. However, based on your comments consumers should be ok with it if it were to come like that, as the damage is only cosmetic. Also, many people have purchased these computers online and thus are unable to inspect them in person.

 

[bevsb2]

Post purchase damage to the computer pictured would not bother me, as long as the thing still worked. It is a bit spurious to suggest that such damage would occur prior to purchase. Buying goods in shops, as I do, it would not happen. In my experience goods are opened and checked before the purchase is completed.

Multiple members here have reported finding similar scratches in the same location on opening their brand new 2016 computers, so I don't think the information is "spurious". I can't comment on your shops, but Apple products sold in stores or online are sealed and not opened prior to purchase unless labeled as open box and sold at a discount.

 

[mwalter]

I had something similar with the iPhone 5. They must have sent me 4 or more phones in a row that had scratches. They initially gave up and said that they would just refund my money, but I got a call a few days later saying that there were indeed issues with the manufacturing. They had me wait a few weeks and then sent me a phone without any scratches. Of course, I'm sure that I soon scratched it myself.

 

[RandomRazer]

It's a tooling issue likely during the cutting process of the speaker dimples, and it gets anodized over afterwards which masks it. This scratch is in place before any components are inside the machine.

It's not going to hurt resell value, especially when thousands and thousands of them have this. My replacement I got yesterday for the speaker issue had it coming right out of the box, and the machines on display had it as well.

I've chosen to get over it and be happy with a machine that has no other technical or cosmetic faults.

wit wait wait, u have a replacement, AND saw the demo units have the same ISSUE??? same scrtach under enath the speaker grilles? ahh man

 

[fs454]

wit wait wait, u have a replacement, AND saw the demo units have the same ISSUE??? same scrtach under enath the speaker grilles? ahh man

Correct - I did see a silver model that didn't seem to have it (or it's harder to see on silver), but both my outgoing model, my new-in-box replacement, and the space gray instore units all had the scratch. They were pretty dumbfounded about it after I predicted the replacement would have it before it left the box and seemed to be documenting once they saw multiple versions of the same scratch.

They had said, however, that I was the first 2016 MBP to hit the Genius Bar thus far (Peabody, MA).

 

[Micky Do]

Look, I agree with the simple life, but I'm not sure why you keep on bringing this back to a wealth issue. If anything, rich people don't care. They would just buy a new one anyway. If anything, it's those who have a more modest income who deserve not to be cheated out of their hard-earned money. When I was a student at Parsons many many years ago, I scraped together all I had to buy the latest Apple computer for my projects. I sure would have been pissed off to receive a defective item.

More importantly, I think this quality control lapse is an insult to all the hard work and effort of Apple's design and engineering team. Every square mm of the MBP is thought and re-thought who knows how many times.

As for as cosmetics crossing over to functional use, at work today, people noticed the scratch quite quickly on the laptop. It's glaring, thereby negating any use this laptop will have for client-site presentations. My 2015 MBP does not have one scratch on it and, in my business, it gets PLENTY of use at home and at work, going cross-country 3 times in the last six months. It's not difficult to keep it pristine. Just buy a nice sleeve and, as you said, use a "modicum of care." In fact, I will probably sell it which will help offset the cost of the new MBP w/TB (as soon as I get it replaced), and the fact that it is in such excellent condition helps the price.

It is you that seem to be brining this back to an issue of wealth, but you may have a point.

Seriously wealthy folk have the means to get what is needed to do what they want to do. Fit for purpose is more important than bragging rights to maxed out specs, form and cosmetics. A small scratch is not a biggie, and would soon be joined by a few more in use.

Folks of limited means are careful about how they spend their hard earned cash. Again fit for purpose is more important than bragging rights and cosmetics. Sleeves and other fripperies are unnecessary expenses.

Then we have those who have gained the credit rating to max out their use of yet to be earned income to keep up appearances. For such folk bragging rights and cosmetics are paramount. One suspects that they make up the majority in this thread, if not the forum as a whole.

The "modicum of care" quote was not originally mine. Credit for that should go to vipergts2207 .

I'm sure there is a lot to be said for your lifestyle, but why aren't you out hunting or fishing and enjoying your simple life instead of posting on a MacRumors forum?

I sort of get the feeling that I am being made unwelcome.

Not a lot of hunting and fishing available where I am earning a crust at present, though the internet connection has been quite good since they strung fibre around the neighbourhood a couple of years ago. I look forward to enjoying more outdoor activities when I return to the land of my birth, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Yes, pre-purchase damage like that is unlikely. However, based on your comments consumers should be ok with it if it were to come like that, as the damage is only cosmetic. Also, many people have purchased these computers online and thus are unable to inspect them in person.

Did I suggest that a consumer should be OK with the damage pictured on a new computer?

If a computer came new with damage like this I would be concerned that there could more serious damage that might impair function, thus a remedy would be expected. However, if it occurred in use, as long as the computer still functioned properly, not a problem. It's just wear and tear as a result of use without a modicum of care.

 

[vipergts2207]

Did I suggest that a consumer should be OK with the damage pictured on a new computer?

I'll let you answer that yourself.

But if a blemish is merely cosmetic…. C'mon, get a life, don't get obsessed.

If a computer came new with damage like this I would be concerned that there could more serious damage that might impair function, thus a remedy would be expected. However, if it occurred in use, as long as the computer still functioned properly, not a problem. It's just wear and tear as a result of use without a modicum of care.

As far as one can tell, the damage is just cosmetic. True there could be some other issue, but there could also be an issue without any outward sign of damage as well, i.e. Apple's MBP GPU warranty extension and iPhone battery replacement programs. Also iPhone 6 "touch disease." The only way to tell if there's an issue is to actually use it. It seems that for you the cosmetic damage in this case is too much, if it were to be this way out of the box. As such, you simply have a higher tolerance for it than others do for a brand new item. Seems a bit hypocritical to criticize others for it, but whatever.

To use your own argument regarding potentially hidden issues from cosmetic damage, nobody knows where this blemish is coming from in the manufacturing process. It could be just after anodization, which shouldn't cause any issues. It could be the result of a malfunctioning piece of equipment during the installation of a delicate component. Wherever it's happening, something is hitting the case hard enough to cause a good scratch on the chassis, and that is not good regardless.

 

[Micky Do]

Did I suggest that a consumer should be OK with the damage pictured on a new computer?

I'll let you answer that yourself.

You are twisting things out of context. I said this:

I acquire things to be used, not to look pristine.

If a fault affects function, get it sorted for sure.

But if a blemish is merely cosmetic…. C'mon, get a life, don't get obsessed.

In reference to this:

I said this:

If a computer came new with damage like this I would be concerned that there could more serious damage that might impair function, thus a remedy would be expected. However, if it occurred in use, as long as the computer still functioned properly, not a problem. It's just wear and tear as a result of use without a modicum of care.

About this, which was damage caused after purchase by the owner:

In short - If you damage it yourself, wear it. If it arrives with such damage, seek a remedy.

As far as one can tell, the damage is just cosmetic…….... It seems that for you the cosmetic damage in this case is too much, if it were to be this way out of the box. As such, you simply have a higher tolerance for it than others do for a brand new item. Seems a bit hypocritical to criticize others for it, but whatever.

To use your own argument regarding potentially hidden issues from cosmetic damage, nobody knows where this blemish is coming from in the manufacturing process. It could be just after anodization, which shouldn't cause any issues. It could be the result of a malfunctioning piece of equipment during the installation of a delicate component. Wherever it's happening, something is hitting the case hard enough to cause a good scratch on the chassis, and that is not good regardless.

How am I being hypocritical?

Peasant and quasi academic that I am, I don't fret over the odd blemish that does not affect function. Get a life, get over it, I reckon. Flash urban wannabes apparently have a different point of view.

If damage really is (potentially) more serious, remedial action is called for.

 

[keviig]

I just got the 13" TB that i've been waiting over a month for earlier today. It's a great machine, i'm loving it so far...

But as me posting in this thread might indicate, it came scuffed out of the box. It's not even a scratch, but a dent in the edge of the aluminium near the bottom of the trackpad. 3-4mm wide and quite deep. It looks to have been made before the trackpad was put in, as it's dented in between the two surfaces. I can feel the raised edge from the dent when running my finger over it. Back to waiting it is i guess

 

[vipergts2207]

You are twisting things out of context. I said this:


In reference to this:

View attachment 676865

I said this:


About this, which was damage caused after purchase by the owner:

View attachment 676866

In short - If you damage it yourself, wear it. If it arrives with such damage, seek a remedy.



How am I being hypocritical?

Peasant and quasi academic that I am, I don't fret over the odd blemish that does not affect function. Get a life, get over it, I reckon. Flash urban wannabes apparently have a different point of view.

If damage really is (potentially) more serious, remedial action is called for.

I'm fully aware that the damage in reality was caused by the purchaser. I specifically premised a hypothetical scenario in which the computer arrives with said cosmetic damage and if that damage should also be acceptable to someone in your mind. It's pretty obvious that if the consumer damages it, then it's their own fault.

You also completely ignored that this scratch could be a symptom of a more serious issue on the line making them. Nobody can know unless somebody goes to inspect the line these are being made on. But keep defending Apple's poor QC and criticizing their customers' decision to remedy it. Hopefully Apple has fixed it, as I'm sure they're probably aware of it at this point.

People here are spending sometimes upwards of $3,000 for these computers. If you think people are returning them because they want to show off their new "ornament" to everyone, sans blemishes, rather than because they feel ripped off for spending what most people consider an exorbitant amount of money for a computer and receiving a blemished product, I don't know what to tell you. But then again you apparently are able to know the thinking of wide swathes of people, as you've made clear several times.

 

[MarcBou]

I just got my 15" space gray macbook last night, and I have the same scratch in the same exact place. I've been using it all day long and already forgot about it, I don't even notice it. I won't ask for a replacement because I need it for work and don't wanna wait another month or a few weeks, cause I don't have another machine to work with (I've been using an iPad with bluttooth keyboard these last month and suffered a lot).

For me it's irrelevant, but I guess someone could be bothered.

 

[bevsb2]

Seriously wealthy folk have the means to get what is needed to do what they want to do. Fit for purpose is more important than bragging rights to maxed out specs, form and cosmetics. A small scratch is not a biggie, and would soon be joined by a few more in use.

Folks of limited means are careful about how they spend their hard earned cash. Again fit for purpose is more important than bragging rights and cosmetics. Sleeves and other fripperies are unnecessary expenses.

Then we have those who have gained the credit rating to max out their use of yet to be earned income to keep up appearances. For such folk bragging rights and cosmetics are paramount. One suspects that they make up the majority in this thread, if not the forum as a whole.

I don't fit into any of your categories above, however I have respect for fellow forum members regardless of which category they may or may not belong to and their right to expect an expensive computer to come without flaws no matter how minor some people may view them.

 

[matthewh133]

Get over it….. use it for a bit and there will soon be a few more scratches.

Uhh, this is a $3000 machine, not something they bought for $10 at Walmart.

 

[GoodOne]

So I got a replacement for my MBP 15 Inch 2016 (Bootcamp broken speaker issue) which I picked up in the Apple Store on. Thursday and I unpacked the machine right there to make sure it doesn't have the scratch but of course it did.

Now I have the opportunity to swap it once again but I'm on the fence because it seems all machines have it and I don't want to spend too much time with this. On the other hand, I'm paying 3000€ and the machine should be pristine out of the box like my previous MBP was.

I'm sure Apple is aware of this and the issue will be fixed silently in the coming weeks so if you buy a new MBP in a few weeks, it won't have the scratch. But I need to exchange mine now so I'm not sure I'm going to try 4-5 machines before maybe I finally get one without the scratch.

 

[idark77]

Sorry but I am not agree, if we don't return/exchange defected products (for me any scratch out of the box is a defect), how could Apple be aware about this ?