Hey there! long time lurker, first time poster here. (Long post/Rant/Jumble of words incoming- TL : DR at the bottom!)
I've been having a bit of a nightmare with my 2015 Macbook Pro these past few weeks, which has just recently developed an "exploded" pixel (example: https://www.mikcx.com/macbook-pro-retina-exploding-pixels/). From what I gather and know, pixel failure/"exploding" is a fairly widespread and known issue with the Retina displays. One in which I've personally had prior experience with on two (now three) separate occasions.
I took my machine into my local Apple Store (local maybe being the wrong word, given that it's still about a 45minute-1hour drive from me, give or take) and was told rather point blank that this issue would not be covered under my Apple Care. The reason I was given is that because my issue is only "cosmetic", accidental damage caused by the user is not something Apple typically cover via warranty. The Genius said my issue would not be repaired without me being charged for what he quoted as being somewhere close to £600.
Before leaving my appointment I asked the Genius if contacting Apple directly via their support line would be worth a shot to double-check this policy, the Genius said that it definitely couldn't hurt and maybe would be beneficial. So as advised I contacted Apple online support the following day, I gave them my sob-story, they said it should be resolved. So I was booked in for another appointment at the same store I'd just been to the previous day. At that appointment I was told the same thing: this time it was instead delivered by the head engineer/technician of the store.
Don't get me wrong, this is a more than fair policy for instances where accidental damage has actually occurred.
However, if this were indeed the case here (i.e. I'd caused the damage myself "accidentally") then:
1. My current issue would be unique and not nearly as common a story as it is online
2. I would not have had this same issue repaired twice before, with about a year and a half's space between those two repairs, the 2nd one being within a 90-day window to today. Both covered under warranty without any qualms
3. I would not have been so paranoid of this happening again (after the first repair, and then again after the second repair) to the point of near-OCD where every time I finish using the machine I meticulously wipe-down the Keyboard and Trackpad area to ensure that there is no foreign particles/dust etc. which could potentially be crushed underneath the closed lid/screen and thus cause a similar issue
4. As a working professional who depends on this laptop daily for my work, it seems extremely counter-productive to have spent and wasted nearly as much of my already precious free-time on chasing this up with Apple as I already have, or the amount of time I will have to be without the laptop (again) if it does indeed get repaired. Not to mention the cost of my fuel for driving back and forth to and from the Apple Store.
5. I really don't think I'd even have the composure to try and swindle my way into getting this repaired in the dishonest way in which Apple are implying I am (I'm flattered that they think I have that kind of self-confidence, though)
This is now the third time that I've experienced this issue during my (almost) 3 years ownership of this machine.
The genius could "feel it with their fingernail" - just like the first time I had this issue - however this time instead of this remark being a further point of reasoning for it being a warranty issue, this was their point of reasoning for why it would not in-fact be a warranty issue, bizarrely enough.
Today I called Apple and again civilly gave them this book (sorry) of a sob-story. They eventually put me through to a senior advisor who gave me the same spiel as the Apple Store had (I believe he had access to the notes the engineer had put in regarding my case, so maybe this isn't surprising).
I feel pretty let down that there's even a whiff of accusation towards myself from Apple considering that this is (was?) a £2000+ maxed-out spec machine, with paid-for extended warranty/Apple Care at time of purchase. I think it's a stretch to even begin to imply that I would mishandle such an expensive product to the point where something like this would occur on three separate occasions, all in different parts of the screen.
Although saying this, I can absolutely appreciate that the thinking of "if there's a funny smell everywhere you go, maybe check your feet" is perhaps applicable here; however, the fact that this issue is far from being exclusive to only myself, and that it's happened in completely different parts of the screen each time, in this instance at least strongly negates that reasoning.
To further my point here (for what it's worth) the Genius who assisted me less than 90-days ago for when I had this same/similar issue (and subsequently had repaired) remarked that my machine was in immaculate condition. To the point where there were next-to-no discernible marks that he could actually list on my repair form.
Surely that alone is enough to dispel any accusation of misuse on my part? Although to be honest, It's pretty abysmal that I have to justify myself at all in the first place for why I couldn't have been the cause of a known and widespread issue. Reminds me of how Apple initially blamed users for stain-gate (which so far, I'm yet to experience).
TL : DR - Am I S.O.L with Apple on this particular exploding pixel issue? My Apple Care expires next month. I know stain-gate has an extension of a year on-top that? (not that this is a stain-gate issue). I believe I am still also within the 90-day window for the previous repair I had for this exact issue. Is there anything I can do other than complain? Just baffled as to how I've had this repaired twice under warranty but now it's no-longer a covered issue? (I'm based in the U.K. if that changes anything legally with regards to consumer law/rights etc.)
Sorry for the book/word-salad! Thanks for your time reading this + any help or advice you may be able to offer! Cheers!
I've been having a bit of a nightmare with my 2015 Macbook Pro these past few weeks, which has just recently developed an "exploded" pixel (example: https://www.mikcx.com/macbook-pro-retina-exploding-pixels/). From what I gather and know, pixel failure/"exploding" is a fairly widespread and known issue with the Retina displays. One in which I've personally had prior experience with on two (now three) separate occasions.
I took my machine into my local Apple Store (local maybe being the wrong word, given that it's still about a 45minute-1hour drive from me, give or take) and was told rather point blank that this issue would not be covered under my Apple Care. The reason I was given is that because my issue is only "cosmetic", accidental damage caused by the user is not something Apple typically cover via warranty. The Genius said my issue would not be repaired without me being charged for what he quoted as being somewhere close to £600.
Before leaving my appointment I asked the Genius if contacting Apple directly via their support line would be worth a shot to double-check this policy, the Genius said that it definitely couldn't hurt and maybe would be beneficial. So as advised I contacted Apple online support the following day, I gave them my sob-story, they said it should be resolved. So I was booked in for another appointment at the same store I'd just been to the previous day. At that appointment I was told the same thing: this time it was instead delivered by the head engineer/technician of the store.
Don't get me wrong, this is a more than fair policy for instances where accidental damage has actually occurred.
However, if this were indeed the case here (i.e. I'd caused the damage myself "accidentally") then:
1. My current issue would be unique and not nearly as common a story as it is online
2. I would not have had this same issue repaired twice before, with about a year and a half's space between those two repairs, the 2nd one being within a 90-day window to today. Both covered under warranty without any qualms
3. I would not have been so paranoid of this happening again (after the first repair, and then again after the second repair) to the point of near-OCD where every time I finish using the machine I meticulously wipe-down the Keyboard and Trackpad area to ensure that there is no foreign particles/dust etc. which could potentially be crushed underneath the closed lid/screen and thus cause a similar issue
4. As a working professional who depends on this laptop daily for my work, it seems extremely counter-productive to have spent and wasted nearly as much of my already precious free-time on chasing this up with Apple as I already have, or the amount of time I will have to be without the laptop (again) if it does indeed get repaired. Not to mention the cost of my fuel for driving back and forth to and from the Apple Store.
5. I really don't think I'd even have the composure to try and swindle my way into getting this repaired in the dishonest way in which Apple are implying I am (I'm flattered that they think I have that kind of self-confidence, though)
This is now the third time that I've experienced this issue during my (almost) 3 years ownership of this machine.
The genius could "feel it with their fingernail" - just like the first time I had this issue - however this time instead of this remark being a further point of reasoning for it being a warranty issue, this was their point of reasoning for why it would not in-fact be a warranty issue, bizarrely enough.
Today I called Apple and again civilly gave them this book (sorry) of a sob-story. They eventually put me through to a senior advisor who gave me the same spiel as the Apple Store had (I believe he had access to the notes the engineer had put in regarding my case, so maybe this isn't surprising).
I feel pretty let down that there's even a whiff of accusation towards myself from Apple considering that this is (was?) a £2000+ maxed-out spec machine, with paid-for extended warranty/Apple Care at time of purchase. I think it's a stretch to even begin to imply that I would mishandle such an expensive product to the point where something like this would occur on three separate occasions, all in different parts of the screen.
Although saying this, I can absolutely appreciate that the thinking of "if there's a funny smell everywhere you go, maybe check your feet" is perhaps applicable here; however, the fact that this issue is far from being exclusive to only myself, and that it's happened in completely different parts of the screen each time, in this instance at least strongly negates that reasoning.
To further my point here (for what it's worth) the Genius who assisted me less than 90-days ago for when I had this same/similar issue (and subsequently had repaired) remarked that my machine was in immaculate condition. To the point where there were next-to-no discernible marks that he could actually list on my repair form.
Surely that alone is enough to dispel any accusation of misuse on my part? Although to be honest, It's pretty abysmal that I have to justify myself at all in the first place for why I couldn't have been the cause of a known and widespread issue. Reminds me of how Apple initially blamed users for stain-gate (which so far, I'm yet to experience).
TL : DR - Am I S.O.L with Apple on this particular exploding pixel issue? My Apple Care expires next month. I know stain-gate has an extension of a year on-top that? (not that this is a stain-gate issue). I believe I am still also within the 90-day window for the previous repair I had for this exact issue. Is there anything I can do other than complain? Just baffled as to how I've had this repaired twice under warranty but now it's no-longer a covered issue? (I'm based in the U.K. if that changes anything legally with regards to consumer law/rights etc.)
Sorry for the book/word-salad! Thanks for your time reading this + any help or advice you may be able to offer! Cheers!
Last edited: