MBP rubber bezel coming apart

[ajergome]

I have a 2021 14"MBP and the rubber surrounding the display came loose. It happened right where the top case case touches the bottom case at the rear, one of the hottest parts of the laptop - I didn't grab it in a weird way, or drop it or anything, and I assume a combination of the heat from that area (I use it for video rendering so it gets warm) and the stickiness of the rubber caused it to separate after a few years.

Apple is telling me that's "accidental damage to the display" which I need to pay to repair. Has anyone seen this before, and is there an avenue to have apple review the determination that this is somehow damage I caused? I spoke with two senior advisors and they both just repeated that the service techs had said it was damage that wasn't covered by AppleCare, I can't even tell how a user _could_ damage the screen housing like that, and if they did then surely there would have to be other signs, like the case being damaged, or the rubber itself having some marks if it was intentionally pulled out?

 

[someoneoutthere]

Assuming that you have explored your options online/on the phone, go to the nearest Apple Store at your earliest convenience and have them take a look at your Mac in person. Explaining a defect/problem like that might be difficult on the phone because 1) not everyone is great at visualizing things and 2) you may have not explained yourself/situation clearly due to your choice of words.

 

[ajergome]

Assuming that you have explored your options online/on the phone, go to the nearest Apple Store at your earliest convenience and have them take a look at your Mac in person. Explaining a defect/problem like that might be difficult on the phone because 1) not everyone is great at visualizing things and 2) you may have not explained yourself/situation clearly due to your choice of words.

Oh yeah, speaking of choosing the right words - I totally neglected to mention that this happened during a mail-in repair. I spoke with them, sent a photo and then they told me to mail it in, and when Apple received it they said they "found a new issue" which was the damage, but the damage was the original issue. I suggested to the support person that if I had it sent back and took it to the store, they would surely see and agree that it wasn't accidental damage and I was told that even if they said that, it would ultimately be the determination of the service center where it's shipped - and that's who is presently calling it accidental damage. I just can't fathom how it's accidental damage. Online, the only instances I see are 2021+ MBP's with this issue :/

 

[DHagan4755]

Is it similar to the experience Justine has in this recent video?

 

[ajergome]

Is it similar to the experience Justine has in this recent video?

oooh.. it's a bit hard to see, but I think so. It's at a different part of the case but I think it's that same material. Pic of mine below. I spoke with Apple again and they said it was weird but they also reiterated that whatever the service techs say is what goes and that their hands are tied, they added that there isn't a known issue of this happening. I told them I was literally watching a video of someone unboxing a Mac with a similar issue and that it really does seem to be a glue/rubber material issue. I think one thing that complicated it is that there's apparently no category for "the rubber fell out", so the original advisor put it in as a "clamshell alignment issue", so when the service dept received it, they thought it had come in for something else, and then flagged the "physical damage". The explanation that this is where it touches a hot part of the case and the rubber/glue isn't great makes sense to me. I haven't heard a logical alternative explanation from Apple, just that it must somehow(?) be my fault.

 

[raythompsontn]

Sometimes it’s like mud wrestling with a pig. You both get dirty, but the pig likes it.

Talk with a supervisor at an Apple Store. In spite of Apple’s claims, the store manager has some say in the techs diagnosis.