Late Macbook keyboard problem

[briangig]

A guy I know has a white 2ghz macbook (late 2006), warranty is out, no applecare. The perimeter keys (space, alt, option etc) dont work 90% of the time. I searched on google and this is not an uncommon problem. I called applecare hoping to weasel a free repair out of them, but the guy wasnt going for it. So now what? I know I can get a new top case for 140 bucks or whatever...but a two year old computer needing a new keyboard? I find that unacceptable. Should I call applecare again and play the angry customer?

[mrrish]

So you didn't by AppleCare? When you bought the computer, they must have mentioned that it covers one year of hardware and software defects. You cannot anything "expect" above this.

All I am saying is, you are most likely going to get repeatedly rejecting for anything that needs to get fixed.

[briangig]

I am well aware of how things work...and this is not my system. I called applecare because this is not an isolated problem, and some people were getting the problem fixed for free, as there were some bad keyboards out there.

I still find is unacceptable that a keyboard dying on a two year old laptop isn't seen as a problem.

[ref26]

Unfortunately that's what applecare is for. It's not unusual for things to start going wrong on a computer after the one-year mark, which is why an extended warranty is almost always a good idea. It sucks, but your friend probably won't be able to get a free repair. If you have one nearby maybe you can try going in to an Apple store, they may be more likely to help face-to-face and if you ask for a manager.