MacBook (Mid-2007) case separating. Updated!

[mosx]

Well, my MacBook case is starting to come apart in two places. The first is in the corner above the IR receiver, as you can see in the picture I've attached. The second place is a small spot above the SuperDrive.

Also, the battery is starting to deform, as you can see in the other picture I've attached.

I absolutely dread calling AppleCare and setting up a repair after what happened last time. I don't want to go without the system for a month and have to send it back and forth multiple times while Flextronics (one of the companies Apple uses for repairs) ends up sending my system back to me in worse shape than it goes out in.

I mean.. my first Mac had the faulty SuperDrive. I sent it in for repair, they made the SuperDrive worse on the second send in, they scratched up the casing TWICE and left me with a mouse button that only half worked.

I fear what would happen this time.

I already sent an email off to sjobs@apple.com to see if they're willing to do anything.

The case coming apart certainly isn't cosmetic or "wear and tear" either. It's a design flaw. When the lid is closed (and its closed often because I hardly use the system), it pushes down on the top case and actually lifts the edge up. Theres no way "wear and tear" could explain the spot over the SuperDrive that is beginning to lift either.

And the battery... well, thats just a fire hazard!

Update in my most recent post at the bottom of the page.

 

[heatmiser]

FWIW, my battery has looked like that pretty much from when I got my Macbook last month. It's also a Rev. C; I figured it was just good-old-poor design. Are you sure it's a swelling battery?

 

[mosx]

FWIW, my battery has looked like that pretty much from when I got my Macbook last month. It's also a Rev. C; I figured it was just good-old-poor design. Are you sure it's a swelling battery?

Well, it wasn't like this before. I've had the system since September when Apple issued it as a replacement for my first MacBook that Flextronics destroyed instead of repairing.

So yeah.... would have noticed it before.

 

[jcs1088]

it's the same exact thing with my macbook, but it doesn't bother me too much.

 

[Screwball]

Back when I used to own a White Macbook the case had started to come apart exactly the way yours in the pictures. In a week or two there was literally like a 2-3 milimetres gap... Took it in, got it fixed under warranty no questions asked! I just had to wait out for the replacement part to arrive. After that it was a swap-out job! Take it in, a faulty case is not what you paid for!

 

[dammitjanet@gma]

i had the same issue, but mine was at the back left of the macbook near the hinge. you couldnt close the case without it flexing the hinge either.

The magsafe socket was becoming twisted and the magsafe adaptor wouldnt connect to the socket.

6 weeks it took to get repaired through an Apple Reseller.

 

[marykay9507]

can you go into a store to have them take care of it rather than send it out (there is no location for you, so i am not sure if this is a possibility)-- i had the same issue and took it to my local store and it was finished in less than 24 hours; so, if you can get to a store, it may be faster and less of a hassle

 

[pyr0sphere]

Wow!

I literally have the exact same problems at the exact same locations. (Macbook 2.2ghz tho)

If I were to take pictures of my own Macbook, they would look identical to your pictures


Please keep me updated on how everything goes. If it's quick and painless, I'll pick one weekend to drop by the Apple Store and get it fixed.

 

[mosx]

it's the same exact thing with my macbook, but it doesn't bother me too much.

It bothers me I mean.. not just from a cosmetic standpoint, but price and dust as well. If theres a hole then dust can more easily get into your system and do things like clog up fans and such.

Back when I used to own a White Macbook the case had started to come apart exactly the way yours in the pictures. In a week or two there was literally like a 2-3 milimetres gap... Took it in, got it fixed under warranty no questions asked! I just had to wait out for the replacement part to arrive. After that it was a swap-out job! Take it in, a faulty case is not what you paid for!

Yeah I"m going to definitely get it repaired. If I don't hear a reply from Apple by tomorrow then I'll call and get the box sent out. Unfortunately, the Apple Store thats closest to me is just outside of reasonable driving distance and there are no other places I could take it to get it repaired except for one computer store thats on the outer edge of town that I had never heard of until I saw it listed on the Apple website. I don't know if I can trust that or not.

i had the same issue, but mine was at the back left of the macbook near the hinge. you couldnt close the case without it flexing the hinge either.

The magsafe socket was becoming twisted and the magsafe adaptor wouldnt connect to the socket.

6 weeks it took to get repaired through an Apple Reseller.

Wow what happened to your system!? Thats insane!

can you go into a store to have them take care of it rather than send it out (there is no location for you, so i am not sure if this is a possibility)-- i had the same issue and took it to my local store and it was finished in less than 24 hours; so, if you can get to a store, it may be faster and less of a hassle

The only authorized Apple repair center is on the outer edge of town. I just don't know if I can trust them, since they're a little hole in the wall store that hasn't been there very long. The closest Apple store is Victoria Gardens. But anybody who lives in Southern California and has driven through the Cajon Pass (especially the 15/215 interchange in the evenings) can tell you had bad the traffic can get and how a 1 hour drive can turn into 4 hours at the blink of an eye.

Wow!

I literally have the exact same problems at the exact same locations. (Macbook 2.2ghz tho)

If I were to take pictures of my own Macbook, they would look identical to your pictures


Please keep me updated on how everything goes. If it's quick and painless, I'll pick one weekend to drop by the Apple Store and get it fixed.

Wow! I'm sorry. I wish I could easily get to the Apple Store but its just a little out of range. So I have to send it in or trust a shop that hasn't been in business very long and is in the "shady" part of town. I'm out of luck, really. But I'll be sure to keep this post updated.

 

[mosx]

Sending my MacBook out in a few hours. As quickly as the box arrives I'll be sending it out.

Needless to say, I fear it going to Flextronics (AppleCare couldn't tell me where it would be shipped to).

Let's hope the system returns fully functional without any new scratches or marks. I really don't want to go a full month again without it.

 

[marykay9507]

Sending my MacBook out in a few hours. As quickly as the box arrives I'll be sending it out.

Needless to say, I fear it going to Flextronics (AppleCare couldn't tell me where it would be shipped to).

Let's hope the system returns fully functional without any new scratches or marks. I really don't want to go a full month again without it.

ugh-- flextronics

good luck with that and hopefully they will turn it around quickly for you

 

[mosx]

ugh-- flextronics

good luck with that and hopefully they will turn it around quickly for you

You can say that again!

When I pulled the little slip off and saw "Memphis TN" my heart dropped.

I can't wait to see the condition its returned in.

Anybody want to start a pool? Let's all bet and see what kind of damage is done to it during "repairs".

 

[crzdmniac]

I haven't heard any horror stories about them lately. I guess that's a good sign. Maybe they finally got their stuff together, that being said, if I was a betting man I would say that they haven't. Best of luck, I for one am never again sending out to them. I've found that there's a fairly good apple specialist in my area.

 

[bmcgrath]

My Macbook Pro came back from one of Apples recommended repair centers.... and never again!

My MBP was sent in for a screen issue and cooling issue.
I bought my MBP with a matte screen but returned from repair with a glossy...ugh!
But they did fix the cooling issues. But in return my mac has come back in 5 new dents, scratches, the latch button on the screen doesn't work correctly and even the new display the replaced has stacks of dead pixels. Grr to Apple. They are fixing my problem though

 

[The Flashing Fi]

I thought you were entitled to a new laptop after the 3rd repair if they don't get the laptop fixed?

 

[mosx]

Its on the FedEx truck for delivery. Will be here within the next 3 hours.

Unless the FedEx guy attempts to deliver it to the wrong house again. Yes that did happen last time.

Its going to be very interesting to see the condition its returned in...

 

[bmcgrath]

Its on the FedEx truck for delivery. Will be here within the next 3 hours.

Unless the FedEx guy attempts to deliver it to the wrong house again. Yes that did happen last time.

Its going to be very interesting to see the condition its returned in...

hopefully it wont be as near as broken as mine was when I got it back...

 

[mosx]

hopefully it wont be as near as broken as mine was when I got it back...

I don't know. I'm expecting it to at least be as bad as my first MacBook was when it came back from repair. So I'm expecting it to at least be as scratched up as a 10 year old notebook that was never taken care of.

If It is... well, I'll have to mention California Civil Code 1750 again, and how the State encourages consumers to act as their own private attornies because the laws are tipped so much in their favor. I'll also have to remind them of the State run bodies that govern computer repair and how they take bad business practices very seriously.

 

[bmcgrath]

I don't know. I'm expecting it to at least be as bad as my first MacBook was when it came back from repair. So I'm expecting it to at least be as scratched up as a 10 year old notebook that was never taken care of.

If It is... well, I'll have to mention California Civil Code 1750 again, and how the State encourages consumers to act as their own private attornies because the laws are tipped so much in their favor. I'll also have to remind them of the State run bodies that govern computer repair and how they take bad business practices very seriously.

I just asked would you mind replacing it seeing as you made such a booboo mistake.


They said ok

 

[Eidorian]

I noticed that the corner above my IR receiver was "crunchy" when you applied a little pressure. My MacBook is almost always closed on my desk. It'll probably one day separate like yours.

My battery has always stuck out like that. *shrug*

 

[mosx]

I noticed that the corner above my IR receiver was "crunchy" when you applied a little pressure. My MacBook is almost always closed on my desk. It'll probably one day separate like yours.

My battery has always stuck out like that. *shrug*

My battery hasn't always stuck out like that. If it came out of the box like that, I would return it. My MacBook was $1408 after taxes, theres no way I'd deal with something like that.

Theres also the fact that notebook batteries have had such a bad reputation over the last few years that its not really worth the risk to stay with one that sticks out. It could be defective.

But my MacBook also stayed closed all the time.. Because I rarely used it any more. I don't use it too often any more, but I'll be damned if I let something so expensive be in such bad condition because of manufacturer defects!

 

[Eidorian]

My battery hasn't always stuck out like that. If it came out of the box like that, I would return it. My MacBook was $1408 after taxes, theres no way I'd deal with something like that.

I've removed the battery several times and tried to get it to sit flush with no success. I didn't think about returning it since every iBook I've worked with had the same millimeter sticking out.

Theres also the fact that notebook batteries have had such a bad reputation over the last few years that its not really worth the risk to stay with one that sticks out. It could be defective.

I never thought that it was defective.

 

[mosx]

I've removed the battery several times and tried to get it to sit flush with no success. I didn't think about returning it since every iBook I've worked with had the same millimeter sticking out.

Well, my previous MacBook (that was destroyed by Flextronics while in for "repair") didn't have the battery sticking out and it certainly didn't start sticking out as time went on like this one. My girlfriend's and her sister's iBooks had batteries that sat flush with the system. I know a few other people with MacBooks and their battery sits flush with the system as well. None of my HPs have had issues like this either.

I never thought that it was defective.

Well, a battery deforming is certainly defective.

But even if its just a cosmetic issue, a computer that costs $1408 after taxes shouldn't have any kind of imperfections. Apple's computers have always been more expensive than their Windows counterparts, but they're really pushing it now. The MacBook with a DVD writer is $1400 or so after taxes and it only has 1GB of RAM. You can walk into Staples, Best Buy, and others and pick up an HP with a dedicated GPU, 3GB of RAM, an HD DVD drive, and 250GB of HDD space for around $1,000. You look at the prices then you look at the build quality issues Apple is having with both the MacBook and MacBook Pro... and THEN their repair depot issues.... Apple's growth and success won't last too long when that $1400 computer someone just bought dies, gets sent in, and then comes back in worse shape. Or they see their friend's computers that cost less and can play blu-ray and HD DVD discs.

Anyway, 40 minutes left now for FedEx. Wouldn't surprise me if they tried the same thing they did before. Which is pulling up fast, hopping out, putting the "we missed you" sign on the gate and then flooing it.

 

[Eidorian]

Well, my previous MacBook (that was destroyed by Flextronics while in for "repair") didn't have the battery sticking out and it certainly didn't start sticking out as time went on like this one. My girlfriend's and her sister's iBooks had batteries that sat flush with the system. I know a few other people with MacBooks and their battery sits flush with the system as well. None of my HPs have had issues like this either.

Sadly, flush batteries aren't part of my experience.

Well, a battery deforming is certainly defective.

I don't consider a battery that isn't flush to be a defect.

But even if its just a cosmetic issue, a computer that costs $1408 after taxes shouldn't have any kind of imperfections.

Don't make me drag out dead pixel policies.

 

[mosx]

Well, just as I expected, it was returned in bad condition.

They did replace the top case. However, its dirty and the color is darker than it should be.

They replaced the battery.

But the plastic over the LCD, by the Apple logo, looks (again) like a 10 year old notebook that has not been taken care of. Its scratched to all hell and back. The bottom is scratched as well, especially around the locking mechanism for the battery.

Theres scratches around the optical drive.

The plastic above the battery, by the little area that dips in so you can more easily lift the LCD/lid is "soft" now. I can actually push it in and it makes a clicking sound.

The left side, by all of the ports, is weak now too. Before it was sturdy, but now it pushes in like cheap plastic with no support.

Waiting for a call back from Ken Bell.