Advice on repairing the LCD screen please (Don't let anybody touches your screen!)

[hajime]

Recently, I went to a job interview. The professor asked me to get some info for him. While he was reading those info on my computer, he used his pen to guide him. His action caused marks (or scratches?) on the surface of the LCD screen of my expensive MBP 17". As I was at the interview, I could not ask him to stop doing that. (By the way, he did not offer me the job. He acted like he was going to employ me . Then, he asked me to do some research for him during the four-day-interview as potential joint project. After he got my info, he sent me a letter saying that he could not employ me since we are in different research areas and that his institute does not want to invest "too heavily" in my area. Why he asked me for the interview at the beginning?) Feeling insulted by his way of doing things, I asked him to pay for the repairing cost. He asked me why I did not raise the issue while I was in his institute. I asked him if he would pay for the repairing. It has been a few weeks but no answer from him yet.

Anyway, I checked with Apple. The guy said that it would cost about $1000 for the repairing. I suppose he meant replacing the entire LCD screen. Is it possible to just replace the front surface of the screen? I guess it would be less expensive that way. Is it a good idea to try to remove those marks (perhaps ink) using alcohol? I don't quite remember but I recall reading a posting that one shouldn't use alcohol to clean the MBP's LCD screen. Mine is Matte.

 

[gotzero]

Hopefully it will be ink and not a scratches. If someone was hitting your screen with a pen hard enough to scratch it, you have to wonder what their computers look like... Try and hit it with some kind of alcohol or monitor wipes for awhile and see if you can get whatever is bothering you off of the screen. You can be pretty tough with the clothes and solvents as long as you are not using anything thin or sharp.

If it is a scratch, and you are not worried about violating your warranty, buy a replacement LCD and dive in. It is a longer computer project, but not hard to do if you are careful. Screens that will work can be had for about $200.00.

 

[pooky]

Be sure to send the professor a bill. And take photos of the damage. Save everything. If he doesn't pay within 30 days, send a demand letter threatening to sue. If he still doesn't pay, file a lawsuit in small claims court. You will probably lose if it goes to trial, but hopefully the threat of legal action will get him to pay. And there's always the chance that he will admit to it in court, in which case you will probably win.

 

[hajime]

Be sure to send the professor a bill. And take photos of the damage. Save everything. If he doesn't pay within 30 days, send a demand letter threatening to sue. If he still doesn't pay, file a lawsuit in small claims court. You will probably lose if it goes to trial, but hopefully the threat of legal action will get him to pay. And there's always the chance that he will admit to it in court, in which case you will probably win.

Thanks for the advice. After I complained, he wrote "Regarding the LCD display: I may have accidentally touched it once or twice with the tip of a (withdrawn) plastic pen. I can't really believe that this left any noticeable scratches. Why didn't you raise the issue when you were still in XXX?"
There are several marks/scratches. I saw him doing that constantly while he read. This guy has a degree in Physics! Perhaps he would be more careful if the screen were his. Since his mail on Nov 2, I have never heard from him nor the secretary in regard to this and other reimbursements.

 

[Sun Baked]

Go above him, and go to his boss for the money, since the professor damaged a computer in the performance of his job.

It'll likely come out of the department budget, or his.

I doubt your computer is the first to be damaged by a professor in the department.

Note: And yes, you can ask somebody to stop touching your screen. Especially if they are using an object to do it.

 

[hajime]

Hopefully it will be ink and not a scratches. If someone was hitting your screen with a pen hard enough to scratch it, you have to wonder what their computers look like... Try and hit it with some kind of alcohol or monitor wipes for awhile and see if you can get whatever is bothering you off of the screen. You can be pretty tough with the clothes and solvents as long as you are not using anything thin or sharp.

If it is a scratch, and you are not worried about violating your warranty, buy a replacement LCD and dive in. It is a longer computer project, but not hard to do if you are careful. Screens that will work can be had for about $200.00.

Thanks for the info. I tried iKlear Apple Polish but it did not work. On the internet, I found that some people had luck with alcohol (their kids drew pictures on the LCD screen with a pen). They mixed it with water or other solution. To avoid worsening the situation, I better consult a Chemistry professor friend of mine before doing it.

 

[JeffTL]

Take it to the department chair, and if he's not responsive, the dean.