Charger broken - terrible service from Apple

[Spikestrip]

Hi,

I have a Macbook Pro 17". It's 15 months old, and cost over £2500 new. The charger has just stopped working. I leave it plugged in 90% of the time, and don't abuse it in any way. There's no marks or anything on it, it just doesn't work - I've tried it on my MacBook, and it still doesn't work. The MacBook charger works fine on the Pro. It's definitely broken.

I just took it into a UK Apple store, and they say they won't replace it, as my Apple Care ran out 3 months ago. This is ridiculous. Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, there is a 'reasonable expectation' that the charger would last more than 15 months! It actually says electronic goods should last 6 years. The fact Apple offer a 3 year warranty shows that even they expect it to last at least 3. As the laptop is useless without a charger, it actually means that the whole laptop is now useless after 15 months. This is totally unreasonable. The shop manager actually accepted this, but said there was nothing he could do.

How do I go about getting this sorted? Who do I speak to who can do something about this? It is my legal right to get this charger replaced, as it is not fit for purpose, but I'm jut getting brick walled by drones.

My family currently own 9 Apple products - partly because we were under the impression that this was a premium company that looks after its customers. To be honest, I can't believe that they're making a big deal over a charger that probably costs them less than $5 to manufacture. Apple's a great company, but I am now worried they are forgetting what has made them great - their customers.

Please help!

If you leave your MBPro plugged in 90% of the time, you are abusing your battery. Also, three months after the warranty ended means your stuff is no longer covered. No manufacturer would replace a peripheral after such an extended time.

Apple's 3 years of extended service has everything to do with obsolescence and part availability and nothing to do with their projected longevity of parts. apple is a great company, mostly. The brick in your charger is what's known as the power supply, and is a necessary part of any functioning computer. This means that your charger is not simply a wire moving current from the wall to your Mac, but a piece of solid state technology, which has value. Apple is entirely in the right here.

Thanks, hafr, but I think, as I explained in my previous post, it's a lot harder for US posters to understand the situation as they're not used to it. If I was in the USA, I'd definitely buy Apple Care, but I'm not, and that's something that a lot of people don't seem to fully appreciate.

Maybe this will help:

Imagine having Apple Care in the USA, and you taking in a faulty item, and Apple say "Yes, it's faulty. Yes, it's our fault. Yes, it's covered by warranty. But no, we can't be bothered to fix it. Now what are you going to do about it?" Except in the UK the word 'warranty' is replaced with 'the law' - it really is that simple, and it's pretty shocking when you think about it.

AppleCare lasts longer in California because of laws protecting consumers. Apple undoubtedly has an enormous legal department. If they set the warranty at one year, and AppleCare at three years, that means Apple is pretty sure (as in massive legal team kind of sure) that they are well within their legal rights. If you think you are entitled to a new charger, take it to court, and good luck.

 

[hafr]

Doesn't the EU's warranty requirements fit here - although you have to prove it was defective at the outset?

Basically, the lack of evidence that the consumer has abused it in any way would mean the same as proving it was defect from the beginning.

 

[GGJstudios]

Proving that the adapter failed due to manufacturing defect, as opposed to normal wear and tear caused by the user, may prove difficult. The fact that there may not be visible signs of wear doesn't prove that wear doesn't exist.

For someone saying he can't talk for the UK, you do have a lot to say...

Proving whether failure came from defect or wear has nothing to do with what country is involved. As already stated, the UK's laws don't cover wear and tear.

 

[r.j.s]

Actually ... having now read the law ...

Section 48A

(1)This section applies if—

(a)the buyer deals as consumer or, in Scotland, there is a consumer contract in which the buyer is a consumer, and
(b)the goods do not conform to the contract of sale at the time of delivery.​

See:

(3)For the purposes of subsection (1)(b) above goods which do not conform to the contract of sale at any time within the period of six months starting with the date on which the goods were delivered to the buyer must be taken not to have so conformed at that date.

You have 6 months from the time of delivery for the law to apply and 6 years to file a claim.

 

[hafr]

Proving whether failure came from defect or wear has nothing to do with what country is involved. As already stated, the UK's laws don't cover wear and tear.

Yes, they do. If the breakdown from wear and tear occurs before an acceptable amount of time for the kind of product in question and with how it's been used, that is.

If you buy a pair of running shoes for instance, that's a typical example of a wear and tear product. But it's reasonable to expect a pair of running shoes to last at least one season. If they fall apart after a month, they will be replaced, but if they fall apart after a year, probably not.

It's all about how long a product can be expected to be used in a certain manner, not how long the warranty covers your product.

How long do you reckon a laptop charger should last before it's reasonable that it just stops functioning?

 

[GGJstudios]

It's all about how long a product can be expected to be used in a certain manner

Therein lies the rub: you can't prove in what manner the OP used the adapter, like how many times and how severely the cord was flexed, etc. It's quite different from a pair of shoes.

 

[hafr]

Therein lies the rub: you can't prove in what manner the OP used the adapter, like how many times and how severely the cord was flexed, etc. It's quite different from a pair of shoes.

If the cord was flexed in any significant way, you would see it either on the plastic having cracked open or the cable inside being busted up.

I find "how many times" to be quite a weird thing to say. To me, the charger should definitely be able to stay connected in the wall socket 24/7. Even if the laptop is running 24/7, the charger won't be active at all time. If it's not running plugged in 24/7, it should be able to handle at least one full charge per day.

Saying a year is normal for a charger belonging to a laptop that people have for three-four-five years easily is a bit strange. It's not like it's a battery that will naturally die after being used a certain number of times.

I would say that two years is an absolute minimum in my book for a charger being used that way.

What do you think? How often do you replace your chargers at home, or should I interpret your answer as one year being about the limit for what you think a charger should handle?

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Whether your product is in or out of warranty, you can take your adapter to an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple Retail Store for evaluation and replacement if necessary. Pending the results of the evaluation, you may or may not be eligible for a replacement adapter free of charge. Signs of accidental damage would negate any coverage. Be sure to bring in the computer used with the adapter; it is required to process potential adapter replacements.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1713

I would say thins means Apple agrees more with the OP than with most "americans" in this thread, bashing him because he wants a free charger despite the original warranty having run out. How funny.

 

[balamw]

MOD NOTE: Thread closed per OP's request.

B