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Had my 2007 white macbook cracked plastic replaced for the 4th time...

puggles

puggles

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 9, 2010
296
202
I noticed they replaced the frame around the screen this time too...did they finally find a fix to the cracking palm rest issue or is this just something i am going to have to deal with for as long as i own this macbook?

My white Macbook is an early 2008 so it is definitely out of warranty but they keep replacing the cracked plastic for free.

Does apple replace fraying power adapters?
 
I got a little crack on the palmrest and went to Apple Store yesterday. Early 2009 Macbook out of warranty. They are replacing the palmrest, keyboard, as well as the bezel around the screen.

Just got a call earlier today that the repair job has just finished :)
Overnight out of warranty service is a good move by Apple

To OP: I think it's just the inherent design of the non unibody Macbook heh... Yesterday repair was my first time but I can forsee myself doing it several more times in the future heh
 
puggles said:
..did they finally find a fix to the cracking palm rest issue or is this just something i am going to have to deal with for as long as i own this macbook?

My white Macbook is an early 2008 so it is definitely out of warranty but they keep replacing the cracked plastic for free.
Click to expand...

As already stated, I don't think they've found a "fix" for the cracking as far as just fixing them until stock of the replacement pieces goes out.

I've had my late 2006 palm rest (top case) replaced several times as well, both in and out of warranty. Apple certainly does do a good job with customer care if you know how to handle the situation, I guess (I've heard horror stories, but never had any myself).
 
I took my late 2007 macbook today in to see about my cracks. And the gens. that was helping me just said it cost a lot to replace the casing. So she didnt bother checking anything. Should I make another apt. and see what they say again?
 
marshallbedsaul said:
I took my late 2007 macbook today in to see about my cracks. And the gens. that was helping me just said it cost a lot to replace the casing. So she didnt bother checking anything. Should I make another apt. and see what they say again?
Click to expand...

?

I didn't realize that Apple will replace the top casing (within three years) for free cause it's a known flaw (it's kinda like an unsaid recall according to what I read here, but apparently only works if your computer is less than three years old so you may be SOL).

I replaced mine myself using ifixit.com and buying the part off of ebay. With some careful browsing I found the top casing for all of maybe 30 bux. And honestly, if you are just replacing the top casing (the casing the palm rest and keyboard is on), it's a pretty easy fix (I've never put a computer together or taken it apart before then). Because I have had to do it several times (replaced the top casing then later had to replace the fan), I can tell you by the second time I had to take it off, it took 15 minutes to do. It's pretty much just unscrewing a lot of screws then gently prying the case off (watch out for some clips on the side with the CD cause when you pry the case off they may come flying off and you'll need them to put it back on. If you use ifixit.com, some one mentions them in the comments on that repair manual).

Also, if you do it yourself you can update the keyboard ;). (Basically you get the top case from the next generation right after the 2007. So if you want the CD controls on your keyboard, you can replace it with that style instead. I preferred the newer keyboard layout so that's what I did :) ).

TLDR: That genius is clueless. The case is cheap if you know where to look (the most expensive I saw it was off ifixit.com for 150, I found it for 30 dollars) and it takes all of 15 minutes to do (if it takes them more than that when they supposedly do that for a living, maybe they need to find a new line of work). I would either take it back and talk to some one else (and mention the fact you know it is something Apple will repair) or if you don't want to hassle arguing with them, just do it yourself (but you will have to pay for the top case but if you look around ebay you should be able to find one relatively cheap).
 
marshallbedsaul said:
any reliable ebay sellers you suggest?
Click to expand...

I don't shop ebay enough to have any sellers I pay particular attention to. I just have my own way of checking ratings to see if I trust them (has to be so high, I check the neg reps to see how consistant they are... a lot of neg reps saying the same thing and you know the seller has an issue with whatever they are complaining about. If they don't have much feedback I check to see if they are new or if they just don't use ebay much <- I find the latter are usually very reliable as feedback is a lot more important when you don't tend to get much. I know it is for me since I barely use ebay).

I bought mine from a private individual who was selling off the working parts off his laptop that I guess broke (he was the only one who had a reasonable priced keyboard of the style I wanted). I should have neutral/neg repped him though cause he shipped it so crappily it got damaged on the way (it was fixable at least but it got bent because he put it in a manilla envelope and didn't put any support on it at all, I'm surprised it was just bent slightly and not broken in half. All he had to do was put two pieces of cardboard the size of the keyboard on each side and it would have been much better protected).

There are several sellers who seem to sell a lot of them (but they use a generic picture for their auction). I'd ask whoever you are buying from on condition of keyboard at least before buying (unless they specifically mention no cracks/chips).
 
I had two plastic MacBooks fixed last summer, one was 6 months after a three year applecare warranty would have expired. Didn't buy the extended AppleCare on that one.

Here's what I got from Applecare phone support. It might be better to try to set a genius appointment over the phone (with AppleCare) and then go to the store.

Here's what got me fixed:

"Please reference internal article "ts1964" to gain agreement with AppleCare agent to initiate repair at no charge. AppleCare agent to obtain "CS" code and provide case number."

Good Luck
 
illutionz said:
I got a little crack on the palmrest and went to Apple Store yesterday. Early 2009 Macbook out of warranty. They are replacing the palmrest, keyboard, as well as the bezel around the screen.

Just got a call earlier today that the repair job has just finished :)
Overnight out of warranty service is a good move by Apple

To OP: I think it's just the inherent design of the non unibody Macbook heh... Yesterday repair was my first time but I can forsee myself doing it several more times in the future heh
Click to expand...
Hold on I have a cracked upper screen bezel as well as along the corners of the inside and they'll just repair it for free? Mine's a 2007 by the way and out of warranty.
 
5 years and 4 months - no go..

Don't know why I waited so long, but it was working fine with the cracks.

Called apple support, and they told me they would replace it.
Took it the LSP and they said that Apple might refuse because it was more than 5 years old.

I was confused, but trusted the guy from Apple, and then the LSP told me Apple refused. They even had me pay the service fee of 85$.

I complained 3 stops in the line of phone calls; all it got me was a Trackpad worth the 85$. I'm a little disappointed, but then again: I was too late.

Macbook2,1 (late 2006).
 
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