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Keyboard Problem again - advice please

M

macbanda

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 22, 2008
79
2
Hello everyone, I have a 2016 MacBook Pro (15") purchased at the beginning of 2017. I developed the infamous keyboard problem many of you know - keys hard to press or completely non-respondent. After a visit to the Apple store, they replaced my keyboard but now, 2-3 months later I'm having the same problem with different keys on my keyboard. I will certainly be making another appointment to have it assessed. MY question is, any recourse that I can take? Obviously I'm beyond frustrated about having paid so much for this computer which I like, but to have the keyboard go out on me twice in less than a year is absolutely unacceptable.

Look forward to any advice or information on this issue.
 
macbanda said:
Hello everyone, I have a 2016 MacBook Pro (15") purchased at the beginning of 2017. I developed the infamous keyboard problem many of you know - keys hard to press or completely non-respondent. After a visit to the Apple store, they replaced my keyboard but now, 2-3 months later I'm having the same problem with different keys on my keyboard. I will certainly be making another appointment to have it assessed. MY question is, any recourse that I can take? Obviously I'm beyond frustrated about having paid so much for this computer which I like, but to have the keyboard go out on me twice in less than a year is absolutely unacceptable.

Look forward to any advice or information on this issue.
Click to expand...

there's really no advice to give in this situation. you just have to take it back to Apple and have it repaired again. My guess is you are hoping someone will tell you you deserve a 2018 replacement unit. Ain't gonna happen until Apple exhausts all other options to get you back up and running. Good luck.
 
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lambertjohn said:
there's really no advice to give in this situation. you just have to take it back to Apple and have it repaired again. My guess is you are hoping someone will tell you you deserve a 2018 replacement unit. Ain't gonna happen until Apple exhausts all other options to get you back up and running. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your response. No, actually I read there are two types of keyboards used - the one I have and the newer ones which are supposed to addressed the issue. I would like to believe they may replace it with the newer keyboard. I do like this computer :)
 
Can you no longer pop off the keys on these newer machines? Compressed air usually fixes it.
 
macbanda said:
Thank you for your response. No, actually I read there are two types of keyboards used - the one I have and the newer ones which are supposed to addressed the issue. I would like to believe they may replace it with the newer keyboard. I do like this computer :)
Click to expand...


Hasn’t Apple announced a four year coverage program for this issue?
 
macbanda said:
Thank you for your response. No, actually I read there are two types of keyboards used - the one I have and the newer ones which are supposed to addressed the issue. I would like to believe they may replace it with the newer keyboard. I do like this computer :)
Click to expand...
There are three generations of butterfly keyboards. But they always replace with the same kind.
 
I had mine replaced 3 times in 9 months before I caved in and just traded up to the 2018 version, eating $2,000 in the process. Thankfully my AAPL stock during the timespan more than makes up for it
 
Welcome to the club.

They will keep replacing the keyboard until your warranty expires in 2021. Or if you succeed after a couple of replacements in convincing them to replace the whole
laptop.

After 3 replaced keyboards they replaced laptop on the 4th failure.
 
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tangfish said:
I had mine replaced 3 times in 9 months before I caved in and just traded up to the 2018 version, eating $2,000 in the process. Thankfully my AAPL stock during the timespan more than makes up for it
Click to expand...

I had my 2017 top case replaced 3 times in 9 months and Apple sent me a brand new 2018 i9 model as a replacement.
No money wasted in the process. ;)
 
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537635 said:
But quite some time. For some of us that also means money.

Until now I selected Apple also because of reliability. And with these laptops they went from the top to the very bottom.
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It was a quote to the guy saying he paid 2000$ in the process to upgrade to newer model.
Time means money for me also, but i have a backup 2015 MBP that i could use while this was in for repairs and Apple compensated me well for the time wasted with the repairs.

Happy about the situation and that such a premium computer failed so badly? No.

But i got an upgraded i9 2018 MBP as a replacement + compensation for all the weeks without my computer, hours on the phone and trips to AASP's.

I am happy that Apple customers service is still top notch.

(Forgot to add, Tim Cook called himself and left a voicemail because i was at work and then an Executive Relations advisor got in touch and sorted me out)
 
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I absolutely agree with you.

I sold my precious 2015. Although I never imagined needing the backup so desperately as I did with 2016 model.

I am happy with Apple replacing it for a 2018 model but still apparently it is only a matter of time before this one fails also.
 
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537635 said:
I absolutely agree with you.

I sold my precious 2015. Although I never imagined needing the backup so desperately as I did with 2016 model.

I am happy with Apple replacing it for a 2018 model but still apparently it is only a matter of time before this one fails also.
Click to expand...

Honestly, im not too worried.
Its definitely more reliable than the '16/17 models as with those the keyboards issues were all over the place shortly after release.
This 2018 keys feel much like an improvement and even if they were to fail, Apple would add it to the extended repair program, so im not too concerned about it.
 
Yes, I read about some lucky people getting a 2018 as a replacement but didn’t pursue this myself because those accounts seemed to come from Australia where I guess they have some strong consumer laws. Also, I had already spent a lot of time dealing with my three top case replacements and as the other poster said, had lost more than the $2,000 already in lost productivity and opportunity costs (the first replacement my machine was gone a month). Sometimes in business you just have to eat whatever *ish you’re being fed to just plough ahead. I’m not saying it’s right or fair, but it happened and I sure hope this 2018 model doesn’t develop the same problems.
 
Yes, but now I need a backup. What should I get?!?! Air, overpriced 2015, obsolete 12''?

I do dream about a Bionic A12x iPad Pro, running MacOS and FCPX.
 
537635 said:
Yes, but now I need a backup. What should I get?!?! Air, overpriced 2015, obsolete 12''?

I do dream about a Bionic A12x iPad Pro, running MacOS and FCPX.
Click to expand...

You can get older ones as a backup and very cheap, like a 2013 retina, same design as the 2015 model.

The 12" is useless, not to mention the 1st Gen Butterfly keyboard that fails the most, so i couldn't call this one a backup.

Air is a good choice if you dont need much power and don't mind the sh!tty LCD panel that it has.
 
DeanPSN said:
It was a quote to the guy saying he paid 2000$ in the process to upgrade to newer model.
Time means money for me also, but i have a backup 2015 MBP that i could use while this was in for repairs and Apple compensated me well for the time wasted with the repairs.

Happy about the situation and that such a premium computer failed so badly? No.

But i got an upgraded i9 2018 MBP as a replacement + compensation for all the weeks without my computer, hours on the phone and trips to AASP's.

I am happy that Apple customers service is still top notch.

(Forgot to add, Tim Cook called himself and left a voicemail because i was at work and then an Executive Relations advisor got in touch and sorted me out)
Click to expand...

Tim Cook called you because you had MBP issues? Colour me skeptical...
 
Ma2k5 said:
Tim Cook called you because you had MBP issues? Colour me skeptical...
Click to expand...

I posted a more detailed version of my journey with the 2017 MBP.
I emailed him when i had issues the 3rd time and a week later i had a missed call and a voicemail, saying is Tim Cook and that would like to hear more about my issue with the macbook, next morning an Executive Relation advisor from Ireland (Helen? I think) called on his behalf.
Whats so weird about it?
He is known to reply to emails, thats why i reached out to him.
 
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