L Shaped MagSafe Fraying

[DirtySocks85]

So, I have a 2010 13" MBP that I bought in June of 2010. A few months ago the MagSafe adapter started to fray near the tip, so I patched it up with electrical tape. Now it's fraying again in another spot a bit further from the tip (picture attached). Has anyone else had any issues with the L-shaped adapters like this, and if so were able to get any kind of resolution from Apple short of just buying a new adapter?

I'm sure that I'll get a lot of "just take it to the Genius Bar and find out" answers, but the nearest Apple Stores are all 150-180 miles away (the closest ones are both about 150 miles, but not in cities that I have any other reason to go to, so I'd likely go to one that's 180 miles away).

Thanks for any information/advice that anyone can give.

EDIT: To be clear, I do try to be as careful and gentle with my cords as possible, but I travel with my MBP frequently and I think most of this damage is actually from coiling the cord up around the prongs on the power brick.

 

[thundersteele]

"just take it to the Genius Bar and find out"

I'm not sure if this is covered with applecare. If your warranty ran out already, the only chance is to find a nice "genius" that replaces it for free, but no one can guarantee you that this will happen.

The T-shaped adapter apparently had this problem quite frequently, there they seem to have a replacement program. I never had a problem with my adapters though.

 

[DirtySocks85]

Yup, my Apple Care is out, so I'm guessing my best bet is to just buy a new power adapter sometime soonish. I actually think the new design is just as prone to wear if you're the kind of person that wraps up their cord on an almost daily basis (which I do).

 

[miles01110]

Call the phone number. They'll send you a replacement and you can send the old one back.

 

[xdbuix]

From what I know, this would be covered under applecare. And as someone else said, a nice genius might be able to give you a new free one. I got unlucky and had to buy another one.

 

[AdrianK]

Same thing happened to me with an L-shaped adaptor, it's currently taped up. Really can't be bothered to take it to an Apple store if they won't replace it for free, no reason not to use it until it physically breaks.

 

[huythanhv2]

My friend had the same problem and Apple gave a replacement unit for free.

 

[vitzr]

I have both types. I've not had any problems at all.

But then again I treat them with care & dont use them to tow my ski boat

 

[DirtySocks85]

Thanks for all of the tips. It's good to know that other people have had success with this in the past. I'll try calling Apple and seeing what kind of resolution I can get on this.

I have both types. I've not had any problems at all.

But then again I treat them with care & dont use them to tow my ski boat

As stated in my OP, I treat mine with care too. I do however wind it up and put it in a travel bag daily. I know this isn't good for cords, but I don't really have a lot of options. I do a job where I take my MBP to work, and am there long enough that the battery might not make it all day, and I am in different places all the time so I can't get a "work cord" and a "home cord" like many people. Not everyone with a damaged cord abuses them.

 

[wordoflife]

Wow, that stinks. Hope Apple sends you a new cable free of charge. Do you have AppleCare on your Mac?

 

[MrKennedy]

That's frustrating the Apple stores are so far from where you're located. I've had a fraying T-shaped MagSafe swapped no questions asked twice. This is outside of Apple Care. Then Apple gave me an L-Shaped, which died soon after, and replaced it again.

If you can hold out until your next trip to a city with an Apple store I'm sure they'd be able to swap your out for a new one. It wouldn't hurt to call Apple and see if they can do anything for you.

Worst case scenario you've got to spend $79 to replace it yourself

 

[Tr0llz0r1]

L-style MagSafe

I, too am suffering with a frayed charger. I bought my 13" MacBook Pro near the end of November 2010. I started experiencing fraying early this year. I kept 'fixing' it by covering it up with tape. Later on in the next couple of months, I found more random cuts on the wire. I recently found out that they have a recall on MagSafe chargers, but I think that it is only for the T-styler chargers. I think that the recall should also include the L-style chargers (if they are, then I probably misunderstood the qualifications).

 

[Idefix]

Doesn't look like Wichita has an Apple Store? Closest being in Oklahoma...

Otherwise, you could just walk into an Apple Store, and chances are they'd replace it...

 

[T5BRICK]

Call the phone number. They'll send you a replacement and you can send the old one back.

This right here. One of the bad experiences I've had at an Apple store involved a frayed T style magsafe cable. It should have been covered under the magsafe replacement program, but the genius and store manager claimed that the replacement program existed. When I showed it to them they claimed that it didn't apply to my magsafe adapter. I ended up calling Applecare from the store and they sent a replacement out right away.

 

[Queen6]

Whats the value of your Mac? What`s the value of your data? Stop using this MagSafe and order a new one on line, when you have time you can always visit the nearest Apple store and negotiate for a replacement, $80 is insignificant compared to the price of a replacement Mac, if the inner cable breaks and shorts you will have far greater issues to deal with.

 

[DirtySocks85]

Since this was already thread rezzed once I guess I'll go ahead and post a bit of a follow up.

A few months after posting this thread I was on a trip to St. Louis for work. So I decided to make time in my itinerary to stop by the Apple Store to have it looked at. The Genius replaced it at no charge with no fuss.

In regards to Queen6's response:

Perhaps, but I keep my data backed up on a regular basis, so if I had a hard drive fault then I wouldn't lose much, if anything. As far as the cost of the Mac, you're right, it was a gamble, and I won (this time).