M1 MacBook Pro 16” scratched out of box

[Hoyboy]

Ordered a BTO 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro and straight out of the box it had a scratch on the lid. Even though the scratch isn’t massive, the amount I’m spending on this thing it shouldn’t have any scratches at all.

Spoke to Customer Support and tbf they were really helpful. The said they’ll give me an advanced replacement and let me use the MacBook until the new replacement arrives which isn’t until mid December.

Just wondering if anyone else has been as unlucky as me.

 

[aibo82]

That would be an instant return for me! Wouldn’t even talk myself out of it.

If I scratch something fair enough but out the box no way… it’s like your buying seconds!

 

[MaximTV]

Ordered a BTO 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro and straight out of the box it had a scratch on the lid. Even though the scratch isn’t massive, the amount I’m spending on this thing it shouldn’t have any scratches at all.

Spoke to Customer Support and tbf they were really helpful. The said they’ll give me an advanced replacement and let me use the MacBook until the new replacement arrives which isn’t until mid December.

Just wondering if anyone else has been as unlucky as me.

I also found two small scratches on one of the sides, but mine is no BTO.

Apple is going to replace/exchange mine too, but the request for an advanced replacement (keeping the old one before the new one arrives) is still being reviewed in Apple's Cork office. I'm going to hear from them within the next 2-3 business days.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

I really wouldn't care when it is that little. The machine will get scratches from regular use anyway.

 

[Hoyboy]

I really wouldn't care when it is that little. The machine will get scratches from regular use anyway.

Yeah I get what your saying but when spending thousands on it I’d rather it be me that damages it.

Tbh that’s kinda why I made the thread to see if it’s a common problem or if it’s likely the replacement will have some kind of scratch as well.

If it was on the bottom of it I would have just lived with it, but the fact it’s staring me in the face on the lid every time I pick up made me decide to get a replacement.

 

[Hoyboy]

I also found two small scratches on one of the sides, but mine is no BTO.

Apple is going to replace/exchange mine too, but the request for an advanced replacement (keeping the old one before the new one arrives) is still being reviewed in Apple's Cork office. I'm going to hear from them within the next 2-3 business days.

Oh really? Fingered crossed they let you do it. The agent I spoke to just offered me an advanced replacement without me even asking for it.

 

[derptron]

In this situation it would be better if apple offered a partial refund as another option. Personally I wouldn’t care if I had a bit of money back, plus it saves all the hassle/cost/environmental impact of returning something for the sake of a small scratch.

 

[mike-601]

I wouldn't return it either - there is too much waste in our society. I bought a Breville bread maker and it arrived from Amazon with a big dent in the side due to poor packaging by Amazon. I kept it and am glad I did - it's an excellent bread maker and that dent is nothing compared to what I did by dropping the lid a month later. 🙂

 

[Hoyboy]

In this situation it would be better if apple offered a partial refund as another option. Personally I wouldn’t care if I had a bit of money back, plus it saves all the hassle/cost/environmental impact of returning something for the sake of a small scratch.

Yeah I agree, If they offered it then I would have just taken that option instead

 

[MaximTV]

Oh really? Fingered crossed they let you do it. The agent I spoke to just offered me an advanced replacement without me even asking for it.

Yeah, the agent told me he isn't allowed to do it and had to escalate it. Let's hope they'll approve it 🙂

 

[greenmeanie]

Ordered a BTO 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro and straight out of the box it had a scratch on the lid. Even though the scratch isn’t massive, the amount I’m spending on this thing it shouldn’t have any scratches at all.

Spoke to Customer Support and tbf they were really helpful. The said they’ll give me an advanced replacement and let me use the MacBook until the new replacement arrives which isn’t until mid December.

Just wondering if anyone else has been as unlucky as me.

It is nice they are letting you use it until the replacement comes in.
If I am buying NEW I want no scratches at all.

 

[pi=e=3]

In this situation it would be better if apple offered a partial refund as another option. Personally I wouldn’t care if I had a bit of money back, plus it saves all the hassle/cost/environmental impact of returning something for the sake of a small scratch.

The problem with that is you can’t really prove it actually was scratched out of the box, so they would have a ton of dishonest people making such claims and showing some small mark they made in return for a discount.

Apple replacing it is different, they don’t really care. They’re going to slap a new lid on it and sell it as a refurb, and still make money on it.

 

[GSWForever8]

Ordered a BTO 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro and straight out of the box it had a scratch on the lid. Even though the scratch isn’t massive, the amount I’m spending on this thing it shouldn’t have any scratches at all.

Spoke to Customer Support and tbf they were really helpful. The said they’ll give me an advanced replacement and let me use the MacBook until the new replacement arrives which isn’t until mid December.

Just wondering if anyone else has been as unlucky as me.

Ouch

 

[derptron]

The problem with that is you can’t really prove it actually was scratched out of the box, so they would have a ton of dishonest people making such claims and showing some small mark they made in return for a discount.

Apple replacing it is different, they don’t really care. They’re going to slap a new lid on it and sell it as a refurb, and still make money on it.

They would make more profit by offering a small gesture refund rather than paying a carrier to ship it back to them, inspecting it/processing it, sending it back to a factory to be torn down, upper lid (and display most likely) replaced, repackaged, shipped back to distribution then sold again for a discounted price. I’m not saying the refund offer should be big, just I’m sure if it was $100 or something it would benefit everyone (if the person wants to accept it, which they are well within their right to say they want a replacement instead).

Plus there’s nothing to stop anyone being dishonest about it as it stands now.

 

[pi=e=3]

They would make more profit by offering a small gesture refund rather than paying a carrier to ship it back to them, inspecting it/processing it, sending it back to a factory to be torn down, upper lid (and display most likely) replaced, repackaged, shipped back to distribution then sold again for a discounted price. I’m not saying the refund offer should be big, just I’m sure if it was $100 or something it would benefit everyone (if the person wants to accept it, which they are well within their right to say they want a replacement instead).

Plus there’s nothing to stop anyone being dishonest about it as it stands now.

Refurbs are inspected and repaired in the US, they aren't sent back to China. They are inspected, repaired and repackaged all in one go in one locale.

Apple ships so much stuff they likely just pay a flat rate per year to UPS/FedEx. One extra parcel has zero impact on them.

 

[baummer]

Return it and get a new one

 

[derptron]

Refurbs are inspected and repaired in the US, they aren't sent back to China. They are inspected, repaired and repackaged all in one go in one locale.

Apple ships so much stuff they likely just pay a flat rate per year to UPS/FedEx. One extra parcel has zero impact on them.

Still there is shipping internally in the US and that’s not counting other countries either (a lot of UK a stock gets shipped back to the Netherlands for refurbishment from what I’m too). It’s not just one parcel when you add it all up across their entire product line - I’ve had similar issues twice with iPhones myself.

Regardless, not really sure why you are arguing about this anyway, I’m simply saying that Apple offering a partial refund option (not taking away the replacement option) can benefit everyone involved and reach a quick resolution if the customer is happy to accept it - depending on how bad the issue is and how the customer feels.

 

[DonHS]

My 14inch MBP also has two scratches out of the box. I called Apple Support but they said I have to send the old one in first. The replacement unit is going to arrive in the first week of december.
I am very unhappy that I have to send it in first… I asked several times but my request was denied.

 

[Strider64]

They would make more profit by offering a small gesture refund rather than paying a carrier to ship it back to them, inspecting it/processing it, sending it back to a factory to be torn down, upper lid (and display most likely) replaced, repackaged, shipped back to distribution then sold again for a discounted price. I’m not saying the refund offer should be big, just I’m sure if it was $100 or something it would benefit everyone (if the person wants to accept it, which they are well within their right to say they want a replacement instead).

Plus there’s nothing to stop anyone being dishonest about it as it stands now.

I know Apple probably wouldn't do it, but having worked at a Automotive Paint Manufacturer it would simpler be easier to buff the scratch and put some touch-up paint on it. Having looked at the picture and even though I can't tell for sure, it wouldn't surprise me if simply buffing the area would do the trick?

 

[randomgeeza]

This has happened a few times with me and MacBook Pros. I used to have the 2019 16", which went in for a display assembly replacement. Long story short, it arrived back scratched. So Apple replaced it, with a new but scratched out of the box device. I went straight back to them, and was made to feel like I was deliberately doing it myself. Anywho, they replaced it again and it was agreed that I open and inspect the device in store. I did that and the replacement, of the replacement device had the same type of scratches in almost the same place, out of the box. The store refused to refund me at this point. So I raised a High Level Director Complaint with a Consumer Law Claim (UK), and was eventually given my money back.

In some production lines there are clear issues. Whether they be mechanic failures or human carelessness... who knows. But, I always thoroughly inspect anything I purchase from them nowadays. The same goes for any big tickets items bought elsewhere.

 

[ASX]

Hello,

same issue with 16" Macbook Pro 2021 silver.

Mine has 2 minor scratches on the left side and back and one minimal mark, near the edge at the front.
Only really visible from close distance and bright led flash light.

My M1 Pro has glue residues on the screen, which i could remove with soft micro fiber cloth. Also it had white glue residues on the edges of the case. I could remove it with isopropyl alcohol.


I wont swap it. Because if dislike screen inhomogenity and pixel failures. I had 1 M1 14" before with pink sub pixel failure on white 🙁.

Also i have 100 days refund garantuee from this seller who has no stock. 16 GB ram isn't much. Maybe i can swap it up to 100 days for 32 GB M1 Max or Intel Alderlake 12900 Laptop. Also AUO has released 3840 x 2160 120 hz mini led display for laptop.

Btw the aluminium is cheap. Even using the laptop only 20-30 minutes is lefting marks from my hands on the top alu cover.

Apple has no great quality control. I got an Iphone 13 Pro case (black leather) with a black line on the bottom and folds on the sides arround one corner.

Not looking nice or premium.

For the scratches i will contact the seller. Maybe he gives me a few hundred Euros discount.

This macbook is too expensive (overpriced). Even for 2850 Euros. I also have a Gigabyte laptop with same cpu power (11800H). M1 Pro isnt so fast as you may think and the gpu even m1 max (10 tflops) is a joke compared with RTX 3070 and 3080 mobile with arround 16 tflops . But m1 power consumption is nice and if you use mac os based app you have no choice. I bought the m1 pro only for media consumption (hdr is really nice), alternative system.

For rendering i have 5900X RTX 3090 desktop. The 5900X has nearly double performance of m1 pro in cinebench r23.
I was very suprised when i benchmarked my m1 pro. It's only competing with 11800H Intel Icelake.

This Gigabyte laptop is perfect. Not one scratch and much more robust.

Btw i would investigate the screen surface with bright led. I had something on the screen wich looked like damaged anti reflective coating. Which is very, very thin. Gladly it was "only" glue residue.

When i cleaned the screen, i noticed also with minimal pressure, a cracking noise. I wouldn't wonder if this screen breaks like m1 2020 pretty easily. There is a class action lawsuit against Apple because of that.

This M1 2021 Macbook Pro isn't robust. It's like an expensive, filigree jewelery. Nothing i would go with mobile oftenly. The anti reflective coating is only evaporated. It's only a few µm thin. I still use the original protection film when i close the laptop. I know how sensitive this screens are. LG oled displays have the same coating.

 

[IllIllIll]

In this situation it would be better if apple offered a partial refund as another option. Personally I wouldn’t care if I had a bit of money back, plus it saves all the hassle/cost/environmental impact of returning something for the sake of a small scratch.

So what would you consider a “reasonable” refund offer in this situation? $10? $50? $100?

 

[marmiteturkey]

Not directed at OP, or those who have received factory damaged laptops - I would return mine if it weren’t perfect, and have done in the past - but there seem to be a lot of brand new members on here this week whose main purpose is to neg on laptops that the vast majority of forum users are enjoying…

 

[ASX]

I would send it back if there is no discount about 400-500 Euros. I paid 2979 Euros. It's too much money for getting a scratched and marked laptop. I already ordered a new one. Even my 2200 Euro Gigabyte laptop was perfect out of the factory. Apple has to do the same especially for 7XX Euros more. But im aware of pixel failures. But i think i have no real choiche. The seller will never give me more discount than 100-200 Euros. Even amazon would give you with luck 10 - 15 %. This times are also over. They are only offering sending it back, because the system doesn't allow normal personal to refund more than ~150 Euros.

And im afraid if im tolding seller there are visual defects he will delay refund process to investigate it. It's a double sided sword.

I was considering about lefting it because the seller is offering 100 day refund policy. But maybe he notice the scratches and marks and saying then it was me, no refund because of the sellers voluntary refund policy.

I noticed Macos is using a lot memory (maybe it's only allocated) if you have a lot browser tabs open.
Afterwards i think even if it's using more than 16 GB Ram one time, this laptop is only a normal laptop for me, for media consumption and surfing the web, doing office work. No workstation. Therefore i have much more powerful 5900X and RTX 3090.

A laptop who has no 32 gb ram and 2 tb ssd in 2021 is a joke. Normally 16 gb ram are enough for a linux based systems like mac os. I dont know why this macos is using so much ram, when doing normal dekstop apps. Nothing special.
And it's definetly slowing down if it's using 13+ gb of ram. The cpu is only at 5 % usage.

 

[IllIllIll]

I would send it back if there is no discount about 400-500 Euros.

400-500 Euros for a scratch that doesn’t affect functionality in any way whatsoever? You’re dreaming. That’s nowhere close to reasonable and no sane manufacturer/seller would offer such a ridiculous discount over a refund or exchange.