MBP display issues and genius

[twodeko]

I thought I'd share my experience yesterday and look for some advice/insight...

Just to preface my story, I have had my Macbook Pro for almost two years now and greatly enjoyed my switch to Apple. Despite the normal heat issues, my first display started to show issues a couple months after owning the laptop. A pixel would dim and surrounding pixels would follow the first one's lead, resulting in patches of dim pixels throughout the screen. I took it into the licensed Apple repair center at our school, where a tech looked at it and ordered a new screen for me.

A couple months after the first failure, my screen started showing the same issues again. Pixels were become lighter/darker in the center of the screen, and patches were going out again. I brought the laptop in again and they decided to ship it to the repair depot. A month later (yes, a month) I had my laptop back with a new logic board and a new screen. As a student, being without a laptop for that long was extremely frustrating and I had to repeatedly bother them to expedite the repair just to have it done in a month.

I am now going on my third failing screen and decided to take it to the Apple Store last night. I was met by a genius who insisted that the display issues were categorized as "accidental damage" and told me that putting too much pressure on the display will result in what I am seeing. He agreed to try and replace the screen again, even though the next guy might not. As a pretty frustrated customer, I expressed my concern about how I didn't believe that a fourth screen was going to solve any problems and was very unhappy with Apple Support in the past. With this, I asked about having the laptop replaced and he refused to consider that... stating that the screen issues were my fault and he didn't believe anything else was at fault besides the display.

Is this typical of Apple? I don't think accusing your customers is a respectable way to deal with an issue. I am convinced my laptop is a lemon, and have already gone through over $2,000 in displays. I have had my laptop on a desk for the most part, and it travels in a case in my backpack when I move between home and campus. Should I take this up with someone else?

 

[Jatku]

Call AppleCare directly and see if they're more helpful with the situation. Tell them that it has been repaired 3-4 times and the same problems occur, and when you spoke to someone at an Apple Store, they accused you of causing the issue. Probably due to the situation, they'll get you to the Customer Care department or a manager. Try calling a few times if you don't get anyone helpful and understanding the first time; you'll eventually get someone who sounds like they'll go out of their way to help you. If nothing helps, say that you got a lemon and then mention the Better Business Bureau or something like that.

 

[lauph]

a genius who insisted that the display issues were categorized as "accidental damage" and told me that putting too much pressure on the display will result in what I am seeing.

He can't just make that up. They are not spontaneous actors. They see the signs of accidental damage, they make the judgement as they are trained to.

He agreed to try and replace the screen again, even though the next guy might not.

How nice of him already.

As a pretty frustrated customer, I expressed my concern about how I didn't believe that a fourth screen was going to solve any problems and was very unhappy with Apple Support in the past. With this, I asked about having the laptop replaced and he refused to consider that... stating that the screen issues were my fault and he didn't believe anything else was at fault besides the display.

If you read much around the forums, bad experience does not yield any compensations with Apple, and what? you're asking for a replacement? from a old model to the new model?
The Genius gave you a pretty good logical explanation that it is not the problem of any other part of the MBP. Replacement will be illogical.

Is this typical of Apple? I don't think accusing your customers is a respectable way to deal with an issue.

It is typical of all manufacturers of every product. They see a problem that is not their fault, they will not fix it for free.

I am convinced my laptop is a lemon

How can ANY possible lemonned part in the MBP affect the display panel that is separate from the machine? Even the logic board is replaced, what else can be the lemon? The bottom case huh? You the lemon instead?

it travels in a case in my backpack when I move between home and campus.

Books? Pressure? ahhhhh.

 

[Jatku]

If you were in the same situation, you would be angry too. I don't think I could ever believe that you, or anyone else, could just say "oh well" to having all that downtime and the hassle of going back and forth to repair something. Unless the OP constantly pokes at his screen with random objects or drops the laptop on a regular basis, I can't see how having to replace the screen 4 times could be caused by accidental damage. Maybe it was a string of really bad luck.

He didn't even say he wanted a brand new one, just a replacement that won't give him as many problems as he had. Even I was offered a replacement for my PowerBook G4 with the most current model, because they thought being without it for up to 3-4 weeks was too long of a wait. Keep in mind, this was for a problem I was about to just ignore because it was barely noticeable. If I were offered a refurb or clearance model, I would have been way more than happy, and I believe the OP deserves at least that considering what he's had to deal with.

If the MacBooks were so ****** as to be damaged from being next to 2 or 3 flat surfaced books in a backpack while in its own case, 99% of them would have problems. Don't blame issues on something all laptops should be able to handle.

It's not necessary to be so rude to someone about their problems, especially when you can't be sure he's to blame. Maybe it really is his fault, but instead of being a jerk, be a little more understanding because he genuinely believes he hasn't done anything wrong.

 

[swordfish5736]

He can't just make that up. They are not spontaneous actors. They see the signs of accidental damage, they make the judgement as they are trained to.

You do know that apple Geniuses in no way do physical repairs on machines? they inspect a machine, try and diagnose what's wrong without opening the machine or swapping in a spare known good part and then send it to the techs that do the full diagnosis and repair at the apple depot.

I'm not trying to bad mouth the apple Geniuses but i think there is a large misunderstanding as to what they actually do and don't do...We used to get calls and walk-ins from people who had gone to the apple store and were told to come to us for certain types of repairs.

How can ANY possible lemonned part in the MBP affect the display panel that is separate from the machine? Even the logic board is replaced, what else can be the lemon? The bottom case huh? You the lemon instead?

A short in the body or missing insulation can very easily cause a short to many different pieces on the machine

 

[lauph]

If you were in the same situation, you would be angry too. I don't think I could ever believe that you, or anyone else, could just say "oh well" to having all that downtime and the hassle of going back and forth to repair something. Unless the OP constantly pokes at his screen with random objects or drops the laptop on a regular basis, I can't see how having to replace the screen 4 times could be caused by accidental damage. Maybe it was a string of really bad luck.

He didn't even say he wanted a brand new one, just a replacement that won't give him as many problems as he had. Even I was offered a replacement for my PowerBook G4 with the most current model, because they thought being without it for up to 3-4 weeks was too long of a wait. Keep in mind, this was for a problem I was about to just ignore because it was barely noticeable. If I were offered a refurb or clearance model, I would have been way more than happy, and I believe the OP deserves at least that considering what he's had to deal with.

If the MacBooks were so ****** as to be damaged from being next to 2 or 3 flat surfaced books in a backpack while in its own case, 99% of them would have problems. Don't blame issues on something all laptops should be able to handle.

It's not necessary to be so rude to someone about their problems, especially when you can't be sure he's to blame. Maybe it really is his fault, but instead of being a jerk, be a little more understanding because he genuinely believes he hasn't done anything wrong.

Oh trust me, I have been in such situations(es) way way way more times than the thread starter has. Hassle? He hasn't tasted what REAL hassle is. He should try some transcountry arguments with Apple for replacements(es).
Anger, I felt that before. "oh well", I didn't say. Bad luck, I had tons of them. Problems with the display, all the problems i had were that. Being rejected for repairs, many times. I have been there, and done that.

I'm not saying he shouldn't ask for the latest and greatest MBP to replace his old model MBP. I'm not saying that that is wrong. I've done that. Many times. He should read into Apple's policies and work his way to "new MBP nirvana" through it, instead of just going oh "bad experience" here and there and then blame the genius for being wrong, rude, unmerciful for not considering the replacement and "accusing" the TS for the faults. There are the signs of accidental damage and the genius wont lie about that. Apple teach them what signs signify whose problem it is, they are just conveying it. Who determines what signs means what? Apple techs, not the genius.

Also, the MBP's aluminum behind the display is rather soft. Press on the apple logo when the lid is closed, and the displacement is ALOT. You can even feel something being pressed into after around half of the maximum displacement, either its the apple logo touching the display, or the display is touching the keyboard. Books in a backpack? Possible that it can press into the lid when the lid is facing outwards. When it is facing inwards? the contour of the spine and the weight of the books should press the lid in.

 

[lauph]

A short in the body or missing insulation can very easily cause a short to many different pieces on the machine

But it is the same problem on 4 different replaced screens, of which each are replaced wholly and not just the panel. You should know that.

How can any fault in the main machine affect the production of pixels greying out?

 

[snowmoon]

I'm on my 4th display as well for a MBP bough in early 2007. The QA on the screens was horrible and 2 were failing from dust under the screen ( they are supposed to be sealed ) and one was replaced quickly when it was obvious the brightness was distractingly bright in the corners.

I'm also on my

3rd Battery, Keyboard
2rd MB, palmrest, fan assembly, speaker assembly

And now I'm getting random memory corruption issues, but only when the system is using the disk. The "genius" bar is insisting this is a faulty 3rd party ram chip, but refuses to lend me a 2gb chip to prove that it's not the chipset/laptop as it only ever corrupts the highest nibble in a 32bit word. Both chips work fine by themselves and produce no corruption, only when in combination.

I don't abuse this thing, hell after the second screen I refused to take it to work anymore ( in a messanger bag by itself inside a sleeve ) because I wanted it to last.