Replace 2013 MBA lower case - void AppleCare

[r6mile]

I am considering selling my 2013 MBA (which has AppleCare until June) and replacing it with a 13 rMBP when the new ones come out. The display+assembly has just been replaced by Apple so it looks brand new, but the lower case has a few scratches. If I bought a lower case from iFixit or some other seller, it will not have my MBA's serial number at the bottom. This will be obvious to the 'Geniuses' at Apple if the laptop was taken in. Would this void AppleCare?

P.S: Obviously if the Skylake rMBP don't come out until after AppleCare expires, then this question is moot.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Well, one thing to consider is that if you did this after AC ended, they may still refuse OOW work if they think the computer has been tampered with.

If you do it, I would simply suggest including the original bottom plate, and perhaps a cheap pentalobe too.

This way, the buyer gets a new bottom case, with the option to install the original part as needed.

 

[r6mile]

Well, one thing to consider is that if you did this after AC ended, they may still refuse OOW work if they think the computer has been tampered with.

If you do it, I would simply suggest including the original bottom plate, and perhaps a cheap pentalobe too.

This way, the buyer gets a new bottom case, with the option to install the original part as needed.

Thanks, though a refusal to do even OOW repairs is probably too high a risk - it looks like it might be safer to either sell it as is and accept a lower price, or bite the bullet and get Apple to replace the lower case (which I was quoted £70 + £24 labour for). Or just keep it and not sell it all...

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Will the presence of scratches on the bottom really affect the value of a nearly 3-year-old portable computer to any great degree? A really knowledgeable buyer would look at the bottom and say, "No serial number (or why doesn't the serial number match 'About this Mac')? How much damage was done to this thing that you needed to replace the bottom case??"

The refusal to do repairs under AppleCare is probably a greater risk than a refusal to do OOW. In the end, it's really a matter of not doing a free repair of something messed up in an incompetent repair or attempting to work around/duplicate a modification. If, say, a wire was broken in the process of a homebrew repair, and the problem can be fixed by replacing with a standard part... I'm not sure they'd turn that work away if the owner was going to pay the bill.

 

[r6mile]

It's really only just a couple of dents and scratches, but since the rest of the laptop looks new (given the display was just replaced) I thought that replacing the lower case would enable me to sell it 'as new'. But it might be more trouble than it's worth...

 

[rdlink]

It's really only just a couple of dents and scratches, but since the rest of the laptop looks new (given the display was just replaced) I thought that replacing the lower case would enable me to sell it 'as new'. But it might be more trouble than it's worth...

I'd say it's more hassle than it's worth. Just explain that you had the screen replaced, and that they can buy a replacement bottom on ifixit.com. Then knock £20 off of whatever you would have sold it for with a new bottom.

 

[SusanK]

It's really only just a couple of dents and scratches, but since the rest of the laptop looks new (given the display was just replaced) I thought that replacing the lower case would enable me to sell it 'as new'. But it might be more trouble than it's worth...

If I was the buyer I would be comfortable with a few scratches and the correct serial number on the back case.