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Second Day Owning My 2017 Macbook Pro.... Someone Spilled Water On It

laptech said:
How did you manage that because Apple will not replace under warranty or Apple Care a laptop replacement or part for free if it is considered to have been damaged by the customer.
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This is not always true in-store. I've seen this first-hand on multiple occasions with iPhone screens, and even my own iPad (SIM slot damage). But the most prominent case was a friend having their ~£3,500 water-damaged MBP replaced completely free. Similar to the OP, it was only a few days old. He was completely honest with what happened - the Apple employee disappeared for a bit, then came back and ordered a replacement, putting his through as 'DOA'.

Always go into a store with these issues and just be honest.

Best of luck OP - it goes without saying, be extra careful with that Mac now it's had its warranty void.
 
andy9l said:
This is not always true in-store. I've seen this first-hand on multiple occasions with iPhone screens, and even my own iPad (SIM slot damage). But the most prominent case was a friend having their ~£3,500 water-damaged MBP replaced completely free. Similar to the OP, it was only a few days old. He was completely honest with what happened - the Apple employee disappeared for a bit, then came back and ordered a replacement, putting his through as 'DOA'.

Always go into a store with these issues and just be honest.

Best of luck OP - it goes without saying, be extra careful with that Mac now it's had its warranty void.
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Hang on, if they determine no water damage - is the warranty still void?
 
With any luck it'll still be perfectly ok. I had a user knock over a bottle of water (opened of course) onto the keyboard of their MacBook Air and it dumped a good amount onto it. The difference there was that I actually have a pentalobe screwdriver so I popped the bottom off and removed the battery from the case and was able to clean it all up and let it dry. Results may have been different had I not been able to do that. The Pros have glue on theirs from what I recall.

Best of luck anyhow! I've spilled some sprite on my Late 2008 MacBook and then it got dropped down some stairs and kids dropped it on to tile twice. And it's still ticking 9 years later, though with a few more dents than it would otherwise have.
 
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andy9l said:
This is not always true in-store. I've seen this first-hand on multiple occasions with iPhone screens, and even my own iPad (SIM slot damage). But the most prominent case was a friend having their ~£3,500 water-damaged MBP replaced completely free. Similar to the OP, it was only a few days old. He was completely honest with what happened - the Apple employee disappeared for a bit, then came back and ordered a replacement, putting his through as 'DOA'.

Always go into a store with these issues and just be honest.

Best of luck OP - it goes without saying, be extra careful with that Mac now it's had its warranty void.
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That is the part i mentioned in my post, the part about having a sympathetic employee at the Genius Bar. In your case your friend was lucky at it being put through as a DOA (Dead on Arrival). Remember, the employee did not have to do this and put their own job on the line by not reporting the actual issue as customer damage via liquid spill. The OP might have the same luck, then again might not.
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andy9l said:
Depends if you triggered the Liquid Contact Indicators - in which case, yes I would imagine your warranty would be void. There's a number of these inside MacBooks.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201880
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If the liquid indicators have turned red, Apple will not repair the unit for free, it will be classed as 'customer damaged' and they will quote a repair fee. That is Apple's correct procedure. Now as we know, the correct procedure is not always followed because it comes down to the Apple employee who is tasked with fixing this unit and their boss. Is the employee and the boss going to a 'strict by the book' person or someone who will look the other way and claim it to be a DOA and get the repair done for free.
 
James.K.Polk said:
The spill was quick - probably 6 oz of water, and I immediately began wiping it from the MBP, and got paper towels within 30 seconds.

It's currently off, and sitting face-down on a towel, with the keyboard parallel to the ground (screen hanging off the table) as was suggested to me. I've rotated the towel, in case it got moisture, but it didn't appear so to the touch. The issue is, as soon as I fold it to take it to the store, it'll turn back on because of the silly auto-on policies of the 2016-17 Pros.

I have a Genius Bar appointment for tomorrow (~36h from spill).

I don't know what to do. This computer is 3 days old. The spill was not done by me, not that it's relevant right now. It costs me well over $2000 out the door, a huge expenditure. Is there any way I can get it covered? I purchased on a Chase Ink Preferred Card... but it looks like I need to go through Renter's insurance, first?

Can someone give me a rundown on the best course of action over the next week? I'm at my wits end.
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2 YEARS LATER - WHATEVER HAPPENED?
 
Today, honesty loses. They told me that by me calling AppleCare, it ensured the Macbook was flagged as out-of-warranty and I'm looking at a $1450+Tax repair bill. Failed every diagnostic. I don't know what I'm going to do.

If anyone has experience with filing a Chase claim, specifically "Purchase Security" under Chase Ink Preferred, please let me know here or in PMs.
 
If you are not vigilant at preventing drinks from being set down within a foot of your MacBook, sooner or later your MacBook will be destroyed. You're betting $3000+ that the drink will remain upright, it isn't a smart bet.
 
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If credit card insurance and renter's insurance are a no-go, one other option you could try is calling AppleCare, requesting to speak to a Senior Advisor, explaining your situation, and ask if they would consider making an exception and allow you to purchase AppleCare+ and pay the deductible for water damage. This would still cost you around $600, but it's better than $1,450, and it means 3 years of AD protection. (You would likely need to speak to a senior staff member because they are presumably the ones who could make an exception to SOP on good will.)

A huge bulk of people would have just returned the system using the 14 day warranty - your brutal honestly and willingness to take responsibility for your actions are rare traits these days, and the fact that you were so honest is admirable. When I was in grad school, I purchased a 15-inch MBP and it was a huge financial purchase, so I understand how much Apple hardware can stretch a limited budget.

We're all human, and sometimes we all make errors in judgment. When those happen, the best we can do is learn from our experiences. I hope a resolution comes of this that allows you to continue your studies without being left with massive out-of-pocket expenses.
 
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ZapNZs said:
If credit card insurance and renter's insurance are a no-go, one other option you could try is calling AppleCare, requesting to speak to a Senior Advisor, explaining your situation, and ask if they would consider making an exception and allow you to purchase AppleCare+ and pay the deductible for water damage. This would still cost you around $600, but it's better than $1,450, and it means 3 years of AD protection. (You would likely need to speak to a senior staff member because they are presumably the ones who could make an exception to SOP on good will.)

A huge bulk of people would have just returned the system using the 14 day warranty - your brutal honestly and willingness to take responsibility for your actions are rare traits these days, and the fact that you were so honest is admirable. When I was in grad school, I purchased a 15-inch MBP and it was a huge financial purchase, so I understand how much Apple hardware can stretch a limited budget.

We're all human, and sometimes we all make errors in judgment. When those happen, the best we can do is learn from our experiences. I hope a resolution comes of this that allows you to continue your studies without being left with massive out-of-pocket expenses.
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Hey Zap - this AppleCare+ option was actually (and fortunately) presented to me. My conundrum is this (and maybe you/others are willing to weigh in) - the way I see it is I can pay the $700 for AppleCare+, or I can wager that I can convince Chase to cover the $1500+ under their "Purchase Security" program through Chase Ink Preferred. To me, I see a guaranteed $700 payment, or a chance at a $0 (with $1400 downside) payment through Chase. I don't know exactly what to do, but I'll need to figure it out quickly.

Regardless, I appreciate your (and other) kind words. I know there are much greater problems in the world than water on a fancy computer... just trying to mitigate my own issues.
 
James.K.Polk said:
Hey Zap - this AppleCare+ option was actually (and fortunately) presented to me. My conundrum is this (and maybe you/others are willing to weigh in) - the way I see it is I can pay the $700 for AppleCare+, or I can wager that I can convince Chase to cover the $1500+ under their "Purchase Security" program through Chase Ink Preferred. To me, I see a guaranteed $700 payment, or a chance at a $0 (with $1400 downside) payment through Chase. I don't know exactly what to do, but I'll need to figure it out quickly.

Regardless, I appreciate your (and other) kind words. I know there are much greater problems in the world than water on a fancy computer... just trying to mitigate my own issues.
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I’d get the AppleCare+ ASAP. You’ll more than likely needed to use it at some point.
 
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As far as I know, chase purchase protection for a preferred card only covers up to $500 per incident.
 
IF the credit card company won't cover the loss, perhaps the best thing to do is write it off and move on.

Buy a new one, and sell the existing one "for parts".

And be careful about who you let sit next to it!
 
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Fishrrman said:
IF the credit card company won't cover the loss, perhaps the best thing to do is write it off and move on.

Buy a new one, and sell the existing one "for parts".

And be careful about who you let sit next to it!
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The credit card company operates ex-post, so I have to conduct the repairs on my own dime and hope they refund. Trying to operate this as by-the-book as possible.
 
James.K.Polk said:
Hey Zap - this AppleCare+ option was actually (and fortunately) presented to me. My conundrum is this (and maybe you/others are willing to weigh in) - the way I see it is I can pay the $700 for AppleCare+, or I can wager that I can convince Chase to cover the $1500+ under their "Purchase Security" program through Chase Ink Preferred. To me, I see a guaranteed $700 payment, or a chance at a $0 (with $1400 downside) payment through Chase. I don't know exactly what to do, but I'll need to figure it out quickly.

Regardless, I appreciate your (and other) kind words. I know there are much greater problems in the world than water on a fancy computer... just trying to mitigate my own issues.
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That is a very nice offering on Apple's behalf. If Chase will not cover the full price of the incident, technically the Apple route leaves you only paying about $300 for the water incident (as the rest is paying for a warranty that you will have for three years.)

Someone with more experience with Chase might be able to weigh in on what you could expect turnaround and offering wise from Chase. (I've heard they have outstanding customer support.) Chase may have a forum where you can talk to other Members who have had similar experiences with higher-end electronics.
 
The AppleCare+ option sounds like a reasonable choice to me. The cost for AC+ is $279 (assuming you have a 13" MBP). The cost for each accidental damage incident is $99 (only 2 incidents allowed). So up to a total of $380. You might be able to get them to waive the additional $320 if you speak to the manager of the store. And at the end of the repair you will have a MBP that is good as new and carries full resale value.

Please keep us informed on which way you go, and best of luck on getting a good resolution.
 
The problem is, even with buying Apple Care + now, they still have a record of him contacting AppleCare and they will see the liquid spill occurred before buying Apple Care and therefore a big possibility that they will still not cover the repair. Buying repair cover AFTER the event the company is not legally required to fix it 'under warranty'. This could mean he spends out more money on Apple Care that he cannot use.

Other posters in here have said they've used honesty and it's worked getting their item repaired under warranty, but as i pointed out, there is a risk element to this because the person dealing with them needs to be sympathetic to their cause. It is just very unfortunate that the OP, while also using honesty, did not have a sympathetic employee dealing with his case.
 
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jerryk said:
The AppleCare+ option sounds like a reasonable choice to me. The cost for AC+ is $279 (assuming you have a 13" MBP). The cost for each accidental damage incident is $99 (only 2 incidents allowed). So up to a total of $380. You might be able to get them to waive the additional $320 if you speak to the manager of the store. And at the end of the repair you will have a MBP that is good as new and carries full resale value.

Please keep us informed on which way you go, and best of luck on getting a good resolution.
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$99 is the screen-damage cost, unfortunately. I have a 15" Pro, so the cost is actually $379 (AC+) + $299 = $678 before tax.

In the end, I just had them begin the full out-of-warranty replacement (quoted at $1475 before tax) and will try and beg Chase to cover it on the back-end.
 
James.K.Polk said:
I'm seeing $10,000 under the Purchase Security program.
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Pretty sure that's only for Chase Sapphire Reserve, you said you have the preferred?

EDIT: My bad, you have a Chase Ink Preferred, not a sapphire. Yeah that should cover the damage I think. I don't think you'll have to beg at all. I feel like you will have no problem getting them to cover it. Let us know how it goes though! I would love to hear about your experience with chase purchase protection. TBH, I think you probably made the right choice, I don't think Chase will give you a hard time.
 
James.K.Polk said:
The spill was quick - probably 6 oz of water, and I immediately began wiping it from the MBP, and got paper towels within 30 seconds.

I did the same thing to my 2015 Mac Book Air. I turned off immediately and let it dry. Tried turning it on the next day and it was dead. So I put it away and two weeks later tried it again before throwing it out and it fired right up and has worked fine ever since, about 6 months now.
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James.K.Polk said:
$99 is the screen-damage cost, unfortunately. I have a 15" Pro, so the cost is actually $379 (AC+) + $299 = $678 before tax.

In the end, I just had them begin the full out-of-warranty replacement (quoted at $1475 before tax) and will try and beg Chase to cover it on the back-end.
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You may want to talk with Apple about the AppleCare+ option because paying the $1,475 might not make sense.

I am pretty sure that if you go the AppleCare+ option, you will get a system back that is still within warranty upon the completion of the repair (most likely the unit would be replaced-even if not, it would get all new internals). The only caveat is that one 'service' has been performed and so you are left with one remaining service (AC+ comes with two service events.)

Whether you pay the $1,475 for an outright replacement, or you pay the $379 for AC+ and the $299 for the Tier 2 service, you will end up with a system being returned to you in working condition and with a warranty. The difference is that if you go the AC+ option, you get a system back that has three years of accidental damage protection, plus you are paying half the price. Further, there is no reason you could not attempt to get Chase to pay for some or all of the $678.
 
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