Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Urgent question: Repair vs. Trade-in?

A

Alexander_JY

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 9, 2018
14
2
Hi everyone,

I am faced with a tough situation:

I bought a mid-2018 Macbook Pro in December last year. The laptop is with the top upgraded specs of a total cost of almost 4000.

Unfortunately, 2 weeks ago it was soaked in a mixture of milk and tea in my backpack. I brought it to the Apple retail store, sent in for repair, and received a diagnosis report that showed liquid damage on the upper case (including the keyboard), the logic board, and the touch bar. It also gave me a quote of 1650 as the repair cost.

I also considered trading in, which, according to Apple's trade-in site, generated an estimated value of 1620. However, a genius bar administrator told me that with liquid damage, the real trade-in value is usually 0.


How should I make my decision now?
Is it worth it to trade in this laptop I bought last year and then buy a new one?
Does the "zero real trade-in value with liquid damage" statement by the genius bar administrator sound true?
Or should I repair it somewhere else?

Also, if trading in is the option, should I wait a few years until a model with more notable updates comes out?

Please help!! Thank you all very much!
 
Personally, I think I'd go for the repair at that stage, even though it's a hefty sum. If you live in the US, anywhere near the NY area or with easy shipping options there, might also try and shoot Rossmann an email to hear what he might charge for heavy liquid damage on that model
 
  • Like
Reactions: theapplehead and mikzn
if its $1650 to repair just to get $1620 vs zero, it actually costs you $30 more to repair and trade than throw it in the trash.

Sucks, but doesn't look like you can come out ahead either way on this one.
 
Nacho98 said:
if its $1650 to repair just to get $1620 vs zero, it actually costs you $30 more to repair and trade than throw it in the trash.

Sucks, but doesn't look like you can come out ahead either way on this one.
Click to expand...

Sucky situation yes. But I don't think OP would trade it in after the repair. I think it was either one or the other, with a repair meaning continuing to use the laptop instead of busting out bucks for a new beast. Intentional alliteration...
 
Alexander_JY said:
Hi everyone,

I am faced with a tough situation: . . . .

How should I make my decision now?
Click to expand...

Get an estimate / from anybody but apple / IMHO Apple is the worst place to get an estimate for a situation like this - they just want to sell you a new product.

And any reps making the call "Apple Geniuses" are anything but - you probably know know more about what happened than they ever will

What if it is just something simple? Low Cost? Etc?
 
Repair. New equivalent MBP will cost around $4k. Repair will cost $1.7k, any other solution you have will cost more to get similar device. It is expensive, but still the cheapest solution.
If you pay Apple price for repair, it will be fixed and warrantied. It may be worth the money unless you can find someone else to fix it for 50% or less. Apple warranty is very good... Others, depends.
At least if this was my money, I would cry, but repair at Apple.
 
  • Like
Reactions: theapplehead
"How should I make my decision now?"

I cannot advise on what to do with a ruined MBP.
But... some advice I will give:
Have you learned your lesson about putting ANY KIND of "fluids" into a backpack with a laptop?
NEVER do this again!
Especially with one you spent $4,000 on!

I would never put that much money "into a laptop", but that's just me.
 
I mean if the other option is repairing it and continuing to use it, then you are in the machine for nearly $6,000. Does it seem reasonable to be in to that machine that deep?

I'd honestly just take the loss, sell it for whatever few hundred bucks you can get for it, and start over with a new machine, even if it's a higher outlay of cash right now than repairing that one.

Therein lies the problem with $3k, $4k, $5k MBPs - they are damn expensive to start with, and damn expensive to fix if something goes wrong. It's like the machines are too expensive not to fix, but at the same time it makes no sense to spend big money repairing a consumer electronic and being in it for thousands more than it already cost.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fishrrman
Alexander_JY said:
Apple's trade-in site, generated an estimated value of 1620.
Click to expand...
I'm not familiar with the trade-in site, does it know that your laptop is basically dead? I mean is 1,620 the trade-in because it needs significant repairs? All I'm saying is, I don't want you surprised in a bad way if you go this route.

To do the simple math, you can pay 1,650 and get your laptop back or pay 4,000 - 1,620 = 2,380

You can some nice updates, and a new machine with a new warranty but its more money
 
Check your home owners insurance if you have such a policy. The repair or part of it might be covered.
 
I don't think you have an option to trade in, as the liquid damage will void this and you will get zero. Your best option is to have the laptop repaired, despite how expensive it is.
 
Do you have a backup system? Could you buy a cheap used system? Or do you don't need it for a few months?

If so, I would wait and see what happens with the announcements of 16 and 14 MBPs. I would be upset pouring 1600 to a repair the system, only to have it become the old style system with great depreciation in a few months.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back