Faulty 2017 MacBook 12"

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Soldato
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I had the same issue on my mothers MB 12". Luckily the place I purchased from had a two year warranty, so recouped most of the value back in a refund.
 

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I had the same issue on my mothers MB 12". Luckily the place I purchased from had a two year warranty, so recouped most of the value back in a refund.
See, that’s what is infuriating about this. The 12” model seems to be a lemon, yet Apple doesn’t have a recall programme like they have with so many other issues (batteries, screens, keyboards).

I emailed Louis Rossman (guy in NY with YouTube channel that repairs MacBooks) and this was the response:

I am sorry to hear you are having that issue. When it comes to the 12" A1534 model, our findings have been that not a lot of them are repairable.

It is very common for the 12" A1534 model Macbook to have an issue where it has screen distortion (you are here), intermittent crashing, followed by it no longer turning on. We have had no success in fixing these. Most require a CPU replacement, which on the 2015 model is difficult to find and prohibitively difficult to make it economically viable to repair the board as the CPU package itself is two separate pieces. On the 2016 models and up, we have had no luck consistently locating new CPUs. I believe this model to be a lemon, and I hope Apple eventually releases an extended warranty repair program for the people who purchased it.

 
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See, that’s what is infuriating about this. The 12” model seems to be a lemon, yet Apple doesn’t have a recall programme like they have with so many other issues (batteries, screens, keyboards).

I emailed Louis Rossman (guy in NY with YouTube channel that repairs MacBooks) and this was the response:

I am sorry to hear you are having that issue. When it comes to the 12" A1534 model, our findings have been that not a lot of them are repairable.

It is very common for the 12" A1534 model Macbook to have an issue where it has screen distortion (you are here), intermittent crashing, followed by it no longer turning on. We have had no success in fixing these. Most require a CPU replacement, which on the 2015 model is difficult to find and prohibitively difficult to make it economically viable to repair the board as the CPU package itself is two separate pieces. On the 2016 models and up, we have had no luck consistently locating new CPUs. I believe this model to be a lemon, and I hope Apple eventually releases an extended warranty repair program for the people who purchased it.

Sorry to hear that. He knows his stuff so he's probably right.

Apple have definitely been through a terrible period for build (and design) quality. Hopefully they have turned a corner with the new 16" and onwards. But some of their recent stuff from 2016 to 1019 has been shocking. I'm looking for a Macbook for my daughter and wouldn't buy a used one from that period.
 

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What’s frustrating is I really need a replacement. I’ve bought a bottom of the range 2019 MacBook Pro (8GB / 128GB) and it seems ok (although I really miss the 12” form factor!) but I’m terrified it’s just more of the same, as you say. And given that model came out less than a year ago, I do wonder what Apple’s timeframe is for releasing a 13” version of the 16”, which would probably be quite lovely.
 
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deadbookcpu 12", its a known problem in the repair industry. they are not repairable.
CPU got overheated because of the fanless design. lol....using a desktop app without a fan.

your local repair guy will try using a heat gun to the CPU but this is just a temporary repair. enough time to get your data back and even reballing the CPU will last longer but the problem will come back.

just sell this junk on eBay and move on...
 
Soldato
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Simple...

Put in a consumer rights claim to Apple under UK law which is up to 6 years from the date of purchase.

https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/

They even tell you in that link above. I used this method to get an iPad 4 replaced that had a yellow tinge to the screen, which is a manufacturing defect, took a couple of calls and a visit to the Apple store but they swapped it out in the end, I was even offered a refund.
 

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Any defect or non-conformity of goods with the contract which becomes apparent within 6 months of delivery are presumed to have existed at the time of delivery. After the expiry of this 6 month period, the burden to prove that the defect or non-conformity of goods with the contract existed on delivery generally shifts to the consumer.

From the above paragraph I take that I would have to prove that the fault is something that came from the factory, i.e. it was latent in the system for 2.5 years. In other words, Apple would have to acknowledge the lemon status of this particular model.

When I spoke with the Covent Garden store manager, he was pretty dismissive when I mentioned consumer law, and made special emphasis that there was a strict 2 year time limit. In the article it says "contact the seller", so there's not a clearly defined path to get this resolved above and beyond what I've already done.
 

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Holy **** Apple just agreed to repair it for free under UK Consumer Law!!

Called customer service, immediately said "I would like to submit a hardware repair claim under UK consumer law". The guy took some basic details, put me on hold for a couple of minutes, and then put me through to a "senior team member". This new guy then took a few more details, including proof of purchase (I bought it from Apple online in November 2017), and he then said he would call me back after checking a few more things. Ten minutes later the phone rings, it's my man from Apple, and he says "it's all good to go, Apple will repair the laptop at no cost. There is an appointment at Covent Garden tomorrow at 12:45, do you want me to book it?", and that was that!

So the magic words "UK consumer law" seem to open some portal to a different team that have this ability to approve these claims (something that not any of the Support employees I've dealt with before, not any of the Apple store employees, not the Apple store manager have been able or willing to do).

Amazing. Back to happy, back to loving Apple.

Now to return this 2019 MBP I bought...
 

Deleted member 138126

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Deleted member 138126

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Any defect or non-conformity of goods with the contract which becomes apparent within 6 months of delivery are presumed to have existed at the time of delivery. After the expiry of this 6 month period, the burden to prove that the defect or non-conformity of goods with the contract existed on delivery generally shifts to the consumer.

From the above paragraph I take that I would have to prove that the fault is something that came from the factory, i.e. it was latent in the system for 2.5 years. In other words, Apple would have to acknowledge the lemon status of this particular model.

When I spoke with the Covent Garden store manager, he was pretty dismissive when I mentioned consumer law, and made special emphasis that there was a strict 2 year time limit. In the article it says "contact the seller", so there's not a clearly defined path to get this resolved above and beyond what I've already done.
Thanks @Journey for the nudge!!
 
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They know most of their customers will simply accept the £600 repair bill or buy another machine from them. Works out much better for them to just give a free board replacement to the odd customer who pushes the issue and continue to **** everyone else.
 
Soldato
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No worries, pretty shocking that not a single other person suggested this to you in the thread. Speaks volumes about how much people just bend over and take it.

It’s not Apple Policy for Apple Care to position consumer law without device being inspected in store first, and after the first two years it’s supposed to go through Apple Legal

OP got an exception, not the Norm, even when quoting consumer law
 

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It’s not Apple Policy for Apple Care to position consumer law without device being inspected in store first, and after the first two years it’s supposed to go through Apple Legal

OP got an exception, not the Norm, even when quoting consumer law
Interesting to hear your view, because once I figured out this secret incantation, the experience couldn't have been friendlier and more straightforward. The appointment at the Apple Store was on Friday at 12:45 and by the time I'd left, I had an email from the Support guy asking me how it went, and when I replied that so far so good, he replied back to say he'd be in touch next week once they returned the device to me.

No mention at any point of involving Legal or anything like that. Mainly I'm incredibly glad I didn't end up with a £1400 paperweight, but I'm also curious how Apple has structured itself so that in 2020 *every single employee* without exception is COMPLETELY devoid of the tiniest amount of discretion. All public-facing employees (and I suspect the majority of the non-public facing ones as well) have become 100% corporate robots, and that's a MASSIVE change for an entire company to pull off and still maintain its beloved status.
 
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