As a school requirement I purchased a Macbook Air in 2014. Accidentally we cracked the display on it. Can happen to anyone. I went today to an authorised repair centre since Apple has no free appointment any soon.
Guess how much it would cost. $710 for the part + $149 for the installation. Of a 13 inch display. That pretty much is the value of the computer.
Never seen such a greedy and overpriced bunch like Apple.
Um no.
Probably around $50-$100 mark for the screen.
If you tried to buy the screen yourself, you won't find it cheaper than $200.
And sourcing it from somewhere else (like Apple), they'll throw in costs to cover tax, gst, and a fat profit margin.
I would've expected $600… so even I'm shocked they're charging you $710 for the part.
Scumbags in deed.
Better just do it yourself.
However, OP is wrong with the premise "never give Apple another cent"… because it's not just Apple that engages in these affairs.
SONY, Samsung, LG, etc etc are also out there looking to rip off their customers.
I laughed at "to cover tax, gst"
It's Apple.
…
O.O
Sorry but sony samsung etc arent in the same league as apple. Samsung will fix things out of warranty but they arent repair centers. They do give repair centres the details and parts to fix their stuff when it breaks by accident or out of warranty.
Apple however goes out of their way to (profanity) over repair centers. They dont release scematics or their diagnostic tools or sell parts and make it impossible for repair centres to fix anything.
For example the iphone 6 home button now has a unique id assigned to it so if you replace it with another one the next time you update your phone it will brick itself. No reason for them to do that except for shutting down repair places and forcing people to upgrade.
Oh and apple doesnt repair stuff they replace with refurbished stuff. Hence why the repair cost is always the same.
End of the day don't touch apple gear unless you are happy with what they are doing and replace gear frequently.
For example the iphone 6 home button now has a unique id assigned to it so if you replace it with another one the next time you update your phone it will brick itself. No reason for them to do that except for shutting down repair places and forcing people to upgrade
Apple changed their stance on the home button replacement causing it to brick the phone with error 53
If you were affected, see https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT205628
Only after a class action lawsuit. Still doesnt change their practices of making it harder and harder to repair iphones and denying repairers access to diagnostics and schematics which would assist.
I bought a Laptop with a crappy LG panel. Ordered an AOU replacement ( $180 ) and replaced my-self. End Of story.
Considering apple certified technicians dont touch iphones I really dont know why you would say that.
Also apple certified technicians dont work on the component level so theres that as well.
diagnostics and schematics which would assist.
No manufacturer will give their diagnostics and schematics to the public. The public won't even understand low-level hardware engineering and neither will you.
I never said to the public although usually you can dig them up if required, but they will send it to repair centers as well as send parts and have service manuals.
Apple will not send schematics or parts, usually repair centers get around this by having a few dead versions around to salvage parts off. Not saying this doesn't happen with the other brands but that is the only avenue with apple.
@niner: Any professional audio equipment they give you the schematics to repair the device. Hell even a $20 board you can download the Schematics with (Raspberry Pi). It's only recently that manufactures stopped supplying their customers with schematics diagram to electronic device.
Saying No manufacturer will give their diagnostics and schematics to the public. is just plain ignorant.
Saying No manufacturer will give their diagnostics and schematics to the public. is just plain ignorant.
Sorry, I think I should be more clearer. We're talking about iphones here. Was that not obvious?
Not talking about basic audio equipment that uses mostly analog components. I know little about Raspberry Pi, but their hardware is certainly not open source.
The only ignorant people here are the ones who think the world's largest company will happily give up their IP to a bunch of hacks.
@niner: I think you're the ignorant person here, or the common majority who believes that Apple's IP is something special when in-fact they take open standards and compliance technology then bundle them together into closed proprietary business model to force consumers to purchase new equipment. Nice explanation of what they do here Apple uses spite to force planned obsolescence
Yeah, you would say that. Sounds like another person who doesn't like Apple's business model and feels the need to talk about how unfair life is for the consumer.
Go buy something else. Couldn't care less if Apple chooses to keep things to themselves. It won't stop people buying their products from what I can see.
@niner: I actually like Apple product's and I have no concern with Apple's business model. I do believe that having a open discussion and calling out business with their bullshot will make the industry better over-all. I do think some people work really great with PC and other people work really great with Apple! Both have their strength and weaknesses. Apple is a business like any other, and ha if their consumer will spend $5K on a new laptop because they see value in it who am I to say otherwise?
Just to be fair. I don't own APple products, would never touch them and would rather a bag of turd than an iphone.
Apple is just one of those companies that I never think about unless it comes up in conversation. More of a Microsoft user.
@niner: I'm a Microsoft Windows 7 Pro user myself. Have replaced 4-5 broken iPad Digitizer. I'm constantly on the fence with Apple. I'm all ways looking over the fence at the neighbour's hot new toy (wink) and then hearing their hot new toy is bat shit crazy that goes on a rampage. I keep looking every time but his new toy is getting more and more crazy. Hoping that Microsoft does something about windows 10 and improves the situation or im (sic) going to have to jump to Linux someday (I don't know which one is worse!)
@gummibear:
The fix may not work as in the post it mentioned that if it is still not fixed contact apple support centre.
@ultraviolet:
I haven't read a single news article about ongoing problems after the fix was released.
If you feel up to it, you could perhaps do a DIY job. There's probably a bunch of instructions or how-to videos online, and the part will surely cost less than $710.
Or alternatively you can list it on eBay as is and someone will buy it.
In the meantime you can plug in an external monitor.
I do repair computers on daily base, it's just that I have the extended warranty and was hoping they would have a reasonable price so I get it replaced and the warranty stays valid.
Considering the screen is just under $250 to buy it's easy to decide if it's worth it to keep the apple care
If you have extended warranty (extended apple care protection plan?), why are they charging you? Aren't they supposed to fix it for free?
Doesn't cover accidental damage (IE, cracked screens)
I thought they added accidental damage to AppleCare in Australia after they were busted selling warranty that is already covered by consumer law.
I do repair computers on daily base [sic],
And you bought a Mac? o_0
Was a school requirement according to the OP. I think it's only been lately that schools have begun allowing BYOD.
As a school requirement I purchased a Macbook Air in 2014.
I have had no choice. My kids go to a so called zoned public school and thats the only one they can go to.
Requirement for year 3&4 was a iPad mini 2 or iPad air. Grade 5 and up macbook air. No, it's not a private school.
@dosada: my kids have year 4 and up is macbook air, also a public school. It is more to do with software they are using and having one model to cater for with imaging.
I don't use apple anything so it is a pain getting my head around the OS for trivial things.
@dosada: it is surprising a govt school mandates you have to buy a Mac. Apple is certainly prettier, but PC is by far the standard in the working world. Presumably preparation for working life is still a goal for public schools, no?
Problem is that in the education industry, most of the decision makers have no clues about technology and they are just making their decisions based on what they know (the look of the device and the manufacturer's presentation).
@dosada: That's super freakin' weird. I go to a private secondary school and yet we use HP/Surface machines. $750/year, including Accidental Damage protection (3 replacements for the life of the machine, aka 3 years), and that price includes software (Adobe CC).
@Charity: It'a probably to do with battery life. While laptops running Windows (or Linux) can have over 10 hours of battery life, almost every MacBook available has the spec, plus they all connect to dual band WiFi.
When I used to work in electronics sales, it was ridiculous how often I had to talk a parent into spending more to get dual band WiFi so their kids could connect to the school network, or a computer with a processor that wasn't an Intel Atom.
Give parents a choice, and they'll get the cheapest possible option, regardless of long term use or reliability.
That's actually not true. I'm a learning area leader at a government school and we use Apple because that's what the industry uses in the subject areas we teach. I play BF1 at home on my X99 machine but for work, my Macbook is much better than the department's PC alternatives. I also prefer Android over IOS.
@tap:
I believe your case is actually quite an exception, good work there.
However, I have worked with over a few dozens of schools in the past and noticed how devices selected was strongly influenced by personal preferences, even down to the point of expecting students with physical disabilities to use an iPad because Apple said that it's a miracle for students with disabilities.
@opasx: it's more to do with some idiot at the school not knowing anything about computers, and forcing everyone to get a macbook because it makes his life easier
Honestly man, I reckon you could re-image it and sell it for $100-150 less than you bought it. Then just buy another one. Other people are willing to pay for it, so let them. They'll probably just use it as a mac server.
Ebay the replacement part; you'll get it much cheaper.
Yes, just under $250
So buy it from ebay, visit ifixit and move on.
I've supported a fleet of PC laptops for 15 years. I've had quotes that expensive for Dell, Lenovo, Acer and HP. I've had labour quotes for $270 minimum plus $135p/h every additional hour. So a screen (or memory, or keyboard) would cost $270 plus parts.
Sometimes parts are dirt cheap. Sometimes they're priced like poison.
Sometimes the prices for the same part will change by 40% compared to the last service -6 weeks before.
Sometimes a 15 inch screen will be hundreds less than a 13.
I have no idea why but they're all as bad as each other.
That is all fair enough but it should still make some sense. To charge a customer for a screen as much as the laptop is worth is simply wrong. I would understand that kind of price if it was a 4K touchscreen but I don't understand it for the cheapest display they have.
Problem with replacement screens from eBay is that they are cheap for a reason. The quality is trash compared to the genuine thing.
I don't know about laptops but with some mobile phones, people who have used the cheap chinese screens stopped working with updates because they aren't supported and aren't the right screen.
I have e even got screens that were different to the one I was trying to replace, they fit, but we're different enough that a screw or two had to be left out. Fortunately they usually overkill with the screws on these things
i would probably ebay the replacement part then pay someone to do the installation. dunno if an 'authorised repair center' might do the installation as the part wouldnt be genuine or whatever.
Evidence?
If you look at the old ipods from classic 1st gens, 2nd gens to 7th gens, look at itouches, the ipods were very easily scratched, the rear would lose its mirror finish very quickly, and the glass on screens broke from small taps or even light drops on the carpet. The evidence is abundant, try looking for 2nd hand apple iphones/itouches on gumtree, half of em have smashed screens.
I can tell you from experience, with planned obsolescence , the ipod nano 6th gen, thats the small square one that you could use as a watch, the reset button had a tiny small plastic piece in there which allowed the button to work, but usually broke very very easily. Thats just one example from personal experience. Ive had a couple itouches break the screen from little trauma at all. Thats why i would never buy an iphone or expensive ipad.
It's just people are so used to seeing their ipod/itouch/iphone/ipad lose the luster and get scratches and whatnot that they dont care, they just buy the new model the next year. Just look at the release schedule alone makes it so obvious they want you to upgrade every year, and what better way to do that than making your current one look like shit after 12 months of use.
Its called planned obsoletion and all companies do it. There was a really good documentary I was watching about this on Youtube how it started with the light bulb and now almost every product is designed with this in mind.
@All Blacks NZ: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/men-who-made-us-spend/ZX998…
Video expires tomorrow. Edit: YouTube link here
Doesn't Apple offer a paid support service?
That hasn't been my experience at all. Of all the Apple hardware I've ever bought, (20+ machines and devices) the only thing not still functioning is a 2011 MBP that had a MB die out of warranty. Almost all of my Apple hardware end up going to family members or friends when I upgrade. My brother and parents still use old MBPs as their main computers, with my mum and dad using my old iPhone 3GS / iPhone 4S for mobiles. My old Apple TVs are with my parents and uncle. I still have working iPods, a 2009 Macbook, 2010 Mac Minis, a number of MBPs from 2010 - 2011.. All still in perfectly working condition. My main laptop is a 2012 MBP.
In that time I've also owned a number of other laptops including a Lenovo and a Dell XPS 13 which have been plagued with problems.
You poor bugger having to provide Apple support for your whole family! Yeah, Lenovo and Dell suck.
same with Razer products.
The new stuff anyway. 2013 and later blackwidows suck so bad lmao
God people crap on about Apple being the worst. If your employer gives you the choice of a laptop to work on, I can tell you now, the people who use computers the most will choose the MacBook every single time. Hell, even the engineers at Google use MacBooks. They are actually high quality, no plastic crappy laptops. The screen is probably more fragile than most other laptops because its glass, not plastic.
Hilarious!
My favourite part is the bit about the screen being glass.
At least the MacBook Pro does, which I know for a fact is glass as I'm looking at one now.
An "authorised repair centre" isn't Apple, you said it yourself, how about you wait for an appointment with Apple and see what they actually have to say?
I have spent half an hour on the online chat with Apple support and the service agent guaranteed that price and conditions would be the same
I think you'd still be better off taking your laptop to an Apple Store. My experience with their online support has been terrible. I was once asked to take my 17 kg heavy iMac to the store and that there was absolutely no way around it even though I had an AppleCare plan for it.
That of course was a load of bullsh*t. I did take it to castle towers who ended up breaking more stuff than fixing it. After a few thousand emails and a few hundred calls, they agreed to give me a brand new iMac. But to each his own I sticked to mine(needed the optical drive) and someone was sent to do the repairs at my place. Take it to the Apple Store and make sure you contact support via email. Their chat team is useless. Good luck .
Thanks, looks like the chat really is useless because what I was told there differs a lot from what I have read here
iMac get onsite repair under AppleCare. I have used this twice - "Onsite service. Contact us and we’ll help you arrange an Apple-authorised repair for your desktop Mac at your location, at no additional charge."
yep, that's where the op failed,
he/she landed in the hands of a greedy repair center and also stupid enough to pay the price for the repair.
He never agreed to pay.
Bit condescending of you to call him stupid (might want to use your big brain to read up on manners)
It'd be hard to read up on manners when they couldn't read the post they commented on.
That's a crappy situation for you. It isn't just Apple. My VAIO Z started have monitor issues and it cost just over $1k for the replacement…
Be fair, that was a $4000 laptop with a screen well ahead of its time from a company that doesnt even make laptops anymore….
That was never going to be cheap.
On the other hand, a Ms Surface repair for at least as good screen with touch is about half of what Apple asks for.
Surface Pro 3 and 4 screen repair from MS is a flat rate of $754 ex GST…..
Edit - Seeing your comments below. If you got it cheaper you were lucky because a few months ago they changed their pricing
I thought it was $399 but you get a refurbished unit ??
Yes they dont repair them, they just give you another refurb unit
It was around $400 up to a few months ago and they recently revised it to a flat rate price. It's actually $754.54 ex GST
I work for a Microsoft ADR and see a few of these come through every month
@jnewau:
Really?
I just got my Surface Pro 4 screen redone in July for $332 (got given back a reburb).
This is through the Microsoft store online.
The screen had an inch long crack in it with some panel damage below.
In your case you probably could have got a free replacement under Australian Consumer Law due to it gaining a major fault.
Major fault =/= accidental damage
My response was in relation to the comment of "My VAIO Z started have monitor issues" and not to the original poster's "Accidentally damaged".
Starting having monitor issues is what I would class as a possible fault of the machine and not something that was caused by damage.
it would be the same for most other laptops as well.
I went to the Apple store and they fixed my 3 year old out of warranty macbook free of charge. I would be patient and wait for an appointment with Apple themselves rather than a dodgy "authorised repair centre".
They actually replaced major hardware in it for free or was it something else?
The Hard Drive cable had worn, I would have been happy if they just replaced that but they replaced the hard drive as well. However, a broken screen is really user error so I am guessing you will be charged to some extent. My advice is to be friendly, the guy next to me at the genius bar was being a dick so they charged him for everything.
I have an old MacBook Pro with worn hdd ribbon preventing full SSD speeds, was going to get it off eBay but so slow from China. Any tips? What did you tell them?
@The Land of Smeg: The part itself is quite easy to replace and I was going to do it myself with eBay parts but like you I didn't want to wait. I thought it wouldn't hurt to at least have the Apple store look at it and give me a quote. They replace the HDD Ribbon and put in a new HDD with a fresh OS install. From memory I took it in at the end of the day, it was ready midday the next day.
How does a hard drive cable wear out?
@airzone: It was a bit of a design fault and it rubs against the metal housing or something and shorts out
What did they replace? Mine is within warranty and has Apple care
Doesn't Apple care cover accidental damages?
Edit : if you have contents insurance see if it works cheaper with it.
gaz3342 on 20/10/2016 - 14:16 Comment score below threshold.
