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My Surface Pro 4 just died this weekend to the “screen scramble” issue. As I bought it more than 3 years ago, Microsoft are asking me to pay >$700 for a replace

by jl6 7y ago

My Surface Pro 4 just died this weekend to the “screen scramble” issue. As I bought it more than 3 years ago, Microsoft are asking me to pay >$700 for a replacement. OK, I understand it’s out of warranty, and I’d accept its fate if this were genuine wear and tear, but this is an admitted manufacturing defect so it feels very raw. I was a happy user while the thing worked, but I can’t bring myself to recommend any Surface model now, and I’ll be putting that $700 towards a replacement from a different vendor.

tim-- 7y ago
The worst part is they will replace the whole device, probably not with a new one.
emsy 7y ago
Microsoft lost any trust I had in them for building hardware. Of the 5 people I know with a Surface, only 1 doesn't have any issues. The other 4 have problems with the touch input, boot loops and loud fans on low CPU load. Software issues that go for month and years unfixed. These issues only occur slightly out of warranty (I don't assume planned obsolescence, just bad engineering).
- mkl 7y ago
  I trust them, as they've dealt with issues better than any other company I've had to do it with. My Surface Pro 4's battery started swelling out of warranty, and MS replaced it right away with one that had a different kind of battery (better battery life than ever). The first (reconditioned) replacement had a screen issue right away, which sucked, but they sent another immediately. My work Surface Book 2 hasn't had any issues at all.
  - Zenbit_UX 7y ago
    Samsung made sure that no company wants exploding battery press. I'm not sutprised they replaced your swelling battery.
    - JoeMayoBot 7y ago
      They replaced my SB battery too - great service.
    - ValentineC 7y ago
      Apple would charge people for a replacement battery just the same. (I had to pay to replace the top case of my 2013 MacBook Pro last year because the keyboard stopped working, possibly from battery bloat.)
madjam002 7y ago
If you are in the EU then you may be covered by EU consumer law if it is a manufacturing defect
- dagaci 7y ago
  I think the EU law is 2 years, minimum with additional warranties provided per state: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/dealing-with-customers/consumer-contracts-guarantees/consumer-guarantees/index_en.htm#shortcut-6 https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/dealing-with-customers... Consumers are entitled to a repair or replacement, for proven manufacturing defects in the UK "Statutes of Limitations" consumers have this right for six years in England and for five years in Scotland.
  - pbhjpbhj 7y ago
    My understanding is that under the Consumer Rights Act (UK, 2015) there is no statutory limit on the period goods should last except the expectation of consumers. So, realistically things should last "about as long as expected". IMO this works quite well, a cheap but of electronics from a pound-shop has to last 2 years (until the end of the Transition Period), a washing machine would be expected to be running after a decade (or more) unless perhaps it was a really budget offering. It's practical, though I'd like a steadily inflated underpin to warranty periods too force companies to remove their planned obsolescence and make things more repairable.
J_tt 7y ago
That issue has been incredibly frustrating for my company, after one of our clients bought a whole fleet of surfaces we had a period during the transition to working from home when we had about 20 requests for replacements in a few days. With stock on short supply and Microsoft not warranty replacing most of them it was a painful time.
arsenalist 7y ago
For what it's worth, Microsoft regularly scores 1/10 on ifixit repairability on most, if not all of their Surface products and they charge exorbitant prices for repair (or really, replacement). One of the reasons I didn't pull the trigger the Surface Pro.
- alpaca128 7y ago
  And the reason I switched to a normal laptop when my Surface Pro was unusable for a couple weeks. The issue could have been solved in 30 seconds if the battery was removable. Instead even Microsoft themselves couldn't do anything because they glued it shut on all sides. Also the power cord was thinner than cheap USB charging cables and didn't have any bend protection, quickly leading to defects. Absolutely unacceptable for a portable device and obviously intentional. Never again.
disappearance 7y ago
So frustrating, I feel your pain. The left CTRL key snapped in half on mine after ~8 months. While under warranty, I was told I had to send the whole thing away, 2-4 weeks. That was difficult to accept. I've had to occasionally re Sellotape it since then. Later the tablet battery stopped charging, then stopped being recognised altogether. This means the screen cannot be detached without sticking a pin into a vent. This requires power down and I imagine not good to do frequently. I read it is a manufacturing default that won't be fixed. After much inner wrestling I replaced it with a Lenovo. It had a hardware issue early on, but they sent an engineer around to my private residence within a few days with a spare part to fix it. Night and Day. Never again.

by jl6 7y ago

tim-- 7y ago

The worst part is they will replace the whole device, probably not with a new one.

emsy 7y ago

Microsoft lost any trust I had in them for building hardware. Of the 5 people I know with a Surface, only 1 doesn't have any issues. The other 4 have problems with the touch input, boot loops and loud fans on low CPU load. Software issues that go for month and years unfixed. These issues only occur slightly out of warranty (I don't assume planned obsolescence, just bad engineering).

mkl 7y ago
I trust them, as they've dealt with issues better than any other company I've had to do it with. My Surface Pro 4's battery started swelling out of warranty, and MS replaced it right away with one that had a different kind of battery (better battery life than ever). The first (reconditioned) replacement had a screen issue right away, which sucked, but they sent another immediately. My work Surface Book 2 hasn't had any issues at all.
- Zenbit_UX 7y ago
  Samsung made sure that no company wants exploding battery press. I'm not sutprised they replaced your swelling battery.
  - JoeMayoBot 7y ago
    They replaced my SB battery too - great service.
  - ValentineC 7y ago
    Apple would charge people for a replacement battery just the same. (I had to pay to replace the top case of my 2013 MacBook Pro last year because the keyboard stopped working, possibly from battery bloat.)

madjam002 7y ago

If you are in the EU then you may be covered by EU consumer law if it is a manufacturing defect

dagaci 7y ago
I think the EU law is 2 years, minimum with additional warranties provided per state: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/dealing-with-customers/consumer-contracts-guarantees/consumer-guarantees/index_en.htm#shortcut-6 https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/dealing-with-customers... Consumers are entitled to a repair or replacement, for proven manufacturing defects in the UK "Statutes of Limitations" consumers have this right for six years in England and for five years in Scotland.
- pbhjpbhj 7y ago
  My understanding is that under the Consumer Rights Act (UK, 2015) there is no statutory limit on the period goods should last except the expectation of consumers. So, realistically things should last "about as long as expected". IMO this works quite well, a cheap but of electronics from a pound-shop has to last 2 years (until the end of the Transition Period), a washing machine would be expected to be running after a decade (or more) unless perhaps it was a really budget offering. It's practical, though I'd like a steadily inflated underpin to warranty periods too force companies to remove their planned obsolescence and make things more repairable.

J_tt 7y ago

That issue has been incredibly frustrating for my company, after one of our clients bought a whole fleet of surfaces we had a period during the transition to working from home when we had about 20 requests for replacements in a few days. With stock on short supply and Microsoft not warranty replacing most of them it was a painful time.

arsenalist 7y ago

For what it's worth, Microsoft regularly scores 1/10 on ifixit repairability on most, if not all of their Surface products and they charge exorbitant prices for repair (or really, replacement). One of the reasons I didn't pull the trigger the Surface Pro.

alpaca128 7y ago
And the reason I switched to a normal laptop when my Surface Pro was unusable for a couple weeks. The issue could have been solved in 30 seconds if the battery was removable. Instead even Microsoft themselves couldn't do anything because they glued it shut on all sides. Also the power cord was thinner than cheap USB charging cables and didn't have any bend protection, quickly leading to defects. Absolutely unacceptable for a portable device and obviously intentional. Never again.

disappearance 7y ago

So frustrating, I feel your pain. The left CTRL key snapped in half on mine after ~8 months. While under warranty, I was told I had to send the whole thing away, 2-4 weeks. That was difficult to accept. I've had to occasionally re Sellotape it since then. Later the tablet battery stopped charging, then stopped being recognised altogether. This means the screen cannot be detached without sticking a pin into a vent. This requires power down and I imagine not good to do frequently. I read it is a manufacturing default that won't be fixed. After much inner wrestling I replaced it with a Lenovo. It had a hardware issue early on, but they sent an engineer around to my private residence within a few days with a spare part to fix it. Night and Day. Never again.