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So last week I was quoted, by Apple, 680 EUR to fix the cracked screen of my 1000 EUR MacBook Air M1. I'm giving them the finger but, to add insult to injury,

So last week I was quoted, by Apple, 680 EUR to fix the cracked screen of my 1000 EUR MacBook Air M1. I'm giving them the finger but, to add insult to injury, I still need to pay 50 EUR to get the computer back. It's sad because I was satisfied by my two previous MacBook Air (non retina / non M1) and I was satisfied by my Mac Mini. But now the Apple love story at home is done. Now recommending Chromebooks to the 65 years+ around us (where we used to recommend Apple). In case there's any class action lawsuit in Europe over this new M1 bend-gate I'll be sure to join and donate to the cause. Typing this from my MIL-SPEC LG Gram, which is an actual proper, sturdy and lighter than any Mac laptop. This comment is what you reap for screwing people over.

Toutouxc 4y ago
Was this the case where the screen cracks on its own? You seem to [edit, reworded] be much more angry about it than I'd be if I'd damaged the computer myself.
- matsemann 4y ago
  If I had damaged a small part of something I'd bought, I would be angry if the quote for fixing it would be nearly the price of the whole item new. If you buy a car, hit a kurb and destroy a wheel, wouldn't you be annoyed if it was only the manufacturer that could fix it, and they would charge you 70% of the price of a full car?
  - lotsofpulp 4y ago
    Why assume something that is a “small” part necessarily would result in a repair price that is less than x% of purchase price? There are myriad factors that affect repair place, especially for something as technologically advanced as the newest laptops. Labor prices, design of the laptop, parts supplies, etc. Of course, the ability for only one entity to source and supply those will tilt the scales towards a higher price, but that is unrelated to the “small”-ness of the damage.
    - smoldesu 4y ago
      The only thing broken on the Mac was the glass display, which I guarantee you does not cost more than $100 to replace wholesale, even with labor. However, Apple doesn't offer this repair for you. Instead, they sell you an entire topcase to replace the entire top half of your computer, even if your aluminum case, display, hinge, backlight, microphone and webcam are all fine. Your only option is replacing everything, at which point, I think OP has reason to be mad. Apple simply doesn't invest money in making their devices more repairable, they make too much money off selling replacements for it to be lucrative. That's fine, and their decision to make, but there's a real human/UX cost that comes with making fragile hardware.
      - jahewson 4y ago
        No that’s ridiculous. These retina displays go for $400 on eBay (for a used one) and labor isn’t going to be less than $100 on top of that.
      - sbuk 4y ago
        Parts? Manufacturing? Shipping? Labour? Storage? Distribution? There's more to a part than the cost. Now whether or not what they're charging is over the top, then I doubt you'll find much disagreement; however, the GP doesn't say how the damage happened. I don't know of a single vendor that will cover accidental damages on a screen, and no-one is responsible other than the party that caused the damage. Also, late 2020 MBA (M1) goes for $465, with ~$30 for the parts, ~$15 for shipping. Edited words...
    - dataflow 4y ago
      > Why assume something is a “small” part necessarily would result in a repair price that is less than x% of purchase price? It's not a mere assumption. There do exist people who do many repairs better than Apple for hundreds of dollars less, in the US.
      - lotsofpulp 4y ago
        That is not related to the quoted statement. As a hypothetical, suppose the camera glass or lens was made with materials or a technique that caused it to be 90% of a phone’s cost to produce. Then replacing this item would cost >90% of the phone’s price, even though it is “small”. Or you have a huge transport ship that has an issue with a propeller or a small part of the ship on the bottom, but it needs a dry dock to repair, and there are only a couple dry docks in the world that can handle it. Then the price could be a very high percentage of original price due to the extreme supply and demand curves involved. Repair costs are not a simple a function of the “size” of the damage.
  - hnaccount_rng 4y ago
    Welcome to the Western world then. Where time of a human is typically the most expensive component. I guess...
  - ghaff 4y ago
    The display on a laptop is almost certainly not a small part. When I got the display replaced on a 2015 MacBook under warranty (Apple extended because of screen mottling due to a manufacturing defect), they replaced the entire display assembly, i.e. top half of the laptop case and all. In general, I'm not sure it's reasonable to expect the manufacturer to make parts available more granularly than they do to their own repair centers.
    - matsemann 4y ago
      But what if you had to replace the RAM, what would that cost? The CPU? Fix the keyboard? I think the total sum if you add the various components up it would be 10x a new machine, excluding the actual labor costs. And when there are others wanting to do it cheaper, but are being blocked by Apple, this doesn't sit right with me.
  - hyperbovine 4y ago
    Not a very good analogy--a wheel, even a nice one, is like 1% of the value of a new car. That display is probably single most expensive component in the whole machine.
  - ashaikh 4y ago
    And if you bent the frame of the car and broke the suspension and did some damage to the sensors on your suspension? In the US it would cost a fortune and it wouldn’t shock me if it costs 70% of the value of the car. The outrage is justified if the screen cracked due to a manufacturing defect. Otherwise, get over it and be careful with your stuff if you can’t afford the repair. And before you send something off, ask questions. The shipping costs I’m sure would have been disclosed.
    - anonymous_sorry 4y ago
      > Otherwise, get over it and be careful with your stuff if you can’t afford the repair. I don't know if you're an engineer, but if you are you probably don't take the same approach to errors in your software. Being careful is only part of the solution to reducing risk. Another is adopting practices and patterns that are less error-prone. And another is to reduce the impact of errors when they do happen. With a software service, we might have redundancy, and a watchdog or orchestration system that restarts any instances that crash. With a laptop, we might purchase accidental damage insurance, or just decide to buy a brand that is cheaper to repair. When humans are involved, "be more careful" is rarely a successful strategy on its own.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
brailsafe 4y ago
Hmm, that's strange. I guess out of warranty? Even still, I just walked in 3 days before the 3 years ran out and got them to replace the screen that only had some standard permanent keyboard imprints on it. Though it is a shame that the likelihood of encountering this does make applecare necessary.
- Foobar8568 4y ago
  Macbook air M1 was released in November 2020,all electronical goods in Europe have a 2years warranty, so unless the person bought it on a Grey market/2nd hand, it's strange. I believe most credit cards are also offering extended warranty (Switzerland, 3y and 5y with a debit card). Europeans generally knows their rights on warranty and warranty period.
  - brailsafe 4y ago
    Good points. I think if my 2019 MBP has a problem in the next year, I'll try and use the Mastercard extension
frankjr 4y ago
I will never buy another Apple product without AppleCare+. It seems like with these ridiculous repair costs that's exactly what Apple was going for and it worked. If you had AppleCare+ ($199 for 3 years), it would have cost $99 to fix. The funny thing is that in my country (Czechia) you cannot even officially buy it and have to jump through some hoops to get it. Fortunately, once you do have it, it's accepted everywhere including authorized repair shops regardless of your country.
- sz4kerto 4y ago
  Unfortunately AC+ is not available in many regions. :(
- izacus 4y ago
  Jacking up repair prices to force you into a subscription sounds like an extortion racket to me :/
  - yesUgotit 4y ago
    - smoldesu 4y ago
      Tim Apple built his computer so that if I bump it off my waist-height table, it will shatter into a million pieces and I'll be out >$500. Conveniently, Tim Apple also sells a peace-of-mind insurance policy that replaces your Mac no-questions-asked. Does this create a conflict of interests that encourages them to design fragile display assemblies, unfixable Logic Boards and un-upgradeable storage? You decide!
      - yesUgotit 4y ago
        After butterfly keyboards and graphics card recalls, I think Apple has learned some lessons about selling crap.
    - solarkraft 4y ago
kspacewalk2 4y ago
I mean, the screen is a major part of that initial 1000 EUR cost. Could easily be half. No way you can get a MacBook Air M1 for much less that 1000 EUR used, those things keep their price for years and years. And how much were you willing to part with? Is that 100-200 (or even 300) EUR difference really worth the near-aneurysm you're having? I am like this too. I will flip my lid over something like this, but about half the time upon further reflection I will come to the conclusion that I was being irrational, and simply upset at how much things objectively cost or how long things take, or whatever.
- cmeacham98 4y ago
  You seriously believe that a screen replacement (even after including labor) costs 70% of the price of the laptop? And that OP is irrational for thinking otherwise?
  - shepherdjerred 4y ago
    A replacement costs $600 at iFixit: https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-14-Inch-2021-A2442-Display-Assembly/IF464-001?o=1 https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-14-Inch-2021-A2... That seems like a pretty normal price for recent MacBook screens: https://www.ifixit.com/Parts/MacBook_Pro_13%22/Screens https://www.ifixit.com/Parts/MacBook_Pro_13%22/Screens
    - cmeacham98 4y ago
      iFixit has to get those screens by salvaging them off of MacBooks. The cost to Apple to produce the screen is almost certainly closer to $100-$200.
      - kspacewalk2 4y ago
        >The cost to Apple to produce the screen is almost certainly closer to $100-$200. Where are you getting this number from? Why not $50, or $300?
    - 4y ago
shepherdjerred 4y ago
> This comment is what you reap for screwing people over. ? Have you attempted to get it repaired by a third party? What do they quote? Is it possible that the part + labor is worth around $680? It does sound like an absurd price, but I would expect the display to be a relatively expensive part (a replacement is $600 at iFixit[0]) to replace depending on the extent of the damage. It might also be labor intensive considering how unrepairable Apple products are. > I still need to pay 50 EUR to get the computer back. Presumably this is for shipping? $50 is expensive sure (unless you're talking expedited shipping), but I suspect you'd be mad even if this was a more reasonable price. --- It sounds like you're just being vindictive because you feel slighted by a company. If you actually want a solution it seems that tomorrow you can buy the part yourself and replace it. [0]: https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-14-Inch-2021-A2442-Display-Assembly/IF464-001?o=1 https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-14-Inch-2021-A2...
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- cmeacham98 4y ago
  iFixit gets those screens by salvaging them from existing MacBooks, hence the price. Similar screens from other manufacturers can be found for retail at $100-$200, and Apple pays less given they manufacture in bulk. So unless you think the labor is worth $400-$500...
- anonymous_sorry 4y ago
  > It might also be labor intensive considering how unrepairable Apple products are. Even if two thirds of the price of the laptop is a reasonable reflection of the cost of repair, poor repairability is a choice Apple made. It seems fair to criticise the cost, and to factor it in to future buying decisions.
  - shepherdjerred 4y ago
    There are no shortages of alternatives to Apple. Apple doesn't hold a monopoly on anything. They're also a known quantity -- they value form over function, are very expensive, and very hard to repair. You know what you're getting. This doesn't mean we shouldn't ask for Apple to do better, or try to get changes made. But, I do think it's completely ridiculous to rage about repair-ability like the parent did.
Twisell 4y ago
This doesn't fit my experience with apple reparation process. You usually can request a quote prior to any action, can you elaborate on the context? Was it returned to factory via a shipping company prior to any quote from the support? I know laws are much kinder to the customers in EU than in the USA, but such a difference of process sound pretty odd.
ancorevard 4y ago
For the last 15 years I’ve always bought AppleCare and never regretted it. Always a great experience and worth every penny.
jupp0r 4y ago
What happens when a Chromebook or your MIL-SPEC LG laptop breaks? The possibility to even get a repair done in a matter of days was what kept me with Apple so far. When you have to rely on a device being available (or suffer economic losses as a consequence) I don't really see any alternatives right now to Apple. Worst case is you could buy a new device and restore your backup. In the past, the only comparable service was IBM's on site technician service where they'd send out somebody in a van full of replacement parts to repair your ThinkPad on site.
- vertis 4y ago
  When my Mac had to be repaired in December 2021 it took 3 weeks (Battery, Touchbar and Keyboard). I ended up buying a second computer so I could keep working. Plenty of other big PC manufacturers have decent repair programs. Often you can even do the repairs yourself (as Apple is finally allowing again).
  - pmontra 4y ago
    I just booted up my HP ZBook after replacing the keyboard. Plenty of videos about how to DIY [1]. Granted, pulling it out is not as simple as in the video (I'm not doing it every day, not every other year) and the laptop weights 3 kg but I'm not buying something that I can't service myself for basic stuff like replacing keyboard and expanding or replacing RAM and disks. I had a HP technician come to my home to replace the screen (a bad wire in the right hinge). It was included in the extended warranty, something between 100 and 200 Euro, 3 years. I'm about to buy another spare keyboard for when it will wear out again. It's 62.99 Euro. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWrh6IIq57o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWrh6IIq57o
    - vertis 4y ago
      I have Keychron K1 and one of the keys failed (I carry around the world as a digital nomad). I took it to a hacker space in Sofia and unsoldered a working less important key and switched it for the broken 'T' key. Repairable hardware is vital.
- 4y ago
kikowi 4y ago
I got the same quote two years ago when my Macbook Pro 2015 got staingate display issue. It was a few weeks after the "4 years repair period" and they wouldnt replace it for free, even though its a known problem and their fault. I also didnt receive any email notification about 4 year repair period regarding staingate issue. If anyone is sueing in Europe about staingate issue let me know. It was sad to throw away 3000€ machine after 4 years.
- vuln 4y ago
  This is the exact opposite of my experience. 2015 maxed out MBP bought USED off Craigslist for $500 in 2019. The machine had the stains on the screen. So I called up apple, got an associate explained the staining and “staingate” they didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. I then proceeded to as for their supervisor who knew exactly what I was talking about. After a few minutes on hold the supervisor said they would replace the screen as a one time curtesy (side note the supervisor tried to confirm the original purchase date which I didn’t have an tried to guessimate somehow that guess was only week outside the 4 year extension). Apple mailed me a box and I mailed in the MBP. MBP arrived at the repair depo and sat there for 3 days. I sweated thinking they’re going to kick it back. The next day I get a shipping confirmation that the MBP is being returned. Day or two later I received the MBP. Brand new screen, top case, keyboard, battery, they replaced everything but the logic board. Just a recap: Bought 4 year old MBP off Craigslist for $500 within a week had almost a completely refreshed laptop for free (minus the time on the phone ~45 minutes and me constantly refreshing the repair status). This isn’t the first time. Another time I dropped my Pixel and messed up the screen real bad. Pulled out my wife’s old iPhone 7 and used that until I decided which new phone I was going to get. About a week into using the 7 it wouldn’t detect the SIM card. Phone is out of warranty, no apple care, nothing. Book an appointment at the apple store. Show the genius my issue. They offered to provide a loaner (iPhone 6) and send it off to be repaired for free. Within a couple days I get an email that the phone is ready to be picked up. Pick up the phone and depot replaced EVERYTHING minus the metal back on the phone. New logic board, new screen, new battery. Completely refreshed iPhone 7 in 2019. Just these two events along would make me stick with Apple. Either their customer service is top notch or I’m a really really good talker. Ps. Still rocking the 15” MBP and the iPhone 7 sits back in a drawer until it’s needed again (I ended up getting a 2020 SE and now a 2022 SE.)
wyager 4y ago
MIL-STD-810 isn't the same as mil-spec, and neither of them means what you think it means. You've fallen for marketing wank.
nano9 4y ago
The display assembly itself is $450, so 680 EUR sounds about right to have it professionally repaired. Also, it makes sense that it would cost that much. Most of the product is that luxury display, with an M1 hanging off it. You could probably open up the case, rip out the logic board, and pay less in repairs. AppleCare+ is pretty fairly priced and generous with their services, and would have made your display repair substantially cheaper, most likely free unless you tell them straight up that you dropped your MacBook or punched the screen.
- Ycombigatorz 4y ago
- cmeacham98 4y ago
  Apple isn't sourcing their repair parts from iFixit (which is where I assume you got that price from)
samstave 4y ago
I had a macbook pro that was involved in the recall for that series for catching fire. The machine caught fire in my bed. I woke up to it burning and melting. I took it to apple SF... they had the machine for nearly 2 months while they "investigated" -- then they returned it to me and said that at one point in the machines life, the moisture sensor had been triggered. Apple "offered" me an opportunity to buy a replacement at full price. even though the machine was under recall for battery fires. I had a battery fire. But because they claimed the moisture sensor had been hit - they wouldnt honor the recall and didnt replace my machine. Fuck that.
throw0101a 4y ago
> So last week I was quoted, by Apple, 680 EUR to fix the cracked screen of my 1000 EUR MacBook Air M1. Have you ever had a refrigerator break? A stove? Have you seen the repair costs for those? Not much difference than the above. From 2010, "That [Home Appliance] Repair Bill Is Huge, but There Are Reasons": * https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/your-money/household-budgeting/05shortcuts.html https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/your-money/household-budg... It's cheaper to initially make something because economies of scale in low(er)-wage countries where most of our stuff is built. Repairs are 'artisans' working at high(er) wages (and sometimes parts that need to be ordered and shipped over long distances). Someone at Foxconn can make "x" devices in an hour in their sleep because that's all they do. A repair technician has to spend an hour tearing something apart and poking around just to figure out what's wrong and only then start fixing it.
- nano9 4y ago
  It's not all due to mass production. Modern industrial design has made it so that accidents are expensive. If you involve yourself and in a minor automobile collision and damage one of your front headlights on your Lexus with adaptive lighting, your total repair cost for the headlight itself will exceed $1000. A new headlight will require removal the front bumper and calibration of the adaptive sensors, both of which add labor costs. It's not just headlights; if you have lane-keeping technology in your vehicle and this is achieved via a forward facing camera, then a windshield replacement exceeds $1000 as well. If you smash your rear bumper into a mailbox and need to replace the whole bumper, you need your parking sensors re-calibrated. And this is with a maintainable car make like Lexus. For the more ostentatious luxury makes, the costs will be significantly more. You might think, I'll buy a truck then. But trucks also have windshield-integrated forward-facing cameras, backup/parking sensors, and adaptive headlights. You wouldn't save much versus the Lexus.
- deidei 4y ago
  >It's cheaper to initially make something because economies of scale in low(er)-wage countries where most of our stuff is built. Repairs are 'artisans' working at high(er) wages I get your point but my MacBook Pro's screen cracked a few years ago. This happened in India, they quoted $700 (around 55k rupees) for a Mac that cost $1100 (around 90k rupees)

Toutouxc 4y ago

Was this the case where the screen cracks on its own? You seem to [edit, reworded] be much more angry about it than I'd be if I'd damaged the computer myself.

matsemann 4y ago
If I had damaged a small part of something I'd bought, I would be angry if the quote for fixing it would be nearly the price of the whole item new. If you buy a car, hit a kurb and destroy a wheel, wouldn't you be annoyed if it was only the manufacturer that could fix it, and they would charge you 70% of the price of a full car?
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  Why assume something that is a “small” part necessarily would result in a repair price that is less than x% of purchase price? There are myriad factors that affect repair place, especially for something as technologically advanced as the newest laptops. Labor prices, design of the laptop, parts supplies, etc. Of course, the ability for only one entity to source and supply those will tilt the scales towards a higher price, but that is unrelated to the “small”-ness of the damage.
  - smoldesu 4y ago
    The only thing broken on the Mac was the glass display, which I guarantee you does not cost more than $100 to replace wholesale, even with labor. However, Apple doesn't offer this repair for you. Instead, they sell you an entire topcase to replace the entire top half of your computer, even if your aluminum case, display, hinge, backlight, microphone and webcam are all fine. Your only option is replacing everything, at which point, I think OP has reason to be mad. Apple simply doesn't invest money in making their devices more repairable, they make too much money off selling replacements for it to be lucrative. That's fine, and their decision to make, but there's a real human/UX cost that comes with making fragile hardware.
    - jahewson 4y ago
      No that’s ridiculous. These retina displays go for $400 on eBay (for a used one) and labor isn’t going to be less than $100 on top of that.
    - sbuk 4y ago
      Parts? Manufacturing? Shipping? Labour? Storage? Distribution? There's more to a part than the cost. Now whether or not what they're charging is over the top, then I doubt you'll find much disagreement; however, the GP doesn't say how the damage happened. I don't know of a single vendor that will cover accidental damages on a screen, and no-one is responsible other than the party that caused the damage. Also, late 2020 MBA (M1) goes for $465, with ~$30 for the parts, ~$15 for shipping. Edited words...
  - dataflow 4y ago
    > Why assume something is a “small” part necessarily would result in a repair price that is less than x% of purchase price? It's not a mere assumption. There do exist people who do many repairs better than Apple for hundreds of dollars less, in the US.
    - lotsofpulp 4y ago
      That is not related to the quoted statement. As a hypothetical, suppose the camera glass or lens was made with materials or a technique that caused it to be 90% of a phone’s cost to produce. Then replacing this item would cost >90% of the phone’s price, even though it is “small”. Or you have a huge transport ship that has an issue with a propeller or a small part of the ship on the bottom, but it needs a dry dock to repair, and there are only a couple dry docks in the world that can handle it. Then the price could be a very high percentage of original price due to the extreme supply and demand curves involved. Repair costs are not a simple a function of the “size” of the damage.
- hnaccount_rng 4y ago
  Welcome to the Western world then. Where time of a human is typically the most expensive component. I guess...
- ghaff 4y ago
  The display on a laptop is almost certainly not a small part. When I got the display replaced on a 2015 MacBook under warranty (Apple extended because of screen mottling due to a manufacturing defect), they replaced the entire display assembly, i.e. top half of the laptop case and all. In general, I'm not sure it's reasonable to expect the manufacturer to make parts available more granularly than they do to their own repair centers.
  - matsemann 4y ago
    But what if you had to replace the RAM, what would that cost? The CPU? Fix the keyboard? I think the total sum if you add the various components up it would be 10x a new machine, excluding the actual labor costs. And when there are others wanting to do it cheaper, but are being blocked by Apple, this doesn't sit right with me.
- hyperbovine 4y ago
  Not a very good analogy--a wheel, even a nice one, is like 1% of the value of a new car. That display is probably single most expensive component in the whole machine.
- ashaikh 4y ago
  And if you bent the frame of the car and broke the suspension and did some damage to the sensors on your suspension? In the US it would cost a fortune and it wouldn’t shock me if it costs 70% of the value of the car. The outrage is justified if the screen cracked due to a manufacturing defect. Otherwise, get over it and be careful with your stuff if you can’t afford the repair. And before you send something off, ask questions. The shipping costs I’m sure would have been disclosed.
  - anonymous_sorry 4y ago
    > Otherwise, get over it and be careful with your stuff if you can’t afford the repair. I don't know if you're an engineer, but if you are you probably don't take the same approach to errors in your software. Being careful is only part of the solution to reducing risk. Another is adopting practices and patterns that are less error-prone. And another is to reduce the impact of errors when they do happen. With a software service, we might have redundancy, and a watchdog or orchestration system that restarts any instances that crash. With a laptop, we might purchase accidental damage insurance, or just decide to buy a brand that is cheaper to repair. When humans are involved, "be more careful" is rarely a successful strategy on its own.
deleted 4y ago
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brailsafe 4y ago

Hmm, that's strange. I guess out of warranty? Even still, I just walked in 3 days before the 3 years ran out and got them to replace the screen that only had some standard permanent keyboard imprints on it. Though it is a shame that the likelihood of encountering this does make applecare necessary.

Foobar8568 4y ago
Macbook air M1 was released in November 2020,all electronical goods in Europe have a 2years warranty, so unless the person bought it on a Grey market/2nd hand, it's strange. I believe most credit cards are also offering extended warranty (Switzerland, 3y and 5y with a debit card). Europeans generally knows their rights on warranty and warranty period.
- brailsafe 4y ago
  Good points. I think if my 2019 MBP has a problem in the next year, I'll try and use the Mastercard extension

frankjr 4y ago

I will never buy another Apple product without AppleCare+. It seems like with these ridiculous repair costs that's exactly what Apple was going for and it worked. If you had AppleCare+ ($199 for 3 years), it would have cost $99 to fix. The funny thing is that in my country (Czechia) you cannot even officially buy it and have to jump through some hoops to get it. Fortunately, once you do have it, it's accepted everywhere including authorized repair shops regardless of your country.

sz4kerto 4y ago
Unfortunately AC+ is not available in many regions. :(
izacus 4y ago
Jacking up repair prices to force you into a subscription sounds like an extortion racket to me :/
- yesUgotit 4y ago
  - smoldesu 4y ago
    Tim Apple built his computer so that if I bump it off my waist-height table, it will shatter into a million pieces and I'll be out >$500. Conveniently, Tim Apple also sells a peace-of-mind insurance policy that replaces your Mac no-questions-asked. Does this create a conflict of interests that encourages them to design fragile display assemblies, unfixable Logic Boards and un-upgradeable storage? You decide!
    - yesUgotit 4y ago
      After butterfly keyboards and graphics card recalls, I think Apple has learned some lessons about selling crap.
  - solarkraft 4y ago

kspacewalk2 4y ago

I mean, the screen is a major part of that initial 1000 EUR cost. Could easily be half. No way you can get a MacBook Air M1 for much less that 1000 EUR used, those things keep their price for years and years. And how much were you willing to part with? Is that 100-200 (or even 300) EUR difference really worth the near-aneurysm you're having? I am like this too. I will flip my lid over something like this, but about half the time upon further reflection I will come to the conclusion that I was being irrational, and simply upset at how much things objectively cost or how long things take, or whatever.

cmeacham98 4y ago
You seriously believe that a screen replacement (even after including labor) costs 70% of the price of the laptop? And that OP is irrational for thinking otherwise?
- shepherdjerred 4y ago
  A replacement costs $600 at iFixit: https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-14-Inch-2021-A2442-Display-Assembly/IF464-001?o=1 https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-14-Inch-2021-A2... That seems like a pretty normal price for recent MacBook screens: https://www.ifixit.com/Parts/MacBook_Pro_13%22/Screens https://www.ifixit.com/Parts/MacBook_Pro_13%22/Screens
  - cmeacham98 4y ago
    iFixit has to get those screens by salvaging them off of MacBooks. The cost to Apple to produce the screen is almost certainly closer to $100-$200.
    - kspacewalk2 4y ago
      >The cost to Apple to produce the screen is almost certainly closer to $100-$200. Where are you getting this number from? Why not $50, or $300?
  - 4y ago

shepherdjerred 4y ago

> This comment is what you reap for screwing people over. ? Have you attempted to get it repaired by a third party? What do they quote? Is it possible that the part + labor is worth around $680? It does sound like an absurd price, but I would expect the display to be a relatively expensive part (a replacement is $600 at iFixit[0]) to replace depending on the extent of the damage. It might also be labor intensive considering how unrepairable Apple products are. > I still need to pay 50 EUR to get the computer back. Presumably this is for shipping? $50 is expensive sure (unless you're talking expedited shipping), but I suspect you'd be mad even if this was a more reasonable price. --- It sounds like you're just being vindictive because you feel slighted by a company. If you actually want a solution it seems that tomorrow you can buy the part yourself and replace it. [0]: https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-14-Inch-2021-A2442-Display-Assembly/IF464-001?o=1 https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-14-Inch-2021-A2...

deleted 4y ago
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cmeacham98 4y ago
iFixit gets those screens by salvaging them from existing MacBooks, hence the price. Similar screens from other manufacturers can be found for retail at $100-$200, and Apple pays less given they manufacture in bulk. So unless you think the labor is worth $400-$500...
anonymous_sorry 4y ago
> It might also be labor intensive considering how unrepairable Apple products are. Even if two thirds of the price of the laptop is a reasonable reflection of the cost of repair, poor repairability is a choice Apple made. It seems fair to criticise the cost, and to factor it in to future buying decisions.
- shepherdjerred 4y ago
  There are no shortages of alternatives to Apple. Apple doesn't hold a monopoly on anything. They're also a known quantity -- they value form over function, are very expensive, and very hard to repair. You know what you're getting. This doesn't mean we shouldn't ask for Apple to do better, or try to get changes made. But, I do think it's completely ridiculous to rage about repair-ability like the parent did.

Twisell 4y ago

This doesn't fit my experience with apple reparation process. You usually can request a quote prior to any action, can you elaborate on the context? Was it returned to factory via a shipping company prior to any quote from the support? I know laws are much kinder to the customers in EU than in the USA, but such a difference of process sound pretty odd.

ancorevard 4y ago

For the last 15 years I’ve always bought AppleCare and never regretted it. Always a great experience and worth every penny.

jupp0r 4y ago

What happens when a Chromebook or your MIL-SPEC LG laptop breaks? The possibility to even get a repair done in a matter of days was what kept me with Apple so far. When you have to rely on a device being available (or suffer economic losses as a consequence) I don't really see any alternatives right now to Apple. Worst case is you could buy a new device and restore your backup. In the past, the only comparable service was IBM's on site technician service where they'd send out somebody in a van full of replacement parts to repair your ThinkPad on site.

vertis 4y ago
When my Mac had to be repaired in December 2021 it took 3 weeks (Battery, Touchbar and Keyboard). I ended up buying a second computer so I could keep working. Plenty of other big PC manufacturers have decent repair programs. Often you can even do the repairs yourself (as Apple is finally allowing again).
- pmontra 4y ago
  I just booted up my HP ZBook after replacing the keyboard. Plenty of videos about how to DIY [1]. Granted, pulling it out is not as simple as in the video (I'm not doing it every day, not every other year) and the laptop weights 3 kg but I'm not buying something that I can't service myself for basic stuff like replacing keyboard and expanding or replacing RAM and disks. I had a HP technician come to my home to replace the screen (a bad wire in the right hinge). It was included in the extended warranty, something between 100 and 200 Euro, 3 years. I'm about to buy another spare keyboard for when it will wear out again. It's 62.99 Euro. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWrh6IIq57o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWrh6IIq57o
  - vertis 4y ago
    I have Keychron K1 and one of the keys failed (I carry around the world as a digital nomad). I took it to a hacker space in Sofia and unsoldered a working less important key and switched it for the broken 'T' key. Repairable hardware is vital.
4y ago

kikowi 4y ago

I got the same quote two years ago when my Macbook Pro 2015 got staingate display issue. It was a few weeks after the "4 years repair period" and they wouldnt replace it for free, even though its a known problem and their fault. I also didnt receive any email notification about 4 year repair period regarding staingate issue. If anyone is sueing in Europe about staingate issue let me know. It was sad to throw away 3000€ machine after 4 years.

vuln 4y ago
This is the exact opposite of my experience. 2015 maxed out MBP bought USED off Craigslist for $500 in 2019. The machine had the stains on the screen. So I called up apple, got an associate explained the staining and “staingate” they didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. I then proceeded to as for their supervisor who knew exactly what I was talking about. After a few minutes on hold the supervisor said they would replace the screen as a one time curtesy (side note the supervisor tried to confirm the original purchase date which I didn’t have an tried to guessimate somehow that guess was only week outside the 4 year extension). Apple mailed me a box and I mailed in the MBP. MBP arrived at the repair depo and sat there for 3 days. I sweated thinking they’re going to kick it back. The next day I get a shipping confirmation that the MBP is being returned. Day or two later I received the MBP. Brand new screen, top case, keyboard, battery, they replaced everything but the logic board. Just a recap: Bought 4 year old MBP off Craigslist for $500 within a week had almost a completely refreshed laptop for free (minus the time on the phone ~45 minutes and me constantly refreshing the repair status). This isn’t the first time. Another time I dropped my Pixel and messed up the screen real bad. Pulled out my wife’s old iPhone 7 and used that until I decided which new phone I was going to get. About a week into using the 7 it wouldn’t detect the SIM card. Phone is out of warranty, no apple care, nothing. Book an appointment at the apple store. Show the genius my issue. They offered to provide a loaner (iPhone 6) and send it off to be repaired for free. Within a couple days I get an email that the phone is ready to be picked up. Pick up the phone and depot replaced EVERYTHING minus the metal back on the phone. New logic board, new screen, new battery. Completely refreshed iPhone 7 in 2019. Just these two events along would make me stick with Apple. Either their customer service is top notch or I’m a really really good talker. Ps. Still rocking the 15” MBP and the iPhone 7 sits back in a drawer until it’s needed again (I ended up getting a 2020 SE and now a 2022 SE.)

wyager 4y ago

MIL-STD-810 isn't the same as mil-spec, and neither of them means what you think it means. You've fallen for marketing wank.

nano9 4y ago

The display assembly itself is $450, so 680 EUR sounds about right to have it professionally repaired. Also, it makes sense that it would cost that much. Most of the product is that luxury display, with an M1 hanging off it. You could probably open up the case, rip out the logic board, and pay less in repairs. AppleCare+ is pretty fairly priced and generous with their services, and would have made your display repair substantially cheaper, most likely free unless you tell them straight up that you dropped your MacBook or punched the screen.

Ycombigatorz 4y ago
cmeacham98 4y ago
Apple isn't sourcing their repair parts from iFixit (which is where I assume you got that price from)

samstave 4y ago

I had a macbook pro that was involved in the recall for that series for catching fire. The machine caught fire in my bed. I woke up to it burning and melting. I took it to apple SF... they had the machine for nearly 2 months while they "investigated" -- then they returned it to me and said that at one point in the machines life, the moisture sensor had been triggered. Apple "offered" me an opportunity to buy a replacement at full price. even though the machine was under recall for battery fires. I had a battery fire. But because they claimed the moisture sensor had been hit - they wouldnt honor the recall and didnt replace my machine. Fuck that.

throw0101a 4y ago

> So last week I was quoted, by Apple, 680 EUR to fix the cracked screen of my 1000 EUR MacBook Air M1. Have you ever had a refrigerator break? A stove? Have you seen the repair costs for those? Not much difference than the above. From 2010, "That [Home Appliance] Repair Bill Is Huge, but There Are Reasons": * https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/your-money/household-budgeting/05shortcuts.html https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/your-money/household-budg... It's cheaper to initially make something because economies of scale in low(er)-wage countries where most of our stuff is built. Repairs are 'artisans' working at high(er) wages (and sometimes parts that need to be ordered and shipped over long distances). Someone at Foxconn can make "x" devices in an hour in their sleep because that's all they do. A repair technician has to spend an hour tearing something apart and poking around just to figure out what's wrong and only then start fixing it.

nano9 4y ago
It's not all due to mass production. Modern industrial design has made it so that accidents are expensive. If you involve yourself and in a minor automobile collision and damage one of your front headlights on your Lexus with adaptive lighting, your total repair cost for the headlight itself will exceed $1000. A new headlight will require removal the front bumper and calibration of the adaptive sensors, both of which add labor costs. It's not just headlights; if you have lane-keeping technology in your vehicle and this is achieved via a forward facing camera, then a windshield replacement exceeds $1000 as well. If you smash your rear bumper into a mailbox and need to replace the whole bumper, you need your parking sensors re-calibrated. And this is with a maintainable car make like Lexus. For the more ostentatious luxury makes, the costs will be significantly more. You might think, I'll buy a truck then. But trucks also have windshield-integrated forward-facing cameras, backup/parking sensors, and adaptive headlights. You wouldn't save much versus the Lexus.
deidei 4y ago
>It's cheaper to initially make something because economies of scale in low(er)-wage countries where most of our stuff is built. Repairs are 'artisans' working at high(er) wages I get your point but my MacBook Pro's screen cracked a few years ago. This happened in India, they quoted $700 (around 55k rupees) for a Mac that cost $1100 (around 90k rupees)