Filed under: Hardware, Bugs/Recalls, MacBook
Disgruntled MacBook owners organising class action suit
AppleInsider has a story about a group of Mac users who have had enough of their faulty MacBooks, and they're not going to take it anymore. The group has set up a page at ClassAction.com and is looking for support to force Apple into a recall of the company's newest consumer notebook. AppleInsider also points to macbookrandomshutdown.com, a site dedicated to RSS (random shutdown syndrome) that already has over 1,250 reports of afflicted laptops.This shouldn't be much of a surprise. There have been reports of random MacBook shutdowns for months, and Apple even copped to the problem last month, but there's not been much movement since then.
I didn't sign up at either of the petitioning sites, but I could have. I bought my fiancee a MacBook about a month after they were released and within a week it was shutting down at will. We were lucky, though. We made an appointment at Apple's main store in London and after the Genius witnessed two shutdowns in as many minutes, he said he'd give us a brand new MacBook. Things have been OK so far.
Are any of you still suffering with the same problem? How has Apple handled your complaints? Sound off in comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
NBurris said 6:08PM on 10-12-2006
Arrrrrrrgh. MacBook/Crashbook: It stopped being random and become regular! Meaning every time it was turned on it eventually shut down. The frequency continued to increase until it would no longer even fully start up before it shut back down. Totally unusable now. In for repairs - fingers crossed!
The irritating part? I called Apple Care and it was as if they had never heard of the problem before.
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Joe Folkmann said 6:13PM on 10-12-2006
It's about time. I'm on my 3rd macbook that's been sent in to get repaired and then sent back as "repaired."
I started getting shutdowns on the third one a few days ago. I know this isnt happening to everyone, but at the same time I think it's obviously unacceptable for apple to expect me to send my computer into them over and over again. I'm going to the apple store tomorrow to send this one in. hopefully the 4th times a charm. I must be really unlucky.
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Harp said 6:27PM on 10-12-2006
My Macbook (4H624xxxxxx) started suffering from random shutdowns two weeks ago. I contacted Applecare UK who arranged pickup, fixed and returned it within a week. I've had the motherboard, heatsink, sponge(?), bezel and top cover replaced and was impressed with the quick turnaround. I'm happy to say that it's not suffering from shutdowns anymore (fingers crossed) but am disappointed that it happened in the first place. This is my second Macbook, the first suffered from mooing and had a suspect keyboard. This Macbook replaced my aging Al G4 Powerbook which was also a revision A model but it never had any problems and felt much better constructed too. I think the current Macbook is great but is it normal to have this many problems: mooing, discolouration, whining, shutdowns, etc.
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Kirk Staley said 6:20PM on 10-12-2006
I am surprised! I mean so far, I haven't suffered any Random Shutdown issues, but I've suffered SuperDrive being sealed up, and yellowing mousepad. And my MacBook is from late June 2006.
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wford said 6:22PM on 10-12-2006
If your macbook is having shutdown problems, just take it in to an authorized service center and they will replace the heat sink. This generally solves the problem. The turnaround is only 3 or 4 days. Cost is zero. Not a big deal.
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Hutner said 6:21PM on 10-12-2006
I'm on my first macbook from august, the restarts arent too random, but everytime it goes to sleep it'll shut off within 3 minutes after being wakened. Its annoying, but its still usable. I wish apple would be more proactive for people who dont live near an Apple store. (MS gulf coast for life!)
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Webb Chiles said 8:29PM on 10-12-2006
I took delivery of a MacBook in early June. It quickly developed moderate palm rest discoloration, which I would have lived with; and in August began random shutdowns, which I couldn't live with. A few weeks ago I took it to the Skokie, Il Apple store, where the Genius declared that it would have to be sent to the regional center for repair. I got it back a week later with case, palm rest, and heat sink replaced. I've had my MacBook back for almost two weeks with no shutdowns. And, unexpectedly, the computer nows runs at a temperature that enables me to use it on my lap. I don't see what more Apple could have done. The MacBook is a great computer.
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Tim Buck said 6:25PM on 10-12-2006
I had RSS; I put up with it for a couple of months because I couldn't afford to be without my MacBook (I live 6 hours from the nearest Apple store in Denver), and I was able to work around it by starting my MacBook up at half speed (by holding the power button down for ~10 seconds until it beeped loudly). I finally had a block of time I could do without it, and I sent it in to AppleCare. I got it back about a week later, and it's been fine since - the paperwork said they replaced the heat sink and mainboard (they also replaced the plastic shell around the keyboard because it was exhibiting the discoloration effect that's been discussed here before).
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Joe Folkmann said 6:26PM on 10-12-2006
It is a big deal. I have had three failed machines in 4 months. Apple is obviously not solving the problem in my case.
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Brian P. said 7:08PM on 10-12-2006
Mine started shutting down after a month or two. Apple Store replaced the logic board and the problem went away. However, I started having "batteries not available" problem. After a replacement battery, the problem didn't go away. Hard disk crashed and the replacement battery charge lights didn't come on. So finally, Apple Store gave me a new macbook. So far so good, but it's only been a couple of weeks.
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sjanssen said 6:47PM on 10-12-2006
Quoth response 5: "turnaround is only 3 or 4 days". This was not the case with me. I had the random shutdown problem, so I mailed my MacBook in. Apple's repair center received my MacBook Aug. 30, it was returned to me Sep. 24. This is way more than three or four days. To top it off, Apple sent me a broken battery (it worked when I sent it in), but that's another matter. On the plus side, my MacBook has been running like a champ after it's 3 week vacation at Apple's service center.
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Jon said 6:49PM on 10-12-2006
I think it's good that people are drawing lots of attention to the issue as Apple has a good reputation for quality and customer care and they want to keep it. People are complaining about the Core 2 Duos taking a long time, but Apple may have delayed them for extensive testing to prevent issues like this from cropping up again.
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Kez said 7:06PM on 10-12-2006
I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I purchased my MacBook in early July and have not had any problems whatsoever. Good thing though because I'm in grad school and can't afford for this thing to act up.
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Ben Y. said 7:55PM on 10-12-2006
My Macbook Pro has already been in for the RSS. It's about to go in for the same thing, again, plus odd fan noises, keys that are going bad, etc. I'm very disappointed in the quality of the Apple hardware. The software is great, however.
I also have a Macbook that I had to exchange, TWICE, to get one that didn't have a major issue. (Issues were not powering on + messed up display.)
Apple will destroy good will and reputation if they don't act.
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Kevin said 7:21PM on 10-12-2006
My macbook had RSS as well....applecare sent me a box overnight, I shipped it to them, they received it, fixed it and shipped it out the same day. turn around time=2 days. Nice. no more shutdowns!
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Chris said 9:21PM on 10-12-2006
I purchased a MacBook from the 5th Avenue store the day the store opened. One month after using the laptop, I noticed that the CD slit had warped and bent, possibly due to the heat from the laptop. I went back to the 5th Avenue Apple Store to get it replace one month after having purchased it. They exchanged the laptop, after much arguing, and gave me what was referred to as a "refreshed" model.
This "refreshed model" was communicated to me as being a machine that has gone through all the quality checks Apple would expect of their laptops and met those requirements. It was a returnede laptop either due to buyer's remorse or unhappiness with the machine.
The laptop worked fine for another month. This laptop was given to my associate for a photoshoot in Paris, France. Upon arriving in France, the laptop began exhibiting strange behaviour. Random shutdowns began taking place.
We have been held back because of the faulty laptop and this has cost us much time, money, and aggravation. Now, to get the issue remedied, we have to ship the laptop back to NYC, get it repaired, and then shipped back to Paris, which would cost even more time & money. Now my associate is using an-on-loan iBook with 500Mhz and 256MB Ram, 40 GB HDD - hardly a photog's best tool.
Had I known this, I would have retained the previous PowerBook 12" and not purchased this machine. It has been a waste of time and money and I am very disappointed in Apple which has strived to make "durable machines".
P.S.
I am a MacAddict, not a convert or anything, and am with a MacBook Pro 15" with no issues aside from the wake-up issue mentioned up above. I like Apple, but this has made me EXTREMELY pissed off b/c of the ill timed breakdown.
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Daniel said 4:13PM on 10-13-2006
Ive had my Black Macbook for several weeks. Its a refurbished model, standard, 512MB RAM, 80GB Hd, all that stuff, and mines been working just fine. I had read the complaints and was debating not buying, but eventually got over the fear since I didnt want to have to put up with my Dell any longer. Im enjoying the switch alot.
But yeah, as said, I have had no problems at all with it. :-)
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Alex said 7:37PM on 10-12-2006
My macbook does not show these signs but it does have a bit of a splitting case by the ports as well as some slight dislocations where my palms rest.
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Tom Miller said 7:56PM on 10-12-2006
When I start my MacBook, the gong sounds and the sleep light comes on and nothing happens - dark screen. Press the power button to turn off and re-start and the same thing may happen several times until I finally get a lit screen and the normal startup. This problem started several months after I received the MacBook.
Had heard it could be related to RAM that wasn't properly seated so I took out both 1 gig sticks (I had installed them originally) and switched them. Seemed to be okay the 3 or 4 times I used it in the last month, but is having the problem again today.
Got my MacBook in June, but don't use much. Noticed the problem in August for the 1st time.
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Dave said 7:57PM on 10-12-2006
I bought mine in early August and I've been waiting for RSS to strike, but so far, nothing.
Of course now that I've said that...
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