Q: My Retina Display has stain damage, HELP!!!

I made short test:

http://youtu.be/mchm7jFTZwE

Shocking to see that you can ruin your macbook pro display with Apple's own cloth.

I have a macbook pro retina from Jan 2014 with exact the same problem. I am planning a trip to the store tomorrow but I have a strong leaving they will send me back home without warranty. Shame!

Stan

I also have a Macbook Pro retina bought in April 2013 and experiencing the same problems with display. I am a recent convert to apple products, purchasing an iMac in 2012. That machine is suffering from the 'dark screen' problems ([GUIDE] Fix iMac flickering and dark screen problems out of warranty) So given I now have two really expensive machines both less than 3 years old that both have major screen failures, clearly i am very disappointed and looking for my next non-mac machine when I can afford one.. :-(

Joined the club(

Mid 2012, no warranty any more.

So sad( It's 100% around touchpad, always carried in soft sleeve. Paid smth like 2400... just incredible. Never had any problems with 3 Vaio's before that.

We should attract some attention to this issue, it is definitely a design flaw.

I too have the same unfortunate problem with my retina screen on my 11 month old 2013 Macbook Pro.

Cleaning it with a microfiber cloth it started as imprints from the keyboard on the screen and continued to spread.

Now 25% of the screen is affected.

This is my first Mac and I have great difficulties understanding, how a damage on a product this expensive is not covered by the warranty.

So having contacted the shop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Apple gave the following answer:

"Following our telephone discussion earlier, I have been in discussion with apple and this type of fault or defect unfortunately is not covered on warranty. They have cited certain probabilities which you cannot ascertain if they did happen or not

1. Pressure on the LCD – this could happen when the product is carried in a bag
2. Cleaning with strong solutions.

Due to this factors which we cannot ascertain if the happen or not this defect is not covered.

The customer has a option of replacing the screen at their cost.

Let me know if they would like to do this and I will make the order for you."

What good is warranty if it does not cover something as obvious as damage on the screen caused by bad product design?

For how can you place the screen so it obviously touches the keyboard when the laptop is closed, with AND without pressure on the LCD, mind you?

And how can you sell a portable computer, that you cannot carry in a bag in fear that the screen will be damaged?

And finally how... can you put a coating on the screen, which Apple must know comes off, on the OUT-side of the screen?

It is a mystery to me how Apple refuses to cover this. And now it appears that the ENTIRE screen - the inside and the case included... must be changed.

I am still awaiting the price from the shop, but I am fearing the worst.

          SHAME ON APPLE!

Joakim L., Denmark

P.S. I have just been informed by the shop that the cost is $825 including labour.

     Again: SHAME ON APPLE!

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I have a theory of how it works!!

Could someone halp me? Do you have infrared camera? Like this:

https://www.google.pl/search?q=infrared+camera&espv=2&biw=1197&bih=641&source=ln ms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=bxa4VIvOD-iX7Qa59YCICQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

and make test:

1. put MacBook in 5 - 10'C lower temperature for one hour

2, bring back to higher temperature, don't open lid for 15 minutes

3. open it and take picture in infrared

I think we will see places where coating is coming off first.

My theory is: When you bring MacBook from lower temperature for example in winter when you have it in backpack to higher temperature in office, paarts of screen area near aluminium body are longer cold. When you open and wipe it cold parts have small water drops (due to dew point), Of course when it is really cold dont't turn it on! You should wait. When temp difference is not big probably you don't see any drops but still are some. Thats why after a couple of month of use you can see touchpad, keys and border printed on screen. Coating in this place coming of faster then in other parts of screen. Of course main reason is poor coating. This theory is only about why it is coming of first that way.

I agree - how do we attract attention to this?

I have tried to find ways to contact Apple directly - but in Africa, it is a different thing contacting Apple, than in Europe and Denmark.

And I am not even sure that the staff from Apple follow the threads in this forum...

At least I see no reply from Apple - only more comments from unsatisfied customers.

I am really frustrated as I now have to spend some $ 950 on replacing the screen.

That is around 1/3 of the cost of the machine.

For not only is it apparently not covered by the warranty (which is VERY surprising)

but the entire screen case (!!!) has to be replaced.

You cannot replace the glass only.

Imagine!

Apple has to address this issue.

So any suggestions how to bring attention to this?

Wkr

Joakim L., Denmark / Ethiopia

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I am having the same issue here on my 15' Retina Macbook Pro, purchased Dezember 2013. I found that it occurs when I try to clean the display with a damp paper tissue. This clearly appears to be a quality issue which should definitely not happen on a product that costs nearly 3000 Euro.

...same issue here, early 2013 Macbook pro... It is unbelievable how many people around the globe have the same problem and no reaction from Apple!!!

It's such a a shame!

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Same here. And nobody can tell me ..... "oh that is from the keyboard and this is your fault"

It's just shocking to see your images of obviously unusable screens. Wasn't the retina display one of the key reasons why we as customers bought this particular product? Threatening to see Apple's reactions so far on this issue. I think they better should come up with an appropriate replacement program to get this issue resolved quickly and customers happy again…

Best of luck with getting this resolved soon!

Best Regards,

Benjamin

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I have this stains also on my Retina Display. But mostly at the borders and not in the middle of the display. I had a small talk with someone of the Apple Support Team in the chat. He asked me for a photo of the display and then he said I am out of warranty and so I need to pay the repair by myself. But the thing is, this issue exists since around 8 months or so (while I was in the warranty time). I always thought it was my fault before or it concerns only me, now I know its a general technical issue.

I hope Apple will release an official statement soon with a repair/replacement solution for everyone. I see this as a construction fault and not a typical warranty case.

Best regards,

Alexander

Hi!

I have the same problem and it made me really sad.

I'm now an Apple fanboy for almost 10 years. I've all products starting from the first iPhone and the first G4 Macbook. One reason for this was the excellent customer support I used several times. But now with this very bad display problem they leave me totally alone. I contacted them 2 times and every time they told me, it was my fault. This is now my 4th macbook and I cleaned them all without any problems and now I should be to stupid to clean it the right way?!

Does anybody have an idea what I can do you? Is there a way to send an appeal?

Best,

Claudius

What? Not a manufacturing issue? LOL! That's a bad joke, isn't it? This is the archetype of a manufacturing issue, if you can swipe away the anti reflex coating by a microfiber tissue plus a little bit of water. The damage must have been already applied when coating the glass at the manufactures premises. I have been working eight years as engineer for OC Oerlikon. They make production plants for thin film coatings like this and the company is also delivering the process applications, but often - specially in Asia - the application instructions are completely ignored the moment the Swiss application engineer leaves the company and flies home to Europe. Ergo: invalid done process application by ignoring application instructions are resulting exactly in problems like that. A correctly done production run of coating process like this, used e.g. for glasses, sun glasses, lenses etc. or screens like this you normally can even not scratch by a nail.

My MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) has no such problems. So I swear: The problems mentioned in this thread are clearly caused by a wasted production run. This is definitely not only a "cosmetic problem". Shame on Apple: they could cheaply replace the screen glass for customers having this problem. I can not understand how they can be so obstinate to their customers.

Greetings

Zeleny wrote:

 

I have a very similar problem. I was told at the genius bar that the damage was caused by excessive pressure, and they refused to fix it under warranty, because it is not a manufacturing issue. I wasn't taking any special precautions (hard case, screen protector) and carry my MBPr in a neoprene case in my backpack with the other stuff. I wouldn't call the amout of pressure it was exposed to excessive, it's an aluminum body after all. Replacing the screen is ~1/2 - 1/3 of the price of a new machine...