Genius Bar refuse to service Macbook Pro because of a bug

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Level 1

5 points

Genius Bar refuse to service Macbook Pro because of a bug

I took my Mac Book Pro 2019 into the Genius Bar to get my keyboard fixed as part of their service program for keyboards that are sticking. It's a free repair, as the keyboard was made in a faulty way.

A week later they call me and tell me there is a bug in my laptop and my Macbook Pro will be blacklisted from ever being repaired at Apple due to the biohazard it poses. I was rather confused why it took them 6 days to decide this, and how a dead bug can be a safety hazard. They said that even if the bug is removed they can NEVER do repairs on my laptop, as it's now a biohazard. I asked to talk to the manager, who explained the same to me (but in a more rude manner). He then ended the conversation by asking "Do you want to pick it up, or do you want to make it ready for recycle?"

Stunned I asked, "Recycle? But the computer is working? It was just in because of a recall?"

And he repeated, "Do you want to pick it up, or do you want us to dispose it?"

I don't know how anyone in their right mind would dispose a 3300 dollar laptop, that is 1,5 year old with no issues besides a key that sticks, and I am baffled this was the manager's question.

I asked in the store to see documentation, and they showed me a picture of a big beetle in a computer. I went home, took my computer apart and found absolutely nothing! I feel like I got scammed by Apple. I have picture to proof a nice clean Macbook Pro, inside and outside. Is this just a way of getting out of doing free repairs?

To quote the only other question I found on this subject:

"To be considered a Biohazard, the insects would have to be known vectors of transmittable disease, whether bacterial or parasitic. I would like to know the Entomologist that identified the insects, and what process lab technician used to ID or culture the hazardous entity. For the majority of pest insects in this world, they are precisely only that- pests, not biohazards."

I have called Apple Support, and I have asked a senior advisor to take this case up with a technician. I'm stunned by the poor service level and the rather rude treatment at the Apple Store. Things surely have changed since I got my first Macbook Pro ten years ago.

I just want to hear if anyone have a similar experience and how to make Apple proof a bug is a biohazard for their employees.

Thank you!

Posted on Mar 13, 2021 12:25 PM

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Answer 1

K Shaffer

Level 8

36,058 points

Mar 13, 2021 2:21 PM in response to Hiro_blossom

Amazing that should be an issue. Unless the MacBook Pro has been taken somewhere

known problems existed, and travel advisories were published; how would they know?

For decades, my dad being an 'old-school' naturalist, could identify most things in nature.

As child in AK, one of the first things I knew by smell was buhach; once lit, would kill bugs.

Dry as powder, pyrethrum is also effective; pets with fleas found relief. Solid varieties exist.

"A bird that ate the bug, that lived in the log; whose buddies, were moved into the

house that jack built. ~ And why did jack scratch so much? Was it firewood allergy?"

Perhaps a knowledgeable AASP may consider doing paid repairs, instead of Apple.

Depending on your location, region, country; your options may vary. [Local or global.]

• Apple - Find Locations - Location Selector (region/country)

https://locate.apple.com/findlocations

• Apple - Find Locations (usually will show nearer AASP/Apple choices)

https://locate.apple.com/

Ahead of such happen to cause delay; try tiny bait-traps, or non-toxic fumigation.

(And I've read these posts.. there should be an Apple solution to resolve this;

one that does not involve additional cost or lost time. And no chemicals.)

A closed plastic sack, without exchange of air, should suffice. Maybe add pyrethrum?

..Wonder if 'independent authorized Apple certified repair service' has bug-dust allergy..

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Answer 2

Hiro_blossom Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 13, 2021 2:04 PM in response to Hiro_blossom

I called and asked Apple to sent me the picture of the bug, and they said that they can't share that picture with me. I said that there is no bug in my laptop, as I have inspected it myself, and the technician said they have removed it. But even though there is no longer a bug, my Macbook Pro is now blacklisted from ever being repaired at any Apple store.

Can anyone please explain to me how this makes sense? How do I know this is not just Apple's way of declining to do free repairs part of the warranty?

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Answer 3

Hiro_blossom Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 13, 2021 4:49 PM in response to K Shaffer

To my knowledge my Macbook Pro has no issue of infestations of any sort, there was just a dead beetle inside my laptop. And since they removed it, the Macbook is now clean, and has no trace of the beetle. Yet they have "black listed" my laptop and will never do any repairs on it. They refuse to send me the picture of the beetle, so I can't even figure out if the beetle is native to where I live - or if it has been inside my laptop since it got manufactured in China.

My computer works just fine (just has some keys that are sticking), I was only taking it in since Apple are offering a free exchange of keyboards for certain models and my model qualify. Since the repair was free, I find this "Biohazard" verdict a bit suspicious. I cannot find any examples online of dead beetles being a safety hazard. But apparently my laptop is forever deemed as "dangerous to work with".

All I can find online is articles about how new technology is build to withstand bugs crawling into them, so this one should be on Apple. The fact that I have a laptop worth over 3000 dollars, less than 1,5 year old, that can never get repairs at Apple's stores is completely ridiculous to me. Apple's customer service used to be excellent, one of the main reasons I kept buying their overpriced products, but things have gone south for them.

I took my 1 month old phone in for a screen repair a few weeks, and it came back scratched up. They didn't even say anything, but I had to point out, that my phone wasn't scratched upon giving it to the service team. "Oh sorry, we'll give you a new phone" they said, and acted like I should be grateful for getting a new phone. In doing so, they failed to mention I needed to unpair my watch before erasing my old phone, and subsequently I had a huge loss of data, and spent an entire night backing up a new phone. I thought that incident was a fluke, but now I understand Apple's standard has been dropped on the floor, and I wouldn't be surprised if the beetle was just an excuse of getting out of making a free repair.

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