False claims of liquid damage

I'm a media professional with a production company. I use my laptop and am the only person that uses it. My machine just stopped working. They have given me the same treatment. No evidence is available but they insist it is water damaged. I know this to be untrue. I am a documentary film maker and will begin investigating, as there are far too many people with the same story for there not to be a real potential for lies and skulduggery from Apple on a large scale. Will keep you posted.

NCAT starts with conciliation to give the parties an opportunity to reach an agreement and avoid a hearing. Because I am seeking compensation, we were unable to reach an agreement so we now go to a hearing. The decision of NCAT would be binding and if I'm successful, it will create a precedent which could help others. This is what I am going for.

Yes the same thing happened to me. The space bar was acting up and only worked intermittently. I took it to the Apple Store. After running a light diagnostics at the store they said that they don't see anything else wrong with the laptop and then proceeded to send it for repairs. A few days later I received a notification saying it will cost an extra $300 to fix as there is liquid damage and neither the warranty nor Apple Care covers it. I was shocked and called Apple Support to ask them to rerun the diagnostics as I am 100% sure liquid has never gotten anywhere near my laptop and no one else has even used my laptop for a second. It has never been left unattended as I can count with my fingers how many times I took it outside my apartment. I was told that they trust the liquid sensors and will not run it again. I have never lied to get free service in my life. Unfortunately I am between jobs and truly cannot afford to pay this amount. My disappointment is proportionate to my love for the Apple brand and this was heartbreaking. They did not even run the diagnostics again. They may as well have called me a liar!

Happened to me in Belgium. I brought my Macbook pro for battery replacement and then after few days i received an email that they discovered water damaged and it will cost 1.5k to repair it! It was 2 magnified photos. Best solution that they proposed was to buy a new Macbook pro from them for 2k.

I fount it surreal as i dont really remember water spilling but the repair was so expensive and i wasnt planning to buy a new laptop that i asked to have the laptop returned and no repairs to be done. I have asked if the battery can be repaired only, no, its all or nothing. I received the laptop back after 1 week. The big surprise came when i couldnt start the laptop at home at all. I called the customer service and i was told that if there is water damage then it doesnt matter if the laptop comes back working or not. Crazy. In the end i was also charged 50 eur diagnostic fee! It felt like paying 50 eur to get my laptop back not working.

Then i was about to order a new laptop, and was thinking of a windows laptop as its cheaper and i have never ever had any experience like that with windows laptops but then a friend suggested to just go to a normal repair store thats not an Apple partner. It was a last shot. Just brought the laptop there, they opened it, didnt found water damage but some part that was removed and creating a short circuit with one of the speakers - thus the laptop couldnt be started. The laptop lit up. Unbelievable. Then they offered a price to fix it + replace battery for a total of 210 eur. I said yes and it was done in 3 hours. When i explained that i was told about the water damage, they said: yes of course, they will say something like that.

My conclusion, Apple repair partners are not Apple, if you get the water damage line pulled and some unreasonable repair quote then just go to an independent repair shop.

They sent me photos. Close ups which made the damage seem worse than what it really is. They would not provide a report though. I have subpoenaed their VMI and a report from their AASP which made the liquid damage claim. In my opinion, the photos don't even look like my laptop as I can not see the same chips on the board from the photos provided my independent assessment.

 I recently had an issue with my 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro not charging properly, so I took it to an Apple store for assistance. They informed me that my device had an extended warranty period, so it was most likely that they would fix it for free. However, a few days later, I received an email from them stating that my device had liquid damage, despite the fact that it had never come in contact with any liquids. They quoted me a repair cost of around $900. I genuinely feel that this is a money-making scam.

Yes I have heard of it before (rarely) but not from Apple itself. If I was you start by contacting Apple Support directly from this web site (top right hand corner of this page). Additionally look at this support article: Liquid Damage and see if that gets you anywhere. Finally go back to where the diagnosis has taken place and complain directly in the strongest possible terms.

One question though: Is it only you that has ever used this computer or is there a possibility that someone you know (without you knowing it) used it also? For a seemingly short (in your view harmless) time? If you can't definitively answer those questions as no then there is (as much as you don't like it) the real possibility that there has been some liquid damage.

Good luck

My matter with Apple is still ongoing but it is certainly getting interesting so watch this space.

Just had the same thing happen.

Took my MacBook Pro in to get the keyboard fixed (which had been dead for about 12 months). Got told that fix would cost me $1000. But the woman at the Genius Bar said if I got the battery replaced (which was starting to go) it could fix the keyboard issue and only cost me $400. Amazing! Thank you. And it worked.

Well, it worked for two weeks until it completely blacked out! Dead! Nothing!

Took it back to the Genius Bar. Guy tells me it needs a repair that would cost a bit over $1000. But he understands my frustration and will talk to his manager. Came back and said they can send it off for repair and not charge me. He did say however that the repair team could renege on that if they decided.

They did decide! Same thing as you Emily. Claiming water damage and will either fix it for $1000+ or give it back to me unfixed. I have %100 not had any water on it, in it, near it. And nobody else has touched it.

I feel like this is how they cover up whatever they did wrong with the first repair. And get another grand out of me in the process.

I am having the same issue. My MBP16 2019 would not power on one morning, so I contacted Apple and took it to the Apple Store. They we're unable to get it to work and advised they would fix it under ACL (Australian Consumer Law) Consumer Guarantee at no cost. 4 days later I a message it has liquid damage and would not be covered and cost almost AUD$3000 to fix.

I had the laptop returned and took it to a local AASP (Apple Authorised Service Provider) who provided a report which confirmed the issue was not a result of liquid damage. The LCI's had not been triggered, nor was there any liquid residue or water marks. The corrosion found was, in his opinion the result of dust build up from normal use and humidity.

According to Apple's VMI (Visual Mechanical Inspection) procedures, this should have been covered by warranty or consumer guarantee in my case, 8 months out of Apple Care+ warranty. They also advised the corrosion was not the cause of the power failure issue. I tried to contact Apple 3 times to advise of the report and they basically ignored me.

I took it to fair trading and Apple's response basically ignore the independent report from on of their own AASP's. I took it to NCAT (small claims court) and Apple finally contacted me. It seems Apple have a policy of any sign of potential liquid damage is liquid damage besides there being 5 different causes of corrosion of which only 1 is liquid damage and not covered by warranty or consumer guarantee.

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My Macbook Pro died with three months of the Australian consumer warranty left. I sent it to Apple confident the repair would be free but a few days later was told there was water damage on the logic board and the repair would cost $2500. I've never spilled water on it and am very careful with it.

I needed my laptop back for work and so decided just to pay the bill so I could have my computer back ASAP. I suppose it's possible that the high humidity in Sydney recently caused water damage but it still seems really suss. If'd I'd known how sensitive the Macbook was and it would cost more than half the value of the computer to repair it within three years of purchase I definitely wouldn't have bought it!!

This is happening to me right now, my space key physically fell off, went to Apple Store Meadowhall (UK) and after a quick inspection and an attempted fix the Genius Bar employee informed me that I can send in my Macbook for a repair, completely free of charge as I am still covered by Apple Care+, I agreed and went on with my day.

Two days later I receive an email from Apple saying that a technician has "carefully inspected my product" and that they have found water damage within the keyboard and are now demanding £80 for the repair to proceed, or the other option is send the laptop back to me unrepaired. This laptop has never had anything spilled on it, never, nor do I keep it around any sort of liquid or in humid enviroments, my room is basically a desert too!

I was very confused so of course I got in contact with an advisor minutes later, who told me that there are even photos of this damage! I asked if there is anyway to view these photos and I was told that they couldn't help with this.

Still being left confused once again, I decided to call the Apple Store in which I left my computer in to see if they can clarify this further, they were basically as useless telling me that they cannot help with sharing these photos with me as well as they "don't know much", great, however I did ask if I can escalate this any further and was told that I could ask for a requote (which I am still awaiting an answer to) and that I could be put in contact with someone from the Senior Management team which I agreed to.

I've been booked on for a call back from this SM and after they got my number wrong the first time, I finally actually get to speak to this "SM" who it turns out was nothing but a regular, plain and simple apple advisor, no different from the past 2 people I've spoken with, who basically told me the same thing as the last 2 people and that he cannot help any further and funnily enough has told me to get in contact with Apple Store Meadowhall (who directed me to this guy in the first place) AGAIN, i'm just being thrown around from person to person in a circle for the past 7 hours and I've not gotten a single new response or update, nor was it clarified to me what this £80 I'm supposed to pay would result in, would it be a keyboard replacement? Top cover replacement? Who knows no one is telling me anything.

It's quite annoying how I paid £200 for warranty just to find out it's not even gonna cover a simple repair.

I'm still awaiting an actual answer which unlike the demand for payment, is very slow so far. I'm not sure who I can complain to, or what sort of superior I can get in contact with for a proper explanation, so if anyone has any idea I'd be grateful.

Had this exact situation happen to me but with an iPhone.

iPhone had a defect covered under warranty.

Got the screen repaired and which I believe compromised the water resistance property of the phone or was done badly or both.

Few days later noticed moisture build up in the lenses. Took it in and Apple said it was water damaged - bear in mind the phone was still working. They took photo of the internals and showed me some water near the sim tray - the amount looked like someone put it there afterwards because if that amount was trapped in the phone it would definitely not still be working.

Eventually the phone completely died the next day after they put the screen back on two times - first time they left some dust on the lens.

Had to buy a new phone.

Seems like very questionable business practice if I’m honest voiding the warranty like this.

I have the same thing. I am the only user of the machine. The "Genius" told it was their faulty product. Now it's suddenly water damage and they won't show me the evidence either. Don't trust Apple.