Macbook Battery is expanding or swollen

The kind of experience such as you noted should be addressed to Apple Feedback...

These two links are most likely ones to use for product and service related issues.

• Support Feedback

• Product Feedback

http://www.apple.com/contact/

Helps when or if you have a second option, or perhaps a third in a region or country

where the issue needs to be addressed by an official or authorized principal concern.

Sometimes an Authorized (Premium) Apple Service Provider is better than a Genius.

If a product is no longer under an AppleCare plan, you may be on your own anyway.

• Make an appointment at an Apple Retail Store Genius Bar
• Find an Apple Authorized Service Provider

Sorry that your experience was such a let-down and the antithesis of expectations. 😐

I manage the laptops and other computers for my Church, so when this started happening to one of the batteries I took a picture of it. At first, the Battery Pack Shield had a gap in it about 1/8th of an inch. I decided to hold on to the laptop instead of redistributing it like I planned and over the course of the week (not being used) the battery expanded approximately 1/2 on the top (about an inch overall, top and bottom).

Anyway, I took it and another laptop with screen damage in to the Genius Bar. (I never bother calling because very rarely does anyone on the phone or one of the floor reps have any useful/promising information.) The Genius Bar told me that the screen fix one be $755 for a gut replacement on the machine and the battery would be $120. The guy's exact words following that: "Because I just told you the screen would be $800, I'm going to do you a solid and replace the battery for free even though it's out of warranty."

I'm not complaining, exactly what I planned to happen, happened. (The screen can be replaced cheaper via other means!)

I had a similar experience at the Apple Store in Towson, MD yesterday. I have an early 2011 15" MacBook Pro (2 GHz Intel Core i7 with 8GB RAM). I made this appointment after opening up my laptop a week ago and noticing that the trackpad was bulging out of the aluminum frame. Having read through this thread and having a background in computer repair, I removed the battery as I was concerned that it might potentially cause collateral damage under the hood. After I removed it, I scheduled an appointment at the Genius Bar. This appointment was one of the worst retail experiences I've ever encountered, and I'm one with a high tolerance for frustration.

After a Genius Bar employee checked me in, I waited and waited wondering how this would unfold, and I wasn't expecting to be treated to a free replacement. As expected, I was informed that I too would have to foot ~$130 for a new battery, but that isn't what made for a truly awful experience. The employee proceeded to tell me that the swollen battery was normal for a battery at the end of the life cycle and that this happens all the time. He then proceeded to scold me for removing the battery on my own volition. I stated that I had the proper tools to remove the battery and proper training. Rather than understand my frustrations, he continued to quiz me on whether I properly grounded myself before removing the battery. After I described that I did indeed ground myself before doing so, he went on to state that no one can simply just open up their computer and remove a part. His own analogy was "I can't work on my Volkswagen and then expect the dealership to honor the warranty." At this point, he was visably defensive, rude, and spoke to me like I was a child. He never asked when I purchased the battery but only focused on the fact that my warranty expired.

When I proceeded to ask how this was "normal," he restated that this happens to all MacBooks. I then inquired: "So, every MacBook will experience this problem?" With confidence, he stated "Yes."

I felt that if I continued the conversation, I would say something that I'd later regret, and it's not his fault that the battery swelled on me. I put this battery to work over the course of seven years in a Ph.D. program.

I inhibited my frustration but left the battery at the store so it could be recycled.

My 2006 17 inch mac book pro is still a great computer, but this is the third time the battery has swollen. UNlike previous visits to the Apple "Genius Bar", this time I was told "it's a safety feature" ( yeah. right) and directed to buy a new one at mac sales , since Apple no longer even has that part. Looks like the end of an era ... the computer is still quite useful, but three Apple batteries ( original, plus 2 replaced free of charge ) swelled in 10 years). And the 3rd party battery I tried -- a newer technology battery similar to the one the genius told me to BUY today, wore out and now won't take a charge ( but there was no swelling)

I suspect the 17 inch model mbp was causing some level of overheating , but only the apple batteries swelled.

This doesn't look very "safe" to me. I'm just glad these batteries were removeable. I let them recycle it ...

That's how mine looked like.

It's from a 2010 MBP which I kept in the drawer for backwards compatibility.

I don't mind its replacement. But I'm most concerned whether this could have caused a fire and burned down the full house.