Q: Spilt wax on keyboard

Actually, that's probably better than most other things you could spill on it. Water or any liquid is pretty much a total disaster. The wax may not have spread.

The bad news is that depending on what model MBP you have, getting to the keyboard can take some doing. Which model is it?

Bethlou21 wrote:

 

unsure of the model....

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4132 How to identify MacBook Pro models

That's just because they didn't make any changes to the 2012 model.

OK, a little more good news. At least it's not a Retina, which is a much bigger pain to take apart. The problem is though that you have to take pretty much everything out to be able to take the keyboard out, which is what has to happen for a thorough cleaning. Here's an idea about the level of work:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Mid+2012+Logic+Board+Rep lacement/10369

They don't actually have a guide to replace the keyboard, but I think it'd be pretty obvious once you got as far as all the steps in the guide. I'm not sure you'll ever get all the wax out, so it may need a new keyboard. On the other hand, some time and careful cleaning with an Xacto knife might do it.

The good news is your motherboard is probably ok. That's where things get really expensive.

NOTE:  Apple Care nor the standard warranty does not cover accidental damage.  You will be responsible for the repair costs (which are usually more than the cost of the computer).   

The good news:

If you have homeowners or rental coverage check w/them.  Most policies cover accidental damage.   

If you purchased your computer w/a credit card, check w/them also.  You just may be covered.

BB, good point. Do you happen to know the answer to this? If she took it in and paid for a new keyboard, would Applecare still be intact or would they flag the machine as user damaged?

As far as I know, the OP will be responsible for the repairs and her AC will not be voided.  AC does not cover accidental damage.

I knew it wouldn't cover accidental damage. I was wondering if a repair like this would affect the coverage.

Thanks

The Genius Bar eval is free at least. Good luck, I have no idea what they'd charge.