Howzit Craig,
Keep an eye on that laptop of yours and keep a record of all correspondence with iStore / Core staff and employees. I purchased a 2016 MBP (2.6GHz, 512GB) at the beginning of the year (also upgraded from a 2009 MBP) and the popping started not long after - mine was definitely related to the audio hardware because it would sometimes pop on the left and sometimes on the right. I then found this thread and saw that people were not having any luck with repairs - so I hung onto mine because I wasn't keen on the idea of having a brand new machine opened up over and over. My plan was to return it after a resolution had been found so I could get it fixed.
Anyway, to cut a really long story short the machine developed more faults whilst I hung onto it waiting for a solution to be posted on this thread. During that time I experienced the following:
- Right arrow key stopped working and had no "click" feedback, like something was stuck underneath. I found a quick simple fix linked off this thread to turn the machine upside down. This worked but the problem moved to my enter key and then my spacebar and then option key which annoyed the **** out of me, especially when using apps that use loads of shortcuts like PS, AI, Live etc
- The keys were not consistent and the feeling / feedback would change over long periods of use as the machine became warmer. They would go from a positive click to a more spongy inconsistent feel
- The keys that didn't become spongy became "sticky" and made that loud clicking noise that has also been doing the rounds on various websites. The keys that became sticky were IOPU on the right and WESD on the left
- If shaken gently from side to side I could clearly feel / hear something loose inside around the trackpad area
- N key would stop working every now and then
- The touchbar would freeze up and become unresponsive requiring a restart on multiple occasions
- The edges of the trackpad would not work from time to time (although this may be normal)
- My "X" key would repeat itself 2 or 3 times and sometimes not work at all
- Siri started ignoring me because the built in mic stopped working
I then took the machine back to the iStore where I purchased it along with a video showing most of the above mentioned issues I was experiencing. When I got it back the section that is supposed to mentioned what work was carried out simply said "JHB" - nothing else.
When I got home I started noticing some physical issues from the attempted repair. The top screen wasn't aligned correctly, noticeable by the small gaps on either side of the hinges. It was over to the far right causing a really small lip or overhang between the screen and the bottom case when closed. I then noticed a small gouge on the hinge from assembly and the backspace key was not level, it's left side was lower than the right side. I was not too happy because I was now stuck with this laptop which had loads of issues to start off with and now the repair job was shoddy and not something I would expect from an Apple authorised service centre.
I switched the laptop on to check the keys and found that the OS version was older than the one I had when I sent it in and time machine would not allow me to restore my backups. I updated the OS after downloading the 5GB file over a 4MB connection but still I could not restore my backups for some reason. That wasn't such an issue as I could still retrieve my files "manually" but it definitely rubbed salt in the wound. The keys appeared to be fine but then the OS hung repeatedly, I had to do 4 hard resets in the space of an hour and when I finally started getting all my work back on the machine I needed to vent my frustration and only Siri was around to listen...so I thought. That's when I discovered that the built in mic was still not working!
I deleted all my files, signed out of iCloud, packed the laptop up in all it's original packaging and dropped it off at the iStore and made it very clear that I had lost confidence in the machine and wanted either a refund or a replacement of the same value because since buying that laptop the price had come down by R10K - which also annoyed me. I was told that it would more than likely not happen because the laptop was purchased 8 months ago but I really wasn't interested at that point.
After about a week of hearing absolutely nothing I called to find out what was going on and promptly got a call back from the manager of the store who told me that a replacement wasn't possible because it was out of the 6 month period, he then attached a screenshot of the "Implied warranty of quality" from gov.za and told me to take it up with Apple directly which then severely ****** me off because instead of looking at the entire situation from the start with all my documented chats, emails and videos which I first reported 2 months after purchase (although the popping started a few weeks after purchase) he simply looked at the date of purchase, saw it was out of the 6 month period and then tried to hide behind terms and conditions instead of taking it up with Apple directly and supporting the customer which is just bad form and shows a complete don't give a **** attitude.
I escalated the situation to Core who is the holding company and forwarded all my correspondence to a very helpful lady there and the problem was sorted out in less than an hour once the technical manager had had a look at the laptop. I received a full store credit and was able to upgrade to the 2.9GHz, Radeon 560 4GB model and still got money back. I was also told at the time of getting my replacement that the issues with the keys is still not resolved.
The guys at the iStore were great, they were friendly and helpful but the way in which this matter was handled between the repair centre and the store manager was appalling.
For anyone else that comes across this thread and is having issues, keep all your correspondence and document as much as you can, especially if you don't have a proper Apple store in your area. If your machine is faulty return it immediately, don't hang onto it.
Craig, the guys at Core are very aware of these faults now and if you run into issues I'll give you the contact details of the lady who helped me out. I tried to find an option to PM you but I couldn't find one on here.
The new laptop seems to be working 100% - I haven't had any issues yet. I wish the rest of you all the best and I hope these issues get resolved.
I will never buy a 1st gen Apple product again.
<Edited by Host>
