Apple Mac Powerbook Faulty LCD Screens

[vmac]

In the last couple of months, my Powerbook G4 has developed a fault with the display - having talked it through with Apple Support, they suggested it might be a problem with the graphics card. My brother-in-law, an electronics engineer, put his money on a latent manufacturing fault, i.e something that occurred at the time of assembly or manufacture.

Since then I did some research with a local computer technician. Between us, we have found hundreds of examples of exactly the same problem, on the same model, with the same serial number beginning W85 .. a whole batch (100s, 1000s ?), which had their screens assembled at the Shanghai factory circa 2002-4. There are thousands of complaints across various Apple and Mac related forums and websites .. people are very angry because as yet, Apple has not acknowledge the fault - The situation is not dissimilar to a car manufacture whose new models come off the production line and a year or two into driving, the brakes fail. Eventually (presumably there is a threshold for the number of complaints before a manufacture acts), products are recalled and parts replaced.

 

Apple moderators have started to deleted the thread of complaints regarding this issue, naturally making owners furious and in itself, that action suggesting a cover up.

 

This is a machine bought for around £2000 and it's equivalent today is still a similar price. It is not some cheap run-of-the-mill laptop from PC World. One or two people have been lucky and after quoting the Sale Of Goods Act, have had their screens replaced. The majority have not.

 

On Friday, I have my first appointment at an Apple Store in London - probably to have some 13 year old run a set of diagnostics which will prove utterly fruitless. However, I intend not to budge from the store. I shall quote the the Sale Of Goods Act and present them with the evidence of all the W85 machines from the Shanghai factory.

 

If it's not my lucky day, I shall pay my local chap to do the job and send the bill, persistently and relentlessly to Apple for reimbursement. If anyone out there has this problem, please get in touch - the more people I can find, the better it is and the more likely Apple will, eventually acknowledge the latent fault.

 

Many thanks,

 

vmac

[locutus]

Keep a record of as many people as you can who have this fault, it will be useful if you have an extensive list to take Apple to small claims court if you need to reclaim the repair bill.

[vmac]

Keep a record of as many people as you can who have this fault, it will be useful if you have an extensive list to take Apple to small claims court if you need to reclaim the repair bill.

 

Hi there,

 

There's a petition online - Faulty Apple PowerBook G4 Petition .. but that's nothing .. the Apple forums are full of examples and what's more, Apple moderators are deleting threads. If anyone finds they have a similar problem, I urge them to add a note here, and / or sign the petition and to keep in touch. Under the Sale of Goods Act, we can get these screens replaced.

 

Cheers, vm

[locutus]

If people in the UK are having these problems and getting censored on the Apple website, point them in this direction. There is a wealth of knowledge on SoGA and other consumer protection laws with loads of people happy to help

[vmac]

If people in the UK are having these problems and getting censored on the Apple website, point them in this direction. There is a wealth of knowledge on SoGA and other consumer protection laws with loads of people happy to help

 

Will do, thanks.

[theung]

Any updates guys?