Apple finally acknowledges ‘sticky’ keyboard issues on MacBooks, offering free fix and refunds for past repairs

[RedRound2]

Apple has today announced that it would be offering free replacements of the butterfly keyboard if your laptop has been affected by it. They're also offering a full refund for those who have already paid to fix it.

Quote

“Today we launched a keyboard service program for our customers that covers a small percentage of keyboards in certain MacBook and MacBook Pro models which may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors: letters or characters that repeat unexpectedly or don’t appear when pressed or keys that feel “sticky” or aren’t responding in a consistent manner.”

According to Apple, the process may involve replacing the entire keyboard

 

This is one of the things I really like about Apple. As soon as there's something wrong with their product, they typically always had a recall/replacement program for it. 

 

Source: https://9to5mac.com/2018/06/22/apple-macbook-pro-keyboard-sticky-repair-refund/

[Max_Settings]

Worst keyboard ever put in a laptop. Don't @ me.

[TheSLSAMG]

11 minutes ago, RedRound2 said:

This is one of the things I really like about Apple. As soon as there's something wrong with their product, they typically always had a recall/replacement program for it.

They have also tried to shift blame and put stuff off for as long as they can though. It took them two years to recognize that 2011-2013 MacBooks had dying GPUs, claimed that people were holding the iPhone 4 wrong, etc. In this situation, it took a group of consumers to file a class action suit in NorCal to get Apple to pay attention. I wouldn't praise them too much.

 

I don't get the whole arms race when it comes to thin laptops. I'd rather take a slightly older MacBook with an actually good keyboard than type on the current butterfly switches. They feel absolutely awful.

[Master Disaster]

10 minutes ago, RedRound2 said:

This is one of the things I really like about Apple. As soon as there's something wrong with their product, they typically always had a recall/replacement program for it.

I'm sorry but what? Please watch this video, I'm sure you'll find it interesting...

 

[TheGlenlivet]

17 minutes ago, RedRound2 said:

This is one of the things I really like about Apple. As soon as there's something wrong with their product, they typically always had a recall/replacement program for it. 

Sarcasm?

[Dabombinable]

2 minutes ago, TheGlenlivet said:

Sarcasm?

Apple fan.

[mr moose]

3 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

Apple fan.

Blind consumer. 

[Dabombinable]

2 minutes ago, mr moose said:

Blind consumer. 

I was going to say more than fan...but COC and all that.

[Blademaster91]

25 minutes ago, RedRound2 said:

This is one of the things I really like about Apple. As soon as there's something wrong with their product, they typically always had a recall/replacement program for it.

Except it took a class action lawsuit for Apple to even admit the keyboards were even a problem.

[mr moose]

2 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

I was going to say more than fan...but COC and all that.

I feel safe that I am not directing this toward anyone in specific, as I took everyone to task over praising MS for a similar issue with the Surface. 

[RedRound2]

17 minutes ago, TheSLSAMG said:

They have also tried to shift blame and put stuff off for as long as they can though. It took them two years to recognize that 2011-2013 MacBooks had dying GPUs, claimed that people were holding the iPhone 4 wrong, etc. In this situation, it took a group of consumers to file a class action suit in NorCal to get Apple to pay attention. I wouldn't praise them too much.

 

The GPU problem I believe was due to who was to bear the cost of replacements, the graphics card manufacturer or Apple themselves

The iPhone 4 was an inherent flaw of their design that they acknowledged. I still don't understand why everyone keeps bringing up something jobs said in the email exchange

 

And for the last part, yeah it happened in this case. But take a look at all the other recall programs they currently have going on. They've always had recall programs (after some investigations of course) whenever their devices had widespread issues

[DeScruff]

19 minutes ago, RedRound2 said:

This is one of the things I really like about Apple. As soon as there's something wrong with their product, they typically always had a recall/replacement program for it.

I hope this is sarcasm... Cause from what I recall their solution to 95% of these problems is to just replace the product with another of the same exact product that will have the same exact fault, but this time, it will have a 90 day warranty (regardless of how much longer the original product's warranty still has), and beyond that 90 days... Well your on your own.

And it looks like they are about to do that exact thing, because have they talked about at all what they are replacing the keyboard with? Is there a new compatible design? Did they at all "fix" the problem so that Macbooks made beyond June ____ 2018 won't have the issue?
If no, then these new replaced keyboards will have the same problem.

[mr moose]

1 minute ago, RedRound2 said:

And for the last part, yeah it happened in this case. But take a look at all the other recall programs they currently have going on. They've always had recall programs (after some investigations of course) whenever their devices had widespread issues

First time I've heard of a company having "widespread issues" and "recall programs" as evidence they are a good company.  

[DrMacintosh]

30 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

Worst keyboard ever put in a laptop. Don't @ me.

Fine, I'll quote you. 

 

I think its the best keyboard I have ever used in a laptop. Feels great, types fast, nice feedback. Maybe if you're 50 and have fat fingers you might think differently, but as someone who still has reflexes like a rattlesnake on crack.....I love it. 

 

That being said, I will be taking advantage of this program before I resell my 2016 MacBook Pro, or if the keyboard ever fails. So far the only issue I have had is a very infrequent double tap of the x key. 

[RedRound2]

18 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

I'm sorry but what? Please watch this video, I'm sure you'll find it interesting...

 

It's a Rossmann video and I honestly think hes alot of BS. Sure he seems to bring up valid points, but I dont see him comparing the same with other laptop manufacturers and I hate how he generalizes like all PCs as if it's alot more upgradable and capable than the Mac (the truth being that some are at the cost of something else)

7 minutes ago, mr moose said:

Blind consumer. 

Right, everyone using Apple products and being for happy with it are idiots. If their products were bad, they would've crashed and burned long time ago

[DrMacintosh]

2 minutes ago, Sypran said:

Cause from what I recall their solution to 95% of these problems is to just replace the product with another of the same exact product that will have the same exact fault, but this time, it will have a 90 day warranty (regardless of how much longer the original product's warranty still has), and beyond that 90 days... Well your on your own.

 

2 minutes ago, Sypran said:

If no, then these new replaced keyboards will have the same problem.

Yes. And? You cannot honestly believe that Apple would engineer a entirely new laptop, or an entirely new keyboard that somehow doesn't have the same problems of the original design and still fit inside the original chassis. 

 

Its a repair program, not a fix program. If people feel that it is that big a deal, they can get a free replacement and sell the machine and get most of their purchase back since Macs retain their value. 

[DrMacintosh]

24 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

I'm sorry but what? Please watch this video, I'm sure you'll find it interesting...

I like Rossmann, but anyone who is being objective will realize that he lives in a bubble when it comes to Apple products. I take everything he says with a table spoon full of salt. 

[DrMacintosh]

30 minutes ago, TheSLSAMG said:

They feel absolutely awful.

Agree to disagree. I absolutely adore the new keyboards. 

[mr moose]

Just now, RedRound2 said:

 

If their products were bad, they would've crashed and burned long time ago

Not if you're a blind consumer, people being happy that it only took a few years and law suit to get apple to fix their mistake are certainly not upto par with quality after sales service let alone consumer rights.  

[RedRound2]

4 minutes ago, Sypran said:

I hope this is sarcasm... Cause from what I recall their solution to 95% of these problems is to just replace the product with another of the same exact product that will have the same exact fault, but this time, it will have a 90 day warranty (regardless of how much longer the original product's warranty still has), and beyond that 90 days... Well your on your own.

And it looks like they are about to do that exact thing, because have they talked about at all what they are replacing the keyboard with? Is there a new compatible design? Did they at all "fix" the problem so that Macbooks made beyond June ____ 2018 won't have the issue?
If no, then these new replaced keyboards will have the same problem.

3

I dont there's literally anything from stopping you to take it back to apple if the issue crops up again. These recall programs usually tends to last years. They may have slightly modified some mechanism or they have effectively thrown a time bomb at themselves

3 minutes ago, mr moose said:

First time I've heard of a company having "widespread issues" and "recall programs" as evidence they are a good company.  

Okay, I'm going to state the obvious here then. Apple gets alot of attention in the media, for some reason. No one would give two fucks if a Lenovo XYZ had some problem or Dell ABC had some other problem and hence anyone who doesn't own the product would never know about it. So, you're just not aware about the widespread issues that happen with other products. 

And yeah, recall programs are always a good thing, if there is a genuine issue

[Max_Settings]

9 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Fine, I'll quote you. 

 

I think its the best keyboard I have ever used in a laptop. Feels great, types fast, nice feedback. Maybe if you're 50 and have fat fingers you might think differently, but as someone who still has reflexes like a rattlesnake on crack.....I love it. 

 

That being said, I will be taking advantage of this program before I resell my 2016 MacBook Pro, or if the keyboard ever fails. So far the only issue I have had is a very infrequent double tap of the x key. 

No offense but you defend every single thing Apple does so I think your opinion might be a little biased.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

31 minutes ago, mr moose said:

Not if you're a blind consumer, people being happy that it only took a few years and law suit to get apple to fix their mistake are certainly not upto par with quality after sales service let alone consumer rights.  

And how many people within that time frame decided to just cut their losses and buy a new machine? That's one of the things that infuriates me with Apple. Even when it's such a widespread issue and pretty clear cut on where the issue lies, they take a year or so to react. And people buy it up as "look they're caring for the customer", when most of their customers who had this problem would've moved on with a new MacBook out of pocket. I guess they're lucky they even got some sort of replacement plan, my two iPods with defects had no such luck. 

 

Then again I'm still pissed off at Lenovo for their terrible hinge design on their 500 and 400 series IdeaPads and I have nowhere to throw pitchforks at them.

[RedRound2]

3 minutes ago, mr moose said:

Not if you're a blind consumer, people being happy that it only took a few years and law suit to get apple to fix their mistake are certainly not upto par with quality after sales service let alone consumer rights.  

The issue popped up recently, it didn't takes years for them to finally acknowledge it. The fact that you didn't know this and then commenting on it, says alot about your views on Apple. And Apple always have lawsuits filed against them whenever the mainstream media picks up on something. It's nothing new

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, Max_Settings said:

No offense but you defend every single thing Apple does so I think your opinion might be a little biased.

Essentially a lie. 

 

Defiantly my opinion is biased, I've never denied that. But I've also criticized Apple multiple times while on this forum. Just not a lot in the tech news section where most people get a surface deep look at what I post. 

[DeScruff]

12 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

Yes. And? You cannot honestly believe that Apple would engineer a entirely new laptop, or an entirely new keyboard that somehow doesn't have the same problems of the original design and still fit inside the original chassis.

Do I expect them to fix a flawed design rather then reoffer the same exact thing that will have the same exact problem, and will need to be replaced just like the original
... Yes...
Do I expect a company to research why a prevalent enough flaw they feel the need to give free replacements and refunds to repairs to research the cause of the issue, and try to come up with a solution?
... Yeah.

I expect that of anyone. If Macbook's had exploding batteries because the electronics in the battery were flawed. I'd expect them (for everyones sake, even Apple's) to not give everyone the same exact battery that will suffer the same exact problem, but give something that corrects the issue. (Then any new macbooks made after the fix to have the fixed battery)