This poor guy is named Steve. Steve’s Macbook keeps trying to light his house on fire, so Steve would like replacement. He’s already sent the computer for repair several times, gotten it back, at which time it tried to light his house on fire again.
The machine in question (which is not pictured here because Steve sent it to Apple to be repaired) likes to shoot off sparks that land on his copy of the New York Times. The NYT is not only the paper of record, but it also functions rather effectively as tinder.
Steve would like his Macbook replaced, Apple. He’s written to Steve Jobs and dealt with Apple’s executive customer service people and is still being denied a replacement. He does not want another (this will be the 4th) repair. He wants a new Macbook that does not double as an infernal device.
Here’s Steve’s letter:
Dear Mr. Jobs,
I hate to write you about this as opposed to going through the normal channels of communication w/ costumer service but my Macbook laptop has been in for repair 3 times and has had the battery replaced once and the power cable replaced once after sparking violently and singing my desk.
Now it’s happened again! I was going to plug in the power adapter to the computer and it sparked violently at the connection and toasted the newspaper next to my laptop!
On top of this my screen is still not quite right (I’ve had it replaced 2x due to a yellowish hue of the screen) – I work in graphics & color correction and this is a big issue for me! (Yes I’ve calibrated it several times – the issue seems to be with the hardware). I’m not sure if macbook screens are just yellow by design or what, but the person who sold me the laptop a year and a half ago said the screen would be perfect for my work, and so far it’s been anything but.
I have apple care, so it hasn’t been too expensive getting the work done, but it has cost me a LOT in time and due to the fact that it’s nearly set my room on fire twice now, I’m really at the end of my rope. I want to file the highest kind of appeal at this point! It seems every time I appeal the service department on the phone they tell me to just wait it out for the new parts – and every time I take the laptop into the store to have them check out the screen discoloration they say there’s nothing wrong with it, even if I A/B the screen next to one that looks pristine.
Please know, I am a big fan of your operating system and software – and I was under the impression that your hardware was top notch, but the pro-dell notebook I had before I bought my mac only ever had one issue, and as soon as there was a hardware problem they issued me an entirely new notebook that was a gigantic upgrade in return for my patience and inconvenience at work (they upgraded my single to dual core and added an amazing graphics card, which I never imagined a computer company would do for someone).
Consider my case. My name is Steve [redacted]and my macbook’s serial number is [redacted]. If you could help me out here I would be very grateful. I want to write an article for the tech blog I occasionally write for, documenting my experience with the laptop over the last year and a half and the subsequent dealings w/ tech support/replacements/etc – I think this would be a really great chance for you to help a poor mac user out and let there be a happy ending to his story.
Best,
Steve
Three days later we got an update from Steve:
Hi Alex -
The problem is still in flux. I’ve been speaking with Dina @ Apple Executive relations regarding the issue. They sent me to the apple store yesterday who stayed open late to repair my laptop because I had expressed that time was a big factor – this was really awesome of them, and the guy who helped me out (Derek, at the 14th St. Apple Store in NYC) was really helpful.
BUT! Alas, my problems just got worse. I got the computer back to my house and plugged it in to my external HD which I run the Apple backup program Time Machine on. It wasn’t until it began backing up my system that I realized that the repair to my laptop had totally hosed my OS. The HD is gone from the finder, my DVD drive no longer works consistently (perhaps a side effect of the original shock), and now my backed up HD image has been totally corrupted since I (stupidly) allowed it to do a nightly backup before testing out the machine.
Dina called me back, and I explained what happened and she put me in touch with a specialist who was also very courteous and helpful but also ruled that the issue (at least with the DVD drive) was hardware based, not a result of the software I have on the machine. Dina was gone for the day, but I feel like at this point, after I was mis-led on the quality of the macbook display LCD, the 2 fires it nearly started, the DVD issue, and now the hosing of my essential files, I shouldn’t have to go back in to the store and wait for yet another repair. I don’t trust the process! It will have been my 5th time in for a repair on this 1.5 year old machine!
My reasoning is, I was mis-sold on the quality of the glossy macbook screen, which the salesman assured me was of adequate quality to do basic color correction work in graphics – it turns out, it’s far from that. I can live with being a sucker to some degree, but now that the computer has put me and my home in danger twice, and still isn’t working after all of these repairs; I either want my money back or a Macbook Pro with a matte screen which is actually acceptable for the work I intended the computer for in the first place. If that’s asking too much I would settle for a refund for the computer and the apple care and apple software I bought for the computer since it’s been a giant loss now that I have no computer and my files have been corrupted as far as I can tell.
Let me know if you think this is a reasonable request – I feel like after a computer nearly lights your house on fire you should be considered a special case and I honestly kind of feel like regardless of dealing with the executive level of support at Apple, I’m still jumping through the normal front-line tech support hoops.
Best,
Steve
Yesterday, another update from Steve:
I asked for a refund and was denied. I also mentioned how much personal and business data I lost – the plea fell on deaf ears.
I mentioned I heard apple had the best support, she was unmoved even by stories of others getting replacement computers from apple for less severe issues than this one.
I think my plan is this: Im going to try and cut my losses, get the computer repaired at the shop as many times as it takes to get it back in pristine condition and then put it up on eBay. I can’t possibly make back what I lost but I can get this white beacon of despair out of my life and move on to a company who gives a crap about their customers.
Here is a picture of the scorch & melted paint on the desk and the toasted newspaper I had next to the DC in & one photo showing how they were aligned on the desk when it happened. I wish the desk wasn’t painted black either, it would make the burn easier to pick out but you should be able to see it without any trouble.
I’m sure if I wasn’t sitting there when the spark occurred to extinguish the newspaper the house may well have gone up.
Steve
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I had Apple replace an iBook several years ago. It wasn’t trying to set my house on fire, but the screen did stop working suddenly. I took it in and they sent it off to wherever and fixed something that wasn’t wrong with it, returned it to me and I had the same problem days later. I took it back, followed it’s progress online to discover that it sat in the Apple store for several days with no activity. I was LIVID as I had the machine for about a month and it spent more time with Apple than with me.
I called the store, explained the situation and expressed my utter dissatisfaction. I also became irate and demanded contact information for their district manager. I was refused this info, put on hold and viola…told to come by and get my new machine. I suspect they just wanted to make the crazy lady go away. I’ve since upgraded to a Mac Book Pro and I haven’t had any problems with it at all.
you think that just because the power adapter convert household current to “laptop” current that it doesn’t still possess the potential to do harm?
Try this: go to the store and buy a disposable camera with built in flash, take all the pictures, dismantle the camera, take out the film, charge the flash, use your finger to complete the circuit across the flash’s capacitor . You will be “shocked” at just how much energy a capacitor can derive from a double-A battery.
I had a friend shock the $hit of himself this way, I don’t recommend.
Get a personal property rider and/or renter’s insurance, “get it stolen”, get some money back.
@Murph1908: I guess you missed the point where he mentioned getting it repaired as many times as it takes to make it fixed, then selling it.
He’s not going to sell a fucking bomb on e-bay. Hell, I’d think he’d add some sort of information about its past history.
To that end, uh… I’d really be amazed if e-bay prohibited hazardous objects. Since, you know. Everything’s hazardous. It’s the common sense thing.
You know, I would’ve ditched anything that tried to set my house on fire the first time… I dunno, I kinda have a thing about personal safety and whatnot…
And way to go Apple! You probably lost a whole buncha customers here.
@SchecterShredder: My friend had got the recent macbook pro (not the airbook) and he spent(according to him) $3,500 on it, plus extra on some expenses for it. For $3,500 you can get a beast of a windows-based machine. A friend of mine has a computer he purchased somewhat recently from best buy, it was $1,200 (less that 1/2 the price of the macbook) and it has a quad-core processor, 3 gigs of ram, decent video card and a very good amount of hd space. The point i’m getting at is that friend A bought a macbook for $3,500 which (looking at this story) can have some problems while friend B bought a pc for less than 1/2 the price, is more powerful and i haven’t heard any complaints as far as hardware goes for his.
@emilayohead: Ha!
I think its time to lawyer up. Now if only I was Single Female Lawyer, I’d totally take on Steves case. Woooooo!
“Single Female Lawyer
Fighting for her clients
Wearing sexy mini skirts
And being self-reliant
…Single Female Lawyer
Having lots of sex…”
i’m so glad my macbook doesn’t try to set me aflame. they should at minimum replace it or refund the cost of purchase for hardware (but not software). i so wouldn’t have replugged in something that threw sparks. that’s an extremely odd malfunction for a computer to have and it would freak me out to the extent of demanding a new one on the first try. something that may kill you when it breaks is best being replaced not repaired.
@Falconfire: Take a look at the comments on the magsafe powersupply for MacBooks on Apple’s website. The 400+ negative comments can give you a pretty good picture of what can and will go wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I have a MacBook Pro and a 24″ iMac. Love both, but was ticked when the cable on that powersupply shorted out and had to shell out $75 for something Apple should have replaced gratis.
@FLConsumer: Right, but this isn’t occurring internally in the solder traces, its happening at the big, heavy contacts that make up the magsafe adapter, and the DC-in plug. You *would* have to be blowing up large bits of metal to get sparking here. Plus, you would have to destroy some of the bottom case bezel because the mag-safe connection is a recessed port with about 2.5 mm of polycarbonate around the magsafe connector. It’s not like the metal grounding ring that can be exposed in a normal laptop charger if its not inserted all the way. The mag-safe has several spring loaded contacts and a grounding plate that attach firmly due to its various magnets, or not at all.
So the issue here is that there probably isn’t any physical evidence to corroborate his story. It is exceedingly rare, but a short in the DC-in board which causes sparking will leave scorch marks on the plastics and leave evident damage to the internal DC board. Apple probably took it apart and found nothing out of the ordinary, which would probably rule out parts of his claim.
The screen issues could also just as easily been customer service replacements, where Apple found no fault with the display, but replaced it to appease this fellow, eating the cost each time. Yellowish hue? sounds like he needs to stop messing with his color temperature. But either way, his screen issues are just plain bogus. Yes, the MacBook uses a cheaper screen than the MacBook Pro, that’s partly why the MBP COSTS MORE! And *of course* you CAN’T do color accurate work on a glossy screen, but EVERYONE knows this, especially anyone who does any color-sensitive design work. Some mac sales geek told him otherwise, but he should have already known.
Then, he claims that the repair ‘hosed his OS’? What’s that supposed to mean? Time Machine runs from the computer being backed up, so that doesn’t really make any sense. If he initiated Time Machine backups after having his drive wiped (as if making a new user account, and having no personal data/apps on there wasn’t a clue), instead of *restoring* his data from his backup, then really he is just a menace to himself. If the HDD isn’t visible from the finder, what OS is he booting from? Either way, its his responsibility, not Apple’s.
Then his DVD drive broke. Probably a loose ribbon cable when reassembling the MacBook, and that’s a legitimate repair.
That puts his repair count at 2 (one minor, one major), with 3 additional that could be appeasement or genuine. One can clearly see why Apple might not jump to attention to get this guy a new MacBook Pro.
Regarding the Lemon Laws, these vary by state, but in California, it only says that a produt is a lemon if it doesn’t work after a ‘reasonable’ number of repair attempts, which allows people to go back and forth arguing over what is ‘reasonable’ or not. For minor items, such as keyboards, power adapters, etc. where the failure can be partly attributed to wear, they usually don’t count at all.
@Falconfire: I agree, there’s something funny going on here. I’m not saying it’s definitely not something with the hardware after all, but I think it’s wise to check all the possibilities. It sounds like this guy lives in NYC, and if he’s living in an old apartment building, the electrical wiring could be crap (I know from experience). Perhaps it’s worth a call to the super to ask for a test of the outlet. Or, he could just pay $10 for an outlet tester: [tinyurl.com] . Worth a try.
step 1) build hut in middle of huge sand pit.
step 2) call local news crews
step 3) use computer in hut
step 4) run away when hut catches on fire.
step 5) profit.
MURPH1908@
He could sell it in Ebay’s sporting goods section as a fire starting device.
@Phipps6505: Oh no I know the magsafe problems, and have had them replaced mine once before (didnt have a issue getting AppleCare to cover it either) But what he is describing doesnt make sense to be a similar problem as to what most people are experiencing. Its not the connector shorting out by what he says, its the powerboard its self, which shouldnt happen unless something is making a jump between the connectors.
Basically what I am wondering is does this guy happen to work around metal and are there shavings around.
I have seen the word “insurance” mentioned here twice in situations that might constitute fraud, but none that actually get to the point….
If you already have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance, perhaps you might want to raise the issue with them and let them take it up with Apple. The insurance company will have bigger lawyers than you.
Steve may be able to file a claim under The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act against Apple. The act states that consumer products that are sold for over $15 (I’m sure his laptop did) are covered. As long as the problems he has incurred fall under the warranty coverage and the laptop is still under warranty, I think he has a case. The act states “if the product, or a component part, contains a defect or malfunction, must permit the consumer to elect either a refund or replacement without charge, after a reasonable number of repair attempts.” 4 or more attempts is considered a reasonable number of attempts.
I just recently went through this process with my car and it was settled through this act. If apple refuses to replace his laptop, they may sing a different tune after a lawsuit is filed. Just a thought on one way to receive a new laptop. Obviously this method involves finding a lawyer and going through that process. One more note though, is that all the attorney fees had to be paid for by the manufacturer and therefore I paid nothing in my lawsuit. Hope that helps.
I had an issue with my ibook many years ago. Fortunately it was out of warranty so all I could do is throw it out.
FYI- Now that Steve is very aware that this is a defective product may start a house fire he is liable in the event it causes his house to burn down. If he gives it to someone else and doesn’t tell them it starts fires he is liable for THAT fire also.
He needs to sue Apple. Plain and simple the product is not simply not working, aka lemon law. It is dangerous . As in it causes him and those who live near him mortal danger.
It was defective and he turned it to them for a fix. It was returned in a similar dangerous state. Thats IT at that point he should have been given a complete refund and they should have taken the notebook away.
Its causing a FIRE. Apple should at the least be taking an INTEREST in determining why one of their products is causing the potential for fatalities. A fire situation happening twice should get Apples attention without a blog like this.
Burning the New York Times?
The conservative in me is silently cheering the laptop.
Steve’s Macbook sounds more like a Matchbook. Apple evidently is not taking his situation very seriously.
@SchecterShredder: The $3100 dollar Air? If you’re mortified at the price, why not the $1800 Air? Perhaps you don’t need the $1000 solid-state drive.
Or did I miss <sarcasm></sarcasm>? Steve’s story, while unfortunate and I hope he gets it resolved, is not the norm.
Maybe Steve just needs to let it simmer into a full-out inferno. That worked after warranty and got Jimm an upgrade.
Apple quality is in the shitter. It’s been headed that way since 2003. I’d demand a new Macbook, otherwise contact your local TV stations and see if they can help. Sounds like “FireBook” would make a good story.
@ludwigk: What circuitry lies behind the plug? Most likely the power supply and charger for the laptop itself. It’s entirely plausible that the circuit board inside has a problem and is capable of overheating and shorting out, which could easily cause sparks and other described symptoms. I wouldn’t think the connector itself would be the problem.
@AD8BC: c’mon down to Florida — the NY Times seems like a very conservative rag in comparison to what’s available in these parts.
@FLConsumer:
Certainly, an abnormal amount of resistance at 24 volts at an amp or two will create heat. Put a one watt resistor across 24 volts at 5 amps and you’ll have plenty of smoke. But the claim is that the power connector sparked causing a fire and I’ll reiterate that in my experience, it seems dubious.
The photo doesn’t show the Macbook power connector, and it doesn’t show the magsafe connector on the power supply either. One would think he’d have photos of those too, with the damage being readily visible if it’s able to throw enough sparks to cause a fire. What we are offered is a toasty New York Times and a vague divot in the table with what appears to be something other than the magsafe power cord.
I’m not trying to defend Apple here. But knowing what I do about electronics, if you cause enough sparks to light a fire, there’s going to be obvious pitting or puddling of the metal, so much so that the tiny magsafe connector probably won’t work. Even the most casual of Apple Geniuses should be able to see it.
If the problem is internal, heat radiated to the chassis sufficient to light newspapers is *going* to discolor the circuit boards and the component markings. I wouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t apparent on the exterior as well. If this is the case, then the guy has a very good gripe against Apple and its very apparent shoddy technicians.
Assuming the computer is a dud and the claim is genuine, my opinion is the fire was started not by sparking, but by heat from faulty DC/DC regulators next to the magsafe inside the computers.
Consumerist needs to keep on top of this story. I’m sorry, but I have a faint yet nagging suspicion this one might end up with a “Bad Consumer” tag. I hope I’m wrong.
I know of a school district who had a whole cart of macbooks catch fire and burn part of their library down. I personally don’t trust Apple’s hardware anymore and would never leave one of their laptops plugged in and unattended for a very long time, and certainly not leave the house or go to sleep while one is.
@Hanke: And with all the problems that people are having with Windows Vista and forced “up”grades I’m glad I use Linux.
Every experience I’ve had with Applecare and/or Apple support has been miserable. Its like dealing with the DMV. If you manage to induce them to do anything, they act as if they’re doing you a huge favor. I love their products, but their support, and especially Applecare administration, is like a giant festering tumor on the testicles of their success.
@zentec: I’m definitely thinking the case of the laptop should be discoloured as well. Even if it’s made of aluminium, that type of heat should be visible.
@Optimus: If only Linux had the hardware & software support for high-end computing… I have a few linux machines around and they do their thing, but still are no match for the tried & true OS’ when it comes to my desktop system. They’re getting there… but Apple’s OS X shows a huge point — it can be done, just a matter of the linux community getting it in gear and coming out with a stronger product (and GUI) than they have had thus far.
Steve looks a little bit like actor Freddy RodrÃguez.
Air, Fire, Water, Earth – Apple Elements.
THis story is suspicious. When my Mac mini just smelled like it was burning, Apple replaced it right away. You’d think if this was seriously happening the guy would catch it on video.
Plus, there is probably something wrong with the wiring in his house.
@sp00nix: what universe are you living in?
@Falconfire: I see your point. I didn’t have AppleCare on my MacBook Pro (yes, I know that’s dumb). Given all the complaints, I felt like they should have issued a recall on the powersupply. I guess reading his comments and reading over the comments on Apple, some of that rang true. I see your point, tho.
Heh,heh. Oh! My!
I hate to say it, but that’s what you get for buying an Apple.
I think Steve is pretty Fired up!!!
That laptop should try and light his hoodie on fire. Damn, that thing is ugly.
Steve’s not creepy, I think he looks pretty cute!
Steve needs to get grounded outlets and shut the hell up. He’s calibrating by eye, which is the most unreliable way to characterize a display. His non-grounded outlets are causing discharge when he plugs in his FireWire cable – despite explicit guidance that both peripherals and the MacBook be plugged into GROUNDED outlets.
This guy is too stupid for his own good. There’s absolutely no reason his MacBook would cause these problems if it was being used CORRECTLY. You’ll find any laptop, when used with ungrounded peripherals like this will behave the same way.
This guy also is in apparent need of an education about what characterization of a display is all about. If he keeps arriving at a “yellow” screen, then he’s doing something wrong, whether he’s using software and a device or just his eyes.
man. this is a sad story. i have had nothing but great experiences with apple. especially if there was data loss. yikes. my worst nightmare. just last week the apple store folks replaced my DVD drive, logic board, and reinstalled my OS for me, at no charge, after my applecare had expired. i guess it just depends on who you’re dealing with. i hope this is resolved soon!
but i do think its important to note that apple gets an above average amount of negative coverage here on consumerist because i’ll bet that most people who read/know about this blog are using an apple computer. we’re just cool that way.
1. No one here managed to figure out that it’s not the power cord causing the “sparking”. The cord pictured is a Firewire connector for some other device, which may or may not be grounded properly. This is not Apple’s fault.
2. There’s a lot that’s probably not being divulged here by the creepy-cute Steve. Why don’t we act like a real consumer advocacy site and actually contact Apple about this? Oh wait – the Consumerist doesn’t work that way.
Ever wonder why Consumerist runs so many “bad Apple” stories? It’s not because Apple gets the highest marks for support and repair from PC Magazine (which they do) – it’s because Apple stories are high visibility and drive ad revenue.
@SchecterShredder: Another reason not to buy the Macbook Air is that it’s a crappy computer to begin with. The computer I’m typing this on is a 3-year old Toshiba laptop with a better processor, more memory and a bigger hard drive than Apple’s latest Shiny Object. To top it off, the Macbook will cost you $1800 minimum, but the unit I’m using will set you back around $300 on eBay. Why would ANYONE buy such a lousy computer for so much money?
I guess conspiracy theorists really are everywhere.
@CaliforniaCajun: yeah this is an excellent point. the other reason more people send emails complaining about their apples is that folks who are using PCs cant get into their email programs because their crappy OS is bogged down with spyware and porn advertisements.
@ClankBoomSteam: You buy computers on Ebay? istn that asking for problems, I am sure you made out but I would take that as luck. I never buy expensive electronic items on ebay, there are just too many ways of getting ripped off.
I know this is a isolated instance- but I was looking to buy new PCs and laptops for the family and was considering strongly a 100% cutover to Apple. I have to say that I have rethought my decision in part because of this stroy- I won’t be making the switch. PC based products may not be “cool” but they do tend to work and have (as of yet) not threatend to burn my children alive.
I am sure Apple folks read these things- hope they listen.
@yesteryear: Really? That’s the best you could come up with?
Every company has the Aunt Edna story of crappy customer service….it happens. Couldn’t Steve file attempted murder charges, or arson charges or something? That’d show ‘em. Apparently they keep returning the computer that they know is defective and starts fires. Steve just needs to let it burn something down or kill someone. THEN he’ll get a new machine.
Thank you Steve. I was considering getting a macbook once they started to ship with the new chips they’re rumored to be shipping with, but no longer. Thanks Apple for making this such a black and white case I don’t even have to consider buying one.
Add me to the list of people who think you should sue Apple. They’ll likely provide you with a settlement before you even have to go to court.
I took Apple to small claims and I got what I wanted.
It’s not a bug, it’s a feature… unfortunately useful only for arsonists.
And it’s not like all non-Apple products are immune from starting fires. What should trouble you about the story is not that one laptop plays with matches — it’s that the company behind the product is incapable of competently dealing with the naughty laptop. Bad Apple service is what is discouraging me. (And I WILL be buying a snazzy new laptop in a few months, Apple, so better be wowing me if YOU want my money.)