Apple claims that they can’t replace reader MTW’s MacBook battery because the laptop’s case is chipped. The minor cosmetic damage doesn’t affect the computer’s functions and isn’t even on the same side as the laptop’s battery, which stopped holding a charge months after the case cracked.

MTW writes:

My white macbook has suffered a ding on the bottom right side. It’s cracked, not a big deal. A few months after the crack occurred, the battery stopped taking a charge. It shows up in system profiler, but it won’t charge. To make sure it’s not the laptop, I swapped the battery from another Macbook and it worked fine.

All seems fine, normal warranty replacement. The unit is still covered by apple care, battery has under 100 cycles on it. It should not be dead yet. The Apple Store refuses to replace the battery because the unit has suffered cosmetic damage. The battery is separate from the unit and should be treated as such. The computer works fine, I have typed this message on it, but it’s not very portable without a battery.

Help!

We’ve seen several MacBooks with the same chipped case and they all run fine. Escalate your complaint, possibly by bundling your request to Steve Jobs along with a “Get Well Soon!” card.

Has anyone else had Apple refuses valid warranty service because of a cosmetic issue?

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