Apple laptop charger_Satisfactory Quality

order

I've purchased 6 chargers in 4 years from apple because they keep breaking. They are out of the stat warranty period, yet I feel they are obviously unsatisfactory quality, as perhaps they've not lasted a reasonable length of time.
Please can someone advise where I would stand with this issue, should I approach the store staff with this as a reason for full exchange or refund excuse that its not lasted a reasonable length of time? Won;t they just say but unfortunately its out of warranty so its not store procedure to exchange....or something along those lines.??

pulliptears

Let me guess, the wire frays at the point where the charger goes into the macbook?

We have 3 MacBooks here, 2 pro's and a standard white. Every one has now had the charger replaced at least once. Mine is covered in tape at the moment while I debate whether to buy a cheap unofficial charger or the £60 Apple one.

FWIW I believe its a design fault. My MacBook Pro doesn't move from the arm of the sofa, its rarely unplugged these days so there is no wear and tear to the charger. Of course, proving it is something else entirely.

Faith177

Mine only break when the cat chews throught it. On charger number 10 in 3 years now :eek: She seems to have learnt that anything with a white lead is going to cost Mummy & Daddy big bucks

I have heard of this happening though. As Pullip said you have to prove it's a design fault though

pulliptears

Faith177 wrote: »

Mine only break when the cat chews throught it. On charger number 10 in 3 years now :eek: She seems to have learnt that anything with a white lead is going to cost Mummy & Daddy big bucks

I have heard of this happening though. As Pullip said you have to prove it's a design fault though

I was stupid really, when I bought charger #2 from an Apple Store last year I should have saved the receipt and guarded it with my life, but stupidly I didn't and now I'm almost ready for #3 I can't do much other than curse myself.

It's a case of weighing up potential problems with the cheap ones (overheating, damaging internal components) with the cost of the genuine one but for now It can stay slathered in tape until it gives up entirely.

order

It does seem like people are really just doing nothing about perhaps a genuine fault, although that would include me!!!Are there any legal rights which as a consumer we are convered by, or it it a case or well apple's a massive company, prove their product has a fault then?????

Savvy_Sue

I'm just guessing here, because I don't have any Apple products personally, but would there be Apple forums anywhere on which, if this IS a regular problem, this issue would be raised? You'd also find out if anyone had been successful in getting a charger replaced out of warranty.

Carrot007

The old magafe connectors were a pain for doing this. I have been through several myself.

The new style connectors are fine.

The old style are no longer sold so if you have bought one it is a chinease knock of clone. I bought one myself but that was because it was 1/4 of the price of the official one.

IIRC they replaced them for the new style for people at the time who took them into a store (US only of course, we do not count over here) so they sort of did admit the old style were not great!

Look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagSafe and make sure you have been buying the L style ones!

pulliptears

Carrot007 wrote: »

The old magafe connectors were a pain for doing this. I have been through several myself.

The new style connectors are fine.

The old style are no longer sold so if you have bought one it is a chinease knock of clone. I bought one myself but that was because it was 1/4 of the price of the official one.

IIRC they replaced them for the new style for people at the time who took them into a store (US only of course, we do not count over here) so they sort of did admit the old style were not great!

Look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagSafe and make sure you have been buying the L style ones!

Mine is a new style connector. It's still frayed. D's had the new style too to replace his old style one and that also frayed.

Fosterdog

Mine has the new style, it hasn't frayed yet but the early signs are there, it's got the little bump in the wire casing.

I have to admit though I have had mine for just over a year and I have also got through three ethernet cables. Mine is constantly being moved around while plugged in and my dogs jump up and tangle themselves in the wires at least once a week wanting attention. Even when not plugged in I tend to leave the wire trailing on the floor or draped over the back of the sofa. The mac itself is well looked after but the cables are not.

I also had the same issue with my old windows laptop, it's the way I use them, I know it causes the damage but when it happens to every cable I keep attached the only link to the damage is my use of it.

On the other hand we have one windows laptop used as a desktop and never moved, the cable is completely in tact.

Although laptops/macbooks are portable devices they are designed to be run off the battery when they are moved around and used in a static position when plugged in, too many people use them off the mains as they move around.

somethingcorporate

3 chargers in the 3 years.

If you check the reviews on the genuine apple chargers they are as poor as the cheap knock-offs so would rather gamble on a £15 product than a £60 one.

pulliptears

somethingcorporate wrote: »

3 chargers in the 3 years.

If you check the reviews on the genuine apple chargers they are as poor as the cheap knock-offs so would rather gamble on a £15 product than a £60 one.

The problem is more with the fact the cheap ones can overheat, I've also heard stories of the cheaper chargers frying logic boards, which is all well and good if your machine is under Applecare but mine isn't.