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Apple Still Offering Free Delayed Battery Repairs for Some 2012 and Early 2013 MacBook Pros
If you own a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display released in Mid 2012 or Early 2013, and your notebook qualifies for battery service, the repair should be free if you are willing to wait for around one month.
Apple has advised Genius Bar employees and Apple Authorized Service Providers to offer these customers a free battery repair if they are willing to wait until at least November 15 for the service to be completed.
Apple has offered this option since August 25 due to a continued shortage of the aluminum enclosure that the battery is glued into on the aforementioned MacBook Pro models, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors.
Top case with glued-in battery for Mid 2012 15-inch MacBook Pro via iFixit
If a customer does not wish to delay the repair, Apple says that standard out-of-warranty prices for battery service apply: $199 in the United States, £199 in the United Kingdom, $289 in Australia, or $259 in Canada.
The policy doesn't apply to any other Mac, including the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 12-inch MacBook, MacBook Air, or models without Retina displays.
To check if your qualifying MacBook Pro needs battery service, click on the Apple logo in the menu bar. Then, click on About This Mac > System Report > Power. In the Health Information section, the condition should say "Service Battery."
Apple will confirm if the MacBook Pro qualifies for battery service by performing a diagnostic test at the Genius Bar at most Apple Stores. Repairs are allowed for failed, consumed, and swollen batteries.
Apple is no longer offering customers the option to exchange their MacBook Pro for a functionally equivalent model, as it did for repairs initiated between March 2 and July 25 due to the same part shortage.
During that time, many customers were able to exchange a 2012 MacBook Pro for a much newer model, such as a maxed-out refurbished 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, for just the cost of an out-of-warranty battery repair.
Update: There's been some confusion about Apple's battery replacement options in the forums. There is no official repair program or free replacement policy for 15-inch MacBook Pro batteries.
Apple will let you pay to replace a faulty battery in any MacBook Pro, but because of part constraints for 15-inch MacBook Pro models, some users have been offered a free replacement due to the wait. It appears some users have been able to successfully get a free battery replacement while others have not, so though Genius Bar employees have been advised to offer free battery repairs in situations where parts are constrained, some Apple Stores may not provide the option.
Apple has advised Genius Bar employees and Apple Authorized Service Providers to offer these customers a free battery repair if they are willing to wait until at least November 15 for the service to be completed.
Apple has offered this option since August 25 due to a continued shortage of the aluminum enclosure that the battery is glued into on the aforementioned MacBook Pro models, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors.
If a customer does not wish to delay the repair, Apple says that standard out-of-warranty prices for battery service apply: $199 in the United States, £199 in the United Kingdom, $289 in Australia, or $259 in Canada.
The policy doesn't apply to any other Mac, including the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 12-inch MacBook, MacBook Air, or models without Retina displays.
To check if your qualifying MacBook Pro needs battery service, click on the Apple logo in the menu bar. Then, click on About This Mac > System Report > Power. In the Health Information section, the condition should say "Service Battery."
Apple will confirm if the MacBook Pro qualifies for battery service by performing a diagnostic test at the Genius Bar at most Apple Stores. Repairs are allowed for failed, consumed, and swollen batteries.
Apple is no longer offering customers the option to exchange their MacBook Pro for a functionally equivalent model, as it did for repairs initiated between March 2 and July 25 due to the same part shortage.
During that time, many customers were able to exchange a 2012 MacBook Pro for a much newer model, such as a maxed-out refurbished 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, for just the cost of an out-of-warranty battery repair.
Update: There's been some confusion about Apple's battery replacement options in the forums. There is no official repair program or free replacement policy for 15-inch MacBook Pro batteries.
Apple will let you pay to replace a faulty battery in any MacBook Pro, but because of part constraints for 15-inch MacBook Pro models, some users have been offered a free replacement due to the wait. It appears some users have been able to successfully get a free battery replacement while others have not, so though Genius Bar employees have been advised to offer free battery repairs in situations where parts are constrained, some Apple Stores may not provide the option.
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[ 148 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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27 weeks ago
I'd like to see Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, and Asus give the same kind of service... Just sayin
27 weeks ago
My 2011 17" is irreplaceable. I damn sure would NOT want a TB MBP to replace it.
Coincidentally, after 6 years I just replaced the battery with a OWC Newer Tech one.
So, it'll keep my baby alive that much longer. SSD prices are coming down too, so that'll be next: 2 SSDs in RAID 0. I'd already maxed RAM out.
Can't do ANY of this, on ANY portable Mac, since 2012.
SAD.
Coincidentally, after 6 years I just replaced the battery with a OWC Newer Tech one.
So, it'll keep my baby alive that much longer. SSD prices are coming down too, so that'll be next: 2 SSDs in RAID 0. I'd already maxed RAM out.
Can't do ANY of this, on ANY portable Mac, since 2012.
SAD.
27 weeks ago
I'd like to see Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, and Asus give the same kind of service... Just sayin
Well actually they do if it's their fault. Remember Samsung last year with the Note 7? As I recall they took all the phones back...
22 weeks ago
Happy 15th of November! Batteries and top cases should be in stock today. Has anyone dropped off their Macbook for repair today?
I have an appointment tomorrow, will update after.
27 weeks ago
Well actually they do if it's their fault. Remember Samsung last year with the Note 7? As I recall they took all the phones back...
As I recall, there aren’t many exploding laptops about — and if there were, any company would replace them for fear of fallout.
Big difference between battery failures/expanding on 5 year old batteries in a laptop and phones smouldering. Also worth considering that most OEMs class batteries in laptops as consumable items, which means the battery is only covered for 1 year, even if the computer itself has an extended warranty.
26 weeks ago
[doublepost=1508273307][/doublepost]The Apple store in Tampa international plaza first informed me that they were unaware of the issue and refused to replace based on the issue. They claim to know nothing about the Nov date for no charge replacements. I have a mid2012 16g x 1TB, purchased other laptops, iPhones, ipads and iPods from the original classic iPod. I've been told they can't do anything for me and to not go by what MacRumors reports. I'm looking forward to knowing where MacRumors is getting their info.
I just heard back from the store who now says that the part is not available and if I wait til Nov 15th (as reported by MacRumors), there will be no charge.
27 weeks ago
Apple learned from the last time. Terrible how dishonest a lot of persons were buying broken MBPs off Ebay just to get the free exchange.
That's not dishonest, it's called smart.
27 weeks ago
I'd like to see Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, and Asus give the same kind of service... Just sayin
Well, you never had one of those good old Thinkpads when they were still made by IBM. Extended warranty covered worldwide on-site repair within 48 hours, so when I was on a business trip I would just call them and a service technician came to my hotel room and swapped the display. I remember another occasion when some IBM guy came to my office with a display driver CD (that was before all those things could be downloaded) because I had troubles getting OS/2 running properly.
All that came for about 250 USD, covering 4 years if I remember right.
27 weeks ago
I may not be a big fan of the current Apple product mix at the moment but you can't take anything away from their service policies. I brought a Mac Pro (2103 "Trash Can") into one of our local Apple Stores on the final day of it's extended Applecare warranty period. It would occasionally show some graphic artifacting: flickering squares on one of two monitors, only when two or more monitors were connected. It wasn't an easy problem to reproduce but it was indicative of a VRAM issue. Not only did they accept the machine for diagnosis, they took over a week to reproduce the issue and then replaced not only one of the D700 video cards but also the motherboard. All covered, no questions asked.
I don't think any other manufacturer would have spent so much time attempting to reproduce a subtle issue under warranty. I may no longer be in Apple's target market (I just built an absolutely screaming fast Threadripper 1950X / 1080Ti-based system for OpenCV-based image analysis) but I'll never speak ill of Apple's service.
I don't think any other manufacturer would have spent so much time attempting to reproduce a subtle issue under warranty. I may no longer be in Apple's target market (I just built an absolutely screaming fast Threadripper 1950X / 1080Ti-based system for OpenCV-based image analysis) but I'll never speak ill of Apple's service.
27 weeks ago
As I recall, there aren’t many exploding laptops about — and if there were, any company would replace them for fear of fallout.
Big difference between battery failures/expanding on 5 year old batteries in a laptop and phones smouldering. Also worth considering that most OEMs class batteries in laptops as consumable items, which means the battery is only covered for 1 year, even if the computer itself has an extended warranty.
I was reacting to the remark:
"I'd like to see Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, and Asus give the same kind of service... Just sayin".
I just said that they do if it is their fault. A faulty battery is a faulty battery. Exploding now or failing a few years later.
Another example: Microsoft extended the 'red ring' warranty for the Xbox to three years and later extended it even more (this was in 2009). So my reaction still stands: They do if it is their fault.
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