Those affected with "Staingate" have already reached to a record of 1,477 MacBook owners. However, Apple's stand on the problem was seen to be not supportive, and the company is not going to cover the cost of replacement. Apple has yet to issue a statement about this.
There are already hundreds of MacBook Pro users complaining of being affected by "Staingate." This was reported a year ago by a user who told that weird stains began appearing on his MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Until now, the problem is still unsolved, and Apple is reportedly not responding about it.
It is said that the "Staingate" was due to an anti-reflective coating applied to MacBook Pro screens that is stripping away. Some said that it's the cause of acid excretions from the skin contaminating the keyboard and MacBook chassis.
Further, Apple's stand on the problem was observed to be not supportive. PC Pro cited Staingate.org saying that Apple is not going to cover the cost of replacement because it's a "cosmetic damage," which is "not covered by the warranty." At this time, the cost of the screen repair is estimated to be around $800, and comes with a three-month warranty. However, there were reports that the screen damage occurs within just seven months right after purchase.
Those affected with "Staingate" already reached to 1,477 people in Staingate.org's database, and 1,065 users in its Facebook Group. This shows that it's not a small problem. PC Pro asks, "Is it big enough for Apple to really respond to?"
Facebook user said in the Facebook Group:
"From Brazil... My Macbook Pro Retina 13 started to present some stains yesterday. I only clean the screen with the Apple black cloth, without pressure and no other product. I bought it last september at the US online Apple Store. I am very disappointed with how Apple is officially treating the problem."
Some said that the "Staingate" is caused by a lack of care to their MacBooks. However, it is believed as not to be the case because many people are experiencing similar problems in different degrees. When looking at the support forum, it reveals posts from users who cleaned their machines properly, such as applying freshwater and MacBook cloth, wiping their screens after every use, and avoiding screen protectors in case it worsens the issue. These imply that the users who posted in the forum take better care of their MacBooks than most do.
Apple was seen to be generally considerate when it is about consumer issues. The company even repairs or replaces MacBooks when problems encountered are not caused by the user. The company just repaired MacBook Pros having distorted or scrambled video problems. However, Apple claimed that only a "small percentage" of users were affected, even though 38,000 users had it. Further, the company reportedly took almost 4 years for them to solve the problem. PC Pro said, "with Staingate only having 1,477 cases registered, it could be a long battle for affected MacBook users."
PC Pro contacted Apple for comments but has not yet received any.
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