Apple who loves to brag as to how good their gear is, has been accused of failing to address the issue after uses went online to report “horrific stains” spreading across screens, in the forms of spots and patches.
Apple who uses Sharp and LG to manufacture their display screens has already replaced several display screens on MacBook’s however thousands are claiming that they still have problems with lawyers now setting up web pages with a view to starting a class action.
Phi Chong, a software engineer, told the BBC he has had to replace his screen twice in the last two years. He said he had been told Apple would not carry out further screen repairs.
Apple claims that Australians facing the problem should contact its Apple support centre.
Users who have been affected are concerned they will face expensive service fees once their warranties and/or extended AppleCare protection plans expire.
“My last screen replacement had its anti-reflective coating start peeling off within a month,” said Phi Chong.
“I’m worried it will start peeling again after my AppleCare has expired.”
A website called “Staingate” has been set up by a group unhappy with Apple’s response.
Some Apple MacBook owners have been told they will have to pay $800 for repair work, the Staingate website states.
A Facebook group formed by people experiencing problems with their MacBook screens has 1,752 members, and Staingate claims to have been contacted by more than 2,500 people so far.
US legal firm Whitfield Bryson & Mason has contacted the Facebook group offering to investigate and potentially set up a class action legal case to take on Apple.
The group has also set up a petition on the Change.org website which asks Apple chief executive Tim Cook to “take immediate action” to address the issue.
Some people say problems with the screen can start appearing within a few months of purchasing the laptops, with the 13in (33cm) display screen.
While many people on the Facebook page are reporting that Apple stores around the world – including in Australia and New Zealand – are agreeing to carry out free screen repairs outside the warranty period, others said they had been told it was “cosmetic damage”, which is not usually covered.
Apple has not confirmed whether there is an issue with the screens, or what might be causing the damage.
Its 2013 models seem to be worst affected, but there are online forums discussing the problem dating back to 2009.
“Customers who experience problems with their Apple products should contact AppleCare,” a spokesperson for Apple said.
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