In response to the increasing number of MacBook and MacBook Pro users who have reported their laptop’s anti-reflective coating is wearing off, Apple has rolled out an internal ‘Quality Program’ that promises to replace the Retina displays for free within three years from the date the device was purchased, or one year from October 16, 2015, whichever is longer.
According to MacRumors, affected customers can visit an Apple authorized service provider or book an appointment with a Genius Bar to determine if their MacBook is eligible for coverage. Any customers who have already had repairs performed out of warranty may be reimbursed through AppleCare.
Reports of the anti-reflective coating bubbling and/or wearing off first started appearing in March, culminating in over 6000 affected users signing up to the ‘Staingate’ site and thousands of others signing a Change.org petition demanding Apple do something about the problem.
The issue has been attributed to a variety of reasons, ranging from the pressure of the MacBook keyboard and trackpad on the display when closed, to the use of incorrect third-party cleaning solutions with microfiber cloths. In most cases the problem is isolated to small areas of the screen, but there have been reports of it affecting the entire display.
Apple doesn’t appear to be going out of its way to make the program public; the company has not officially acknowledged its existence and there is no mention of it on Apple’s website. Apple is, however, contacting people who have reported the problem earlier in the year and were turned away.
