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Surface Pro 4 Known issue - advice


aj84
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Hi all,

 

Not sure if this is meant to be on the online retailers as it was bought from Microsoft online but the online area seem to be more for eBay and Paypal issues.

 

The issue at hand is this:

Early 2016 I purchased a Surface Pro 4 specced fairly high (i7/256gb ssd/16gb ram). On the whole, it's been ok - there have been the various bugs that MS have been fairly quick to resolve and overall what I wanted has been ticked - a tablet style laptop without all the restriction of performance.

 

Fast forward to December 2017 and the screen startedto play up. At this point I will say the laptop is in near new condition. It's always been in a case when "parked" and when used, it's on a desk at work in a non food/drink environment so not much to go wrong. And despite it being a tablet, I rarely actually use the touch screen functionality.

 

Issue with the screen is crazy flickering/shaking. I ignored it initially thinking it was software related but having done a full reinstall and drivers etc, it was still happening.

2 days ago, it got worse...to the point that it became unusable.

 

So I looked on the forums etc and to my suprise, it's become so well known, there is a dedicated website - no other than flickergate.com

Every single example on there is the same as mine and they claim around 1600+ customers have signed to say they suffer from it too.

 

The general consensus is it happens generally after the 12 month warranty MS supplies and is most likley heat related.

Sure enough mine has started to warm up a fair bit - especially the screen.

As this is a sealed unit, not much can be done to keep the fans clean apart from a blast of air but I suspect this is not the issue as the fans rarely kick in when the screen starts to flicker.

 

So why am I here?

Well it turned out I had purchased extended cover on this and so it will most likely be a swap out and everyones happy....or are they.

 

a large number of people have stated the replacement units are also doing this - some immediately and some after a while.

With the cover running out at the end of Feb, that does not leave me with confidence.

 

So given:

1. This is a known issue though MS refuse to accept this

2. A replacement in my case will be given but will most likely have the same issue either soon or later on in it's life

3. There is no current fix as this is hardware related and most likely to do with the design

 

What are the options?

Surface Pro's are not cheap and this was a £1500 unit + the cover at £150 - Am I looking at potential hell should the replacement die after March when the warranty ends?

 

PS: This was paid on credit card.

Appreciate there is the consumer rights especially as this was purchased after the consumer rights act was launched but surely this can't be the only way?

 

I'm not sure what I am asking for really - just advice on what one should do if the problem at hand has no fix and so this could be a vicious circle until warranty ends at which point I have a £1500 brick

 

Is there an option in law in the case of the above 3 points to not get a replacement but get a pay out instead? Obviously not the £1500 ...

 

Thanks all

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yes under cra they are allowed to repair it

if that fails that you are entitlted to a refund minus sum for time of ownership.

 

your credit card company are equally liable under section 75 of the CCA

please don't hit Quote...just type we know what we said earlier..

DCA's view debtors as suckers, marks and mugs

NO DCA has ANY legal powers whatsoever on ANY debt no matter what it's Type

and they

are NOT and can NEVER  be BAILIFFS. even if a debt has been to court..

If everyone stopped blindly paying DCA's Tomorrow, their industry would collapse overnight... 

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Thanks dx100uk - when you say repair, I think Microsoft by default will replace the unit.

I assume this is counted as a repair too - ie: should the replacement fail in x days/months, can I still claim a refund - sum of time of ownership?

 

Also how long would one expect a repair/replacement to last before the above can be actioned?

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when/if it fails.

you will still be covered by CRA

 

warranties/guarantee has NOWT to do with anything

doesn't remove your statutory rights under CRA/SOGA [WAS]

please don't hit Quote...just type we know what we said earlier..

DCA's view debtors as suckers, marks and mugs

NO DCA has ANY legal powers whatsoever on ANY debt no matter what it's Type

and they

are NOT and can NEVER  be BAILIFFS. even if a debt has been to court..

If everyone stopped blindly paying DCA's Tomorrow, their industry would collapse overnight... 

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Yup- it is indeed a replacement but confirmed by Microsoft, a refurbished unit.

As MS are not accepting the 1600+ customers on flickergate.com and 130 pages of complaints on their own forum: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfpro4-surfdrivers/surface-pro-4-screen-flickering-shacking/570165cb-50a0-4d71-bcb1-310ddd869d1d?messageId=31e1df1d-0a1a-4c96-9ed5-f1b71b880d12

 

The refurb unit will most likely face the same issue sooner or later - most likely once the warranty is over.

 

Currently as it stands:

Credit card has £1400 being held by Microsoft for an "advanced replacement service"

My current unit is now unusable and has been since the 18th

The replacement unit is somewhere in the UPS network because Microsoft gave them the wrong postcode (one that is 50 miles away) despite the correct one being the same one the original unit was posted to when I purchased it.

 

Why do we trust our hard earned cash with these companies!?

 

Most likely assuming the replacement is functional, I will sell it - I am moments from purchasing a Dell - a company I've had a few issues with in the past but nothing that did not get sorted wiith common-sense prevailing.

Microsoft I feel will not resolve this because as it stands, they will not accept what is clearly becoming an epidemic with Surface 4 units.

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