#Staingate: MacBook Retina To Be Replaced By Apple For Free? Owners Of Defective Macs Confirm Claims

By Staff Reporter

Oct 20, 2015 09:34 AM EDT

MacBook Retina displays that are overworn or have some slight discoloration may be repaired by Apple for free according to recent reports.

According to Information Week, Apple has finally started dealing with the issue after reports emerged saying that their Retina Display is experiencing failure of the anti-reflective coating on some of its MacBook laptops.

In what the community calls "Staingate," the issue involves the wearing off or delaminating of the protective coating on the laptop's display.

"The stains can start as early as 7 months after the purchase," a community website dedicated to the issue stated. "There is no clear pattern as to how it starts: some experience it in small spots around the edge, on other screens it appears in the middle as large patches."

In a related report by Mashable, if your MacBook does experience these problems, there's a good chance that Apple may replace it. The company quietly launched a program that will replace affected laptops absolutely for free.

However, if you want to avail this service, your laptop must count one year from Oct. 16, 2015 or three years from the date of original purchase.

The MacBook Retina display issue was reported to start as early as seven months after purchase and can manifest either as small spots or even very large patches, or both on the screen's edge and across the middle.

Macworld also added that though Apple was reported to be replacing defective MacBooks, it has yet to publish a support document to its website regarding the replacement program.

However, some users in a Facebook group confirmed the reports and claimed that Apple representatives have told them that the coating issues will be repaired free of charge.

If ever you experience these Retina problems on your display, it is highly advised that you contact your nearest Apple store and set up a repair. In addition, you can also take your defective MacBook to the Genius Bar or to any Apple authorized service center.