Surface Pro 4 Bulging Battery / Screen. 3 1/2 years old.

Anonymous
2019-06-30T14:34:09+00:00

So, like many others on this forum, we have a Surface Pro 4, in which the battery has decided to self-destruct, destroying a £1,700 machine.

The screen hasn't popped off, but the battery has swollen enough to prevent the hinge from opening as it should and for the glass on the front to be very distorted, and it registers random screen input, all the while running hotter than the central heating.

I've spoken to support. They unhelpfully told me that because my warranty is up, I would have to pay several hundred pounds (£333) to replace the machine with a refurbished unit. To me, this is completely unacceptable. These devices are clearly flawed by design. This issue is too wide spread for it to be a coincidence. The batteries used in these devices are obviously flawed, and when I suggested as such, Sean L, the person dealing with my case, stopped responding (A few days after that, I wrote to Microsoft's twitter support who confirmed that the case had been closed. Thanks Sean L.)

If the device is dangerous (as suggested by the agent who I spoke to on the phone in the first instance) and it does catch fire while we are away this summer, and it subsequently burns down a multi-million pound Cambridge University building? What then, Microsoft? You'll wish you'd just replaced it then, won't you.

Surface | Surface Pro | Power and battery

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-03-11T13:53:19+00:00

    Your situation is identical to mine. I too was really happy with my Surface 4, it was everything I wanted and was still absolutely adequate for my needs, however, to be offered a replacement for $400 to fix an outdated machine suffering from a design defect was to say the least insulting.

    Obviously that would have been throwing good money after bad as there would be no guarantees that it would not happen again, so I bit the bullet and went to Dell, I got an XPS13 for a very reasonable price, it is a bit heavier than a Surface but is absolutely great and fits my needs perfectly. My only negative comment is its webcam leaves a lot to be desired when compared to the Surface but that is far outweighed by knowing that should if ever need a battery replacement it is a pretty simple operation.

    I'm afraid my days with Microsoft are done, and like you I will advise anyone who wants to listen to steer clear of Microsoft hardware because once you've bought it and the warranty runs out you are on your own. A very sad situation that this callous attitude should come from the company who started it all. How low they have sunk!

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-02-13T05:01:22+00:00

    Please post their comments. I believe that a class action may be in order

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-02-27T16:52:27+00:00

    I have the same problem and just got off the phone with support who offered a refurbished Surface Pro4 for $450. Ridiculous!

    I have had several ipads across multiple generations and everyone of them still works. 

    Why would I pay hundreds of dollars to get another faulty used machine from MS. Definitely not worth it. It was the last straw to push me to Mac ecosystem.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-10-20T18:25:29+00:00

    I have a Surface Pro with exactly the same issue and live in an area where there is no store to take it to.  Very disappointed as this is supposed to be a higher end product and from what I am seeing here in this thread of conversations, not very good customer service for a problem that is obviously a frequent issue.

    I have not had this problem with any other product (older and with more use than my surface!) 

    Very disappointed with Microsoft...makes chromebooks and others look much more appealing considering cost / replacement etc.

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-09-24T13:14:52+00:00

    Hi All

    I contacted Microsoft support, my unit is also out of warranty. They promptly and without any arguing advised a scheme was in place to replace any device with this defect less than 3 years old and I have received the tracking number of my replacement unit which I should receive tomorrow.

    With regard to the defective unit Ive been advised to dispose of it, they do not require it back.

    Sound good, lets see what arrives tomorrow.

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