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
    2021-03-23T00:50:11+00:00

    Seems like there's not much point for me to contact microsoft support.

    Same issue with my Surface Pro 4. Bought it in 2017 so can't use the 3 year replacement scheme. Battery has overheated and is bulging. Screen has deformed so much that my type cover doesn't close properly. Took it to the local computer repair store and the guy said it's a fire hazard.

    By all means take this up with Microsoft. They are passing this issue up as a customer missuse problem, whereas there have been a number of software updates which were meant to fix the problem of overcharging the battery, which simply did not work. Its a huge design flaw, which Microsoft need to be made accountable. Depending on where you live there may be an opportunity to join a class action against Microsoft peddling unsafe, and unfit for purpose computer equipment. They are currently selling units all across the surface range which may have the same design flaws, ie. unserviceable sealed lithium balleries which are not designed for desktop replacement, however these are being currently marketed by Microsoft for that very purpose. As these units are prone to this fault of overheating batteries, they should be banned by all major airlines as an item that is not fit to be used while travelling on airplanes, whether for business or for personal travel. There have benn many other large corporations that have acted ethically, and withdrawn or recalled their faulty products before someone gets hurt due to hightened risk of exploding battery. I can see the headlines now, when a planes flightplan has been compromised due to a battery incident while inflight. And still Microsoft think that they are above the law, in ignoring the cries for help from their loyal customer base.

    ******** DO NOT EVER BUY MICROSOFT HARDWARE AGAIN, EVER *******

    Spread the word....

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-03-23T00:11:02+00:00

    Seems like there's not much point for me to contact microsoft support.

    Same issue with my Surface Pro 4. Bought it in 2017 so can't use the 3 year replacement scheme. Battery has overheated and is bulging. Screen has deformed so much that my type cover doesn't close properly. Took it to the local computer repair store and the guy said it's a fire hazard.

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-03-16T02:30:51+00:00

    It costs a hell of a lot less to maintain a good reputation than it does to repair a bad one.

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  4. Anonymous
    2021-03-15T22:14:24+00:00

    It's just a stupid way to deal with a product defect. Surface is a premium and super expensive product. Especially Surface Pro 4, which was such a flagship product when it came out. They should be offering an upgrade at wholesale prices to one of the latest Surface products, or a free replacement because it's clearly a product defect! Taking one of those options keeps a customer happy, rather than sending them  off thinking not only will they avoid Microsoft products and services in the future, but will actively tell others about their very crummy experience. If you want a garentee way of lowering the share price this is the way to achieve that. It's the old sales and marketing addage, if you do the right thing by a customer they will tell two people about how good you product, service or company is, but if you do the wrong thing they are likely to tell 20 people how bad you are, pretty easy math. I agree I'm super disappointed with this crummy approach.

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  5. Anonymous
    2021-03-15T15:06:47+00:00

    The exact same thing just happened to my Surface Pro 4 and I got the exact same response from MIcrosoft customer service.  They said I could get a refurbished one for $450 but a new one is not much more so they clearly want you to simply throw away your defective surface.   Plus, you have to send back the defective device and then wait a week or two to get the refurbished one.   Clearly this is terrible customer service and I resent it since I lived in Seattle and have been with them since their beginning. This is clearly a design defect that they are not willing to acknowledge or take care of.

    I am very dissapointed and seriously thinking of switching to the Apple ecosystem as the rest of my family has.

    RR

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