My Theory on the Surface Book 2 Chronic Design Attaching and Detaching Issue
As a once-loyal Microsoft fan, I couldn't wait to experience the cutting-edge Surface Book 2 when I purchased it in November 2017. I was looking forward to experiencing the powerful graphics card that the laptop base provided with the versatility of detaching the screen from the base and using it as a tablet. It seemed too good to be true for this piece of technology. My experience turned out to be a complete nightmare. Throughout this ordeal: I used the laptop without issues for about 1 year. Besides the original purchasing price of $2,163.92, I spent another $599 on an Out of Warranty Exchange, but received a faulty laptop that displayed the SAME EXACT issue after only three weeks of use. Malfunctioning attaching and detaching screen from keyboard base. I was indirectly accused of tampering with an in-warranty laptop and losing warranty privileges. I lost countless hours dealing with technical resources for troubleshooting steps and customer service resources through a total number of 7 different cases. I felt like a fool on numerous occasions while trying to explain my situation and find a reasonable solution. I felt neglected and powerless throughout the process. I believe the Surface Book 2 has a chronic design flaw around its functionality of attaching and detaching the screen from the keyboard base, and after reading testimonies about similar issues, I decided to share my story. The year was 2019 and it was just a little over a year after I purchased my Surface Book 2. Slowly but surely, I started experiencing screen/keyboard base attaching and detaching issues. With frustration growing, I watched as my laptop became virtually useless in less than 2 years from purchasing. The base stopped working completely and I couldn’t re-attach the screen anymore. This was now 2020, but the nightmare was far from over. After another year of using just the screen of my laptop (essentially a $2,000 tablet with no graphics power, as the base holding the G-Force GPU was useless), I contacted Microsoft about the issue in 2022, and I was told that a repair was impossible. My only options were to either discard my $2,000 laptop or pay a $599 fee for a replacement. Desperate to have a functioning device, I opted for the replacement because the graphics card was still current and if this time the laptop would be functioning, I could use it for another 5 years. With utmost trust in Microsoft, I naively believed that the new laptop would be free from any issues. But, to my disbelief, the new laptop malfunctioned within two-three weeks of receiving it! I spent endless hours reaching out to Microsoft, providing all the necessary documentation for a warranty-covered exchange of this second Surface Book 2. However, their response was a huge slap in the face. They returned my device, stating that it couldn't be exchanged because a mysterious damage I caused wasn't covered under their standard limited warranty. In my continuing pursuit of justice, I escalated my case, only for Microsoft to “softly” accuse me of tampering with the device and removing parts of the motherboard. The absurdity of the situation didn't end there. This accusation implied I wasn't just lying, but that I was downright stupid – who in their right mind would open a glued sealed laptop under warranty to fix it themselves? It is even worse if this is true, that the laptop is missing components from the motherboard, because that would mean Microsoft sent me a laptop missing components from the motherboard when I signed up for the $599 Out of Warranty Exchange. While I received X-ray "evidence" showing missing parts (which I can't fully understand), there is no evidence that Microsoft shipped it with those parts in the first place. As a result, I am left with a malfunctioning $2,000 laptop that Microsoft refuses to acknowledge or take responsibility for. Microsoft should have been liable, perhaps with a recall, for the chronic design issue that's affecting numerous Surface Book 2 units. My trust in Microsoft has been severely damaged, and I feel utterly neglected by the company I once admired. My nightmare serves as a warning, urging others to think twice before buying this product that may lead to similar frustrations. Hopefully, sharing my story will encourage those in similar situations to raise their voices as well. United, we can demand justice and hold corporations accountable for selling faulty products and providing inadequate support.