I have been a MacBook user for the past 6–7 years. Having used 4–5 different MacBook models over these years, I never encountered any noticeable issue neither in hardware nor in software. This led me to believe that this machine was indestructible. Implanting such a strong belief for a product in a customer’s mind is very powerful. I had a sense of fulfilment to see the price I paid for these laptops justified.

One fine morning, I was using my MacBook Pro Retina late 2013 edition when it abruptly shut down. I guessed the battery must have exhausted. But when I tried plugging in the charger, nothing happened. Even the small orange/green led didn’t glow. Such an abrupt behaviour shocked me. Fortunately I had an office MacBook Air which kept me going with minimal interruptions and enabled me in preliminary research on how to fix this problem. Seeing crisp & well documented DIY support sections and active forums, I was somewhat relieved and relaxed in the hope of finding a solution online. But as the list of possible solutions shrank, my sense of fulfilment faded. It was an attack on my belief. I couldn’t come to terms with this. I visited a nearby Apple authorised service center to get the expert opinion. But they demanded 30 USD just to inspect the laptop. Moreover, they indicated an outrageous possibility that I might have to get a replacement motherboard which costs around 675 USD in India along with few other probable solutions none of which cost less than 150 USD. This news betrayed my trust in MacBook pro product line.

Having a spare MacBook helped in getting by for a few months but then a friend suggested a local repair center (not authorised by Apple). I was suspecting an issue with the battery itself as the Mac was neither charging nor switching on. But this repair shop found the culprit after 30 min of inspection. It was a faulty diode. I got it replaced in 45 USD in 1 hour.

Problem solved. Publishing this post from the same MacBook :)

TLDR; MacBook Pro Retina stopped working abruptly. Apple service center demanded 30 USD just for inspection and hinted motherboard replacement worth 675 USD. Got the MacBook repaired in 45 USD from a local repair center.