Ongoing crashing and power issues (late 2011 MBP)

Question

Hi everyone,
I'm having some really irritating ongoing issues with my 15" unibody MBP, which I purchased new from Apple in Dec 2011. All okay 'til now apart from a hard drive replacement in May when the other one suddenly died (no reason given).
What's happening is that I will be doing some low key activity - internet etc (not overheating nor fans on) - and it will suddenly switch off in a second, almost like it's short circuited. Nothing like the kind of delayed, slow shut down when running out of battery, just a ping without a 'ping'. It then won't respond to being turned on via power button, the battery lights on the side won't light up, and the magsafe light is also off and not charging. This has happened four times now.
1) First time (late June), I was watching a video on the net, mbp plugged in at wall, at least 80-100% charged. Went to connect my iphone via usb, got as far as plugging the usb (unattached to iphone) and it went off immediately. No response as above to anything. Took it to the Apple store the next day, no response to being plugged in there so they theorised that it was the logic board and took it in overnight. The next day I get a phone call from one of the techies backstage saying he'd gone to plug it in and after about 20 mins it began to charge up fine, albeit completely drained of battery. He said he'd done a hardware test etc and everything appeared fine. So I went to get pick it up, they replaced the magsafe saying that must have been the source.
2) Less than a week later, it happens again, this time nothing attached to the usb, and as far as I know before it shut off, charged/charging in wall. No response for at least a day at home of me trying it in various power outlets etc. Just dead to the world. I take it to the genius bar the next day, they plug it in with one of their chargers and it lights up immediately, once again saying it'd been fully drained of power. Again they do a hardware test in front of me, show me everything is fine. This time they replace the plug end of my charger and send me off.
3) Two weeks later (last Monday 9th), I go in to my room and find it on my desk dead to the world. Plugged in, this time in a different house (so no chance of faulty wiring in walls of first). I can see a dim flickering light in magsafe but not enough to charge it, it seems. Won't respond to my attempts to turn on nor plug in around the house. On Thursday its still unresponsive, so I travel 2 hours on the train to my nearest Apple store, only for it to light up soon as they plug it in at the bar, and once again 0% battery. Guy tells me that it'll be my SMC 'getting confused' because I don't shut it down enough (I mostly let it sleep). He says it starts working again after 2 days because the SMC must be resetting itself somehow in its hibernation (?????). I take it home, start making a conscious effort to shut it down once or twice a day when I know I won't be using it. I also installed the recent OS and firmware updates.
4) Saturday night (tonight 14th). On the internet in bed with phone plugged in via USB, I unplug phone on phone end and it happens again. I can't turn it on, dim green flickering in magsafe, no lights on side of mac.
I honestly can't afford the money nor the time to keep travelling to Exeter only for it to charge soon as I put it down (magic touch of the apple store circuitry/staff I guess).
I can't reset the SMC as it won't turn on either way - I've tried this every time its happened, under the direction of applecare phone support and it doesn't do anything for a dead machine. Along with all the other keyboard combos they suggest. The only thing that 'cures' it is 2 or 3 days of being completely unresponsive, and then spontaneously deciding to charge like nothings happened beyond a battery drain, usually in the store.
What can I do? Whenever I go to the Apple store it works fine and I look like an idiot, plus they checked the hardware (incl the logic board) the first time. Could they have missed something? I spent so much money on this thing, I almost feel like I've been given a dud and they don't believe me enough to replace it.
TIA,
Thomasyn

Answer 1

You've documented your symptoms pretty well - put it in a document and present it to the Apple Store 'genius'. I would  insist on a logic board replacement and a battery replacement. I feel as if you have a dud as well (the hard drive dying so soon, the problems you're describing, etc.). Apple will have a log of your AppleCare calls so make them frequently.
Before going back to the store, call AppleCare again with your symptoms so that they can document them. Let them make your appointment at the Apple Store.
Good luck,
Clinton