Apple has received a $6.6 million fine (Aus $9 million) from a court in Australia after it caused some iPhones and iPods to fail after an update, if the devices had been repaired by third parties. Apple is reported to have admitted that it told at least 275 consumers between February 2015 and a year later that customers were no longer eligible for any remedy, after their phones were ‘bricked’ because of the repairs.
ACCC commissioner, Sarah Court, said in a statement:
“If a product is faulty, customers are legally entitled to a repair or a replacement under the Australian Consumer Law, and sometimes even a refund. Apple’s representations led customers to believe they’d be denied a remedy for their faulty device because they used a third party repairer. The Court declared the mere fact that an iPhone or iPad had been repaired by someone other than Apple did not, and could not, result in the consumer guarantees ceasing to apply, or the consumer’s right to a remedy being extinguished.”
Up to 5,000 consumers were contacted by Apple in an outreach programme after the company was notified about the investigation.
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