A judge has ruled that Apple must compensate Brazilian customers who recently bought an iPhone for selling the device without including a charger in the box, violating consumer law.
Apple’s decision to remove the charger from the box in 2020 has sparked controversy. Apple claimed the move was for environmental reasons, claiming the decision was equivalent to removing nearly 450,000 cars from the road every year.
Still, the move sparked some public and legal outcry. In the latest development, a judge in Brazil, who has long questioned Apple’s rationale for removing accessories, is forcing Apple to pay customers nearly $1,075 for a lack of chargers.According to reports Tekmon:
According to Article 39 of the Consumer Code (CDC), “tie sales” are an abusive and prohibited practice in Brazil, so separate sales of mobile phones and chargers are not allowed. As a result, Apple was sentenced after separately selling iPhone models and chargers to a consumer in the city of Goiania.
According to the results published by Judge Vanderlei Caires Pinheiro of the 6th Civil Court of Goiania, Apple must compensate consumers 5,000 reais for the “bundling” of the company’s devices.
Last year, Brazil fined Apple $2 million as punishment for violating consumer laws and disrespecting Brazilian customers, according to Fernando Capez, head of consumer group Procon-SP.
At one point, it seemed reasonable for Brazil to force Apple to include a charger in the box with every iPhone sold in the country. Procon-SP says the charger is an “important part” of the smartphone experience.
According to the consumer protection agency, Apple violated Brazilian consumer protection law by not providing one next to the device. Apple responded that many customers already had chargers installed in their homes, adding to the environmental benefits of removing the chargers and significantly reducing the overall footprint of the iPhone case.
