Regulators in the Brazilian state of São Paulo on Friday filed a fine of nearly $ 2 million for Apple for not including chargers inside the iPhone 12 boxes, according to 9to5Mac and a Google translation of a report from Brazilian Technology News Agency Tilt.
The consumer protection agency Procon-SP also accused Apple of making misleading advertisements, refusing to repair faulty devices, and maintaining unfair contract terms with consumers.
Starting with its iPhone 12 series, Apple announced it was the scraping of the wall charger and earbuds that were usually put together with previous iPhones to reduce electronic waste, with reference to the environmental issues. At that point, critics argued, Apple’s decision had more to do with reducing shipping costs than saving the planet, and any impact on the environment would likely be minimal.
Procon-SP asked Apple if it would lower the price of the iPhone 12 because it was not paired with a charger, but the agency said it never received a response, reports 9to5Mac. In addition to the charger debacle, Apple has accused it of refusing to repair devices that are not as water-resistant as advertised, and of not helping customers who are experiencing ‘some feature issues’ on their iPhones. Procon-SP also claims that Apple’s contract terms are too broad and that Apple protects against liability, even if the devices appear to have hidden defects, according to the outlet.
‘Apple needs to understand that there are laws and regulations for consumer protection in Brazil. It must respect these laws and these institutions, ”said the agency’s executive director, Fernando Capez.
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Apple did not immediately respond to a request from Gizmodo for comment, but we will certainly update this blog. It still has the option to appeal against this decision by the Brazilian court system. Honestly, it’s probably easier for Apple to just transfer the cash and not even bother with it. $ 2 million dollars is a drop in the bucket if you earn more than $ 100 billion, with a b, in revenue as Apple made in the first quarter of 2021 alone.