Roger Fingas
Apple employees have declined to sign a notification requiring them to tell Brazilian iPhone owners how they can get discounted battery replacements, according to a state agency.
The company has 10 days to provide the information, Sao Paulo's Procon-SP explained to Reuters. The agency didn't say what penalties might apply, but it could impose fines and/or recommend legal action.
Apple recently lowered the out-of-warranty cost for iPhone battery replacements from $79 to $29 in response to controversy over its throttling of iPhones with weak batteries. The company is facing a multitude of lawsuits, often claiming that intentionally or otherwise, its policy pushes people towards buying new iPhones.
Apple has maintained that the throttling is necessary to prevent sudden shutdowns that could damage electronics, and even promised to use the technology on more devices.
The cheaper batteries are available to anyone with an iPhone 6 or later, regardless of the condition of their current hardware, but only through December of this year.
Christine McKee
Thomas Sibilly
Marko Zivkovic
8 Comments
I have no idea what this means.
They probably walked into an Apple store in Rio and asked a manager to sign something, to which they promptly said "Não".
From the Reuters link:
"Procon-SP, an agency in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s richest and most populous, said in a statement it notified Apple that it has 10 days to provide the information.
The agency said Apple employees refused to sign the notification, but Procon considered the company notified."
Huh?
I just asked an employee of Apple authorized repair shop here yesterday could I get a battery replacement for my wife's iPhone 6 for announced reduced price & he said sure. And this is in SE Asia.
So add me to the group of "no idea what this mean".