If Apple replaced your iPhone or Mac, expect an email about a class action settlement

Administrators of Apple's $95 million settlement over the definition of refurbished replacement devices is now contacting customers who may be eligible for a payout.

Back in 2021, Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that it offered refurbished replacement devices that were not "equivalent to new in performance and reliability."

Recently, the website for the "Replacement Device Lawsuit" has been updated and case administrators have begun contacting potential class members who could be eligible for a payment.

Customers who purchased AppleCare or AppleCare+ for an iPhone and iPad on or after July 20, 2012 and received a refurbished replacement device could be included in the class.

The lawsuit originated in 2016, when claimants alleged that refurbished or remanufactured devices offered by Apple as replacements were not functionally the same as new products. The complaint alleged that replacement devices were "secondhand unit[s] that [have] been modified to appear to be new."

Apple has agreed to settlement the lawsuit with a $95 million payment, but did not publicly admit to any wrongdoing. It still denies that refurbished devices are somehow inferior to new products.

Although the settlement has received preliminary approval, a final hearing is slated for April 27, 2022. Class members won't be able to receive any payments before then.

12 Comments

Fred257 5 Years · 259 comments

About 2 years ago

I remember when Apple was going to replace my battery in my iPhone SE. They came back from the back room and said that they destroyed my phone. They supposed gave me a new phone but the camera was nowhere near as good at taking photos as my other phone. I believe they gave me an inferior product. Hopefully I see some money out of this

Roderikus 3 Years · 56 comments

This evil business practice - when this story s right - makes me puke

badmonk 11 Years · 1336 comments

I usually buy only refurbished Macs and I have gotten replacement iPhones in the past and I have to say they have been great for me, I think they have been rigorously tested, maybe more than the standard production units?

In fact the only “lemon” Mac I have purchased in multiple decades and more than two dozen Macs, was new and not refurbished.

In all cases the refurbished units have looked indistinguishable from new.

I thought we were suppose to be environmentally conscious and not generate more e-waste than we have to.

shamino 17 Years · 541 comments

Fred257 said:

I remember when Apple was going to replace my battery in my iPhone SE. They came back from the back room and said that they destroyed my phone. They supposed gave me a new phone but the camera was nowhere near as good at taking photos as my other phone. I believe they gave me an inferior product. Hopefully I see some money out of this

Good luck. With class action lawsuits, the lawyers typically get most of the money. Maybe you'll get $5 or a coupon good for an iPhone accessory or something. That's usually about all the people who actually suffered damages end up getting.

king editor the grate 15 Years · 662 comments

badmonk said:

I usually buy only refurbished Macs and I have gotten replacement iPhones in the past and I have to say they have been great for me, I think they have been rigorously tested, maybe more than the standard production units?

In fact the only “lemon” Mac I have purchased in multiple decades and more than two dozen Macs, was new and not refurbished.

In all cases the refurbished units have looked indistinguishable from new.

I thought we were suppose to be environmentally conscious and not generate more e-waste than we have to.

I'm sure refurb directly from Apple is far different, but I procured a purportedly refurbished Mac mini from Woot. It did not boot, and there was layer of lint inside the removable bottom.