What you need to know
- A $95 million AppleCare and Apple Care+ class action lawsuit continues.
- The lawsuit relates to Apple's use of refurbished parts and products as part of the programs.
- People can opt-out, or stake their claim for the spoils, now.
A $95 million class action lawsuit relating to AppleCare and AppleCare+ will continue and those working on the case have updated the lawsuit's website with more details.
The lawsuit stems from the fact that Apple sells AppleCare and AppleCare+ and promises "parts or products that are new or refurbished and equivalent to new in performance and reliability" when repairing or replacing devices. The lawsuit claims that refurbished parts and devices aren't in fact "equivalent," hence the claim.
One of the types of replacements customers can receive under AppleCare Protection Plan and AppleCare+ is a remanufactured iPhone or iPad. Plaintiffs allege that remanufactured devices are not "equivalent to new in performance and reliability" and assert claims against Defendants for breach of contract, alleged violations of the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act and Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, and alleged violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200.
Apple has agreed to the $95 million payout and it's now awaiting final approval and emails are being sent to people administrators believe are entitled to a cut of the money. Those who don't want to be included have until March 4 to exclude themselves. Those who want to object to the settlement as a whole can do so by the same date. A final hearing will take place on April 27 as things stand.
This all applies to Apple's iPhone and iPad, including the iPhone Upgrade Program that includes AppleCare+ as part of the purchase. As MacRumors notes, anyone who bought AppleCare+ between July 20, 2012, and September 30, 2021, be included in the lawsuit.
