Apple India asked to compensate Bengaluru man ₹1 lakh for ’unfair trade practices’ and causing ‘hardship’

Apple India has been directed by a Bengaluru Consumer Court to pay a complainant a sum of ₹1 lakh, for causing the latter immense hardship and for unfair trade practice. The case is concerning an iPhone 13, whose battery and speaker stopped working after buying. 

According to a report by Times of India, an Awez Khan sued Apple India and their customer service centre in Indiranagar in Bengaluru, and when the case reached the Bengaluru Consumer Court the tech giant has been asked to pay Khan ₹1 Lakh, which includes the price he paid to buy the iPhone and for the hardship caused to him by Apple India.

Here's what happened

In October 2021, Awez Khan bought an iPhone 13 that came with a one-year warranty. However, the speaker and the battery of the device started malfunctioning following which Khan submitted the phone at iPlanet Care Centre in Indiranagar.

The staff of service center called Khan after a few days and informed that his phone is fixed and asked him to collect from the store. When Khan reached the store and checked his phone, the problem with the battery and speaker remained unchanged. 

"Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here!

He raised the issue with the staff and asked them to repair the phone properly.

Two weeks later, the service center staff reached out to him and said that they detected a glue-like substance inside the phone. They also stressed that the problem doesn’t fall under the warranty policy, and he needs to pay an extra amount to get it fixed.

Khan took the issue with Apple India through the mail, but the tech giant reportedly did not revert to his complaint. He then decided to sue Apple India and sent them legal notices. A complaint of unfair trade practices was filed at Bengaluru Urban district consumer disputes redressal commission in Shantinagar by him.

In their defence, Apple India counsel claimed that the complaint lacks facts and called the damage ‘accidental.’ However, the court ordered the company to pay ₹79,999 as compensation with an additional ₹20000 for the hardship caused to the customer.