Apple, the tech giant, has recently settled a class action lawsuit out of court for $35 million.
The lawsuit alleged material defects in specific iPhone models.
As part of the settlement, compensation is available for customers who owned an Apple iPhone 7 or 7 Plus between September 16 and January 3, 2023.
The lawsuit claimed that "As a result of Apple’s unfair, deceptive, and/or fraudulent business practices, owners of the iPhones, including Plaintiffs, have suffered ascertainable losses. The unfair and deceptive trade practices committed by Apple were conducted in a manner giving rise to substantial aggravating circumstances."
The lawsuit revolved around a 'failure of the audio integrated circuit', attributed to defective audio chips.
The tech giant was accused of 'concealing a material defect that ultimately causes iPhone audio features to become unresponsive and fail to fulfill their essential purpose as smartphones.'
To be eligible for compensation, users must have owned these iPhone models during the specified period, experienced audio issues, and paid for repairs themselves.
Apple has not admitted any wrongdoing in settling the lawsuit out of court.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can submit a claim for compensation.
However, users must have owned an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus between September 16 and January 3, 2023.
Additionally, you must have experienced audio problems and paid for repairs yourself.
If you paid for repairs yourself and were left out of pocket, you may be eligible for a minimum of $50 and up to $349.
Those who complained about the defect but did not pay for repairs are eligible for a payment of $125. You do not need to provide a receipt for the repair, as this will be confirmed with Apple's repair records.
However, if you sought repairs from a third party, this could complicate your claim.
There is a deadline of June 3, 2024, to submit any claims, object to the settlement, or exclude yourself from it.
The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for July 18. If you are eligible and fail to file a claim or exclude yourself from the settlement, you will not receive any payment and will not be able to bring another complaint against Apple over this issue.
