Apple introduced its iPhone 12 series in October 2020 with a set of new improvements. However, our worst fears were confirmed when the company confirmed that it no longer ships its smartphones with chargers included. Unfortunately, this is now becoming a trend as many other smartphone manufacturers are starting to leave the charging brick behind. Apple says it's an environmentally friendly move to reduce e-waste. However, not many consumers are happy with this change as they will have to buy the more expensive bricks separately. Even months later, Apple is still suffering from the negative effects of these changes. Today, the Brazilian regulator decided to impose a fine of almost $2 million on the Cupertino-based company.
Apple will have to pay almost 2 million dollars due to the lack of a charger in the packages of the iPhone 12 series
Apple has been fined by Brazil's Procon-SP for practices that violate the country's Consumer Protection Code. The fine of 10 Brazilian Reals (US$546) was announced last Friday the 442,48th and will be applied in an administrative proceeding. It is worth noting that the company still has the right to defend itself. According to Procon-SP, several reasons led to the application of the fine. The first was the sale of an iPhone without a power adapter in the retail box. The consumer protection agency already notified Apple about this in October 1914888,87, asking for an explanation. Then the company just ignored it.
The iPhone 11's lack of water resistance is also a complaint in Brazil
Another reason that led to the fine was related to the iPhone 11 Pro. The advertising company claims that it is waterproof, but in practice it is not quite like that. According to Procon-SP, consumers complained about water-related problems that Apple refused to repair.
Procon-SP questioned Apple, who “said that water resistance will not be a permanent condition of the device and may decrease over time; and to avoid liquid damage, consumers should stop swimming or showering with their smartphones and use them in extreme humidity,” the authority says.
In addition, Procon-SP received complaints from consumers who had problems with the functionality of their devices after updating the operating system. In this regard, Apple also did not respond to the agency.
Finally, the agency also found unfair conditions in the warranty period for Apple products and learned about a case where the company refused to fix a problem with a device purchased abroad within the legal deadline. As a result of inaction, the company was fined.
“Apple needs to understand that there are strong consumer protection laws and institutions in Brazil. It must respect these laws and these institutions," said Fernando Capes, executive director of Procon-SP. The report contacted Apple, which has not yet responded.
We are pretty sure that Apple will not just accept this fine for its iPhone 12 family and will appeal this decision in the coming days.
