Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,290
30,376



iphone3gs.jpg
Wired is reporting that Apple has agreed to pay $53 million to settle a class action lawsuit, which originated in 2010, that accuses them of failing to honor warranties on certain models of iPhones or iPod Touches.

The settlement, which should be filed in San Francisco federal court in the next couple of weeks, provides cash payouts to possibly hundreds of thousands of iPhone and iPod Touch customers that say Apple did not honor either their one-year standard or two-year extended warranty.
According to several lawsuits combined in San Francisco, no matter what the problem, Apple refused to honor warranties if a white indicator tape embedded in the phone near the headphone or charging portals had turned pink or red. However, the tape's maker, 3M, said humidity, and not water contact, could have caused the color to at least turn pink.
In November 2010 Apple adjusted their damage assessment procedures so that repair staff had to inspect devices even if a device's indicator tape was "triggered" and changed color. Prior to that change, Apple would rely on the indicator tape when determining a liquid damage event, which would not be covered by Apple's warranty.

The lawsuit's affected devices include the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and the first, second and third generation iPod Touch. Wired notes that potential payouts could be around $200 or less, depending on how many claims are submitted.

Apple chief litigation counsel Noreen Krall signed the settlement yesterday. Wired notes that Apple admits no wrongdoing, and the settlement will have to be approved by the judge.

Article Link: Apple Offers $53 Million Settlement to Customers Accused of Water Damaging Their iOS Devices
 

Mlrollin91

macrumors G5
Nov 20, 2008
14,119
10,106
How is someone suppose to prove this happened in order to file a claim? I had this problem on my 1st Gen. iPod Touch, but the device is long gone and there is no paperwork showing that I was declined service. I don't even know where I could find my serial number!
 

maxosx

macrumors 68020
Dec 13, 2012
2,385
1
Southern California
I'm not sure about this one.

It's as though Apple is possibly being unfairly singled out amongst all the different handset makers. While I don't have the link because it was years ago, I read once where 3M was the sole supplier of the tape for all makers.

And that's why I am uncomfortable that Apple should find itself in this position. But like everything else, I'm sure there's more to it that we have access to. So much of the "news" or "reports" is filtered, who knows?

It will be interesting to see if perhaps there are other's to follow.
 

haruhiko

macrumors 604
Sep 29, 2009
6,529
5,874
I once had a Sony Ericsson phone from 2005 and the water indicator turned red after 1-2 years of use, of course without any contact with any water. This kind of "indicator" is just an excuse for manufacturers not to provide warranty service to customers.
 

mrbrown

macrumors 6502a
Mar 27, 2004
562
240
Springfield, Missouri
I had an HP laptop that used these stupid water indicators. The receptacle for the AC adapter actually broke inside the machine (so you couldn't plug it in) and we sent it in for service. HP denied warranty service because the water indicator had been tripped.

I obviously never dropped it in a lake or anything, but the dorm that I lived in at the time was obnoxiously humid (so much so that water would show up on the floor on a hot day)...
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
I'm not sure about this one.

It's as though Apple is possibly being unfairly singled out amongst all the different handset makers. While I don't have the link because it was years ago, I read once where 3M was the sole supplier of the tape for all makers.

And that's why I am uncomfortable that Apple should find itself in this position. But like everything else, I'm sure there's more to it that we have access to. So much of the "news" or "reports" is filtered, who knows?

It will be interesting to see if perhaps there are other's to follow.

It's a class action lawsuit. Apple isn't being singled out. Apple is being sued by apple product owners.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.