Apple's fined $2 Millions USD by Brazilian Bureau of Consumer Protection.

[Princess Luna]

Apple's decision to stop including chargers on their mobile products has raised lots of eyebrows among Brazilian consumers leading to the Bureau of Consumer Protection taking measures after Apple's inability to satisfy the entity's concerns. Samsung was also affected however it worked out an arrangement with the entity.

 

The Bureau of Consumer Protection [Procon-SP] announced on Friday that it applied a fine in the amount of R$ 10,546,442.48  (Roughly 2 Million USD) to Apple for selling iPhones without a charger. In addition, Procon-SP accuses the company of misleading advertising, of selling devices with factory defects, of maintaining unfair terms in the contract with consumers and of not having repaired a product that was still under warranty. Apple said the iPhones warranty will not be affected by chargers approved by Anatel [National Telecommunications Agency] however National Consumer Secretariat pointed out a Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC), which obliges manufacturers to sell their cell phones with the plug charger.

 

Procon-SP told Apple about the alleged violation in December. Apple responded by reiterating its environmental angle, arguing that it would reduce CO2 emissions and rare earth mining. It noted that many customers already had spare chargers. The agency clearly wasn't satisfied with that answer, however. In issuing the fine, Procon-SP executive director Fernando Capez told Apple it needed to respect Brazilian law.

 

Bureau's executive director Fernando Capez reportedly stated that Apple "needs to understand that in Brazil there are solid consumer protection laws and institutions. It needs to respect these laws and these institutions."

 

Samsung had also announced it's new Galaxy S21 wouldn't have an included charger however was more willing to work out with the Brazilian agency and made a deal to offer a free charger as part of the pre-order bundle. Brazil is one of the world's larger phone markets, and defying the country's law can represent greater cost.

 

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While there might be some weight on the argument to reduce needless tech waste it still comes to me as awkward the most expensive phones available won't even give you a charger in the package any more, even if you argue that those who can afford it won't care have in mind all of this originated from lots of actual consumers complains to begin with.

 

Sources

English Source 1.

English Source 2.

Portuguese Source 1.

[WereCat]

They won't even notice 2M missing. 

 

Also, does the charger even include the cable or do you also have to buy the cable? 

That would mean 3 packagings, device, charger, cable which you have to ship all separately... how the hell is that environmentaly friendly? 

[Blademaster91]

Only $2 million usd? LOL. Thats hardly anything for a trillion dollar company.

And I find it hilarious that Apple says they care about the environment, yet they make disposable devices with soldered on everything that will be e-waste, or taking away ports so you'll have to buy dongles which requires more packaging to make that will also end up being waste.

 

 

[Rauten]

2 Million? Apple has cobwebs in dark closets that are valued more than that, what a joke...

[WolframaticAlpha]

1 hour ago, Princess Luna said:

Apple's decision to stop including chargers on their mobile products has raised lots of eyebrows among Brazilian consumers leading to the Bureau of Consumer Protection taking measures after Apple's inability to satisfy the entity's concerns. Samsung was also affected however it worked out an arrangement with the entity.

 

The Bureau of Consumer Protection [Procon-SP] announced on Friday that it applied a fine in the amount of R$ 10,546,442.48  (Roughly 2 Million USD) to Apple for selling iPhones without a charger. In addition, Procon-SP accuses the company of misleading advertising, of selling devices with factory defects, of maintaining unfair terms in the contract with consumers and of not having repaired a product that was still under warranty. Apple said the iPhones warranty will not be affected by chargers approved by Anatel [National Telecommunications Agency] however National Consumer Secretariat pointed out a Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC), which obliges manufacturers to sell their cell phones with the plug charger.

 

Procon-SP told Apple about the alleged violation in December. Apple responded by reiterating its environmental angle, arguing that it would reduce CO2 emissions and rare earth mining. It noted that many customers already had spare chargers. The agency clearly wasn't satisfied with that answer, however. In issuing the fine, Procon-SP executive director Fernando Capez told Apple it needed to respect Brazilian law.

 

Bureau's executive director Fernando Capez reportedly stated that Apple "needs to understand that in Brazil there are solid consumer protection laws and institutions. It needs to respect these laws and these institutions."

 

Samsung had also announced it's new Galaxy S21 wouldn't have an included charger however was more willing to work out with the Brazilian agency and made a deal to offer a free charger as part of the pre-order bundle. Brazil is one of the world's larger phone markets, and defying the country's law can represent greater cost.

 

-

 

While there might be some weight on the argument to reduce needless tech waste it still comes to me as awkward the most expensive phones available won't even give you a charger in the package any more, even if you argue that those who can afford it won't care have in mind all of this originated from lots of actual consumers complains to begin with.

 

Sources

English Source 1.

English Source 2.

Portuguese Source 1.

So basically what apple earns in 9 and a half mintues(Napkin math) was docked from them

 

What pain they must be going through....... Feeling pity for them/s

[HenrySalayne]

It's the equivalent of a $3.50 fine for someone with a net income of $100k. Imagine how much Apple will care.

[WolframaticAlpha]

8 minutes ago, HenrySalayne said:

It's the equivalent of a $3.50 fine for someone with a net income of $100k. Imagine how much Apple will care.

FOr someone who earns near that much, I would still be sore about 3.5 usd

[lostcattears]

The fact of the matter is Apple was Bull crap. The new cable they give is Lightening to USB c, the thing is MOST or like 99.9999% of us only have only have a lightening to usb A port brick. 

 

IT DOES NOT WORK APPLE. WE HAVE TO BUY A NEW BRICK.

[Mark Kaine]

12 hours ago, lostcattears said:

IT DOES NOT WORK APPLE. WE HAVE TO BUY A NEW BRICK.

yeah, but then again you decidedly bought a device with proprietary connections that serve no purpose other than being proprietary.

 

OT: don't get me wrong, this is a good decision although 2m is laughable ,i know these kind of fines are meant as slap on the wrist, but c'mon.... 

[lostcattears]

12 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

yeah, but then again you decidedly bought a device with proprietary connections that serve no purpose other than being proprietary.

 

OT: don't get me wrong, this is a good decision although 2m is laughable ,i know these kind of fines are meant as slap on the wrist, but c'mon.... 

Naw, I ain't even talking about that it being proprietary. They saying better for the environment was BS since they kept saying reusing old brick, but old brick for iphones never had a usb c port. Except for the last 2-3 years ipad pros those had an 18 watt usb c brick included and their laptops. None of which was iphones. Most people buy apple's smartphones...

 

It is most definitely not better for the environment cuz everyone would have to buy a new box with a usb c brick. Which defeated the whole purpose and is in the end a straight up lie. If their argument was using old bricks from old iphone models... They even threw away the Brick for last year's iphone SE model after they announced the iphone 12... sure it became 50$ cheaper cuz of new model but the brick end up making it cost more then last year...???

 

I knew this since last year but I don't think anyone called apple out on this yet...