Apple to pay up on lawsuits
p2pnet.net News:- It looks as if Apple is at long last getting around to settling the bad-battery claims that surfaced way back in 2003.
Casey Neistat and his brother started a guerilla video campaign because of the the dead battery in Casey’s iPod.
Five class-action lawsuits accusing Apple of misrepresenting claims of the battery life in its iPod digital music player went in at the end of December, 2003, and now, "People who were the first to get on the i-Pod bandwagon are set to get 50-dollar coupons and extended service warranties from Apple," says the Associated Press.
"The perks are included in a tentative settlement of a class-action lawsuit over the i-Pod’s rechargeable battery."
Perks? Apple sold faulty gear and the coupons and warranties are part of the price it’s finally going to have to pay.
"According to the settlement’s terms, people who fill out a claim form are entitled to receive $50 redeemable toward the purchase of any Apple products or services except iTunes downloads or iTunes gift certificates." says AP. "They can redeem the voucher within 18 months of final settlement approval at any bricks-and-mortar Apple Store or online.
"Consumers who had battery troubles can also get their battery or iPod replaced. Apple sells replacement batteries for $99, and it also replaces or repairs defective products that are returned within one year. The class-action settlement, if approved by a judge later this summer, extends the warranty to two years."
Nor are iPod power packs the only battery problems Apple has been having.
Last year came the news that an internal short could cause $130 rechargeable batteries in 15" PowerBook G4 computers to overheat, "posing a fire hazard to consumers," and last month it recalled 128,000 batteries in its PowerBook G4 and iBook G4 laptops because of over-heating problems.
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See:-
video campaign – iPod’s Dirty Secret
misrepresenting claims – Of iPods, CDs …, p2pnet, March 31, 2004
Associated Press – Apple offers 50 dollar credit for iPod battery problems, June 3, 2005
fire hazard – Apple recalls dicey batteries, p2pnet, August 19, 2004
recalled 128,000 batteries – Apple PowerBook problems, p2pnet, May 20, 2005
