Class Action Lawsuit Over Apple Providing Refurbished Replacement Devices Proceeding to Trial in August

Initially filed in 2016, a class action lawsuit that accuses Apple of violating the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act, Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, and other U.S. laws by providing customers with refurbished replacement devices is set to proceed to trial August 16, according to a notice this week from law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP.

apple products refurbished store banner
Apple's repair terms and conditions state that, when servicing a customer's product, the company "may use parts or products that are new or refurbished and equivalent to new in performance and reliability." Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Maldonado v. Apple Inc., allege that refurbished or "remanufactured" devices are not "equivalent to new in performance and reliability" and thus are seeking monetary damages from Apple.

The class includes U.S. residents who purchased an AppleCare+ or AppleCare Protection Plan for an iPhone or iPad on or after July 20, 2012, either directly or through the iPhone Upgrade Program, and later received a "remanufactured" replacement device. Anyone who meets this description will automatically be included as part of the class, unless they opt out by May 3 to retain their right to sue Apple individually over the claims in the lawsuit.

Apple has denied any wrongdoing in this case, but if the court rules against Apple, class members may be entitled to an award of monetary damages. The exact payout, if any, would depend on how many class members submit a claim.

The case will be heard in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, and more details are available on the Replacement Device Lawsuit website.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
New MacBook Pros Launching Tomorrow With These 4 New Features 2

M5 MacBook Models to Use New Compact Camera Module in 2025

Wednesday July 17, 2024 2:58 am PDT by
Apple in 2025 will take on a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for future MacBook models powered by its next-generation M5 chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in his latest investor note on unny-opticals-2025-business-momentum-to-benefit-509819818c2a">Medium, Kuo said Apple will turn to Sunny Optical for the CCM in its M5 MacBooks. The Chinese optical lens company...

Top Rated Comments

Jerry Fritschle Avatar
44 months ago
Should this suit prevail, I'm sure the typical class-action result will follow. The lawyers will get a kajillion dollars, and the class members will get $10 iTunes gift cards.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whiteonline Avatar
44 months ago
This is absurd.
A device that is serviced under warranty is in fact used. Receiving a refurbished device is exactly equivalent.

Edit:
I have purchased many refurbished devices from Apple and could never tell them apart from new, aside from packaging.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikeyy00 Avatar
44 months ago
JFC, lawyers are at it again.

You buy a new device. It breaks. You hand in your phone, Apple hands you a replacement. Does it work? Yes? Then eff off.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WiiDSmoker Avatar
44 months ago
If I buy a new device and it stops working for whatever reason, I expect a new device in return under warranty.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikhsub1 Avatar
44 months ago

"'remanufactured' devices are not 'equivalent to new in performance and reliability'"

This is true. They are better. ;)
Not always. If they are reusing SSD for example, they have a finite lifetime and they should be using new.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whiteonline Avatar
44 months ago

If refurbished is as good a new, then why does Apple bother selling certified refurbished products? Just re-package as new and sell for the full price. And technically, it is new because the tech specs are as good/equal to new.

C'mon Apple, I've never known you to leave money on the table (e-books, App Store, etc). Why is refurb any different?
Because selling refurbished as new is illegal.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)