Apple faces a $ 2 million fine in Brazil |
The Consumer Protection Agency in the Brazilian state of São Paulo fined Apple $ 2 million for not including a charger in the iPhone 12 box.
According to São Paulo State Consumer Protection Agency: Apple has deceived the advertisement and sale of charger-free devices on abusive terms.
Apple announced in October that the iPhone 12 series did not feature a charger or headphones due to environmental reasons.
Apple has said that by only integrating the USB-C to Lightning cable into the iPhone 12 and other new models, Apple will be able to reduce the raw materials for the iPhone sold and shrink the size of the phone box.
Critics believe this change is intended more for Apple to reduce shipping costs. Environmental experts believe that the environmental impact can be small.
São Paulo State Consumer Protection Agency said: In the absence of built-in chargers, it asked whether Apple would lower the price of the iPhone 12 series and received no response.
The agency also accused the company of failing to assist customers who had encountered issues with some iPhone features after an update.
Apple excludes it from all statutory and implied warranties and does not enter into any hidden danger or hidden danger.
A spokesperson for the agency said: Apple needs to understand that Brazil has strict consumer protection laws and institutions in place and that it must comply with those laws and institutions.
The fine (10.5 million riyals) doesn't seem particularly problematic for Apple, with Apple's sales reaching $ 111.4 billion in the first quarter of 2021 (including sales of the iPhone 12 model in the 2020 holiday season).
It should be noted that this is not the first time that the Consumer Protection Agency in the state of São Paulo has questioned Apple's new policies, after it questioned the problem last October, and the agency said in November that Apple had not shown any impact on the environment.