Apple has agreed to pay $9.75 million (roughly Rs. 71.31 crores) to settle a class-action lawsuit in relation to charging issues with the company’s Powerbeats 2 wireless earphones. Some customers had found a defect in the earphones that could allegedly cause them to stop working and fail to retain charge even after minimal usage. The money will be split up between all Class Members who submit claim forms, after attorneys’ fee and other such costs are paid.
As noted by MacRumors, Apple has denied all allegations, and has said that it is paying the settlement fee to avoid the expensive litigation charges. Since Apple and the plaintiffs in the case have agreed to a settlement, they will be not be going to court about the same. The Powebeats 2 wireless earphones were launched in 2014 by Beats Electronics, acquired by Apple earlier in the year..
According to the plaintiffs, Apple had misrepresented the battery life of the Powerbeats 2, and also falsely advertised them as sweat and water resistant. When the lawsuit was initially filed in 2017, Apple was also accused of not replacing or repairing defective Powerbeats 2 earphones that were in the one-year warranty period.
A final hearing by the Supreme Court of the State of California, Santa Clara County has been scheduled for January 15, 2021. This is to determine the fairness of the proposed settlement. Class-action members will get relief and their fair of the settlement only after this hearing.
Customers who bought the Powerbeats 2 before August 7, 2020, can claim a payment from the settlement after the Supreme Court hearing. They can submit their claim for payment through the settlement website, which also has more information about the agreement, including all their options. Customers are required to submit their claims before November 20, 2020.
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