Brazilian authorities have fined tech giant Apple 10.5 million reais (nearly two million dollars) for selling the iPhone without a charger and for misleading advertising regarding the water resistance of its devices, official sources report.
Procon de Sao Paulo, a regional body that defends consumer interests, explained in a statement that it fined the company for “various practices” that violate the Consumer Protection Code.
Among them “the abuse” to sell their new smartphones without the charger, an accessory, according to the entity “necessary and essential for operation”.
After collecting several complaints in this regard, the Sao Paulo Procon asked Apple for an explanation, but did not respond. Last year, the technology company had already announced it would stop including chargers in its latest models.
Likewise, Brazilian authorities have also punished the US company for “misleading advertising” related to the iPhone 11 Pro.
This model was promoted as “waterproof,” although several of them had problems after coming into contact with water, “without being repaired by the company,” according to reports from several customers.
Apple has informed the Sao Paulo Procon that “water resistance would not be a permanent condition of the device, and could decline over time; and that” consumers “should stop swimming or bathing to avoid harm “with the phone and” use in extremely humid conditions. “
However, the ad campaign contained claims such as “water resistant to four meters (deep)” and for a maximum time of “thirty seconds” or “even made for bathing,” the consumer protection agency said.
There were also complaints from consumers citing problems with “some functions of their devices after a system update,” said the São Paulo entity.
Procon also confirmed that Apple imposes “some abuse clauses”, including one in which “it exempts itself from all legal and implied warranties” against hidden or hidden defects “and another in which it states that” it does not warrant the operation of the product will be uninterrupted or error-free. ”