HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Warangal, has ordered Apple Inc. to pay Rs 5,000 along with the repair of the phone for demanding Rs 52,000 for the same service, despite the handset being within the warranty period.
The complainant, Golkonda Aher Manoah, who is a part-time photographer, said he encountered a technical defect on the screen and the power buttons of the phone five months after he bought it in October, 2022.
However, when the consumer approached the service store, the latter mentioned an additional charge of Rs 52,000 for repairing the “damaged mobile camera.”
As per the Apple authorities, upon the detailed inspection of the phone, they found “accidental damage” in the internal barometer sensor owing to “dents and scratches” that are not covered under the warranty period.
The Commission, in its order,observed that Apple failed to submit proof relating to how external “accidental” damage will impact the technical fault on the screen and the power systems. As a result, the bench directed the American-origin company to pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 for causing distress to the consumer as well as bear the repair or replacement costs of the in-warranty phone within 45 days from March 27.