Brazil consumer protection regulator to investigate Appleā€™s decision to sell iPhone 13 charger separately


    The iPhone 13 is not even available in Brazil yet, but the countryā€™s consumer protection regulator has already said itā€™s going to investigate Appleā€™s decision to sell the iPhone charger separately.

    As reported first by TechTudo, Apple and Samsung will be notified for selling the iPhone 13, Galaxy Z Flip3, and Galaxy Z Fold3 without the charger in the box.

    This is not the first time that Procon-SP has notified Apple over the decision to sell the iPhone charger separately. Early this year, the Brazilian consumer protection regulator, based in the state of SĆ£o Paulo, fined Apple $2 million ā€œfor misleading advertising, selling a device without the charger, and unfair terms.ā€

    Even before that, in October of 2020, Procon-SP questioned the company about it, and in November, the agency said that the iPhone makerĀ ā€œdidnā€™t demonstrate environmental gain.ā€

    No charger or EarPods in slim iPhone 12 box

    In the interview with TechTudo, Procon-SP executive director Fernando Capez says that itā€™s not legal to sell the phone and charger separately as ā€œyou can only charge the device with that power brick,ā€ so therefore ā€œthe customer is obligated to buy two products.ā€

    Capez will notify Apple and Samsung until this Wednesday. Even with Apple already says on its website that the power brick doesnā€™t come with the iPhone 13 box, he believes this is not enough.

    The Brazilian FTC also says that companies should extensively inform customers that something changed with a product, in this case, the lack of a charger. ā€œIf the information is hidden, itā€™s also an offense with the law,ā€ Capez says.

    Capez says heā€™s studying a class action to help any customer who feels Apple should give them a charger for free.

    Apple didnā€™t respond to TechTudo, although in March the company said that ā€œall iPhones sold in the country work with the available chargers, including third-party ones since they follow Anatel (Brazilian FCC) standards.ā€

    Related:

    FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


    Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:



    Source link