For environmental reasons, in 2020 Apple removed the power adaptor and EarPods for iPhone 12 box and has continued with the same for iPhone 13 box. And for that, Apple faces another fine by Brazil’s Procon-SP agency. The executive director Fernando Capez told local publisher, TechTudo that Apple and Samsung will be notified of the fine on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
In March 2021, the tech giant was fined $1.9 million by the Brazilian agency and was ordered to provide a charger to any customer who asked for it. Now, Apple and Samsung have launched iPhone 13, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Z Fold 3 models which do not come with a charger in the box.
Apple faces $1.9 million fine in brazil for not offering charger with iPhone 13
In his interview, Capez told TechTudo that removing a charger from the box is unfair for consumers who are made to pay a higher price for fewer products.
We can compare it to going to a supermarket. The customer bought a 400 gram product for R$20. Now, the same product continues to cost R$20, but with 300 grams. The company can reduce the quantity, but it is necessary to stamp this information on the packaging so that the consumer is aware.
As per the country’s law, the agency can only levy a R$10.5 million ($1.9 million) fine once in six months. Now six months have passed since the first fine in March this year.
Apple and Samsung announced a new set of smartphones without a charger in the box. What will be the measures of Procon-SP?
Fernando Capez – Procon-SP understands that the sale of the charger separately from the cell phone is a tie-in sale, since you can only charge the device with that charger. The consumer is required to buy two pieces. We will notify both Apple and Samsung until next Wednesday (29).
What fines have been applied so far?
Apple was fined R$10.5 million , the maximum amount allowed by law. Samsung was not fined because it was not selling the charger. By law, a fine of this type can only be made every six months.
He also explained that Samsung was not fined before because the company had signed an agreement to provide a charger with Galaxy S21 for free. But after the expiration of the agreement, the company has refused to provide a charger in the box of the new Galaxy models.
Read More:
