Kerala consumer court orders Apple to replace defective battery of iPhone 13, pay ₹45k compensation

The district consumer disputes redressal commission (DCDRC) at Alappuzha in Kerala has directed Apple India Pvt Ltd to replace the battery of an iPhone 13 free of cost or, if that fails, replace the handset itself, after finding deficiency in service by the company. [Vani S Prasad v Apple India Pvt Ltd].The Commission also ordered Apple to pay ₹45,000 as compensation and ₹5,000 as litigation costs to the complainant, an Ayurveda doctor, who alleged that her phone developed serious battery issues within six months of purchase.District forum President PR Sholy and members CK Lekhama passed the order on September 26 after concluding that there was a deficiency of service on the part of the company..According to the complaint, the woman purchased an iPhone 13 (128 GB) on November 2023 for ₹53,499.Within six months, she began experiencing severe battery drain and overheating and in May 2024, the phone suddenly switched off despite showing a 50% charge.Upon inspection, she found that the battery had swollen and the screen had partially detached from the phone body, making the device unsafe for use.The woman took the phone to an authorised service centre, which confirmed the defects. However, instead of offering to repair they declined warranty service and issued a quotation of ₹50,906 for repair.Apple stated that the device's battery is a consumable part not eligible for warranty repair. Apple also alleged that the phone had accidental and cosmetic damage which was excluded from its limited warranty.However, the consumer forum carefully examined Apple's warranty conditions, which excluded consumable parts like batteries from warranty unless the failure occurred due to manufacturing defects.An expert commissioner, a qualified mobile phone technician appointed by the forum, inspected the phone and concluded that the battery had suffered a manufacturing defect as the swelling was abnormal, occurred within six months of purchase and was not caused by misuse, mishandling or external damage.The forum also noted that the Apple service centre technician, who examined the complainant's phone, had refused to appear before the court .In light of these findings, the commission held that Apple could not deny warranty benefits by selectively relying on exclusion clauses when the defect clearly fell within the exception for manufacturing defects and concluded that the refusal to repair or replace the battery amounted to deficiency in service.Accordingly, the consumer forum directed Apple to replace the battery free of cost and provide a fresh 6 month warranty, or replace the handset with a new one if the device was not repairable. It also ordered Apple to pay compensation and costs..Advocate Azhar Ahammed appeared for the complainant.Advocate Sreedevi S represented Apple India Pvt Ltd and advocate P Jayabal Menon and IB Suseel appeared for the Apple authorised service centre Ample Technologies Pvt Ltd..[Read Order].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.