Is It Mandatory To Buy Apple Care+ With iPhone 17? Viral Video Reveals Illegal Scam By Authorized Retailers In Bengaluru

Bengaluru: iPhone users across the nation are welcoming the newly launched 17th series of the phone. Several users are queued up in local retailers, while some are going after the attractive offers on e-commerce platforms. Many of the users flooded the authorized stores in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru on the day of the launch itself. A video is going viral on social media, which shows how authorized iPhone retailers, especially in Bengaluru, are scamming people by asking them to buy additional insurance plans and accessories.

A video recorded by a dissatisfied customer at the iTree store in Banashankari 3rd Stage, Bengaluru, went viral on social media. The customer shared that he was asked to buy a premium Apple Care+ plan along with several other accessories if he wanted to buy the phone. When the customer said that he did not want to buy anything else, the store manager told him that it was a mandatory rule by the brand.

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"They were persuading me to buy a screen protector, a case, a camera lens protector, and Apple Care+ if I want to buy the phone," the user wrote on their X post. When the customer asked the store manager and staff for a written notice from the brand about the mandatory rules, they did not provide any such written document. He alleged that the store managers and staff were pressuring him to buy the added offerings.

What Does The Law Suggest:

The user further shared, "Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act defines unfair trade practices, which include practices that impose unjustified conditions on consumers or manipulate the sale of goods/services to the detriment of the consumer."

"Forcing me to buy an additional item to purchase the desired product is an unfair trade practice, as it restricts my freedom of choice," he added.