Mumbai: A Chembur-based woman has filed a case against Apple Inc. after her iPhone allegedly became non-functional two years after purchase.
The complainant alleged that not only did she fail to receive a proper resolution from the company, but also faced deliberate harassment from the service providers. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue, she finally approached the consumer commission for justice.
Device Crashed After Software Update, Entered Boot Loop, Causing Data Loss
According to the complaint, Reema Chawla received an iPhone 14 Plus from her husband as a gift on February 28, 2023. The phone, which cost Rs 90,411, worked fine for nearly two years. Problems began in February 2025 following a software update, after which the device reportedly began experiencing critical issues—specifically, continuous auto-restarts—rendering it unusable.
When Chawla visited the company’s service centre, the staff was unable to diagnose or fix the problem. Despite formatting the device as suggested by the service team, the issue persisted.
In March 2025, the phone entered a permanent boot loop, causing her to lose important data for which no backup was available. Following the formatting, a notification appeared stating “New Back Glass Detected,” despite no back glass replacement ever being carried out by the complainant.
Customer Alleges Callous Service Behaviour and Exorbitant Repair Demands
Chawla claimed she returned to the service centre to seek further assistance but was met with callous behaviour from the service staff. She was provided with an exorbitant estimate of Rs 47,400 for repairs involving a mid-system change, and an additional Rs 74,500 for a unit exchange—without any assurance that these actions would resolve the issue. She also alleged that when she asked the staff for Apple’s official complaint email ID, she was told that Apple does not have one.
During her multiple visits to the service centre, Chawla said she discovered that other iPhone 14 Plus users were facing similar problems, suggesting a larger flaw likely caused by poor build quality or defective software updates.
She further stated that despite repeated communications with Apple Customer Support—and a verbal acknowledgment of hardware failure by one of the executives—no concrete resolution was ever provided.
Chawla accused the company and its service centre of deliberately failing to deliver a reliable product and not providing effective after-sales service, amounting to a deficiency in service, unfair trade practice, and violation of consumer protection laws.
She added that Apple’s claims about the durability and quality of its products are false and misleading. As the issue was neither caused by her misuse nor any accidental damage, but rather due to a mix of software and hardware defects, she has sought compensation of Rs 5 lakh.
‘Apple Took My Data, My Peace of Mind’: Chawla Speaks Out on Alleged Negligence
“How can a Rs 1.2 lakh phone crash just two years after purchase, right after a software update, and no one be held accountable?” asked Chawla.
“Apple didn’t just take my money—they took my data, my peace of mind, and walked away. If this isn’t forced obsolescence, what is? This case isn’t just mine—it’s every consumer’s fight.”
Legal Counsel Calls It a Scam, Accuses Apple of Planned Obsolescence
Advocate Prashant Nayak, representing Chawla, said, “Apple is compromising on quality and pushing consumers to buy its new iPhones every year. There is no durability in iPhones anymore. This is an alleged scam. Despite multiple attempts by my client to seek resolution, Apple failed to provide any solution, forcing her to approach the consumer court for justice and compensation.”
FPJ contacted Apple via email for its version of the events. However, no response was received even after 24 hours.
