Consumer protection authorities in the Brazilian state of Alagoas have fined Apple R$101,627.50 (roughly $20,000) for selling iPhones without what they described as “an indispensable item for the regular use of the product.” Here are the details.
Old issue, new fine
As reported by Alagoas 24 Horas (via MacMagazine), regulators argue that Apple’s decision to remove the power adapter from the iPhone box violates Brazil’s Consumer Defense Code.
According to Procon-AL, the state’s consumer protection watchdog:
“In our assessment, we found that by shifting to the consumer the burden of having to purchase, separately, an item that is indispensable for the proper use of the product, the company violates the principles of objective good faith, transparency, and consumer vulnerability.”
Procon-AL initially set the fine at around $12,000, but later increased it to roughly $20,000, citing aggravating factors under Brazilian regulations and Apple’s lack of effort to resolve the complaint.
This is hardly the first time Apple gets in trouble in Brazil over not including the charger in the iPhone box. In 2022, the Brazilian Ministry of Justice ordered the suspension of iPhone sales in the country over the issue. The move came one year after Apple was fined roughly $2 million for the same practice.
Based on the more recent decision, Apple’s Brazilian subsidiary now has 20 days to appeal. If the appeal is denied, the fine’s amount will again be adjusted based on Brazil’s IPCA-E inflation index.
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