Brazil ordered Apple to pay a customer over $1,000 selling an iPhone without a charger

A Brazilian court has ordered Apple to pay a customer 5,000 Brazilian reals (US$1,081) for failing to provide a power adaptor along with a new iPhone, Business Insider reported. 

The Cupertino-based company has been supplying devices without power adaptors since 2020, citing environmental concerns. The iPhone 12 was the first device to be sold after this change and left many customers in the U.S. unhappy. The company, has, however, continued to implement its policy. 

The Brazilian response

Procon-SP, the regulator of consumer protection in Brazil, went on to fine the company a sum of $2 million dollars for "misleading advertising", "unfair terms" and "selling a device without a charger", we had reported last year. 

In addition to this, the regulator also asked Apple to furnish details of the cost of the iPhone, if the power adaptor was not supplied in the box, and also list the number of chargers it produces annually. 

Critics pointed to The Verge back then that Apple's move comes less from environmental concerns and is more of a cost-cutting tactic. Apple has never clarified on the "environmental gain" it has made by not supplying the power adaptor for almost two years. 

The individual's prize

The court's recent order came after an individual approached the civil court in the city of Goiânia with the same issue that his iPhone was supplied with a power adaptor. 

Calling it a 'tie-sale,' which forces the customer to buy another product from the company after buying one for them to work, the court called Apple's business practice "abusive and illegal".

In its defense, Apple said that the phone was supplied with a USB-C to Lightning port charger wire that could be used with adaptors supplied by any other company. However, the judge rejected the argument by saying that the charger wire could not be used on adaptors that lacked USB-C ports, sending customers in Apple's direction again. 

The judge also brought to attention that Apple continued to produce power adaptors and was selling them separately even after citing environmental concerns. This showed that Apple was merely selling this critical accessory to its product separately, Business Insider reported. 

Apple's Brazil office was ordered to pay the individual $1,000. 

The court judgment can be found here.