Israeli Court Approves Class Action Against Apple Importer Over Used Parts
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
A class-action lawsuit has been approved against Apple's Israeli importers, Icon and iDigital, for allegedly keeping replaced parts from customer repairs and profiting from them. The lawsuit, which estimates damages at NIS 241 million, covers repairs of AirPods and MacBooks. The court found that the companies may have violated consumer protection laws and a prior agreement. The companies deny the claims, calling them theoretical and disconnected from reality.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A class-action lawsuit was approved against Apple's Israeli importers, Icon and iDigital.
- The companies are accused of keeping replaced parts from customer repairs and profiting from them.
- The estimated damages in the lawsuit amount to NIS 241 million.
- The lawsuit covers repairs of AirPods and MacBooks after their warranty expired.
- The court found the companies may have violated consumer protection regulations.
- Icon and iDigital deny the claims, calling them theoretical and unrealistic.
A district court in central Israel has approved a class-action lawsuit against Icon, the official importer of Apple products in Israel, and its subsidiary iDigital. The lawsuit, filed by Aviel Avni and represented by attorney Ben Zion Citrin, alleges that the companies retain replaced parts from repaired AirPods and MacBooks without compensating customers, subsequently profiting from these parts by returning them to Apple globally.
The estimated damages in the lawsuit amount to NIS 241 million. Avni claims that when he paid for a new charging case for his AirPods, the old one was not returned, with company representatives stating this was Apple's global procedure. He also claims that when he paid approximately NIS 4,800 for a screen replacement for his MacBook Pro, he was denied the option to purchase only the part and was told the replaced screen would be sent to Apple.
Judge Carmit Ben Eliezer ruled that the companies may have violated consumer protection regulations and a 2023 agreement with the Consumer Council, which stipulated that replaced parts should be returned to the customer unless they explicitly waive this right in writing. The judge noted that Icon did not present any forms where customers waived their right to the replaced parts.
The lawsuit covers customers who had AirPods or MacBooks repaired by the companies after their warranty expired, within the seven years preceding the lawsuit's filing and up to the court's final ruling. The plaintiff estimates that MacBook screen replacements cost customers about NIS 500 each, and AirPods charging case replacements cost between NIS 100 and NIS 150.
Icon and iDigital stated they are reviewing the court's decision, which they claim dismissed most of the lawsuit's claims and criticized the plaintiff's conduct. They described the approved claims as theoretical and disconnected from reality, lacking consumer demand or logic. The companies emphasized that this is an interim decision, no compensation has been awarded, and the existence of damages has not yet been determined.
Mentioned
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
Only Mako so far.
