Sihai network

Apple suffers class action again, violates many principles and is claimed by users

Original title: apple is subject to class action again. What's the reason this time?

Sihai technology news on Friday, Apple was subject to a class action lawsuit filed by a federal court. The lawsuit points to Apple's installation of a keyboard with a design defect in MacBook since 2015, which Apple knew existed before the product was released.

The lawsuit began in the Northern District Court of California. The lawsuit is mainly against MacBook models manufactured in 2015 and MacBook Pro models manufactured in 2016. The two computers are equipped with Apple's' Butterfly 'keyboard system. This ultra-thin switch, compared with the traditional scissors type components, its response ability and robustness are more prominent.

According to the documents submitted, thousands of MacBook and MacBook Pro users have suffered some kind of failure of Apple's butterfly keyboard, which makes the computer unusable. Specifically, the specific point of the lawsuit is: a small amount of dust or debris hindered the normal switching behavior, resulting in the button can not be used.

To make matters worse, the keyboard failed, forcing owners to send their laptops to genius bar or an authorized Apple Service Center for repair. If the computer is not covered by the warranty, it could cost Apple users hundreds of dollars.

Ziyuan Rao, a plaintiff, said he bought a new 15 inch MacBook Pro in January. A month later, there was something wrong with the computer's' B 'key. After failing to try to solve the problem on his own, he sent the computer to the apple store in April for help. But the staff couldn't solve the problem. They suggested that the repair should be made within Apple's one-year warranty.

Rao couldn't stop using the computer for a week, and he didn't believe that the repair could solve the problem permanently. He rejected the repair plan and bought an external keyboard to solve the problem.

Kyle Barbaro, the second plaintiff, has a similar experience with Rao, whose computer is 2016 MacBook Pro. But unlike Rao, Barbaro chose to fix it with apple, fixing the blank key and caps lock key. This time the fix lasted only a few weeks, and the space bar broke down for the second time.

Barbaro went back to his local Apple store, but genius bar's repairmen said they couldn't use traditional tools to solve the problem. Since Barbaro's MacBook Pro has no warranty at this point, he was told that the cost of the repair was more than $700. He decided to give up the expensive maintenance plan.

The lawsuit also cites numerous complaints posted online, including Apple's own pro Apple forum.

Apple launched a 12 inch MacBook in 2015 with the butterfly mechanism. Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of global marketing, said the keyboard 'is more accurate and accurate, and it's actually four times more stable than scissor mechanism. '

In 2016, the redesigned MacBook Pro entered Apple's professional laptop lineup with switches embedded in butterfly mechanism. In the second generation design, Apple claims that the keyboard is more responsive and comfortable than previous versions.

Last month, Appleinsider investigated the problem, collecting data from Genius Bar locations and authorized third-party stores. According to the data collected, the number of keyboard failures of MacBook Pro in 2016 is about twice that of MacBook Pro with scissors switch in 2014 and 2015. The 2017 model is a little better at the moment, although it's not yet available for the whole year.

Shortly after the release of the report, Change.org The petition, cited in today's class action lawsuit, called on apple to recall all macbooks with butterfly switch keyboards, saying the hardware design itself was flawed. The petition received 17000 signatures in a week.

Apple acknowledged the problem to some extent, though not directly. For example, the supporting document details a method of cleaning the keyboard with a compressed air tank. According to the feedback of users who have experienced keyboard failures, this technique is almost ineffective.

The plaintiff's lawsuit pointed out that Apple's actions violated the consumer's informed principle, the integrity clause, the implied warranty, the Magnuson moss and song Beverly consumer warranty act, the California unfair competition law, and the California consumer legal remedies law. Apple has imposed fraud and concealment on consumers.

The lawsuit claims that Apple will compensate consumers for the damage, pay the relevant legal fees, and require apple not only to disclose the design defects of the keyboard, but also to compensate, or replace the defective configuration. This requirement includes the cost of purchasing and replacing the laptop.