NEW DELHI: A district consumer commission in Haryana has directed Apple India to refund Rs 45,500 to a customer after finding that an iPhone 15 had repeated overheating, Bluetooth and network connectivity problems and the company failed to establish that the phone had been tampered with. The Rohtak district consumer commission also ordered Apple to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.Why did the customer complain about the defective mobile phone?The complainant, Rajbir Phogat, an advocate, purchased an iPhone 15 for Rs 64,999 in January 2024, according to the commission’s order dated August 7, 2026.Phogat alleged that the phone had problems from the beginning, including overheating, Bluetooth connectivity issues and network problems. He approached an Apple authorised customer care centre, where a customer care executive changed some settings and assured him that the phone would work properly.The problems, however, continued. He again approached the service centre and was asked to contact Apple’s customer care number.On April 29, 2024, Phogat spoke to Apple’s customer care and, following instructions given over the phone, updated the iPhone. He was told that the call-drop and network issues would not continue after the update. The problems remained unresolved.Phogat later visited the service centre again and was advised to purchase iCloud storage. He bought iCloud space for Rs 75 per month on May 31, 2024, but the problems continued.He was also advised to change his mobile network provider as the issues could be related to the carrier’s network. Phogat changed his connection from Jio to Airtel on May 29, 2024, but the problems remained.He alleged that the authorised service centre later refused to help him. He then approached the consumer commission seeking replacement of the phone or refund of Rs 64,999, besides compensation for mental agony, loss caused by interruption of work and litigation expenses.What did Apple say about the iPhone’s defects?Apple India denied that the phone had a manufacturing defect and said the problems were caused by unauthorised modifications to the device.According to Apple, its authorised service centre had found dust particles in the buttons, an allegedly unauthorised rear camera lens and back glass, scratches on the enclosure and an issue with the rear microphone.Apple argued that its one-year warranty did not cover unauthorised modifications. It also said the customer had declined to send the phone to a repair centre for further screening after being informed about the alleged tampering.The authorised customer care centre also argued that Phogat had not produced documents showing that the alleged problems existed from the date of purchase or had been brought to the respondents’ notice.Why did the commission hold Apple liable?The bench comprising president Nagender Singh Kadian and members Tripti Pannu and Vijender Singh noted that Phogat had produced the tax invoice, screenshots showing failed calls and a June 2024 job sheet recording problems relating to network, overheating and Bluetooth connectivity.It also examined the service records relied upon by Apple and its authorised service centre, which mentioned alleged unauthorised modifications to the rear camera lens and back glass.However, the commission found that the phone had been returned to Phogat without any repair.It further noted that the respondents had not produced an affidavit from the engineer or technician who had inspected the phone. They also did not produce an expert report or other technical evidence to establish that the phone had actually been tampered with.“The photographs produced on record also do not conclusively establish such alleged unauthorized modification,” the commission said.The commission observed that merely recording an internal remark in a service job sheet was not enough to prove that the customer had violated the warranty terms.“Mere recording of an internal remark in the job sheet, unsupported by any independent technical evidence, is not sufficient to discharge the burden cast upon the opposite parties to prove that the complainant had violated the terms of the warranty,” it held.The commission also noted that the defects had arisen during the warranty period and that the phone was returned without the reported problems being rectified.“In the absence of any reliable evidence proving unauthorized modification, the opposite parties were not justified in refusing warranty service and returning the mobile phone without rectifying the defects repeatedly complained of by the complainant,” the commission observed.It therefore held that there was deficiency in service and that Apple, as the manufacturer, was liable to compensate Phogat.The commission, however, did not direct Apple to refund the entire purchase price. It said a refund after deducting 30 percent depreciation would be sufficient, bringing the amount to Rs 45,500.The commission accordingly directed Apple India to refund Rs 45,500 with 9 percent annual interest from June 10, 2024, the date the complaint was filed, until payment.Apple was also directed to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation for mental agony and harassment and another Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.Phogat must hand over the iPhone to Apple at the time of payment. The order must be complied with within one month from the date of receipt of its copy.
