Apple Agrees To Pay $50M To Settle Lawsuit
$50 million was paid to settle a class action lawsuit against Apple over its Butterfly keyboard, which was used in specific MacBook models from 2015 and 2019. Apple was sued by clients who claimed that the company supplied defective keyboard mechanics to their machines. These keyboards were slow, slippery, or caused letters to loop.
The reliability of the keyboard was a frequent concern during the Butterfly period. Apple Stores were frequently visited for maintenance. The failure was due to a defectively designed mechanism compromised by dirt or filth. The obstruction caused the keys to becoming inoperable and jammed.
It soon went Haywire.
In the end, 42,000 people filed for a refund through Charge.org. A class action lawsuit was also initiated, and Apple secretly offered restoration services. Apple released new keyboards with a silicone barrier to prevent stickiness instead of immediately fixing the defective parts.
But even these were susceptible to being cracked. Apple, accused of misconduct many times, won’t be required to admit guilt as part of this deal. The company will offer keyboard repairs for four years after the first transaction as part of the extended service agreement.
Apple will compensate consumers in Washington, New Jersey and California who bought a MacBook Pro and needed maintenance if the resolution is approved. The sample does not include consumers who aren’t located in these areas. The list that starts at line 1 of the complaint consists of several MacBook Pro units and specific MacBook Air and MacBook Pro variants.
Compensation may range from $50 to $395 depending on how many people apply to be part of the judgement and are found eligible. Those in Category 1, who have had to use multiple keyboards, expect to pay $395. Category 2 clients will be paying approximately $125. Category 3 clients will be paying $50. The cost of attorney fees could reach $15 million (30% on $50 million). A court must approve the resolution before it becomes final.
No matter what side you are on, the settlement, in this case, will only cover a fraction of the cost of a new laptop. The tech giant would only need to spend a small amount to acquire the world’s most valuable corporation. And the company would not have to admit guilt.
