A New Jersey man sued Apple Inc. on Tuesday over its M1 MacBook, model years 2020 and 2021. The problems reported by thousands of users, the Northern District of California complaint contends, were swept under the rug and inadequately addressed by Apple and in violation of anti-fraud, consumer protection, and warranty laws.
According to the filing, the laptops debuted on Nov. 10, 2020 with a price tag of $999 for the M1 MacBook Air and $1,299 for the M1 MacBook Pro. Subsequently, disgruntled user complaints flooded in after many experienced screen defects, namely “cracking, blacking out, or showing magenta, purple and blue lines and squares, or otherwise ceasing to function altogether.”
The complaint says that Apple only acknowledged the defect on Aug. 27, 2021, and has not helped customers struggling with screen issues. “[C]onsumers who have attempted to secure replacements or repairs have been rebuffed by Apple, often forced to pay out of pocket upwards of between $600 and $850 for repairs themselves or to secure replacements without Apple’s assistance,” the filing explains. Customers who have secured repairs or replacements from Apple have allegedly not been made whole as the problem quickly resurfaces on the repaired or replaced machine.
The lawsuit seeks to hold Apple accountable for fraudulent concealment on the grounds that the manufacturer knew of the defect, per internal testing results that only it had access to, had a duty to disclose it, but intentionally concealed facts about laptop quality. In addition, the plaintiff asserts that consumers would not have bought the inferior computers had they known about the flaw.
The purchaser seeks certification of a nationwide class consisting of all persons who purchased a new M1 MacBook Air or Pro, and the certification of a parallel New Jersey subclass. The plaintiff seeks declaratory and equitable relief, including the cost of remedying or replacing the defective M1 MacBooks, damages, and an award of his attorneys’ fees and costs. The consumer is represented by Bursor & Fisher P.A.