If you own an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus that experienced audio problems, Apple may owe you up to $349 after settling to avoid future litigation. However, the time to claim the payment is quickly coming to an end.
The eligibility criteria for receiving a payment from Apple is quite strict. According to The Verge, based on the official website of the agreement, there are two groups of beneficiaries of these payments: the first is composed of those people who had audio problems with their iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus and paid Apple out of pocket for a repair.
These individuals may qualify to receive between $50 and $349, depending on how many people file a claim. The second group of beneficiaries of this payment agreement are those iPhone 7 users who contacted Apple about audio problems but did not pay for the repair. These people will receive up to $125 maximum.
Individuals who are residents of the United States and who owned or were the owners of an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus between September 16, 2016 and January 3, 2023, and who reported to Apple sound problems, such as speaker, microphone, receiver, unexpected reboot/shutdown, or unresponsive device (“Covered Problems”), including those who paid Apple for repairs or replacements of covered problems, are eligible.
Who’s Eligible to Receive up to $349 From the Apple Settlement
Case number 4:19-cv-02455, known as Tabak, et al. v. Apple Inc., sitting in the District Court of the Northern District of California, has some guidelines to follow to qualify and receive the money. To receive Payment for the Class, you must inform the Agreement Administrator of your preferred method of payment (electronic check, ACH transfer or physical check) and provide the necessary information (email, bank details, postal address). This application must be made by June 3, 2024.
If you provide the information on time and the court grants final approval to the settlement, you will receive payment for the class. If you do not provide the information by the deadline, you will remain in the settlement class but you will waive the payment and the right to sue Apple in the future on the same claims for the same problem on the iPhone device.
Time Is Running Out: Claim Your iPhone Settlement Money
You also have the right to opt out of the agreement and request to be excluded. This application must also be submitted by June 3, 2024. If you opt out, you will retain the right to sue Apple in a separate lawsuit at your own expense, but you will not receive any payment from this Settlement. This is the only option that allows you to continue with other lawsuits against Apple related to these claims, the official website of the settlement explains.
Another of the rights you have as a plaintiff is to participate, but to file an objection to the settlement by writing to the court and explaining why you disagree with it. The deadline for this is also June 3, 2024.
You Could Disagree With The Settlement
You can object to the settlement and request permission from the court to speak at the final approval hearing, which will be on July 18, 2024. At this hearing, the parties will request that the Court issue the Final Approval Order approving the Settlement. If the Court approves the Agreement, the distribution of payments will proceed.
“Apple denies all of the allegations made in the lawsuit, denies that the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus experienced any audio issues, and denies that Apple did anything improper or unlawful,” according to the settlement website.
