Setback for Apple! Brazil seizes iPhones after firm fails to sell smartphones without charger

By Team Newsable | First Published Nov 25, 2022, 11:50 AM IST

Brazil and Apple haven’t been getting along recently as the country’s regulators are not too pleased with the latter’s decision to not include power adapters with the iPhone. After being fined ~RM89 million, Apple still failed to comply with Brazil’s requirement and now, the nation’s Federal District-based consumer protection regulator has seized iPhones from retail stores in the country.

It appears that Apple is currently facing serious consequences for not including a charger with each iPhone in the retail package. The Brazilian government believes that the corporation has been selling its smartphone without an essential attachment, therefore hundreds of iPhones have apparently been confiscated in various retail locations in Brazil.

Given that Apple was previously hit with two fines for the same reason, the government's most recent action is not shocking. According to a media report, the nation's most recent initiative, known as "Operation Discharge," involved seizing iPhones from several businesses. The devices were seized at carrier stores as well as the company’s authorized reseller stores.

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This has been done to get Apple to abide by the nation's most recent directive not to sell iPhones without a charger. Just a few months after the debut of the iPhone 12 series, Apple stopped including chargers with the devices, and the nation immediately protested the company's move.

Just after the country seized the iPhones, Apple (Brazil) requested the government to let it put them on sale because the iPhone maker was reportedly given permission to sell the smartphones until the final ruling is passed.

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Apple was fined BRL 100 million (about Rs 150 crore) in October for failing to provide a charger in the box. At the time, the firm said that it would file a legal appeal. Apple was found to have engaged in "abusive practises" by selling its high-end gadgets without a charger, according to a complaint brought by the group of debtors, consumers, and taxpayers in Sao Paulo state court.

In September, Apple was also hit with a punishment of over $2.5 million for the identical problem. As long as the corporation didn't intend to include a charger in the package, it couldn't sell its iPhones in Brazil. Later, until a new decision is taken, it was given authority to sell units.

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