Theodore Kim, a furious San Francisco resident, has filed a lawsuit against Apple for the full cost of his iPhone, alleging that the company failed to repair his phone even though it was still under warranty. In a small claims court, he is suing the technology behemoth for $1,383.13.
“It levels the playing field so that just a simple consumer like me can sue a big company without having to worry about getting lawyers and all that other stuff,” Kim said in a statement. “I feel like at least I want my day in court.”
The phone at the heart of the complaint was purchased from an authorised Apple dealer in Vietnam. The phone was supposed to be under warranty until October 2022, but when Kim attempted to get it repaired at an Apple store in the United States, the business refused, alleging the phone had been tampered with.
Apple does not repair a device when there have been “unauthorised modifications, or any repairs or replacements not conducted by Apple,” according to company policy. However, when Kim asked Apple for more information about how his phone had been tampered with, the company didn’t respond.
Kim then filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau a few weeks later (BBB). Apple addressed the allegation by stating that the iPhone would have been repaired if it had been broken while in the company’s possession.
“Apple considers this matter closed,” the company said, according to the BBB website.
Moreover, Kim also offered Apple to pay for the repair. However, the company declined once more, he claimed.
In a last-ditch effort, Kim came across a blog article outlining how someone in Seattle successfully sued Apple in small claims court, so he decided to give it a shot.
“So I said, ‘Well, OK, why don’t I try the same avenue,'” he said. “I kind of jokingly said, ‘Well, this is like a David and Goliath kind of situation.’ We’ll see what happens.”
Kim’s trial against Apple is scheduled for November 23.
