Monday, July 5, 2010

Apple/AT and T iPhone class action suit seems to trigger stampede of lawyers

Apple/AT and T iPhone class action suit seems to trigger stampede of lawyers

The Apple/AT and T class action lawsuit is the latest act in the iPhone 4G saga. After they sold 1.7 million iPhone 4Gs in just 3 days, consumer complaints about the iPhone “Death Grip” spread like wildfire. After intensely coveting Apple’s latest iPhone, reception problems traced to a faulty iPhone antenna design is evidently too much to bear for some. Many of the iPhone 4G users have teamed up with trolling lawyers to file four class action lawsuits against Apple and wireless provider AT and T in Delaware and California.

Post resource: Apple/AT and T iPhone class action suit triggers stampede of lawyers by Personal Money Store

The iPhone and also the death grip saga

The Apple iPhone 4G has made for many excessive consumer lust than any product in memory. The expectations that Apple has created with its products is backfiring. It was reported by PC World that soon following the iPhone 4G started shipping to customers in late June, the legend of the iPhone 4 “death grip” was born. Complaints erupted on the Internet saying that holding the phone with fingers covering the 3 black lines on the phone’s edge and also the bottom left corner caused its reception to fizzle.

For plaintiffs, iPhone seems to cover too little, too late

In response to the iPhone 4 death grip furor, Apple said that “gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance." Placing an iPhone cover or “bumper” on the iPhone 4 seems to be able to eliminate death grip issues. Apple is prepping a software update that will stop these difficulties. But the iPhone cover fix isn't good enough for a couple of disappointed iPhone 4 users and a number of opportunistic legal eagles eager to angle for the potentially lucrative angst of 1.7 million iPhoniphiles and counting.

Lawyers just want money from Apple and AT and T

All the Apple/AT and T class action lawsuits are seeking punitive damages and an injunction against the continued manufacture and sale of the phones until the problem is fixed. As outlined by Macworld, of nine charges leveled in a case filed in Delaware against Apple and AT and T, only seven of them target AT and T and all nine apply to Apple: general negligence; defect in design, manufacture, and assembly; breach of express warranty; breach of implied warranty for merchantability; breach of implied warranty of fitness for a unique purpose; deceptive trade practices; intentional misrepresentation; negligent misrepresentation; and fraud by concealment.

Legal satisfaction wanted by iPhone users

In another Apple/AT and T class action lawsuit filed in California, it was reported by Reuters that the deeply hurt plaintiffs have no other choice because Apple and AT and T failed to provide customer support and, even worse, customers are left with only 3 remedies: “hold their phones in an awkward and unnatural manner,” pay a 10 percent restocking fee and return their phones, or pay $ 29.95 to buy the iPhone cover that is said to fix the reception problem.

Law firms hawking Apple/AT and T class action lawsuits

Neither Apple or AT and T has commented on the lawsuits. But now the cat is out of the bag, expect more lawsuits to emerge. For example, Gawker posted a link to the Website for law firm Kershaw, Cutter and Ratinoff, which is looking for individuals who are having iPhone 4 reception problems in hopes of getting their fair share of this potential legal bonanza.

Discover more about this topic here:

PC World

pcmag.com/article2/,2817,2365940,00.asp

Macworld

macworld.com/article/152457/2010/07/gavel_iphone4.html

Reuters

reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6603R620100701



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