Why Was Apple India Ordered To Refund INR 45,500 For Defective iPhone 15?

A district consumer commission in Haryana has directed Apple India to refund INR 45,500 to a customer after finding that his iPhone 15 suffered repeated overheating, Bluetooth and network connectivity problems, and after ruling that the company failed to establish that the phone had been tampered with. The Rohtak district consumer commission also ordered Apple to pay INR 5,000 as compensation for mental agony and harassment and another INR 5,000 towards litigation costs, in an order dated August 7, 2026, that found the company guilty of deficiency in service.

Why Did The Customer Complain About The Defective iPhone

The complainant, Rajbir Phogat, an advocate, had purchased an iPhone 15 for INR 64,999 in January 2024. He alleged the phone had problems from the beginning, including overheating, Bluetooth connectivity issues and network problems. Ordered an iPhone, Got Beard Growth Oil Instead! Mumbai Consumer Court Orders Flipkart To Refund INR 1.11 Lakh.

Phogat first approached an Apple authorised customer care centre, where an executive changed some settings and assured him the phone would work properly. The problems continued, and he was later asked to contact Apple's customer care number directly.

On April 29, 2024, Phogat followed instructions given over the phone and updated the iPhone. He was told the call-drop and network issues would stop after the update, but the problems remained unresolved. Why Was Snapdeal Fined INR 5 Lakh by the CCPA?

He was subsequently advised to purchase iCloud storage, which he did for INR 75 per month on May 31, 2024. He was also told to change his mobile network provider, and switched from Jio to Airtel on May 29, 2024. The problems persisted regardless.

Phogat alleged that the authorised service centre eventually refused to help him, prompting him to approach the consumer commission seeking a replacement or a full refund of INR 64,999, along with compensation for mental agony, work disruption and litigation costs.

What Apple Said About The iPhone's Defects

Apple India denied any manufacturing defect and said the problems stemmed from unauthorised modifications to the device. The company said its authorised service centre had found dust particles in the buttons, an allegedly unauthorised rear camera lens and back glass, scratches on the enclosure, and an issue with the rear microphone.

Apple argued that its one-year warranty did not cover unauthorised modifications, and said Phogat had declined to send the phone for further screening after being informed of the alleged tampering. The company also contended that he had not produced documents proving the problems existed from the date of purchase.

Why The Commission Held Apple Liable

The bench, comprising president Nagender Singh Kadian and members Tripti Pannu and Vijender Singh, noted that Phogat had produced the tax invoice, screenshots of failed calls, and a June 2024 job sheet recording issues related to network, overheating and Bluetooth connectivity.

The commission examined the service records Apple relied on, which mentioned alleged unauthorised modifications, but found that the phone had been returned to Phogat without any repair. It also noted that the respondents had not produced an affidavit from the engineer or technician who inspected the phone, nor an expert report or other technical evidence establishing tampering.

"The photographs produced on record also do not conclusively establish such alleged unauthorized modification," the commission said.

The commission held that an internal remark in a service job sheet, on its own, was not enough to prove a warranty violation. "Mere recording of an internal remark in the job sheet, unsupported by any independent technical evidence, is not sufficient to discharge the burden cast upon the opposite parties to prove that the complainant had violated the terms of the warranty," it held.

It further observed that the defects had arisen during the warranty period and that the phone was returned without the reported problems being fixed. "In the absence of any reliable evidence proving unauthorized modification, the opposite parties were not justified in refusing warranty service and returning the mobile phone without rectifying the defects repeatedly complained of by the complainant," the commission said.

What The Commission Ordered

The commission did not direct Apple to refund the full purchase price, holding that a refund after deducting 30 percent depreciation would be sufficient. This brought the refund amount to INR 45,500, to be paid with 9 percent annual interest from June 10, 2024, the date the complaint was filed, until the date of payment.

Apple was also directed to pay INR 5,000 as compensation for mental agony and harassment, and a further INR 5,000 towards litigation costs. Phogat has been directed to hand over the iPhone to Apple at the time of payment, and the order must be complied with within one month of receipt of its copy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 17, 2026 01:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).