iPhone and iPod touch owners that were denied warranty repairs over internal moisture sensors that falsely registered water damage are a step closer to collecting their share in Apple's US$53 million class action lawsuit settlement. The settlement is still awaiting final court approval, but a website is up and running where device owners can add their names to the list of eligible participants ready to collect up to $300.
Apple's $53 million faulty moisture sensor settlement worth up to $300 for iPhone owners
The class action lawsuit alleged that Apple customers were denied warranty repairs when the moisture sensors in their iPhone or iPod touch were triggered even though they hadn't suffered water damage. In some of those cases the sensor strips changed color to indicate water damage when in fact they had absorbed moisture from condensation in humid environments.
The lawsuit and settlement covered the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and 3GS, as well as first, second and third generation iPod touch models. Settlement payments per device are estimated to range from $105 up to $300, but could be higher or lower depending on the number of owners that choose to add their name to the claim list.
Up to $15.9 million, or 30 percent, of Apple's $53 million settlement will go to attorney fees, and the Class Representatives in the case will get incentive awards upwards of $1,000.
To qualify for payment in the class action lawsuit, iPhone owners need to have been denied warranty coverage before December 31, 2009, and iPod touch owners need to have been denied coverage earlier than June 2010.
To participate in the settlement, users need to submit their claim form before October 21, 2013. To object to the settlement, or to opt out, your filing must be submitted by December 4, 2013.