$5.3M Apple Settlement: Quebec MacBook Pro Owners May Claim $175 Rebate

UPDATE:

• A judge granted final approval to this settlement April 28, 2021.
• Top Class Actions will update viewers when a claim form becomes available.

Apple looks set to pay $5.3 million in a class action settlement over alleged faulty graphics in its 2011 MacBook Pro.

A hearing is scheduled for April 28 in the Superior Court of Québec for approval of the settlement which could see Class Members receiving $175 per device, according to the settlement website. 

Class Members who paid for laptop repairs relating to a graphics issue before Jan. 1, 2017, can further claim full reimbursement for the cost of these repairs, iMore reports.

The technology-giant was hit with a class action lawsuit in 2014 alleging a graphics defect in its 15-inch and 17-inch 2011 MacBook Pro laptops.

In 2015, Apple launched a repair program for MacBooks, including the 2011 MacBook Pro, due to some display and video issues caused by faulty GPUs, according to court documents. 

The settlement is a compromise of disputed claims and is not an admission of liability, wrongdoing, or fault on the part of Apple, notes the MacBook Pro settlement website. 

“The parties to the Class Action have reached a proposed settlement (the ‘Settlement Agreement’) subject to obtaining the approval of the Superior Court of Québec. The Settlement Agreement provides that Defendants agree to pay $5,344,575.00 in settlement of the Class Action (the “Total Settlement Fund”)”, the website says.

Quebec residents who own a 2011 MacBook Pro Laptop with a 15-inch or 17-inch screen and anyone who bought a 2011 MacBook Pro in the province may be eligible for the class action rebate.

The deadline for comments and objections to the proposed class action settlement is April 19. A settlement approval hearing will take place virtually before the Superior Court of Québec on April 28.

It is not the first time Apple has experienced complaints or issues with its products. In 2019, the company issued a voluntary recall of an older generation MacBook Pro that contained a battery that could overheat and pose a fire safety risk.

Then, in 2020, Apple agreed to pay $113 million to settle claims it intentionally reduced iPhone performance due to a battery issue the company hid from consumers. The scandal, which came to be known as “Batterygate,” affected millions of iPhone 6, 7, and SE users.

The company has also been hit with legal action in Canada and the US over its facial recognition software, radiation risk, market monopolization, recycling phone numbers, and more.

Are you an Apple user? Have you ever experienced any issues with any of your devices? Let us know in the comments section!

The lead plaintiff is represented by David Assor of Lex Group Inc.

The Apple 2011 MacBook Pro Class Action Lawsuit is Charbonneau v. Apple Canada Inc., et al., Case No. 500-06-000722-146 in the Superior Court of Québec.

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