Everything from our laptops, tablets, smartphones and wearables take hits from drops and our own carelessness more than we think. Whenever this happens, we’re left dreading the moment we take the first glance at it. Is the screen cracked? Can it function normally? Has it died forever?
When you have something on your wrist, the circumstances are slightly different. You won’t drop it since it’s attached to your hand but you’ll probably have it bump around when rushing through doors and corridors. I once had a stainless steel strap “break” as it got caught on an edge. It was a knock off Seiko.
But for Gareth Cross, it was his Apple Watch’s cracked display.
Putting claims in your description of a product can apparently get you in hot water – even if it only costs your company £ 429 (RM 2599.30).
Mr Cross’ interpretation of Apple’s “impact resistant” smartwatch lead him to rough it up a bit. He’s usually quite harsh with his stuff so the claim allowed him to be his usual self. The man from Aberystwyth noticed a crack in the OLED Apple Watch display after just 10 days and when he contacted an Apple rep, they told him the regular warranty wouldn’t cover it.
Deciding to take matters in his own hand, he took Apple to a small claims court for the breach of the Sale of Goods Act and surprisingly won the case after being tied up in court for six months. Cupertino ended up coughing up the sum mentioned earlier and has since changed their description of their smartwatch, removing the “impact resistant” claim.
After the incident, Cross still plans to buy another Apple Watch – with the money he received from the manufacturer.
Looks like the small man won this time and made a big corporation bow down and be caught in a “lie”. Maybe the average Joe/Jane should start doing the same thing. Put the hammer down and make these companies accountable for what they say about their devices.
