If you’re a US resident who bought a pair of wireless Powerbeats 2 earbuds before August 7th, then you could soon get a payout over the allegedly “defective” device, MacRumors reports. Apple has agreed to pay out $9.75 million, after it was accused of falsely advertising the so-called “shoddy” earbuds as “sweat & water resistant” and “built to endure.” However, the plaintiffs say that these claims weren’t true, and that the earbuds would stop holding their charge after “minimal use.”
Although Apple has agreed to settle, it hasn’t admitted to doing anything wrong. The legal filing notes that the company decided that settling was cheaper than the expense of going to trial. Although the original lawsuit filing claims that Apple’s 2016 Powerbeats 3 headphones were also defective, the settlement only mentions the Powerbeats 2, which were first released back in 2014.
If you want to submit a claim, then you can do so by filling out a form on the lawsuit’s website by November 20th. The amount you could get out of the lawsuit will vary based on a number of factors, including the number of people that make a claim in the lawsuit, whether you submit a proof of purchase, and whether there are any records of you getting a warranty repair or replacement for your headphones. Page 5 of this document goes into more detail about how much you could receive, up to a theoretical maximum of $189 per proof of purchase.
A final hearing is scheduled for January 15th to determine the fairness of the proposed settlement. Relief will be provided to class-action members only after the court gives final approval of the settlement and all appeals are exhausted.
Update August 28th, 7:55AM ET: Updated with additional details on payout amounts.
