New Delhi : A district consumer commission in Haryana has ordered Apple India to refund ₹45,500 to a customer after finding that an iPhone 15 suffered from repeated overheating, Bluetooth and network connectivity issues. The Rohtak District Consumer Commission also noted that Apple failed to prove its claim that the device had been tampered with. In addition to the refund, the commission directed Apple India to pay ₹5,000 as compensation to the customer and another ₹5,000 towards litigation expenses.
The complainant, Rajbir Phogat, an advocate, purchased an iPhone 15 for Rs 64,999 in January 2024, according to the commission’s order dated August 7, 2026. Phogat alleged that the phone had problems from the beginning, including overheating, Bluetooth connectivity issues and network problems. He approached an Apple authorised customer care centre, where a customer care executive changed some settings and assured him that the phone would work properly.
On April 29, 2024, Phogat spoke to Apple’s customer care and, following instructions given over the phone, updated the iPhone. He was told that the call-drop and network issues would not continue after the update. The problems remained unresolved. Phogat later visited the service centre again and was advised to purchase iCloud storage. He bought iCloud space for Rs 75 per month on May 31, 2024, but the problems continued.
He alleged that the authorised service centre later refused to help him. He then approached the consumer commission seeking replacement of the phone or refund of Rs 64,999, besides compensation for mental agony, loss caused by interruption of work and litigation expenses. Apple India denied that the phone had a manufacturing defect and said the problems were caused by unauthorised modifications to the device.
The authorised customer care centre also argued that Phogat had not produced documents showing that the alleged problems existed from the date of purchase or had been brought to the respondents’ notice. The bench comprising president Nagender Singh Kadian and members Tripti Pannu and Vijender Singh noted that Phogat had produced the tax invoice, screenshots showing failed calls and a June 2024 job sheet recording problems relating to network, overheating and Bluetooth connectivity.
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