Apple has apparently attempted to gag customers who have experienced severe problems with their iPods, including explosions. They have been accused of giving consumers who have experienced hardware defects a gagging order in exchange for support or compensation for the fault.
This was revealed to the media when Ken Stanborough of Liverpool dropped his daughter’s iPod only to have it explode a few minutes later. He was forced to throw it outside into the garden where it allegedly exploded and flew about 3 metres in the air.
Ken contacted the store where he bought the iPod and Apple to obtain a refund. Apple sent Stanborough a letter denying liability but offering a refund. The settlement offer stated that if Stanborough accepted the offer then news of the settlement would have to be kept quiet. Stanborough has yet to sign the agreement and neither the store where the iPod was purchased nor Apple have examined the iPod.
Apple has done its best to suppress news of faulty iPods and iPod batteries but as recently as July a US journalist successfully obtained 800 pages of documentation relating to iPod problems after a Freedom of Information Act request was filed. Under this act any documents controlled by the US government are available for full or partial disclosure if they have yet to be disclosed to the public.
Apple also faces legal action over an iPod that exploded in an Ohio child’s pants pocket. The Japanese government has also issued a warning about the Lithium batteries in the iPod Nano that may be prone to overheating.
Source: The Inquirer, V3.co.uk
Michael Reed
