By Jo Best, 21 February 2005 17:15
NEWS A group of Apple resellers and consumers have banded together to file a class action suit against the company.
In the suit, filed in the California Superior Court in San Francisco, the resellers and consumers accuse Apple of not honouring warranties, misappropriating trade secrets from its resellers, unlawful business practices and packaging old kit as new, among other controversial charges.
Apple, which recently filed suit against three online journalists it claimed had leaked Apple's secrets, now finds itself on the receiving end of such a suit, with the resellers claiming the company has been using confidential reseller information in order to boost sales at Apple's own stores and cut the resellers out.
The resellers also claim that Apple ensured its own stores' shelves were stocked more plentifully and ahead of resellers'. Apple also stands accused of deliberately undercutting the resellers' prices and failing to extend warranties while its products were being repaired, according to reports.
Apple declined to comment.
The case isn't the first time aggrieved resellers have got litigious with Apple. Another reseller coalition, headed by MACadam store owner Tom Santos and Elite Computers and Software boss Thomas Armes, is currently at the centre of a legal battle, claiming Apple's actions promoted the company's own stores to the detriment of resellers and, as a result, have driven resellers out of business.
Comments
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1. J
Had these independent resellers contributed to an increased market share for Apple, then perhaps Apple wouldn't have been so focused on their own stores.
2. anonymous
Apple retailers have been known for YEARS for OVERCHARGING their customers and charging megabucks for service on top of it all. The only SECRET Apple stole was following suit and continuing to loot new customers for cheap items like memory sold at Apple for up to 4 times the street price.
3. Era
this is a typical reseller reaction! They want to take credit for NO ACTION. I am yet to see a reseller who has actively promoted any company's products. However if the company starts doing well and creates demand, they all want their share. Apple has always been an innovative company with good products and has done a commendable job to get back to the top slot.
4. anonymous
Lets put this in perspective and lets use General Motors for example
GM sells a car to its dealer for $20,000
Then the car dealer quotes $21,000 to a customer spending time and money on test drives and sales help ,but the customer gets a quote from GM and its 20,000 or less and to add insult GM says that they can take care of said customer better and they have the cars in inventory while the dealer might not because GM has preference being the manufacturer. So customer buys from GM leaving the dealer unhappy with GM plus the customer stops by and asks questions about their new automobile... Now hopefully this explains part of the Apple suit after all Apple Computer was built many years ago with dealers ... what happened to loyalty
5. SmartITGuy
All you Ikea loving Volvo driving Apple worshippers need to
pull your heads out of your butts and SEE Apple for what it
really is. An evil, manipulative, monopolistic, corrupt, litigious,
controlling, idea-stealing entity that p!$$es on it's customers
and resellers anytime it can make a penny by doing so.
Yeah, there are worse companies, but this article is about Apple,
so I won't name any. (...Microsoft... Sony...)
I think someone should open an MP3 Depot or something that
sells ALL MP3 Players, EXCEPT iPods. And make a campaign to
show the world that there are way more and BETTER MP3 players
out there, for much less cost. And without the risk of getting SUED
by the manufacturer of your player.