Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Apple’s ‘Highly Responsive’ Butterfly Keyboards Suffer ‘Sticking’ Defect [UPDATE]
Last Updated on December 14, 2022
Rao et al. v. Apple Inc.
Filed: May 11, 2018 ◆§ 5:18-cv-02813
Apple faces a class action claiming the 'butterfly' keyboards on certain MacBook models are hindered by a sticking defect that causes keys to become unresponsive.
December 14, 2022 – File a Claim for the Apple Butterfly Keyboard Settlement
The official website for the $50 million Apple “butterfly” keyboard settlement is live and can be found here:
To file a claim, head to this page and enter your unique ID number and PIN to begin. If you did not receive a unique ID number or PIN but believe you are covered by the settlement, fill out the form on this page.
According to the settlement site, MacBook users who obtained at least two Topcase replacements from Apple within four years of purchase will automatically be paid between $300 and $395. Consumers in this group do not need to file a claim for payment and should receive an email or mailed postcard asking them to confirm their contact information.
Consumers who obtained a single Topcase replacement from Apple within four years of purchase can file a claim to receive up to $125, and those who had one or more keycaps replaced by Apple in the same time span can receive up to $50. People in these two categories must file a claim and declare that the repairs did not resolve their keyboard issues in order to receive payment.
Claims must be filed online or postmarked by March 6, 2023.
Payments from the settlement will begin to go out to eligible class members sometime after the deal receives final approval and any appeals have been resolved. A final approval hearing is scheduled for March 16, 2023. The settlement website asks class members to be patient given that the appeal process can take time.
A complete list of the MacBooks covered by the settlement can be found here. To determine if your MacBook is included, click the apple in the upper left-hand corner of your screen and select “About this Mac” to view its make and model. You can also enter your computer’s serial number on Apple’s website to find out whether it is covered.
To contact the settlement administrator, head to this page.
Don’t miss out on settlement news like this. Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.
December 7, 2022 – Court Gives $50M Apple Butterfly Keyboard Settlement Preliminary Green Light
Apple’s $50 million settlement to end litigation over an alleged defect plaguing the company’s “butterfly” keyboards has received preliminary approval from the court, clearing a key hurdle toward consumers receiving compensation.
The deal, which received preliminary approval from United States District Judge Edward J. Davila on December 2, 2022, covers all individuals and entities in the United States who bought, other than for resale, one or more 2015-2017 Apple MacBook, 2016-2019 Apple MacBook Pro, or 2018-2019 Apple MacBook Air computers, excluding the 16-inch MacBook Pro model released in November 2019.
Notices will begin to be sent directly to covered Apple users around December 12, 2022. The deadline by which the file a claim—which can be done on the official settlement website when it goes live—is expected to be March 6, 2023, according to court documents.
A hearing for final approval is tentatively scheduled for March 16, 2023.
According to a motion filed with the court, consumers who paid for multiple keyboard replacements due to the apparent defect will receive $300 through the settlement. Those who replaced a single keyboard are set to receive $125, and those who replaced only key caps would receive $50.
Sometime soon an official settlement website will be created. ClassAction.org will update this page if and when an official website goes live.
Don’t miss out on settlement news like this. Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.
July 21, 2022 – Apple Agrees to $50 Million Settlement to End MacBook Butterfly Keyboard Class Actions
Apple has agreed to pay $50 million to settle the proposed class action detailed on this page and several related lawsuits that alleged the tech giant equipped certain MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops with defective “butterfly” keyboards that were prone to failure.
The proposed settlement, which awaits preliminary approval from U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila, would cover all individuals and entities in the U.S. who bought, other than for resale, a 2015-2017 Apple MacBook, 2016-2019 Apple MacBook Pro, or 2018-2019 Apple MacBook Air and experienced an issue with the butterfly keyboard. The 16-inch MacBook Pro released in November 2019 is excluded from the settlement.
According to the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary approval of the deal, consumers covered by the settlement could receive anywhere from $50 to $395 in cash, depending on the extent of repairs to their MacBook’s butterfly keyboard. Class members will also remain eligible for Apple’s Keyboard Service Program, which provides free keyboard repairs for four years from the date of purchase.
Those covered by the deal, which court papers say was reached after more than two years of “hard-fought negotiations,” should expect to receive an email or postcard notice with information on how to file a claim and more, and a settlement website is also expected to be established.
ClassAction.org will update this page with more information (such as the launch of an official settlement website), so be sure to check back periodically.
Don’t miss out on settlement news like this. Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.
Two plaintiffs have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Apple in which they claim the “butterfly” keyboards that come with 2015 or later MacBook and 2016 or later MacBook Pro laptops are “prone to fail” and thereby compromise the computers’ core functionality. According to the 44-page complaint, Apple’s butterfly keyboards are manufactured in such a way that even when minimal amounts of dust or debris accumulate under or around the keys, a user’s keystrokes fail to register.
“When one or more of the keys on the keyboard fail, the MacBook can no longer serve its core function: typing,” the lawsuit states. “Thus, when this defect manifests in the MacBook, the computer becomes inoperable and unsuitable for its ordinary and intended use.”
The lawsuit charges that Apple knew its butterfly keyboards were defective “at or before” the time it began selling affected MacBook models yet continued to sell the compromised computers to the public. Apple even ran with the claim that its MacBooks came equipped with “a superior and highly responsive keyboard” that boasted “four times more key stability that a traditional scissor mechanism,” representations the complaint pegs as false.
Even further, the plaintiffs allege that despite every MacBook coming with a one-year written warranty, the defendant “routinely refuses” to uphold its end of the deal once the supposed butterfly keyboard defect manifests. From the complaint:
“Instead of fixing the keyboard problems, Apple advises MacBook owners to try self-help remedies that it knows will not result in a permanent repair. When Apple does agree to attempt a warranty repair, the repair is only temporary—a purportedly repaired MacBook fails again from the same keyboard problems. For consumers outside of the warranty period, Apple denies warranty service, and directs consumers to engage in paid repairs, which cost between $400 and $700.”
The lawsuit seeks to cover a proposed class of consumers nationwide who bought a 2015 model year or later MacBook or a 2016 model year or later MacBook Pro laptop equipped with a butterfly keyboard.
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