PC World > Feature

Kiwis may be eligible for iPhone 4 refunds

New Zealand consumers may be eligible for refunds if the phone’s widely publicised antenna issues are not mentioned at point of sale. The iPhone 4 launches in NZ this week.

By James Heffield / Monday, July 26 2010

• 10 Technologies That Should Be Extinct (But Aren't)
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
• 10 tell-tale signs your PC is infected
• Who is the average Kiwi gamer?
• Microsoft simplifies Visual Studio
• Is Google itching for a face-off with Facebook?

LATEST Feature

• Apple releases redesigned iPod nano, shuffle
• Trend Micro brings encryption to the cloud
• Chrome jumps into hardware speed-up game
• 10 Technologies That Should Be Extinct (But Aren't)
• Toshiba working on Android tablet
• Canon signals end of the road for SED TV dreams
• Google Chrome tablet due for November release?
• How to spot Facebook scams like 'dislike'
• Beware the Facebook "Dislike" button scam
• Droid 2 on sale in US on Thursday

Consumers who purchase Apple’s iPhone 4 have the right to demand a full refund if the troubled device’s antenna issues are not highlighted at point of sale, says Consumer NZ.

The latest iPhone will go on sale in New Zealand on Friday (July 30), despite a well publicised antenna flaw that can cause the phone to drop calls. The flaw has come to be known as the “death grip” because it is triggered by users gripping the phone’s bottom left corner.

Consumer NZ technology writer Hadyn Green said New Zealand iPhone 4 buyers would be able to demand a refund under the Consumer Guarantees Act if the antenna issue was not brought to their attention at the point of sale.

The fact that the issue had been widely publicised did not let Apple off the hook, he said.The antenna issue needed to be clearly printed on the iPhone 4 box or mentioned by a salesperson selling the phone.

“If it doesn’t have a warning on it and a buyer isn’t told about the problem then I can’t see the reason why people couldn’t return it. [However], if they tell you at point of purchase that the phone has a fault… then you won't be able to return the phone for that reason.”

Apple has promised to provide overseas iPhone 4 buyers with protective bumper cases that can be attached to the phone to correct reception issues. However, the company’s Australian spokespeople have refused to respond to PC World questions regarding whether the bumpers will be provided free to New Zealand buyers.

A Vodafone spokesperson said the provision of free bumpers was an Apple issue and the company had not yet specified whether the bumpers would be sold in New Zealand. The iPhone 4 will be sold through Vodafone stores and selected Apple resellers.

Green said antenna issues on a phone were potentially major faults and Apple needed to fix the problem for good in future shipments to New Zealand.

“As a person who reviews a lot of technology, I think they need to fix it. You can’t go around claiming you are selling the greatest phone in the world if it has problems like that.”

Green had not heard whether the correctional bumper would be provided free to New Zealand consumers but it was likely they would be able to get a bumper sent to them by registering their iPhone 4 purchase on the Apple Store website.

Overseas, Apple has stated that the free bumpers will be provided to consumers who purchase an iPhone 4 before September 30. The company has not said why the bumpers will not be provided after that date, but it seems likely that the antenna issue may be corrected in iPhone 4s shipped after September 30.