Another iphone lawsuit
AppleInsider reports today that a third iPhone class-action lawsuit has been filed against Apple (AAPL). This one claims that the company failed to disclose that the device was locked to AT&T’s wireless network and that using it outside the U.S. could result in substantial roaming charges.
The complainant is a New York state resident named Herbert H. Kliegerman who, according to AppleInsider, tells this story:
Approximately two weeks after purchasing his iPhone, Kliegerman traveled to Mexico for a week where he continued to use his iPhone to check emails and surf the web. He did so, according to the suit, after reading a statement on Apple’s iPhone website stating that “[y]ou can browse the Internet and send emails as often as you like without being charged extra.”
Upon returning from Mexico, Kliegerman claims to have received a bill from AT&T with $2,000 in international data roaming charges. Being a frequently traveler, he turned to the wireless carrier in order to obtain an unlock code for his iPhone, but was informed that such unlock codes would not be provided to him, according to the suit. (link)
Kleierman’s nine-page complaint, filed Monday in a New York State Supreme Court, notes that AT&T has routinely provided unlock codes for their phones in the past when requested by a customer. He is represtented by attorneys at Randall S. Newman, P.C.
The two previous class-action suits, filed in Illinois and California, allege that Apple and A&T failed to adequately inform early customers of the costs involved in maintaining a working battery for the life of the phone. Neither has come to trial.