This is the end of a long legal saga for Apple. The company has started sending checks to American customers harmed by the reliability problems of the MacBook butterfly keyboards. Compensation that can reach $395 per person, a not insignificant sum.
Back to the case of the defective butterfly keyboards
Introduced in 2015 on the 12-inch MacBook, Apple’s butterfly keyboard promised a more stable and consistent typing despite its thinness. But very quickly, many users encountered problems: keys that stick, get stuck or characters that repeat themselves.
Despite several revisions, Apple has failed to correct these design flaws. The outcry from disgruntled customers led to a class-action lawsuit in 2018, accusing the brand of knowingly selling defective computers.
Rather than go to trial, Apple preferred to reach an amicable settlement in 2022. The amount of compensation was set at $50 million in total. But only certain US states were eligible.
Up to $395 refunded per affected MacBook
Three years after the lawsuit was filed, the injured customers are finally starting to receive what they are owed. According to some American journalists, the first checks arrived in mailboxes this Saturday, August 3.
The amount of compensation depends on the severity of the problems encountered and the repairs carried out:
- Up to $395 for those who had to have the “topcase” (the upper part including the keyboard) replaced at least twice.
- Up to $125 for a single topcase replacement.
- Up to $50 for those who just had keys changed.
Obviously, you had to fill out a form before the deadline to benefit from these payments. Affected customers living outside the 7 eligible states (California, New York, Michigan, etc.) were unfortunately unable to participate. Elsewhere in the United States and around the world, eligible customers were able to benefit from a keyboard repair without the problem being resolved. Outside of the 7 American states mentioned above, Apple has not implemented any compensation policy.
Apple has learned from this mishap
This episode shows that Apple is not immune to design mistakes, despite its premium brand image. But the Cupertino giant seems to have learned from its mistakes.
Since 2020, all new MacBooks now feature a more reliable Magic Keyboard. And the latest MacBook Air and Pro with M3 chip even get a new, more robust design.
Hopefully, these compensations will help turn the page on this fiasco. And that Apple will continue to innovate, but without sacrificing quality and customer satisfaction.