Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit for ‘Defective’ Powerbeats Headphones

Apple is no stranger to lawsuits, and over the years the company has faced plenty of ridiculous claims. With reports estimating that Apple has more than $250 billion in the bank, it’s no surprise the company is a target. However, a recent class action regarding defective Powerbeats headphones may have some merit.

The 44 page lawsuit filed Tuesday relates to Apple’s marketing, advertising and sale of both Powerbeats2 and Powerbeats3 models. The complaint claims Powerbeats are touted as the “BEST HEADPHONES FOR WORKING OUT” and “BUILT TO ENDURE.” The lawsuit goes on to dispute Apple’s claims of sweat and water resistance along with the advertised battery life even going so far as to call the Powerbeats “shoddy” headphones.

The complaint asserts there is a design defect that causes the battery life to diminish quickly and stop holding a charge after minimal use. According to “information and belief,” the lawsuit states that thousands of users have experienced identical issues, although there isn’t much hard evidence backing up the claim. The focus is primarily on the negative reviews the products have received on Apple’s website. The reviews are awful, but staking a lawsuit on internet reviews is wobbly at best.

The class action contains 15 counts against Apple in the categories of Express Warranty, Implied Warranty Claims, Consumer Protection Statutes and Common Law. Fraud, deception, false advertising and unjust enrichment are just a few of the allegations. Like with many lawsuits, the idea is to throw everything against the wall and see what sticks. Courts have historically been lenient with companies when it comes to advertising, so it’s hard to see any of those claims going anywhere.

Although the lawsuit is not implicit in tying sweat and the battery defect together, many of the product reviews imply sweating causes the battery issue. The warranty claims may have some merit if there is any evidence showing sweating does in fact cause the battery to quit functioning the right way.

It will be interesting to see how this develops and whether any proof comes to light that Apple’s Powerbeats are in fact defective. We’ll keep an eye on how this lawsuit progresses so stay tuned.