iPhone 4 antenna woes prompt Apple to dump return fee

From InfoWorld: Apple has dropped the usual restocking fee for iPhone customers who want to return their smartphones, the company confirmed on Friday.

In a statement posted earlier today to its Web site that blamed reception problems on a flawed signal strength indicator, Apple said that buyers could return their iPhone for "a full refund" within 30 days of the purchase if they weren't satisfied.

That's a change from the company's normal policy, which demands a 10% restocking fee for returned iPhones. According to the company's Web site , Apple typically charges $19.90 for a returned 16GB iPhone 4 model, and $29.90 for a 32GB device.

An AppleCare support representative who gave her name as "Erica" confirmed that the restocking fee had been ditched.

The restocking fee is also central to at least one of several lawsuits that consumers have filed this week against Apple, alleging that the company shipped defective iPhone 4s to customers. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court, a pair of Maryland residents claimed that the iPhone 4 sported a defective antenna design that drops calls and can't hold a strong signal.

Kevin McCaffrey and Linda Wrinn accused Apple of knowingly selling a defective product, adding that they "are unable to return the phone without incurring a substantial restocking fee." McCaffrey and Wrinn have asked that their lawsuit be granted class-action status, a move that if awarded would allow any U.S. iPhone 4 owner to join the case.

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