News

New York Gripes to Jobs About iPhone

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 at 9:35 AM - by

Even though most consumers are happy with Apple's iPhone, the New York State Consumer Protection Board isn't quite as pleased. The agency sent Apple CEO Steve Jobs a letter with its concerns and a request that the iPhone be redesigned to accommodate user-replaceable batteries, according to Newsday.

Mindy Bockstein, Consumer Protection Board chairwoman and executive director, stated in the letter "I encourage Apple to redesign the iPhone in order to provide for a replaceable battery."

Ms. Bockstein also suggested that Apple change several of its policies, including the standard 14 day return policy. Instead, she would prefer Apple extend the return period to 30 days to match AT&T.

The board also wants Apple to abandon its ten percent restocking fee, and review how it presents contract terms and conditions, warranties, and return policy information to customers.

Should an iPhone have to go to Apple for servicing or repair, the company will offer customers a US$29 loaner while theirs is under the knife -- another bone of contention with the board. "Consumers should not have to rent an iPhone for $29 because their expensive iPhone failed to perform as expected and needs repair," Ms. Bockstein wrote.

Apple has not responded to the letter from the Consumer Protection Board, and is not under any obligation to comply with the agency's requests. The agency could, however, consider legal action to attempt to force Apple to redesign its combination iPod and smart phone to its specifications. Such a move could ultimately cost New York tax payers since Apple would likely fight such a move in court.

New York's Consumer Protection Board has not stated whether or not it is considering taking Apple to court over its iPhone concerns.

21 comments from the community.

You can post your own below.

+ show options

Your current settings, click to change: Sort Oldest First, Show Guest Posts, Hide Community Stats

Small White Car said:

member since 02 Jul 2004 with 1933 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:33 am

It's about time.

Hopefully they can take care of this issue quickly and get on to working on my list of further complaints:

* Laptops should have user replacable screens.

* Cars should have user replaceable windshields.

* Soda cans should be re-sealable.

These prodcuts are all useless to me without these features!

Quote this post ↓

Tiger said:

member since 17 Jun 2003 with 904 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:33 am

Talk about contentious browbeating. We don't like what you do. We are the government. You will abide by OUR set of corporate guidelines, not your board's policies.

Ok, simple enough. Because the State of New York has everything working for it.

Quote this post ↓

Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 577 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:41 am

It might be interesting to follow the trail back to the original complaint made to the consumer agency. The iPhone presents a clear and present danger to the status quo of clunky cell phones.

Quote this post ↓

Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 577 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:47 am

Quote
Tiger wrote:
Ok, simple enough. Because the State of New York has everything working for it.

As the Mayor Lenny said in Ghostbusters II "Being miserable and treating other people like dirt is every New Yorker's God-given right."

Quote this post ↓

Dreadnought said:

member since 01 Jan 2005 with 158 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:19 am

I just called the New York State Consumer Protection Board to register my displeasure as a NY taxpayer with their actions. I was polite and forthright and I was told to expect a call from the Media Relations department. If other New Yorkers wish to take similar action, please call 1-518-474-8583, press 1, then 3 and 3.

Again - be polite, respectful and detailed in your complaint against the CPB. Abuse will get you nowhere.

Quote this post ↓

brett_x said:

member since 24 Jan 2006 with 307 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:43 am

Nice post, Dreadnought. It's always nice when someone posts the tools for action in a comment, rather than saying "I'm mad, damnit" and not doing anything about it.

I wonder how different the iPhone would be if they had made the batter user-replaceable. I'd be willing to bet that it wouldn't have been as slim if they worked that into the design.

Quote this post ↓

deasys said:

member since 08 Apr 2003 with 243 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:57 am

So the New York State Consumer Protection Board wants to get into the cell phone design business? Good for them! I can hardly wait to see their first model...

Quote this post ↓

A guest said: (hide)

Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:00 pm

Quote
Small White Car wrote:
* Laptops should have user replacable screens.

* Cars should have user replaceable windshields.

It's perhaps more relevant to the topic that both of these products (in all versions I am aware of) allow easy battery replacement by the consumer.

Quote this post ↓

A guest said: (hide)

Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:11 pm

Quote
Tiger wrote:
Talk about contentious browbeating. We don't like what you do. We are the government. You will abide by OUR set of corporate guidelines, not your board's policies.

Yeah, I don't how Apple can deal with such a crushing blow as "I encourage Apple to redesign the iPhone in order to provide for a replaceable battery." With that kind of government pressure, how can Apple even survive?

Quote this post ↓

Bosco said:

member since 03 Jun 2002 with 964 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:39 pm

Thanks Dreadnought. As a resident of Caliornia, I called the New York State Consumer Protection office and told them that Mindy Bockstein could kiss my hairy ass She immediately fired off another letter to Steve Jobs asking that Mac users shave their asses and apply a small sptitz of perfume.

Quote this post ↓

A guest said: (hide)

Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:42 pm

Small White Car wrote:

* Laptops should have user replaceable screens.

* Cars should have user replaceable windshields.

Well, should ask New York State Consumer Protection Board to help us gain more features for common products like:

~ Laptops should have easier idiot prove access to conduct upgrades like the processer

~ They should require computer processors to use the same type of slot for future upgrades

~ Mobile phones should have the same cable to sync with the computers

~ CDs, DVDs, HD DVDs, BR DVDs or future CD should be legacy hardware compatible

~ They should also sue all other Operating System producers as the operating systems are not Microsoft friendly …

~ AMD and Intel should be merged by law to allow better processors and cheaper

~ Mobile phone networks should be merged under a single operator for the best coverage with government control over the pricing for the cheapest services.

~ Electrical appliance should all gain energy rating like the Energy Star for better products

Quote this post ↓

Black_Dog said:

member since 18 Apr 2007 with 20 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:11 pm

If Mindy Bockstein and the board were truly interested in protecting consumer they would go down to Brooklyn and shut down all of the bogus bait-and-switch camera and electronics stores based there rather than wasting tax dollars on onanism proclamations.

Quote this post ↓

Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 577 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:16 pm

Quote
Guest wrote:
Quote
Small White Car wrote:
* Laptops should have user replacable screens.

* Cars should have user replaceable windshields.

It's perhaps more relevant to the topic that both of these products (in all versions I am aware of) allow easy battery replacement by the consumer.

Electric cars such as the Toyota have batteries that are not easily replaceable by the average user and "currently" cost thousands of dollars.

Quote this post ↓

gslusher said:

member since 13 Nov 2002 with 2001 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 3:24 pm

Quote
Sir Harry Flashman wrote:

Electric cars such as the Toyota have batteries that are not easily replaceable by the average user and "currently" cost thousands of dollars.

Two quibbles (I have a Prius):

- It's not an "electric car," but a hybrid. I put gas into it every 10 days or so; I never plug it in.

- The regular 12 volt battery is user-replaceable.

Quote this post ↓

Small White Car said:

member since 02 Jul 2004 with 1933 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 3:29 pm

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
Quote
Small White Car wrote:
* Laptops should have user replacable screens.

* Cars should have user replaceable windshields.

It's perhaps more relevant to the topic that both of these products (in all versions I am aware of) allow easy battery replacement by the consumer.

The difference is that cars and laptops need to have their batteries changed within their lives. Cell phones usually don't.

Thus, all my examples were of things people rarely need to change. See how that works? Whereas your example doesn't fit. (Even though they're all batteries, it's a bad analogy since they are used differently. Similar objects don't always make good analogies.)

The vast majority of cell phone users never change their batteries. My last phone started to wear down after 2 years so I bought another phone. That's how it works for most people.

Do SOME people want to change their batteries? Sure. But the government should only take this kind of action when those people don't have a choice. Last time I checked, there were lots of phones for them to choose from.

Quote this post ↓

gslusher said:

member since 13 Nov 2002 with 2001 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 3:34 pm

Quote
Small White Car wrote:
Do SOME people want to change their batteries? Sure. But the government should only take this kind of action when those people don't have a choice. Last time I checked, there were lots of phones for them to choose from.

Perhaps the Consumer Protection Board should send letters to all other cell phone manufacturers saying that their phones should have at least 4 GB memory and widescreen displays. For me, those would be more useful than an easily-replaced battery.

Quote this post ↓

Sir Harry Flashman said:

member since 08 Feb 2007 with 577 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:26 pm

Quote
gslusher wrote:
Quote
Sir Harry Flashman wrote:

Electric cars such as the Toyota have batteries that are not easily replaceable by the average user and "currently" cost thousands of dollars.

Two quibbles (I have a Prius):

- It's not an "electric car," but a hybrid. I put gas into it every 10 days or so; I never plug it in.

- The regular 12 volt battery is user-replaceable.

I stand chagrined.

Quote this post ↓

A guest said: (hide)

Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:01 pm

The Consumer Protection Dept. of New York obviously has too much time on their hands if they really consider whether iPhones having user replaceable batteries is an appropriate subject for their scrutiny. Like many State agencies, they must justify their existence. In actuality, as others have pointed out, by the time these batteries are ready to be replaced, most people will either be ready for a new phone, or I suspect the aftermarket will have figured out how to replace them.

Quote this post ↓

A guest said: (hide)

Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:20 pm

I like the way the battery complaint has been seized upon as a measure of how worthless the CPB's statement is, conveniently ignoring such things as the returns policy, restocking fee etc.

Quote this post ↓

gslusher said:

member since 13 Nov 2002 with 2001 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:23 pm

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
I like the way the battery complaint has been seized upon as a measure of how worthless the CPB's statement is, conveniently ignoring such things as the returns policy, restocking fee etc.

It may be because those are irrelevant to most people.

Quote this post ↓

Bosco said:

member since 03 Jun 2002 with 964 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:45 am

Breaking news.... Mindy Bockstein was arrested in New York City this evening and charged with assault on a battery. Ms. Brockstein was wearing stockings, which were removed when she was booked and processed. She is expected to pay a restocking fee equivalent to 10% of her bail when she is released.

Quote this post ↓

Post Your Comments

  Remember Me

Not a member? Register now. You can post comments without logging in, but they'll show up as a "guest" post.


Please enter the word exactly as you see it in the image above. Registered users aren't prompted for this. Having trouble reading the image get a new one.