Apple must pay $25 to each Quebecer who has said yes to AppleCare since 2015. But the Ontario administrator who manages the claims is dragging his feet so much that he must be replaced immediately by a local company , demands the leader of the file.
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“They are incompetent and negligent,” asserts Joey Zukran, the lawyer at the center of the $6 million agreement negotiated with Apple, regarding RicePoint.
The London, Ontario firm has the mandate to distribute the California giant’s money to the 76,000 affected Quebecers. The claim period has been open since May 24.
Only 345 complaints have been processed in 20 days. In the Ticketmaster file, 44,000 Quebecers have already claimed via a site put online on June 4 by Concilia, an administrator from Montreal.
“We shouldn’t have to look for our old bills,” laments Patrick Fortin. The Quebecer has seven devices – an iPhone, an iPad, a computer and a watch – all purchased with AppleCare during the period prescribed in the agreement.
In May, the Gatineau resident learned that he was part of the collective action in an email received from RicePoint. When he wanted to know how many of his AppleCare benefits were eligible, he was asked for a PIN which he was not provided with.
“It’s ridiculous. They wrote to me, Apple gave them my information,” observes the fan of the apple brand.
This is where Joey Zukran talks about “incompetence”. During the negotiations, the boss of LPC Avocats fought, he says, so that consumers would not have to provide proof of purchase.
“With Concilia, it only takes one click! We receive an email, we click on a link then bam, the claim is made, the technology used recognizes us,” he illustrates.
RicePoint undermines the credibility of all collective actions, thinks the lawyer, who is also the one who just made Ticketmaster spit out.
“They don’t have offices in Montreal. It’s time for a local company to take things in hand,” he pleads.
76,000 Quebecers are entitled to $25
The case against Apple dates back to 2023, when Joey Zukran and Michael Vathilakis filed a lawsuit. The tech giant is accused of not having informed its Quebec customers of the presence of a legal guarantee in our laws.
A judge authorized the class action six months later, prompting Apple to negotiate. It took twelve months to reach the agreement approved in March 2024.
Affected Quebecers can finally go, since May 24, 2024, to a site put online by RicePoint to claim their dues.
That’s $25 minimum for each of the 76,000 people whose Apple ID was provided to the court. Patrick Fortin, who paid for seven AppleCare from December 20, 2015 to January 26, 2023, is entitled to $175, or even much more.
The 76,000 Quebecers affected can also submit a second claim. If approved, they will be awarded an additional amount of up to 50% of what they paid for their AppleCare warranty(s) – before taxes.
If it’s up to the two lawyers who negotiated with Apple, they will first have to fire the Ontario-based RicePoint and hire the Montreal-based Concilia.
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