Apple Offers £6.50 Replacement For Dodgy Third Party Chargers

Apple has responded to safety concerns about third party or counterfeit chargers for its products, by offering customers the chance to trade in any non-official charger for an Apple USB adapter for just $10 (£6.50) in their local currency.

Faulty chargers have been cited in a number of incidents, most notably one which caused the death of a 23-year-old Chinese woman who was reportedly electrocuted while charging her iPhone 5 earlier this month.

To take advantage of the offer, users must bring any third party charger to an Apple store or authorised service retailer, along with an iPhone, iPad or iPod so that staff can validate the device’s serial number.

Apple chargers

The offer is limited to one charger per device and is valid until 18 October 2013. Apple has promised to dispose of any other device responsibly.

“Recent reports have suggested that some counterfeit and third party adapters may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues,” said Apple. “While not all third party adapters have an issue, we are announcing a USB Power Adapter Takeback Program to enable customers to acquire properly designed adapters.”

“Customer safety is a top priority at Apple. That’s why all of our products — including USB power adapters for iPhone, iPad, and iPod — undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and are designed to meet government safety standards around the world.”

“Starting August 16, 2013, if you have concerns about any of your USB power adapters, you can drop them off at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. We will ensure that these adapters are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.”

Apple has warned that it is unable to test whether a charger is unsafe or counterfeit, so if customers are in any doubt, they should either dispose or trade in their third party appliance.

How well do you know Apple? Take our quiz.