Apple puts image ahead of safety ... again!

A couple of weeks ago it emerged that Apple has tried to bury Consumer Product Safety Commission safety reports. Today we see more of the same:

Ken Stanborough, 47, from Liverpool, dropped his 11-year-old daughter Ellie’s iPod Touch last month. “It made a hissing noise,” he said. “I could feel it getting hotter in my hand, and I thought I could see vapour”. Mr Stanborough said he threw the device out of his back door, where “within 30 seconds there was a pop, a big puff of smoke and it went 10ft in the air”.

Mr Stanborough contacted Apple and Argos, where he had bought the device for £162. After being passed around several departments, he spoke to an Apple executive on the telephone. As a result of the conversation, Apple sent a letter to Mr Stanborough denying liability but offering a refund.

The letter also stated that, in accepting the money, Mr Stanborough was to “agree that you will keep the terms and existence of this settlement agreement completely confidential”, and that any breach of confidentiality “may result in Apple seeking injunctive relief, damages and legal costs against the defaulting persons or parties”.

The letter was full of the standard "agree that you will keep the terms and existence of this settlement agreement completely confidential"

Now what's interesting here is how Apple looked at offering a refund as a form of compensation. Under UK law, Stanborough is entitled to a refund (or replacement product) free and clear of any settlement. What Apple tried here was a dirty trick that probably wouldn't have held up in court.

All of this leaves a question - Is Apple trying to protect its image, or is it trying to cover up a deeper problem?