Mophie Class Action Says Battery Enhancing Product Damages iPhone

UPDATE: On January 23, 2018, the Mophie iPhone Battery class action lawsuit was dismissed.

Mophie Inc. has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging its iPhone 6 battery-extending product actually damages the internal battery of the phone its connected to and reduces its battery life.

Plaintiff Eric Stotz accuses Mophie of falsely advertising its “iPhone 6 Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 6/6s” as a device that extends the battery life of devices it is used with. According to the Mophie class action lawsuit, the battery enhancing product actually causes significant damage to the internal battery of the iPhone, contrary to Mophie’s representations.

Stotz initially filed the Mophie class action lawsuit in October, and it was removed to California federal court on Dec. 1.

Stotz says he purchased the Mophie product from a Tech On The Go store at LAX airport on Feb. 6, 2016. According to the Mophie class action lawsuit, he paid more than $100 for the product, which was advertised as having the ability to extend the battery life of devices it was connected to.

“Relying on the assurance that the Product would increase the battery life of his phone, Plaintiff decided to purchase the Product, as he was in the process of traveling and an extended battery life was of particular value to him,” the Mophie class action lawsuit states.

However, Stotz discovered that the Mophie product actually caused significant damage to the internal battery of his iPhone, “such that it was rendered almost unusable without the Product constantly attached,” according to the Mophie class action lawsuit. Stotz says he felt “ripped off, cheated by, and damaged” by Mophie. He says he would not have purchased the product if he had known that it would damage his iPhone battery.

Stotz asserts that consumers purchase the Mophie product based on the promise that it will increase the battery life of their devices. “Without the feature, many of the consumers would not have purchased the Products because the purpose for purchasing the products is to increase, not decrease, the battery life of devices,” the Mophie class action lawsuit alleges.

Consumers rely on Mophie’s representations that the products will extend the battery life of the device it’s connected to, the Mophie class action lawsuit asserts. In actuality, the product damages their devices and decreases their utility and value, Stotz alleges. He claims that Mophie knew that the products would damage the devices they were attached to, and that they did not actually extend battery life, but that Mophie sold the products anyway.

By filing the Mophie class action lawsuit, Stotz seeks to represent a Class of consumers who have purchased the Mophie battery-enhancing products.

The Mophie class action lawsuit accuses Mophie of engaging in a scheme to mislead consumers in order to persuade them to purchase the products. Stotz asserts violations of the California False Advertising Act, the Unfair Business Practices Act, and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

Stotz is represented by Todd M. Friedman of the Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman PC.

The Mophie iPhone Battery Class Action Lawsuit is Eric Stotz v. Mophie Inc., Case No. 2:16-cv-08898, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.