Apple has agreed to pay a $150,000 civil penalty to New Jersey after state regulators found repeated pricing and refund policy violations at its retail stores. The settlement closes a state investigation that followed years of noncompliance with pricing rules Apple agreed to follow in 2017.
State finds repeat violations
New Jersey consumer protection officials reinspected 11 Apple Stores across the state and found multiple issues. Inspectors reported missing price labels on display tables and accessories. They also found refund policies not clearly posted near cash registers or store entrances, as required by law.
These reinspections tied back to a 2017 consent order. That earlier agreement required Apple to make pricing information continuously available for devices such as iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and Apple Watches. Regulators objected to Apple’s reliance on digital pricing systems that forced customers to interact with devices to see prices. The state said that the approach violated consumer protection laws.
Since Apple failed to fully comply with that agreement, the state imposed penalties.
What regulators said
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin addressed the settlement in a public statement.
“At a time when prices are skyrocketing, consumers deserve to know what they’re paying for products on the shelves. Once again, Apple has violated the law by failing to display the prices for products in their retail stores, keeping consumers in the dark. It’s bad enough when companies violate the law once. It’s even worse when they are held accountable and then engage in the same unlawful conduct again. There is no excuse for Apple’s repeated misconduct here, and consumers deserve better.”
The state described the agreement as the largest settlement ever reached under the Merchandise Pricing Act.
Apple must change
As part of the settlement, Apple must revise how it displays prices in New Jersey stores. The agreement requires Apple to clearly mark prices on merchandise, show prices with limited interaction on devices, or place pricing information close enough for customers to see without help from staff.
Apple must also stop requiring customers to interact with devices to find prices unless those prices appear clearly and immediately. In addition, the company must post refund policies in visible locations, including at registers or store entrances.
Apple has not commented publicly on the settlement.
A repeat issue, not a first offense
For New Jersey officials, this case centers on repeat violations, not a one-time mistake. Apple agreed to follow visible pricing laws in 2017. Eight years later, inspectors found widespread failures across multiple stores.
The state says the $150,000 penalty reflects years of noncompliance and reinforces that large retailers must follow the same consumer protection rules as everyone else.
