Apple Offering $10 Discount To Customers Trading In Third-Party USB Adapters

After reports surfaced that iPhone chargers have been shocking, and in one case, killing a customer who answered her phone while it was charging, Apple is offering a discount to customers who trade in third-party chargers. In an announcement on the company site, Apple says third-party adpaters and counterfeit versions might not be designed correctly, so in the interest of customer safety, it’ll dispose of those adapters and set you up with an authentic one.

It won’t be a totally free new charger, says Apple in the post, but through the USB Power Adapter Takeback Program, customers can get a special discounted price on one Apple USB power adapter for $10 in the U.S. or the equivalent in other countries.

The program starts Aug. 16 and ends Oct. 18, and includes any adapters for iPhones, iPads and iPods. Customers can simply bring those adapters to a retail store or authorized service provider, where the old chargers will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. In order to qualify, customers have to turn in at least one adapter and show your device’s serial number to verify that you actually have a device and aren’t just trying to score a cheap adapter.

If you’re wondering whether or not you’ve got an unsafe or counterfeit adapter, though, Apple says it can’t advise customers on whether or not it’s authentic or safe.

You know what my second-cousin twice-removed who lives in Pocatallo, Idaho always said — better safe than sorry.

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