CVS and RiteAid might be in big trouble for blocking Apple Pay. Photo: Apple
CVS and Rite Aid kicked off the Apple Pay War last week by disabling Apple’s mobile wallet solution from working at stores, even though it was supported at launch, but a team of class action lawyers are helping fanboys fight back by hitting the companies with an antitrust investigation.
Schubert, Jonckheer & Kolbe announced that it is launching an investigation into the conduct of CVS and Rite Aid, and if they violated federal antitrust laws by colluding with one another and other MCX members to boycott competing payment systems at the same time.
The two pharmacy companies unexpectedly disabled Apple Pay because they’re part of the MCX consortium behind a rival mobile payments platform called CurrentC. Companies that sign up for CurrentC are held to an exclusivity agreement not to support competing mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Wallet, but a coordinated effort to block Apple Pay at the same time could land the companies in hot water.
MCX CEO Dekkers Davidson claims the ban on Apple Pay will only last for ‘months, not years,’ so that CurrentC has some breathing room, even though he swears they have nothing to fear. CurrentC won’t be released until next year, but the app has already been scorched with thousands of bad reviews for being less secure than Apple Pay.
The law firm says that cusumers with Apple Pay supported iPhone will be able to participate in the the class action lawsuit process that seeks to restore Apple Pay service to CVS and Rite Aid retail stores. If you have an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus tried to use Apple Pay at either stores, you can contact the Schubert law firm on their website or at415-788-4220.
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