OCU accuses Apple to shorten their products warranty

The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has accused Apple, by reporting at the Department of Consumer Affairs of the Community of Madrid, for offering their products only one year guarantee, where the community law requires
the seller to provide two years guarantee for product defects since the date of purchase.

The consumer organization warned Apple that behind violating the rules, they are increasing commercial interest for their retailers to hire Apple Care Protection Plan, an "extended warranty" which is a deception and economic harm
to the consumer, "since you have to pay a price for a repair service that is already entitled for free under Spanish law."

Indeed, Apple offers their products with free telephone support for 90 days from the date of purchase and a "limited warranty" or "service coverage" of a year. The protection plan extends the support and warranty repairs for up
to two years from the date of purchase for an additional fee ranging from 40 Euros for an iPod nano, 70 Euros for an iPhone, 79 Euros for iPad and 179 Euros for the iMac.

The OCU has not been the only consumer organization that has filed such a complaint. Ten other European consumer organizations also denounced Apple for breach of legislation. In fact, in December 2001, Apple was fined in Italy
by the competition authority with 900,000 Euros after implying an unfair trade practice.

The Spanish organization including European states (Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland, Poland, Slovenia, Denmark and Greece) as part of the European Consumers Organization (BEUC), have complained that there
is a clear trade policy from Apple and its dealers to inform consumers that their products are only covered by a one year warranty, and that any subsequent warranty must be purchased separately.

According to the OCU, Apple are therefore misleading consumers about the warranties covering their products. They, meanwhile, charge an additional cost to the customers that is already entitled to them in the specified guarantee
period established by the law that states consumer have every right to claim during first two years since the date of purchase.

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Posted by Farasat Ali on Mar 21 2012. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry