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Apple Is Forced By EU To Give 2 Years Warranty On All Its Products
dsmalle writes "Apple has adapted its warranty to cover 2 years, under pressure of the European Union and after European consumer organizations sued Apple. From the article: 'The warranty conditions have been changed and these changes can be found on the website of Apple. Products that are purchased on the website of the manufacturer or in stores are now under warranty for two years, as it is required by the EU warranty guidelines. However, the warranty for Apple products that have been purchased elsewhere will not change and they will only be given a limited one-year warranty.'"
This is really amusing to me, that the EU has laws that mandate minimum warranty policies for devices sold.
Some of the only comparable laws I can think of in the US have to do with automobile emissions systems. If your car starts spewing too much pollution before 90,000 miles, the manufacturer is on the hook regardless of what warranty they sold with the car.
I went to eat some animal crackers and the box said, "Do not eat if seal is broken." I opened the box and sure enough..
For once, the headline is understated.
It really doesn't matter what Apple's warranty duration is, because there seems to be a statutory warranty of 2 years in at least part of the EU.
What this story is really about is Apple selling 2-year AppleCare plans in places with statutory warranties of 2 years, which is pretty darned slimy IMHO.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
Now we just need to slowly raise the legal warranty of all these devices so they end up reaching 5 or 6 years, then we will foster production of robust things that last a decent amount of time!
-happier consumers
-less junk
It's manufacturer warranty - the retailer has nothing to do with this.
That is something I really like when buying electronic equipment within Europe, knowing that warranty is always 2 years (with exceptions like batteries). How does it work out in other places?
.... Just silly... Apple wasn't "forced by EU", was forced by the EU directives that were transposed to law in all EU countries. The headline should be: "Apple forced to abide the law in EU countries".... since it wasn't until now. It's not something that just happened to "fall" on our laps here in EU countries just now... it's decade and an half old law.
This hasn't changed anything. What's the point of a warranty that lasts two years which covers defects that were present on delivery?
(See http://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/)
Apple should be forced to stop weaselling and just give us what the law requires.
-- An Apple Fanboi
There has always been a two year warranty in the EU. And Apple has honored that. The problem is that they advertised their Apple Care Protection Plan as giving customers 3 years warranty instead of 1 year (= Apple warranty) without mentioning that EU consumer laws give consumers a 2 year warranty.
The caveat with the EU warranty is that (at least in Germany) after the first 6 months, the burden of proof that the problem is due to a pre-existing manufacturing error is on the consumer. So unless the cause for the problem is crystal-clear (e.g. lots and lots of devices exhibit the problem, or it's something that could not fail due to other causes), getting a vendor to honor the warranty after 6 months is difficult.
Will The Battery Last That Long?
My Dads laptop started over heating and turning itself off - even then just in the BIOS screen. Took it apart, very clean, no dust blocking anything. Unfortunately it was 14 months since he'd bought it taking it 2 months outside Dells warranty.
I called them, gave the details and they offered an extended warranty for £70 and that they would fix it for that price. I declined, mentioned the EU 2 year warranty law and they arranged immediately to pick it up and repair it for free.
It annoys me that you have to point this out to manufacturers still - good on the EU for making an example of Apple, but any business caught not honouring this law should face a fairly stiff fine.
Apple was forced by EU to be more forthcoming about warranty policies.
Apple provided warranty, as a MANUFACTURER, is limited to 1 year and Apple pushed it warranty extension for 2 to 3 years (2 years for iOS devices, 3 years for Macs). It covers a range of issues that can appear after the sell.
EU wasn't really happy with this because EU law mandates a 2 years warranty by the SELLER, for issue existing before the sell. EU thought that Apple was forcing clients to get a warranty extension even if they were entitled to a 2 year coverage (similar but not exactly identical).
Now Apple clearly states this distinction.
So if you bought your Apple product in another shop, after 1 year, you need to get in contact with that shop, that will contact Apple to identify the issue and see if this is linked to a preexisting problem or link to your usage. In the later case, your "seller provided" warranty won't help you.
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
The fact that they just don't make the 2 year warranty universal ought to be proof that their products are crap, pure and simple. If something as mechanical and abused (through normal use) as a hard drive can be given a 5 year warranty, why can't something with no moving parts be given a 2 year warranty? I'll tell you why, it's defective by design. They want it to break so you buy new over and over again.
It is a retailer warranty. It only applies as Apple sells something directly to consumers.
In other cases, other retailers have to get Apple to fix the stuff, but Apple isn't directly liable.
To be fair, with electronics (particularly those with no moving parts), if it doesn't fail within six months of normal use it's much less likely to be a manufacturer defect. It's one of the primary ideas behind giving computers a "burn-in" period before going into production. From personal experience, failures after the first few months are at least partially due to user error - particularly with mobile devices. Not saying it's always the case, just a healthy majority of them.
I always assumed iProducts were forged at Mount Doom. Does this mean I don't need to keep simply walking into Cupertino to recycle my iProducts?
As usual, TFS and TFA got it all wrong.
As so clearly painted out on Apple's website, there are two factors in play.
Apple's warranty continues to stand at 1 year. If anything short of intentional damage happens in that one year, you get full Apple tech support.
EU Consumer Law meanwhile covers a 2 year period, and as the weaker program takes effect during the second year of ownership. Pay attention here, this is important: if the buyer can prove the product was defective when it was sold, then and only then can they take the product to the seller (who is not necessarily Apple) for coverage. This is not the same as a 2 year warranty as you do not get any direct support from Apple - no phone support, no Apple Store, no authorized service providers; you get what the seller can provide, unless that seller is Apple. And even then Apple will not give the buyer the same treatment as a full warranty, and the burden of proof is on the buyer to prove that the product was defective at the time of sale.
For a real warranty over 1 year you still need to purchase an AppleCare plan. That gets you full and direct Apple support, and more importantly there is no burden of proof on the buyer to prove that the product was defective at the time of sale.
everything i buy here in europe here has this two-year seller's warranty. and always had. apple didn't sell things with one year warranty because they couldn't do it - even if it was stated otherwise on their warranty card - it was alway protected under the two year seller's warranty. and this warranty has always been different from the manufacturers warranty.
One doesn't simply walk into one infinite loop in Cupertino.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
How about "Apple has to comply with the laws of the countries they do business in"?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Honestly, if apple was to say, "Oh ok, in fact world wide 2 year warranty" they would have created a gigantic PR buzz that would have hurt everyone else at ZERO cost to them.
Honestly, the failure rate difference between 1 year and 2 years cant be big enough to cost them anything. It's almost a Zero cost to them with gigantic gains in PR if they embraced it.
Plus it would give all their competitors gigantic headaches.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Since there seems to be much confusion, I'd like to add a few points to this article. There are two notions of warranty in Europe.
1.) A mandatory warranty that all _sellers_ of goods have to give by law, which is valid for two years. This covers only problems that existed prior to the purchase. So for example, if some part breaks simple to being worn out, the _seller_ has no obligation to cover it. If a problem occurs within the first six month after purchase, it is assumed by law that the problem existed prior to the purchase. The burden of proof that the problem did not exist prior to the purchase is up to the _seller_. In practice, such proof is difficult, and thus _seller_ will usually handle the problem. After six month up to two years, the burden of proof is up to the buyer. Since again, this is almost impossible to do without an expensive expertise, this effectively limits this warranty up to six month. Note that this is an issue between the _seller_ and the _buyer_, even though if a defect occurs and the seller is not the manufacturer, say the seller is amazon, the seller when faced with a defective product will claim the same warranty to the manufacturer. Some might have other agreements with the manufacturer.
2.) Almost all manufacturers give on top a voluntary warranty to the customer of two years. This warranty is completely voluntary, and the customer has no real legal means to enforce it.
What happened here is that Apple is one of the very few manufacturers who only give voluntary warranty of one year. They (essentially the apple store) tried to sell additional warranties for up to three years (Apple Care), but without making it clear, that the buyer can anyway claim warranty against the seller of goods for up to two years (even though, this is hardly enforceable after six month, unless it is a problem so widespread that it would, say, lead to a class-action lawsuit in the US). The judges asked Apple to make this more explicit. Instead, Apple finally went ahead and introduced voluntary warranty conditions that are similar to any other manufacturer in Europe.
Force Apple (and an increasing number of other manufacturers) to stop sealing batteries into their devices and allow users to service them.
The EU has consumer protection laws, the USA has class action lawsuits and guns. It probably balances out in all but bodycount.
politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
The retailer is responsible for taking care of the repair/replacement. That means Joe consumer deals with the retailer, which in turn deals with Apple.
There are comapnies that take care of warranties directly, however, they're the minority. I can think of Corsair and Microsoft (Xbox 360 only).
retailer has everything to do with being responsible to the consumers they retail to. some chains in eu are trying to sell'n'dump-responsibilities but it's not really legit over here(one example is that doesn't matter what smartphone you buy in finland, there's 90% possibility that all warranty issues are handled by one company... it sucks, as the consumer shouldn't have to send his device to a 3rd party company to have it fixed when the retailer is actually responsible for the product they sold).
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Not only an idiot, but a bloody f***ing stupid idiot of the highest magnitude.
Apple hasn't given in to any pressure, and Apple hasn't made any changes whatsoever. What Apple has done is presenting on a website what rights Apple customers have towards the seller of a product (whoever is the seller, and whoever makes the product), what rights Apple as the manufacturer voluntarily gives to buyers of Apple products (One year. ONE year. Not TWO years you bloody idiot submitter), and what rights Apple gives you if you pay for AppleCare.
This is nothing new? In Australia apple was forced to do this for a while......
i am not saying they made a bad product, but they charge way too much for their products, i dont buy electronics to make a fashion statement, i buy an electronic product because it has a functionality that suits a purpose, and i find better value in alternatives to apple's products
Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
It is a retailer warranty. It only applies as Apple sells something directly to consumers.
In other cases, other retailers have to get Apple to fix the stuff, but Apple isn't directly liable.
No, it's a manufacturer warranty, but generally handled by the retailer, who acts as a go-between for the customer and manufacturer.
I.e. if your iGizmo breaks down, you take it to the retailer, who sends it to Apple, who fixes it under warranty. This is in the interest of the consumer, who has a single point of contact. The manufacturer (or, rather, brand name holder) is still the liable part.
This in contrast to US conditions, where the customer usually has to contact the manufacturer directly.
In addition to the mandatory warranty, the purchaser also has reclamation rights not limited to a fixed term, but the reasonably expected lifetime of a product. For consumer electronics, this is generally interpreted to be in the ballpark of the warranty or shorter, but if you buy, say, house siding that cracks after ten years, or a water heater that that breaks down after four years, you probably have a good case for getting it fixed by the manufacturer.
A big difference between that and regular warranty is that for regular warranty, the manufacturer is liable by default and has to show that the customer misused the product to get out of it, while for the reclamation rights, the customer has the burden of evidence.
Still, it is useful, and while I lived in Europe, I exercised this right a couple of times (broken washer/dryer, guitar neck that warped).
An alternative title would be:
"Apple made to comply with existing laws that are quite reasonable, everyone else complies with and which aid the consumer."
So I don't really see what the fuss is about. If you're building expensive devices and putting them into people's hands, expecting them to last two years isn't a hardship, unless your business is BUILT upon their obsolescence. In which case, this is a win for the consumer is stopping you doing things like that.
"Apple FORCED to make devices that last more than a year on average". Gosh. The horror.
And every other electronics manufacturer trading in the EU has to do the same and has done for a while now. Hell, I can get CARS with a five year warranty, and there's no end of things that could go wrong on them and it costs the manufacturer 10 times as much if they do go wrong or they have a design flaw.
"Apple THREATENED WITH LAWSUIT if they don't give consumers a good deal"
Well.... bloody good job!
IF Apple had REALLY refused to honor the 2 year minimum warranty (devices are supposed to work for their expected life) then IF the customer knew his rights, he would simply have demanded his rights and Apple would have lost the case on every level.
The PSP had a very bad screen and Sony tried to make claims that cheap devices could have a number of defective sub-pixels. In Holland, the consumer program Kassa ("Cash register but also what we say when Americans say "Caching") arranged that Sony had to replace them. With even ONE dead sub-pixel. Mine had already been replaced by that time however since I simply demanded my right in the store and made it bloody clear that I would not leave before I got it.
You got to remember that EU citizens on the whole are not as enamored with big businesses as Americans.
Apple can try what it wants but if anyone makes a simple complaint, Apple is going to lose. Even this new thing is meaningless. In Europe, you got two years warranty at least. Take Apple to court, you will win since the law leaves no room for interpretation. At least none that Apple would like. A shorter warranty is allowed, for devices so cheap and crap that nobody could reasonably expect two years of use before it breaks.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
The more expensive Apple products become, the fewer people who can afford them will be. This isn't price fixing, it's enabling consumers to compare Apples to Apples and oranges to oranges. And, by the way, a warranty is a warranty and a price is a price. Apples and oranges.
Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
Only if you're the sort of idiot that thinks you should throw something away because something new has come out, or thinks that they shouldn't resell devices they aren't using (resale value depends on the quality of the initial build, don't forget) or, worse, thinks that 1 year is a long time for a commercial product costing more than my car to last.
The "annual upgrade cycle" is the realm of the idiot. It means that no device you buy has EVER had more than a year or so of testing, or expected to last more than a year. Hell, I nearly peed myself when I heard about Apple STILL not being able to get clock-changes correct throughout Europe. I think this the first year they've ever managed it, after several highly-public gaffes in previous years.
When I pay for a product, I expect it to be built to a certain quality - not be part of an enforced obsolescence scheme. If you want to buy a product that somehow magically degrades after a year (either because something new has come out or because the manufacturing was diabolical), you do that. Personally, I know that the chip inside the machine will run at the same speed next year as it does this year AND that every piece of electrical/electronic equipment I own has lasted at least 2 years (and some up to 20!).
How is this a screw you ? All retailers were already required to offer 2 years warranty, if you buy directly from Apple they are the retailer and thus required to provide the warranty. It was just Apple not complying with the law, which has now been corrected.
If you buy at a retailer, you pay more than the retailer pays Apple, part of that difference is the warranty the retailer is supposed to provide. If you pay full price to Apple the same applies.
No, it's a manufacturer warranty, but generally handled by the retailer, who acts as a go-between for the customer and manufacturer.
Not really. I as the consumer enter a contract with the retailer. I pay them money and they provide me with a product, they are responsible for delivering a decent product and therefore have to give a warranty. Where they got the product from and how they provide the warranty is none of my concern, I didn't enter a contract with the manufacturer, as far as I know they don't exist.
If Apple though increasing prices would get them more money, then they would already have raised them.
i think you just proved his point 100%. the retailer acts as a go-between. the manufacturer doesn't exist TO YOU. but they do exist. and they are the one that provides the warranty. the retailer simply sends it to the manufacturer. its not like walmart is going to do the repairs on your iphone themselves.... they send it to apple for repair/replacement.
So while it is nice to have such consumer protection laws (although you pay for them in prices) it's not like Apple is all of a sudden offering 2 year warranty in the EU.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
UK does not honour 2 year EU warranties on their electronics, The UK companies only do 1 year mostly in BREACH of EU directives.
This is why I buy electronics from other EU member states and ship them in. 2 year warranties.
The UK government needs to be FINED huge for this. They are the problem.
Actually you both are right, to a certain degree. You have a contractual relationship with the retailer, the retailer is obliged to give you a warranty. But then the retailer is in a contractual relationship with the manufacturer (sometimes by multiple levels of indirection) and part of the deal is that they service this warranty. But that is up to the retailer and the manufacturer to agree upon. They can, for example agree to lower the price and drop the repair service; they often do that on small things, where they just give you a new item when the original broke.
i think you just proved his point 100%. the retailer acts as a go-between. the manufacturer doesn't exist TO YOU. but they do exist. and they are the one that provides the warranty
While they may well be involved in the implementation of the service that makes the warranty work, the retailer provides the warranty (except in the UK if you've paid by credit card, in which case it is the credit card company that does it formally). It's their responsibility in law to get things fixed for you, and that can't be passed on to anyone else. Of course, the retailer may well just pass the faulty item along to the maker for fixing, but if the maker stalls them or messes about then it's the retailer who has to make you good. They sometimes need reminding of this, but it rarely reaches court these days as the laws in the area are very strict and have to be to avoid trouble from slimy retailers and manufacturers; this area is very well tested in other areas of consumer products, and electronics firms are by-and-large relatively honest. (That's a reflection on how bad some other market sectors have been in the past, really.)
"Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
Why would the EU require them to have a warranty longer than their lifespan?
Apple pumps out a new version, what, every month?
What do I know, I'm just an idiot, right?
Markets don't work like that. Companies set their prices based on what makes them more profit, not the cost. If they could've raised the price without hurting their income, they already would've.
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I didn't have many devices which broke between month 6 and month 24 but it was never a hassle to have the vendor or manufacturer honor the warranty. It is called customer service.
In Europe?
Warranties on *all* electrical goods in Europe are two years by law. Apple isn't being singled out here.
Here in Spain (YMMV): After a short "DOA" period from the day you bought it (maybe a couple of weeks), pretty much all warranties are dealt with directly by the manufacturer. When things go wrong you call the number on the warranty card in the box.
The last couple of things that failed on me (Samsung monitor, Benq DVD burner) I called them and they sent a guy right to my door with a replacement. No store was involved.
No sig today...
please ignore my post. I misread the article and thought that apple would only offer the 2 year warranty when bought directrly from the apple website or apple stores. I read "elsewhere" as non-apple stores in the EU
Would be nice if cell phone companies were forced to warranty their products for the life of said contract you sign with them
By this action, the EU is just mandating higher prices for Apple products. They'll have to build-in the cost of the extended warranty.
By meddling like this, the EU can do for the price of smart phones what they've already done for the price of gasoline in Europe.
I've never heard of a reseller providing warranty, that's the manufacturer. Resellers claim warranties for you towards the manufacturer, but are never directly responsible for it. However, they are responsible with regards to local laws.
Captcha: limited - Funny.
Apparently you don't understand EU law. For instance in the Czech Republic, which implemented the EU regulations in question, the manufacturer is not obligated to provide the customer with jack diddly-squat. The customer has a contractual relationship with the retailer, and it is the retailer who is liable for all warranty repairs. He may at his own discretion: 1) fix the defect himself, 2) send the item to the manufacturer or to its designated representatives, or 3) replace the item. Now in cases where Apple also acts as the retailer, then they are liable. But for those purchasing from other retailers, either internet or brick-and-mortar shops, it is the retailer that is liable for all warranty claims.
Quality? But these are made in China under slave labor. This is not some EU or USA product.
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
Every day I keep seeing more and more apple products cracked, shattered, outdated, unsupported and useless. The company who is famous for their support and quality is oddly now unsupportive and producing low quality products. I think the finance guru's have infiltrated the ranks of what was once a excellent budding technology company. A great example of this is the proprietary lock-in technology death is facetime. While facetime is just google video chat, the two systems do not integrate. Ultimately sealing Skype's dominance as a unifier in the world of video chat. This position is a direct failure to lead a market with innovation and instead strangles an emerging market with restrictions. iMessage is another great example of apple's failure as a leader. That said, Andriod is a lost puppy, sony shoots their customers repeatedly, Nokia still can't find their white flags to make friends, RIM way up in canada just heard about a guy named Obama and Microsoft can't figure out which company to buy. I guess I see why Apple is the market leader, all it takes is to beat out the rest....
That doesn't stop us non-Apple users from bringing suit against Apple
In that case, how are you going to prove standing?
It seems pretty clear from the summary that it only applies to apple products sold directly from apple as a retailer, not to apple products sold through other outlets. I would think that if it were applied to apple as a manufacturer, apple products would be covered even if sold through a 3'd party.
Warranties on *all* electrical goods in Europe are two years by law.
This isn't the first time I hear that claim on /. but I don't think it's true. The consumer agency in my country states the following on their website:
Now, while the quoted paragraphs state that you may be able to demand compensation even after the warranty has expired, it says nothing about EU-wide 2 year warranty... which seems odd if such a thing exists.
If there really is that kind of law, could some kind soul tell me where to find it?
No wonder shit is so expen$ive over there.....
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
>In other cases, other retailers have to get Apple to fix the stuff, but Apple isn't directly liable.
Apple still have to give that EU retailer the same 2 years warranty, that law isnt just for the final consumer, its for every electric appliance sold as new. (used equipment have different warranty times)
Higuita
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31999L0044:en:HTML
It is a retailer warranty. It only applies as Apple sells something directly to consumers. In other cases, other retailers have to get Apple to fix the stuff, but Apple isn't directly liable.
The great thing about EU warranties is that you don't have to think about this at all. Both the original supplier and the original retailer are liable. You as a consumer just turn up and hand it over to whoever you find most easily. In some countries the retailer may deny this. If you turn up with a return notice in writing, however, they normally just roll over and do whatever you tell them to. Remember they have 28 days (details probably depend on the country) and after that you can get your money back. This means you want a dated receipt when you hand over your broken product.
Always keep your original proof of purchase (though you might not need that in the UK and some other places if you have some other evidence) and you will get your stuff fixed. Often this is easily worth the difference in price between the US (including sales taxes) and EU. Try comparing with the price in the US with an extended warranty and suddenly you will think you have a bargain.
=~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();
How the retailer deals with the warranty is up to the retailer.
My parents' fancy Samsung TV went wrong under warranty last year. They took it back to the retailer (Currys) who had their own repair guys assess it. They assessed that it couldn't be repaired economically, and gave them a store credit voucher for the price they paid, so that they could pick a replacement. They will then go about reclaiming this cost from Samsung behind the scenes. I don't know what would have happened if they had decided to repair it- whether they would have sent it back to Samsung to do the work, or if they would have done it themselves and sent Samsung the bill.
The point is that it's between the retailer and the supplier how they settle it. From the consumers point of view, they will get a repair, a replacement or a refund, and it doesn't matter how it gets done.
Not really. I as the consumer enter a contract with the retailer. I pay them money and they provide me with a product, they are responsible for delivering a decent product and therefore have to give a warranty. Where they got the product from and how they provide the warranty is none of my concern, I didn't enter a contract with the manufacturer, as far as I know they don't exist.
Up until the retailer goes belly up. At that point, you'll be happy that you were wrong, and that the manufacturer really holds the warranty, not the retailer.
Will they be charged the same as Australians who have long been ripped off by Apple's inconsistent global pricing?
Apple in Australia costs considerably more considering:
* $AUS currency has double against the $USD in the last 10 years. Apple accounts in USD.
* The place of manufacture is closer to Australia than EU/USA, so shipping costs aren't the cause.
There seems to be a lot of confusion on this issue.
I will speak about the law here in Italy, because that's what I am familiar with.
If you buy something as a consumer, the SELLER has to give you warranty for two years (one year if you are buying as a company with a VAT number). You only have to show the proof of purchase, and unless it is evident that you caused the damage (typically by immersion in water -> corrosion or by letting the item fall -> crushing) the SELLER has to get it repaired. The MANUFACTURER has no responsability toward the consumer.
When Apple sells a computer on its website, it is a SELLER, so must comply with this, and cannot sell you that second year of warranty, because it's due to you anyway. When you buy an iDevice through another store, it's that store who is responsible toward you for the two years.
Actually you both are right, to a certain degree. You have a contractual relationship with the retailer, the retailer is obliged to give you a warranty. But then the retailer is in a contractual relationship with the manufacturer (sometimes by multiple levels of indirection) and part of the deal is that they service this warranty.
Yes, but for electronics, the guarantor is usually the manufacturer, which is probably how you want it, so you still get warranty if the retail store goes belly up with no other company buying the assets and liabilities.
When you buy a device, this information should (by law, I think) be readily available. And as long as the retail store exists, you of course deal with the retail store if you so choose.
But you should still take a look at the warranty, and compare it to the law where you are - individual states must follow the minimum required by the EU or EEC, but can very well have stronger consumer protection than that.
One thing I wonder about is the legality of "extended" warranties that run parallel to the legally mandated warranty. If you pay for a 3 year extended warranty and it only extends your warranty from 2 to 3 years, isn't that a swindle?
Even if it offers something more, like phone support, isn't it 2 years of phone support + 1 year of warranty and phone support, and should be marketed as such? Else they sell and charge for the same product (the warranty) twice, I would think?
This was not about Apple not adapting the mandatory 2 years consumer protection. It is a law in Europe and any consumer can claim his rights. Apple can not and did not change that. This was about consumer advocates claiming that Apple did not inform the consumers about the 2 years mandatory consumer protection under European Law. This law gives any consumer who buys a product to return to the RETAILER if it does not perform as advertised or has a defect, which that inhibits its ability to reform as advertised. Instead Apple did not mention this protection, which existed all along and advertised its existing one year warranty which exceeds the basic consumer protection (see the link in the post) and tried to sell its 3 year warranty. It was regarded by consumer advocates as deceptive that apple never mentioned the existing consumer protection in order to sell its three year warranty.