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EU Says Apple's Warranty Advertisements Are Unacceptable
An anonymous reader writes "The European Union believes that Apple should be investigated for the way that it advertises warranties on their products. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding wrote to the member countries which is 27 to ask them to check whether Apple retailers failed to let buyers know about the right to a minimum 2-year warranty for products such as the iPhone and iPad under EU law."
...about consumer rights, and about the information it passes to buyers. A lot of Apple fans pay a steep premium for Apple products, assuming that they are "the best", even though that is hardly the case. There really is no legit reason why a Mac will cost 1.5 - 2 times more than a similarly specced Windows PC. ---- There's only one way Apple will go from here if it doesn't implement more ethical policies across the board: Down, down, down...
Why did the chicken cross the road? Because Elon Musk put an AI chip in its head.
Apple is going to release a slightly bigger version of the iPhone in 6 months anyway and you are going to throw your old phone out the window. So does it really matter anyways?
Good luck to them. Apple considers discovery of flaws as breaches of their conditions of sale
job killing regulations!!!
On the plus side, apple will now sue anyone with sleazy advertisements.
Does the EU require a 2 year warranty on calendars? How does that work?
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
killing $2.50 an hour foxcon jobs big deal now if the jobs where in the usa then its a deal.
It is not enough to follow the law you need to embrace it and advertise it too.
Don't get me wrong Extended Warranties tend to be the biggest rip-off because they tend to not cover most of the reasons why your device will break, and cover things that will last forever anyways. However why should apple be under so much pressure for trying to sell as an add on an extended Warrantee. Shouldn't their customers know the law?
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Just the other week I brought in some Apple equipment that had a slight hardware fault (charging problems) that was over a year old but under two years old, and they told me they'd charge for it to be fixed. I'd forgotten about the two year EU warranty (it used to be a year, IIRC). The defect wasn't apparent for the first year or so, but there's no visible damage and I haven't knocked it around at all. Anybody know where I stand?
Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
Seriously, did AC simply copy&paste the article without even reading it?
wrong, they're snobs
Well, Apple game is profit... Close a substantial big market to them and they'll cave. And in case you don't believe it, think about Apple (well, Foxconn) opening a factory in Brazil just to make iPhones (yeah, trade laws in Brazil can be a pain). And it isn't even about Apple caving, it's about Apple following the warranty and marketing laws on those countries.
Yeah, the problem is Apple announcing just 1 year of warranty, misleading people to buy the extra warranty law, and breaking a marketing law, and also with that it breaks the EU warranty law as well... I would hate to be Apple right now). You see, Apple in the warranty page say that the law in EU nations only covers, in those two years, for factory defects, while the law in itself states that all problem with the products, except if evidence otherwise, if they break before those two years (even if it's one day before end of warranty) is factory defect. So Apple tries to pitch their extended warranty instead. Limited warranty is one year but covers all defects even those after purchase and tries to make as EU warranty law is only valid for defects existing prior to purchase (problem is, according to EU warranty directives that were put into law on each individual state, all problems are factory problems except if there's evidence otherwise).
We're not just talking about iPhones... it's iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macbooks, Macs, Apple TV, basically everything then have to sell. Like I said, would hate to be Apple right now.
The European Union is strict about consumer law so that consumers will be comfortable buying across national boundaries within the Union. It's part of the "single market" concept which defines the EU.
"A practice is misleading if it contains false or untrue information or is likely to deceive the consumer, even though the information given may be correct. In particular, this information relates to: ... the consumersâ(TM) rights on aspects of the sale of consumer goods."
Here's how Apple misleads customers: Start at the Apple UK site. Try to find warranty information. The "support" page does not mention a warranty. There's "AppleCare Products - extend support coverage for your Apple products." Going to that page, we see "All Apple hardware comes with a one-year limited warranty (1) and up to 90 days of complimentary telephone technical support.". Down at note 1, in grey 77% white type, there's a link to "Apple Products and EU Statutory Warranty" Only there does Apple admit there's a 2-year warranty.
The pricing is set to create excellent profit margins.
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
This is Europe we're talking about - just call it cheese and you are good to go!
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
there you idiot, the vast majority of cases is against companies in the EU. The Comission's role is the functionning of the internal market. If you want to see action against US companies for petty nationalistic reasons, look at the WTO cases.
Also, it is Apple's subsidiary in Europe which is being sued.
I understand that for a US citizen it is difficult to comprehend the concept of good market regulation and going after companies which try to fuck over the consumer, but this is the way it works in the EU. The Commission, for all its defects, does one thing well: market regulation in the domains where it is allowed to regulate the market.
Canada: Softwood Lumber.
China: Wind Turbines
Cuba: Everything, in or out.
South Korea: Samsung vs Apple.
Germany: Motorola vs Microsoft
Just to start off with.
Microsoft, Google, Apple -- what do they have in common?
All are based in the same country.
Anyone have a list of French or German companies fined?
hu? are you crazy?
take a look at p. 3; "Ten highest cartel fines per undertaking" - not a single US-based company.
"I'm superior to people who buy Apple products!"
You always turn into what you hate.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Apple doesn't really give a fuck about those EU laws. They got so much money they could fund a couple smaller european countries for a year or two if they so wished. When ordered by court, they'll obey, other than that -- well, they have learned well enough from Microsoft, I guess. FUD.
You do realize that the EU market is larger than the US market don't you? Apple can easily ignore one or two European countries. EU as a whole? Not so much.
US should follow.
They are suing all three major US tech companies. Google, Microsoft, and now Apple. They must really need money to bail out Greece.
I wish all three of them would refuse to release new products and take their existing services home until the EU gets some sense.
21st Century Renaissance Man
Too bad this was the challenge:
similarly-specced Windows Boxen
You have to match, not me.
But are they breaking the law? If you sell a phone, you must warrant it fit for purpose for a reasonable life (2 years). If you sell it with a 1 year warranty and offer a one-year extension. Is that illegal? They aren't misrepresenting the law. They are ignoring it and selling what people want, even if they'd have it if they didn't pay for it.
Learn to love Alaska
It is. It's fraud.
The customer is entitled to the 2 years warranty anyway, even without paying the 1 year extension. So selling it something for money he is entitled anyway is fraud.
There is a reason why that Apple isnt as popular or held in wide regard in most every country except the US. Its because our consumers are retards that care more about having a logo on their product and being able to say "my iphone" or "my ipad" or "my ipod" instead of using words like cell phone, laptop or mp3 player. US people want to over pay for inferior products because they are idiotic slave to trends. This is just another example of it and why apple doesnt do as well in the rest of the world, because apple is a shit company that sells over priced shit. Were just the only country who doesnt see it because we care more about telling people we have an iphone as we sit in starbucks with our ipads to be seen and heard so others know we have apple products.
Sure you get your higher resolution screen with more power consumption and lower refresh rate. You can't buy it from anywhere else because Apple bought up the available supply. Guess what Apple does not manufacture these displays so you will eventually see them available from other manufacturers. The question is if they are worth it or not.
The post is about Apple's Warranty and all the comments are about comparing PC prices to Apple... go figure.
The warranties do not math 100%, so they aren't selling what the customer is entitled to. So, from your logic, it is *not* fraud.
Learn to love Alaska
What if I decline the one year extension? What if you were like "well it's totally free" and I was an older person who said "fuck off, no"? Now you've just breached EU law.
Apple can go fuck itself.
EU fines are usually quite painful. And Apple is a juicy target.
I have heard several cases where Apple support refuses to repair equipment in EU/Sweden and requires the consumer to PAY for repairs that have been clearly under the 2year EU warranty legal requirements.
Most of them manage to get their equipment repaired for free, but only after several problems/phonecalls/e-mails and heavy arguments.
They know it and abuse it because they make money from it!
So please EU give them a big fine and tell them to follow the law and not trick/lie to the consumer.
The list of French and German companies is longer, but you're an idiot and consequently don't know any better. I pity the Americans who react this way, your lack of knowledge is painfully obvious. You are no better than the simple minded fools that suggest Microsoft pull out of its largest market (Europe) for facing fines after breaking European laws!
The pitiful amounts of money the EU has received from companies such as Google and Microsoft are drops in the ocean! Are you aware of the fact that the EU is the largest economy in the world? Yes, that makes it larger than the US. The hundreds of billions of Euros needed come from the EU's own members (see Germany). Do you remember your own "bail outs"? Heck, I don't think you remember your last name.
The "Euro Zone" refers to the 17 countries of the 27 EU members that actually use the Euro currency, you fool! It's not synonymous with the entire EU.
Another problem with Apple is that they appoint certified repair companies and that those companies try everything in their capacity to put the blame on the user.
For example, when an iPhone comes in a hires photograph is made of the connector.
Any visible corrosion on this connector and the whole thing is stamped of as "moisture damage, no warranty".
Even if the fault of the phone is not caused by the corrosion, and the corrosion is very limited.
They then hold the phone hostage and you have to pay inspection costs to retrieve it, or pay a lot of money to get a refurbished replacement.
The problem with this is that the connector metal is apparently substandard and it corrodes from normal moisture levels found in people's hands, coat pockets, etc.
There are moisture indicator stickers inside the phone but the repair company does not require them to trigger to declare moisture damage.
Examples are described of people bringing in their phone with a broken button or a defect battery, and the warranty denied due to corrosion of the connector.
If the cells are different (you know technology even of batteries has increased in the three years, right?) then the extra two cells can get the 2hr work time up to 5hr 30 min.
It's not fraud, but it may well be misleading advertising. It confuses customers about their rights, and creates wrong impressions about the rights they have if they were to buy competing products. In many European jurisdictions misleading advertising is also against the law.
That's only regarding advertising, btw - Apple is still entitled to offer extended warranties with more comprehensive coverage than what the law requires, provided they state clearly what the customer gets.
Since you can always say "It doesn't have the Apple logo" and claim a difference.
Instead we need to spec SIMILARLY and YOU whine about EXACTITUDE.
The 3MPix display isn't any bigger and is in limited supply. But a 2.5MPix display is pretty darn near identical. If you're going to whine about pointless differences (do you get any more real estate? No), then you are shifting goalposts.
So why can't I shift mine?
Spec an Apple at the same as a boxshifter windowboxen.
"I'm superior to people who buy Apple products!"
You always turn into what you hate.
Damn. I hate mosquitoes! :-)
You do realize that EU fines are defined as a percentage of annual profit, right?
The question isn't if they are breaking the law. They were already fined for it in some EU countries, so yes, they were and still are in some cases. In some EU countries they are doing misleading advertising that is against the law (for those that have more tight regulations against it), other is just the warranty law not being reported correctly, but in most is both. And like I said, Apple was already judged and fined in some of the individual countries (so pretty much yeah, was breaking the law), only did a makeover on the site and placed a misleading warranty information page.... Well, though luck... Apple was good while it only got the attention of individual states justice, not it's the EU as a whole calling an investigation. Think the slap will feel like a punch on this one.
10% of gross revenue fines make most companies notice.
It's not about the size of the market. It's about whatever slap on the wrist they'll get for being naughty. Sure they love the market, I only said they don't give fuck about laws where they can, duh :)
A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
Oh, they'll notice, but the question is -- will those extra AppleCares sold perhaps just cover it, with some tidy excess?
A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
...people in the EU complain about how products are more expensive there than elsewhere in the world.
Well, blame your own governments. Forcing 2 year warranties on products....that isn't "free" btw...there's a cost, and you and your friends pay for it.
Stop whining.
Posting to undo 'off-topic' moderation. Someone please mod this informative.
[Rent This Space]
The warranties do not math 100%,
I agree fully. Warranties are calculated to end shortly before the 1st standard deviation from the mean time of failure. If an extended warranty is offerred, that means the basic is set at half the "safe" timing and you can buy the rest of the normal range. Some devices will fail within the scope of warranties, and more will fail in the scope of the extended warranties, but the vast majority will either outlast the extended before failing or have a defect that causes a very swift failure (usually in the 30-day return period).
Apple is ignoring the law to pad it's bottom line?
What a ... yawn ... big surprise.
Apple ignoring the law to pad it's own bottom line? What a ... yaaaawwwnn ... big surprise.
In B.C., our fascism is green.
Advertising in the UK is required to be "Legal, decent, honest and truthful".
If the EU report is correct, Apple aren't being honest. A complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority about any such advertising here, if upheld, would result in Apple having to withdraw the offending advertising. In, I have no doubt, a blaze of adverse publicity.
Buy an Android Phone. Problem solved.