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Apple threatened in Italy with fine, temporary closure
ROME, July 2 |
ROME, July 2 (Reuters) - Apple Inc was threatened with the temporary closure of its operations in Italy and with further fines of up to 300,000 euros ($377,500) if it does not offer customers a free two-year warranty as demanded by Italian law.
Italy's AGCM competition and market authority has already imposed fines of 900,000 euros on divisions of Apple, which offers a paid technical support service, for failing to tell customers about their rights to free assistance.
But months after the previous fine, Apple has failed to comply with the antitrust request, the watchdog said. The company offers a free one-year guarantee scheme, which can be extended to two years on payment of a fee.
The AGCM said in its monthly bulletin that Apple was continuing to adopt unfair commercial practices in Italy and noted this could eventually lead to the closure of its Italian operations for up to 30 days.
The U.S. group has 30 days to respond.
The AGCM alleges that information provided by Apple about an extra guarantee scheme encourages customers to buy the service without clearly explaining that the company is obliged to offer a two-year free warranty, the source said.
Apple appealed against the Italian antitrust fine but lost in court earlier this year.
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The real problem in Italy is the enormous ignorance of users and sellers. Often italian consumers think they have 2 years by law over their products also because stupid mall workers say that. But the second year they will not change you xxx television, decoder or anything else because “it was a electric problem of your house” “the pixel died after the first 6 months” “this problem is caused by your usage” and go on. But users think they have it anyway because of this.
Apple Care cover all damage not done by accidentally by user (es a fall) and even battery. Euro law cover only these 2 types of problem as far i know. it is a big mess. Naturally Apple could offer 2 years warranty world wide and confirm itself the first choice for costumers, in this way they will have another cool service and avoid this type of mess in some country.
Italy’s law say that your product till the LAST day of the second year like a ” product of the same category buyed this day”. the first year the producter must repair the product the second year the shop where you buyed it, in this case apple is both.
That’s it. Apple want to be different as the other producters. And i don’t know i many thousand people paid 69 euro or more for the macs for this Apple Care because the employer said it and in the website was written too ONLY 1 YEAR warranty and not 2 ( 1 year Apple and 1 the shop , 2 years apple in the case of apple online store and apple stores).
So who’s ignorant now ? Apple or the Italians?
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