Apple und Garantie: 900.000 Euro Bußgeld vom Antitrust, hier ist der Grund

Massive year-end hit for Apple which on Tuesday, December 27, learned it had received a substantial fine from the Antitrust Authority.
The Italian Antitrust Authority has indeed established that Apple engaged in unfair commercial practices, which translated into unclear information for customers regarding product warranties.
This led the Antitrust Authority to fine Apple 900,000 euros, urging the company to change its practices.
Let’s see what led to this decision: the finger is pointed at the fact that, according to the Antitrust Authority, Apple did not inform customers that current Italian laws provide two years of warranty for purchased products.
Instead, Apple on its official websites and in its stores, allegedly did not specify this to customers, leading them to believe that the warranty was only one year, relating only to the manufacturer.
From this arises a second point made by the Antitrust Authority to Apple: the service AppleCare, the system that – for a fee – protects customers in case of repairs or problems outside the warranty period, was also scrutinized.
In reality, however, the Antitrust Authority asserts that the paid option AppleCare effectively overlaps with the two-year warranty period provided by Italian law, removing the possibility of free assistance, repair, or replacement.
The Antitrust Authority has therefore decided to fine Apple – and specifically the fine refers to the divisions Apple Italia, Apple Retail Italia, and Apple Sales International – while acknowledging that Apple has begun to cooperate to inform customers (or potential customers) that current laws provide for a two-year warranty period, not just one year.
For this reason, the fine imposed based on the issue of warranty was reduced to 400,000 euros.
500,000 euros, however, for the chapter “ Paid AppleCare “ was deemed more serious, as the perception of having only one year of manufacturer’s warranty may have prompted Apple customers to opt for a paid service.
Die Bestimmung der Kartellbehörde endet nicht mit dieser Geldstrafe: Die Aufsichtsbehörde hat Apple aufgefordert, die Verkaufsverpackungen von AppleCare zu ändern, um den Text gemäß den aktuellen Bestimmungen ändern zu können.
Schließlich wurde Apple verpflichtet, die Entscheidung der Kartellbehörde auf seiner offiziellen Website zu veröffentlichen, zumindest in Auszügen.