Apple has been fined by theAntitrust for unfair commercial practices related to the warranty management of its products: the amount the company will have to pay is 900,000 euros. Why did Apple receive this fine?
End-of-year blow for Apple which on Tuesday, December 27, learned it had received a significant fine from the Antitrust Authority..
The Italian Competition Authority has in fact established that Apple engaged in unfair commercial practices, resulting in 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 generated this decision: the finger is pointed at the fact that, according to the Antitrust Authority, Apple did not inform customers that current Italian law ensures a two-year warranty for purchased products.
However, Apple neither on its official websites nor in its retail stores, failed to specify this to customers, leading them to believe that the warranty was only for one year, related solely to the manufacturer.
From this stems a second point made by the Antitrust Authority to Apple: under scrutiny was also the service AppleCare, the system that – for a fee – protects customers in case of repairs or issues outside the warranty period.
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 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 collaborating to inform customers (or potential customers) that current regulations provide for a two-year warranty period, not just one year.
For this reason, the fine imposed based on the warranty issue was 400,000 euros, thus reduced.
500,000 euros, on the other hand, for the chapter ” Paid AppleCare” was deemed more serious, since the indication of having only one year of manufacturer’s warranty might have led Apple customers to opt for a paid option.
The Antitrust measure does not end with this fine: the guarantor has invited Apple to modify the sales packaging of AppleCare, so that the text can be changed according to current regulations.
Finally, Apple has been obliged to publish the Antitrust decision on its official website, at least in extract form.
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