Apple hit by $1.2 million fine in Italy
by Steven Mostyn - Dec 28 2011, 12:00
Image: khrawlings/Flickr.
In more Apple news, the Cupertino-based technology titan has this week received a significant monetary gut punch from an industry watchdog for misleading customers in mainland Europe.
Moreover, the Antitrust Authority in Italy claims Apple Inc. is guilty of pulling the wool over consumer eyes by offering only a one-year standard product warranty—when legal entitlement should stretch to two years of support.
According to the watchdog, Apple’s “bad commercial practices” subsequently left consumers to pay extra for support services that should have been supplied free of charge under the terms of warranty.
In enforcing associated penalties, the Antitrust Authority has hit Apple with an initial fine of €400,000 euros for not abiding by Italy’s consumer code, and a second fine of €500,000 euros for offering consumers its premium Applecare Protection Plan.
Apple has 90 days to adjust its technical support commitment to include a two-year guarantee, and it must also publish details of the aforementioned punishment on its official website.
We here at Tech Herald Towers are currently wondering whether consumers in Italy unfairly tied to the Applecare Protection Plan are now considering the pursuit of monetary compensation.
Apple has not offered any official comment regarding the matter.
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