An Australian consumer watchdog has forced Apply to change its refund policy down under for faulty products, as its previous one doesn't comply with new Australian consumer law. The report comes by way of the Sydney Morning Herald:
Apple misled consumers into thinking they were entitled to less recourse than the new Australian consumer law prescribes, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found.Apple and its suppliers told Australian consumers they were only entitled to what Apple wanted to offer them when products failed, rather than what they should have been entitled to under Australia's new consumer laws.
If Apple fails to comply, then court proceedings can be instigated by the watchdog. As part of the changes, Apple will now reassess two years worth of claims, retrain its staff, and publish a consumer rights page on its Australian website. All this comes in to effect from January 6.
This is certainly important news for our friends in Australia. No company, no matter how large, is above the law, and ultimately consumer protection is crucial. It doesn't necessarily mean Apple was deliberately doing wrong, either, but happily a solution has been found and implemented.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
