Apple are again facing problems in Italy over product warranties.
Last year, Apple were fined 900,000 euros for not telling Italian customers about the free two year warranty that all Italian electronic devices come with. Instead, Apple had been encouraging customers to buy their own warranty package, Apple Care.
Apple Care is free for one year, but can be extended for another two years at a cost. The crucial difference between the two care plans being that Apple Care only covers an iDevice once usage has begun, the Italian warranties cover the device as soon as it is taken out the box.
In May, an appeal against the original fine was dismissed, and now AMCG, Italy’s marketing authority, are threatening to close Apple stores and facilities in Italy until the fine is paid.
The AMCG described Apple’s actions as “aggressive”, “unfair”, and “likely to lead consumers into error”. Although Apple have put some measure in place, the AMCG have deemed that Apple haven’t done enough to alert customers to these warranties.
If Apple fail to comply, Apple’s operations in Italy will be shut down for 30 days, and an extra 300,000 euros will be added to the fine.
