Apple May Be Forced to Change Warranty Policies in the EU

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding is going down hard on Apple by writing a letter to member countries asking them to check whether buyers know of their rightful two-year warranty when buying an iPhone or iPad.

In the letter, published by Bloomberg and German publication Der Spiegel, Reding said, “Apple prominently advertised that its products come with a one-year manufacturer warranty but failed to clearly indicate the consumers' automatic and free-of-cost entitlement to a minimum two-year guarantee under EU law.”

Reding believes these are “unacceptable marketing practices.”

The German publication quoted Reding as adding that “It seems that Apple failed to provide consumers clear, truthful, and complete information about what they are entitled under EU law.”

Apple has a one-year warranty policy for all its products. It sells AppleCare, which includes one stop for technical support, hardware coverage, and software support.

For Macs and Apple Displays customers get up to three years of hardware coverage and software support. For iPod and Apple TV the extended warranty is two years of hardware coverage and technical support.

iPhone and iPad buyers get the same offerings, plus hardware repair.

Finally, AppleCare offers support and training options for businesses, including advanced server support.

“All Apple hardware comes with a one-year limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary telephone technical support,” reads a big banner on Apple’s Support site. “To extend your coverage further, purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+.”

The Mac maker also notes on its website that, “Because Apple makes the hardware, the operating system, and many applications, Apple products are truly integrated systems.”

This is why the company believes that “only AppleCare products give you one-stop service and support from Apple experts, so most issues can be resolved in a single call.”