Microsoft Breaks EU Laws with One-Year Surface Warranty

Microsoft is again on thin ice due to its recently-unveiled Surface tablet, as the company plans to offer the device with one-year warranty on European soil.

The European Union requires electronic devices and hardware manufacturers to sell their products with at least two years of warranty, so Microsoft has to either adjust its Surface guidelines or prepare for a new fine in Europe.

Microsoft is no stranger to EU investigations, as the company could be fined once again after it failed to provide European users with a browser choice screen.

The Redmond-based technology company mentions on its Surface product page that all devices will be delivered with one-year warranty and “if you'd like additional protection of your Surface, you can purchase an extended support plan (Microsoft Complete for Surface).”

Surprisingly, Microsoft follows the same path as Apple, as the fruit-named firm was fined last year because it failed to reveal consumer rights to its customers.

Basically, Apple sold its products in Europe with one-year warranty, but the company didn’t inform its customers that a two-year guarantee extension was available free of cost.

Microsoft however is not the target of a new investigation yet, as the EU hasn’t received complaints concerning the Surface tablet, a spokesperson told ZDNet.

"We have not been alerted so far about the Microsoft practice. The Apple problem had been brought to our attention by the consumer watchdogs from 11 EU Member States," as it is the member states who enforce the EU consumer protection laws in their locale, rather than the European Commission directly,” the EU official said.