In an effort to shift the balance of power away from corporations and toward consumers, the Australian government implemented a new set of laws in 2011 to provide greater protections for consumers, specifically those who purchase faulty products. The Sunday Morning Herald reports that Apple was suspected of denying consumers these rights by sticking to its old policies despite the new requirements of the law. After the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) investigated further, the watchdog found that Apple had been misinforming consumers about the services they were entitled to get when it comes to computer repairs and replacements.
“The ACCC was concerned that Apple was applying its own warranties and refund policies effectively to the exclusion of the consumer guarantees contained in the Australian Consumer Law,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said.
Under threat of a lawsuit, Apple has promised to retrain its staff and overhaul its refund policy. Starting on January 6th and running for 90 days, Apple will reassess faulty product claims on any products purchased over the past two years. Details of the Australian Consumer Law can be found on Apple’s website.
