ACCC forces Apple to stop lying to Australian customers

Apple has been lying to consumers about its obligation to replace or repair faulty computers, iPhones, iPads and iPods, but has now promised to retrain staff and reassess claims stretching back two years following action by the competition watchdog.

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.

"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.

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"This undertaking serves as an important reminder to businesses that while voluntary or express warranties can provide services in addition to the consumer guarantee rights of the ACL, they cannot replace or remove those ACL guarantee rights."

Mr Sims added that consumer guarantees did not have a time limit, but applied for as long as "reasonable to expect given the cost and quality of the item".

The competition watchdog could take Apple to court if it failed to follow the undertaking.

A spokeswoman for Apple said it was "dedicated to making the best products in the world and delivering unmatched customer service everywhere we do business".

"In Australia, we have been working closely with the ACCC to make sure our customers understand their local consumer rights and receive the industry leading customer service they expect."

"dedicated to making the best products in the world and delivering unmatched customer service everywhere we do business".