Belgian Consumer Group Suing Apple Over Warranty Practices

Test-Aankoop, a Belgian consumer group, has filed a lawsuit against Apple for its warranty practices, claiming Apple does not respect local laws on warranties.

With Apple’s warranty, all Apple hardware comes with a one-year limited warranty, but under EU law Apple is required to protect consumers’ products for a minimum of two years, including the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and iPod devices. To get coverage beyond the one year, Apple encourages buyers to purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+.

Test-Aankoop claims that Apple’s warranty practices don’t comply with local laws and argues that Apple isn’t properly informing consumers of their rights. The lawsuit was filed yesterday by the Belgian organization with the Commercial Court of Brussels, saying Apple withholds information about the official EU directive on purpose to try and sell more AppleCare. The EU official directive automatically extends warranties on electronics to two years.

This isn’t the first time that Apple’s warranty practices have been called into question in Europe.

In its statement, Test-Aankoop said warranty problems are at the “top of the hit parade” in Belgium, and it considers Apple one of the biggest offenders.

Last March, Test-Aankoop was one of ten European organizations that called Apple out for its “illegal” warranty program, and says Apple has not responded to complaints very well.

Image Credit: English Forum

Kaylie lives in Ottawa and got her first Mac in 2007 and is now a fan for life.