Apple fined $1.2 million for ‘bad consumer practices’ in Italy

Apple has been fined $1.2 million in Italy for misleading consumers, a court has ruled.

Apple is back in the headlines this week, but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

Italy’s anti-trust authority has slapped the iPhone manufacturer with a fine of 900, 000 euros – approx. $1.2 million – for misleading consumers on guarantee and assistance services.

The authority released a statement today, which said:

“Sanctions of a total of 900, 000 euros have been imposed on the Apple group after it was found responsible for bad commercial practices that harmed consumers.”

According to The Authorita Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), the American tech giant has provided 'unclear information on payments for additional assistance  offered to consumers’ and had not ‘fully implemented the two year guarantee by the producer.'

Apple has not conducted business in Italy in accordance with the country’s consumer laws. Companies dealing with electronic goods of any kind in Italy are required by law to necessarily provide two year warranties free of cost to consumers.

Apple has been offering only a year’s warranty with its products, like it does in other countries. What’s more, the one year warranty is a part of Apple’s paid AppleCare service. 

The tech major has seemingly gone totally against local EU norms while selling its iPads, iPhones, Apple TVs and iPods in Italy.

According to The Next Web, the company has in fact been under investigation for over 6 months and is also being probed by the EU antitrust watchdog for working with key publishers to restrict competition in the continent’s e-book market.