Apple Extends Austalian Warranties, Instructs Employees Not to Tell Customers

Apple has extended the standard warranty of most of its products to two years in Australia but is reportedly instructing employees not to tell customers, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

On Friday, Apple's retail store staff and authorized resellers were notified about the extension which brings the company into compliance with the country's ACCC Warranties and Refunds Guide. The guide somewhat vaguely states that a device must be repaired if it failed before a 'reasonable' amount of time, given the cost and quality.

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Statutory rights are not limited to a set time period. Instead, they apply for the amount of time that is reasonable to expect, given the cost and quality of the item. This means a consumer may be entitled to a remedy under their statutory rights after any manufacturer’s voluntary or extended warranty has expired. For example, it is reasonable to expect that an expensive television should not develop a serious fault after 13 months of normal use. In this case, the consumer could argue the item was not of merchantable quality and ask for it to be repaired, even if the manufacturer’s voluntary warranty had expired.
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The extension is a welcomed improvement for Australian customers; however, Apple is strangely instructing employees not to talk to customers about the change.

It appears some high-up employees within Apple don't want the change talked about too widely. One email Fairfax Media has seen, which was circulated within an Australian Apple store, told staff not to talk to customers about the detail of Apple's new policy.

NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said it was “rather surprising and disingenuous” for Apple store staff to instruct employees not to tell customers about the new longer warranty. “To instruct your staff to not let people know [about the change] is something that seems of quite concern and I don't understand why they wouldn't want to be upfront about it," he said. "Apple seems to be generally one of those businesses that is quite responsible to problems.”

Read More [via AppleInsider]