03/30, 5:10pm
Quiet change in response to legal problems
Apple has silently updated its European websites -- such as the one for the UK -- with a table on the differences between Apple's warranties and ones mandated by the European Union, reports observe. The document is divided into columns for EU law, the default warranties for Apple products, and extended AppleCare coverage. The most contentious point has been that EU law covers two years, whereas Apple only promises one without AppleCare.
more
03/22, 7:30pm
Fine of $1.2 million upheld
Apple has lost an appeal in Italy over the terminology used in its AppleCare agreements sold in that country, and will face fines totalling $1.2 million for what the Italian Antitrust Authority deemed "bad commercial policies" and not properly informing buyers of differences between Italian warranty law and Apple's preferred policies. Manufacturer warranties in Italy are required to last two years, a fact Apple has ignored in promoting its AppleCare warranties, the agency found.
more
03/19, 1:40pm
Italian case could be first of many
European consumer groups in 11 countries -- including Italy and Germany -- have issued letters to national regulators, asking them to put a stop to the way Apple currently markets its warranties, Bloomberg reports. Apple typically markets its products as having one-year warranties unless a person buys into an AppleCare plan. Under European Union regulations, though, manufacturers are obligated to cover a product for at least two years, making Apple's marketing potentially misleading.
more
03/07, 3:50pm
New AppleCare option covers device, peripherals
In tandem with announcing a third-generation iPad, Apple has also brought its AppleCare+ warranty option to the tablet. By default an iPad is only given a limited one-year warranty, with 90 days of free support. Paying $99 extends coverage up to two years, and allows for two incidents of accidental damage, although in each instance a $49 service fee still applies.
more
03/06, 11:40pm
Apple TV upgrade to keep prices
Apple's imminent Apple TV update received its price in a last-minute rumor Tuesday night. It would keep the $99 price of before in 9to5's tip. Also mentioned was a $39 price for an unknown accessory with a B82 model number, likely a reference to a new video adapter cable.
more
01/31, 6:40pm
Blog post leads to phoney 'takedown' notice
A blogger who has had ongoing difficulty with an AppleCare transfer on a replacement monitor received a rare admission from the company that it suffered some form of system failure in its AppleCare database recently. Upon reporting this and urging readers to revisit their own AppleCare profiles, writer David Boles now claims to have received a warning letter from Apple.
more
01/27, 10:50am
Web link details two-year minimum warranty
Apple has posted a link on its Italian web store, acknowledging its legal dispute with the local government over AppleCare warranties. The link -- simply titled "Communication to protect consumers" -- takes visitors to a PDF file, detailing the government's decision, which resulted in a €900,000 fine. Apple normally only provides a one-year AppleCare warranty for free, but Italian law grants shoppers a minimum of two years of coverage, which Apple is being asked to guarantee by March.
more
12/30, 12:10pm
PR person insists company is following Italian law
Apple will appeal a €900,000 fine levied by the Italian government, a PR representative tells The Register. The spokesperson insists that the company is complying with Italian law. Under local regulations, businesses are required to give two years of free warranty support. Apple, though, only provides a one-year warranty by default, requiring buyers to buy an AppleCare package for anything extra.
more
12/27, 9:50am
Italy says Apple help was unclear
Italy's Antitrust Authority said it would fine Apple 900,000 euros, or about $1.2 million, after deciding that the company had conducted "bad commercial practices" with its support. The American firm had reportedly been "unclear" on payments for its extended AppleCare warranty, which earned about 500,000 euros ($650,000) of the fine. The remaining 400,000 euros were for not properly informing customers about how long the warranties would last.
more
12/02, 2:55pm
Current topics from the forums
Today in Macnn forums members are discussing the limits of an AppleCare warranty when used with a defected iPhone with Jailbreak, click here to join in. A discussion about converting YouTube videos to MP3s and other compatible formats has been continuing for quite some time, and can be found here.
more
10/13, 8:00pm
Trade-in program makes discount possible
[Updated with trade-in details, new Sprint offer] RadioShack stores around the country are now accepting pre-orders on both black and white iPhone 4S models in all capacities with service from either AT&T or Verizon. The company will also accept Sprint pre-orders for the iPhone 4 8GB in black and white today and tomorrow only. RadioShack is using its Trade & Save program to offer customers the option of shaving up to $200 off the price the new iPhone.
more
10/13, 7:25pm
Sprint to introduce green, yellow, red categories
A Sprint rep wrote in to Engadget detailing new changes to repair procedures. Since ending the Total Equipment Protection plans, damaged iPhone 4S units will fall into one of three categories. They include green, yellow and red and will be assigned after a diagnosis.
more
10/11, 1:20pm
Options for adding plan unclear
Apple is halting a policy of occasionally waiving the replacement fee for damaged, out-of-warranty iPhones, an Apple Store source claims. For some time the company has allowed Genius Bar workers to toss out the $199 replacement fee as a "one-time exception," the source explains. With the advent of AppleCare+, however, Geniuses will allegedly be blocked from offering free replacements at all. The AppleCare+ plan offers extended warranty coverage, but unless a phone is defective people must pay $49 each time for the first two repairs/replacements, and a higher amount if anything should happen afterward.
more
10/09, 10:25pm
Sprint moves on iPhone 4S insurance, shipping
An internal staff memo has warned Sprint iPhone buyers that they won't have its typical Total Equipment Protection insurance. Customers who buy the phone but need help will only be offered direct replacements when they qualify, SprintFeed has learned. Accidents and repairs will instead have to go through Apple, such as through its AppleCare+ plan.
more
10/04, 4:40pm
AppleCare+ covers two iPhone accidents
Apple is now seeding a Gold Master release of iOS 5 to developers. The code is effectively the finished version of the firmware, but should give developers a headstart on testing app compatibility. It also gives Apple a chance to fix any show-stopping bugs that might have survived earlier testing, however unlikely. The public release of iOS 5 is scheduled for October 12th.
more
09/13, 1:15pm
May point to timing of iOS 5, iPhone 5 launches
AppleCare workers are being told to be prepare for a surge of iOS-related questions starting on Monday, October 10th, a source claims. In particular, the person tells AppleInsider that his local AppleCare call center is being instructed to expect eight times as much traffic. What if anything Apple might be introducing on that day is uncertain, but given the timing, it could be iOS 5 and/or iCloud.
more
05/27, 11:50am
European rules guarantee two years of coverage
AppleCare may be violating the European Union's consumer protection laws, Italian officials suggest. The Italian government is said to be probing Apple's support plan because of European warranty laws, which guarantee at least two years of coverage on personal electronics. By default, Apple products include only a one-year warranty; AppleCare costs an extra fee, and only then extends coverage to two years on average, or three in the case of Macs and Cinema Displays.
more
03/05, 11:55am
ATT unlimited on iPad 2, TechTool exits AppleCar
AT&T today offered a brief update confirming that it would still honor those with unlimited data plans for the iPad 2. The carrier is treating its tablet data much as it would other grandfathered plans and will let adopters of the new Apple tablet keep their service, an Engadget reader was told. Unlimited costs $30 per month and was only available for two months before AT&T began capping data with a cheaper 2GB plan.
more
02/17, 5:45pm
MobileMe not selling, person says
An anonymous Apple Store employee has come forward to Popular Mechanics with some information about working in the retail chain, which normally imposes a veil of secrecy. The person foremost claims that workers are kept "completely in the dark" about new products until they're announced during a keynote, at which point employees may gather around to watch, or else use it as an excuse to take time off. On launch days Apple is said to pay large bonuses for long hours, and in some cases provide extras like food.
more
11/05, 7:50am
Xserve gone Jan 31 in push to Mac Pro, Mac mini
Apple today sent notice that it was phasing out the Xserve. The rackmount server will be discontinued as of January 31, 2011, and the currently available 160GB, 1TB and 2TB Apple Drive Modules will ship through the end of 2011 or until stock runs out. The company plans to honor AppleCare warranties and will have repair parts for up to seven years in California and five years in the rest of the world.
more
11/03, 9:40am
Tight limits apply
Apple has slightly loosened the restrictions of its AppleCare warranty plans, a leaked memo shows. Retroactive to October 28th, people who want to can now transfer any existing AppleCare plan to a new product. Previously, Apple notes, people would simply have to buy a new AppleCare term unless both products were iPhones. iPhone plans have been transferable since June 23rd.
more
