Apple blacklisted by Chinese consumer watchdog
Support policies earn scorn as punters air grievances
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A Chinese consumer rights group has slammed Apple’s after-sales service as unfair and placed it on an “integrity blacklist” after numerous complaints about maintenance and support.
The China Consumer Association in the southern province of Guangdong released a report into the tech giant’s support policies last week, citing strong customer dissatisfaction with how they have been treated, according to National Business Daily (via MIC Gadget).
The report highlighted the case of a customer named Wang who took his iPhone 4 in to be repaired within the warranty period. Although Apple replaced all the parts it refused to renew the warranty.
The report into consumer complaints levelled in the first half of 2012 singled out foreign electronics brands for poor after-sales service policies, but the fruity toy maker has been getting the most heat thanks to its high profile and previous run-ins.
The China Consumer Association has already pointed to a clause in Apple’s repair policy as unfair. It apparently states that the firm can use old spare parts to repair its kit, and requires that users agree to hand over any defective parts back to Apple, raising suspicions that it may be using these to repair other devices.
There have also been complaints about Apple’s refusal to accept responsibility for any damage to a product incurred in transit – which apparently impinges on Chinese consumer rights laws.
Time will tell whether such grievances affect consumer perception of the fruity electronics brand in the People’s Republic.
Considering the firm lost over $2 billion in revenues in Q3 thanks to slowing iPhone sales, it could do without such publicity in the world’s biggest smartphone market.
Apple did not immediately reply to a request for comment. ®
COMMENTS
Most shops do nor train their staff in what the rights of a consumer are, that can go right up to management level.
A few years ago I was bought one of the old style 32" JVC from comet.
In the first month the repairman had to come out 5 times to fix it as it had a habit of switching off by itself, and having sound or a picture but not both.
Comet said you cannot return it as they would do all they can to fix it!
The final straw was when the repairman changed the EPROM board telling me it was a problem with dry solder, but installed a board from a 28" model. He left the wrapper behind, and when I tried to adjust the picture for magnetism (32" screens had a facility to straighten and level the picture but the 28" did not have it) several set up menu items were missing.
I called Comet they denied the wrong part was put in and when they finally admitted it courtesy of the wrapper they said the repairman was just doing me a favour to get it working again and would replace the part as soon as possible. They STILL refused to take it back.
Solution: I took the very heavy TV back to the store and left it right in the middle of the automatic entrance doors and told every customer who came in not to buy a television from them.
Ten minutes later the store manager offered a new Sony television and extended 5 year warranty.
Problem solved.
Apple didn't lose 2 billion. They simply didn't gain an extra 2 billion.
Re: So my next Macbook will have Applecare
and I'm afraid it is muppets like you that allow companies to get away with doing whatever they want to.
You should be stamping and shouting and shaking your fists and demanding that it is fixed by the organisation that you bought it from as it is clearly defective, clearly as a result of poor manufacturing (as other batteries do not suffer in this way) and that if they don't fix it very quickly there and then then you're going to complain and complain and complain.
I have walked into jewellery shops before now and stood in there for an hour and a half with a bank statement (not their receipt, but a bank statement) showing that I bought the item more than 2 years ago and that the stone has fallen out, it shouldn't fall out, see this here this has a stone and I've had it for six years and it's fine, yet yours is defective and I want it replaced.
a) know your rights
b) know you're right
c) don't pay money for something you've already paid for
Applecare = 100% profit.
(Written on my MacBook Pro with 180 cycles on the battery.)
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