According to Reuters, Apple has failed to draw attention to a provision of Italian law that guarantees customers free two-year warranties on electronic products, pushing its own paid products instead.
Italy's AGCM competition and market authority has already imposed fines of €900,000 on divisions of Apple, which offers a paid technical support service, for failing to tell customers about their rights to free assistance.
But, months after the previous fine, Apple has failed to comply with the antitrust request, the watchdog said. The company offers a free one-year guarantee scheme, which can be extended to two years, on payment of a fee.
The AGCM said, in its monthly bulletin, that Apple was continuing to adopt unfair commercial practices in Italy and noted this could eventually lead to the closure of its Italian operations, for up to 30 days.
In December, Italian authorities fined Apple for what it described at the time as "commercial practices that harmed consumers". Italy's Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato alleges that Apple has avoided disclosing the free warranty and, instead, encourages consumers to purchase a contract for paid technical support.
Via CNET




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