Things are getting out of hand not only in the US, but also down under when it comes to the new iPad these days. Earlier today Apple was accused of ‘misleading’ consumers to believe that the new iPad would work on all 4G networks, including the Telstra network, in Australia.
Lawyers for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) accused Apple of “breaching consumer law by promoting the device as being able to connect to high-speed 4G mobile neworks using a sim card.”
Apple has now agreed to publish a clarification and state that the new iPad, while working on international standardized 4G networks, is not compatible with the Telstra network in Australia. Apple will also provide a refund to customers who felt they were misled.
Yup, Apple will provide a refund.
Apple’s return and refund policy in Australia reads:
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, in addition to your rights as a consumer under the Competition and Consumer Act and other applicable Australian consumer protection laws and regulations, you may also be eligible to return the item for a refund under Apple’s Sale and Refund Policy (as described below) … For eligible products, you have up to 14 calendar days from the time you receive your item(s) to initiate a return.
Apple allows customers 14 days to return products that they aren’t satisfied with. How the ACCC managed to take Apple to court before the first round of new iPad customer’s return policy runs out (March 29th) is beyond me. Whatever happened to returning goods you weren’t completely satisfied with? What’s the point of a return policy if governments are going to go directly to court?
If you buys something and it doesn’t work like you expected it to, you return it. It’s pretty simple.