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Apple Drops Free AppleCare, Lowers Discount on Macs for U.K. Students

SSD-GUY said:
But technically, the onus is on the buyer to prove that the fault existed at the time of purchase if making a claim after 6 months, thus making it more problematic (have to obtain engineers report etc).
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That is not the case. You do not always have to prove a fault. There is also how long you can reasonably expect the item to last before failure.

If you spend £20 on an own brand kettle and it dies within 18 months no one will lose any sleep. However if you spend £80 on a Kettle from Miele or Bosch and it dies in the same period then you'd have a good chance of either getting it replaced or some compnesation from the manufacturer.

So 3 years for a £2000 - £3000 laptop/desktop is nothing. Would imagine you could get them over a barrel upto 5 years for a laptop/iMac and probably the full 7 for a Mac Pro.
 
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G4DPII said:
That is not the case. You do not always have to prove a fault. There is also how long you can reasonably expect the item to last before failure.

If you spend £20 on an own brand kettle and it dies within 18 months no one will lose any sleep. However if you spend £80 on a Kettle from Miele or Bosch and it dies in the same period then you'd have a good chance of either getting it replaced or some compnesation from the manufacturer.

So 3 years for a £2000 - £3000 laptop/desktop is nothing. Would imagine you could get them over a barrel upto 5 years for a laptop/iMac and probably the full 7 for a Mac Pro.
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I'm sorry but this is simply not true. Apple can correctly apply the law at anytime. If you maybe have had an "easy ride" claiming under the act, then congrats to you, but for the majority of cases and companies, the law will be correctly applied where the consumer will have to prove the fault was inherent at the time of purchase if the product is more than 6 months old.
 
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I'm so bored of people peddling the mythical "6 year warranty" on goods in the UK.

It does not exist.

Goods have a 1 year warranty, but we have the legal right to make a claim against the retailer if the item were to fail between months 13 and 60.

This is literally a claim, which you have to prove.

So you would need to get (pay for) an independent 3rd party report to support your claim (premature failure on a premium product) and take Apple to court and let a judge decide.

Now, Apple (more than most) are fully aware of this and are regularly replacing things purchased from them, even though they are out of warranty.

This is nothing more than them being proactive, knowing they would almost certainly lose any court case that a customer could bring.

You wouldn't get this happen if you purchased an iDevice elsewhere and tried to get Apple to replace it for free, as legally the responsibility always lies with the seller/retailer, so they could easily and legally refuse a warranty replacement in month 13.

The EU has a 2 year warranty, but nothing whatsoever after that. So if it went bang in month 25, you're on your own and out of luck, whereas in the UK, we only get 12 months, but the legal right to make a claim up to 6 years.

People really should stop repeating this 6 year warranty myth.
 
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Azzin said:
The EU has a 2 year warranty, but nothing whatsoever after that. So if it went bang in month 25, you're on your own and out of luck, whereas in the UK, we only get 12 months, but the legal right to make a claim up to 6 years.

People really should stop repeating this 6 year warranty myth.
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People should also stop abusing the word warranty when they mean guarantee. The words derive from the same cognate but in English are not synonymous.

The EU directive from 1999 does not mention the word warranty once - only the word guarantee and it specifically refers to statutory guarantees, i.e. four years fewer than accorded in England and Wales as an EU minimum.

If EU member states wish to implement more robust protection for its consumers (and some have) then they are free to do so but calling it an EU warranty is flat out wrong, when it is nothing of the sort.
 
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weckart said:
People should also stop abusing the word warranty when they mean guarantee. The words derive from the same cognate but in English are not synonymous.

The EU directive from 1999 does not mention the word warranty once - only the word guarantee and it specifically refers to statutory guarantees, i.e. four years fewer than accorded in England and Wales as an EU minimum.

If EU member states wish to implement more robust protection for its consumers (and some have) then they are free to do so but calling it an EU warranty is flat out wrong, when it is nothing of the sort.
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Potato, potarto.

Call it what you like, the very same principle applies.

Free repairs for 1 year in the UK & free repairs in the EU for 2 years.
 
MillieWales said:
You have to prove a manufacturing fault - you will know that of course as you've done it several times. This can often takes months, but you will know that too. Having an extended warranty for free means you can walk in to an Apple Store and get a repair started same day or, in 2 experiences I had with it, an instant replacement.

Consumer law is absolutely no replacement for a warranty, you may have got lucky, but for most of they are successful it will have taken considerable correspondence and a lot of time.
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Well if there is no visible damage then it can be nothing but, else it's 'not fit for purpose'. I've had around 3 free battery replacements from 2-4 years and it's always been done in-store on the day using a UK consumer law claim. You just have to know your law.
[doublepost=1466171438][/doublepost]
Azzin said:
6 years to make a claim.
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Yep, Apple use clever working. But I'm afraid you're wrong again:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...cused-of-denying-six-year-warranty-right.html
 
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acedout said:
Well if there is no visible damage then it can be nothing but, else it's 'not fit for purpose'. I've had around 3 free battery replacements from 2-4 years and it's always been done in-store on the day using a UK consumer law claim. You just have to know your law.
[doublepost=1466171438][/doublepost]
Yep, Apple use clever working. But I'm afraid you're wrong again:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...cused-of-denying-six-year-warranty-right.html
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No, I'm not.

There is no 6 year guarantee/warranty on products purchased in the UK.

The end.
[doublepost=1466174290][/doublepost]Use this government guide, it will take you to the 'court' conclusion, as you have no automatic rights to a free repair/replacement after 12 months.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/c...ne-wrong-with-a-purchase/return-faulty-goods/
 
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steve23094 said:
I just can't understand how the country that generates more wealth than any other probably has the worst consumer and employment protection in the Western world. Somewhere along the line somebody is making a heck of a lot of money and it's not the general populous.
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It's because the US is a very strong capitalist country and businesses pressure governments to pass favourable laws.

Azzin said:
Potato, potarto.

Call it what you like, the very same principle applies.

Free repairs for 1 year in the UK & free repairs in the EU for 2 years.
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EU law requires companies to offer a statutory warranty on most new goods for a minimum of 2 years. However in the UK, the maximum period where you can make a claim for faulty goods is 6 years in England and Wales, and 5 years in Scotland. For the first six months, the law requires the retailer to prove that a fault a consumer is making a claim against is not caused by a manufacturer defect. If they can't prove this, the law makes an assumption in the consumer's favour and requires the retailer to remedy the fault free of charge. After six months, it's the consumer that needs to prove that a fault is the result of a manufacturer defect.

That's why some people say having an additional warranty provided by the manufacturer can be useful on the basis of convenience. Personally, I think extended warranties from most companies are a total waste of money and I would only find the AppleCare Protection Plan useful if I needed help with OS X - and I've always found the answers to that online without needing to call Apple.
 
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Just to wade into the consumer law argument here - EU law is the statutory warranty with the manufacturer. The 6 year faulty goods is with the retailer.

If you order from Apple online or in store, then its one and the same - but if you bought a Mac from PC World - you'd be able to go back to Apple as the manufacturer for 2 years (in the EU) and after that you'd need to go to PC World - and its with PC World you're likely to get worse service than perhaps going direct to Apple, although thats all anecdotal on my part.

Obviously AppleCare is a manufacturer warranty. So whilst Apple say 1 year, you're really getting 2 minimum providing we stay in the EU, which it looks like we won't, sigh, so expect that to be stripped back to 1 maximum.
 
dannys1 said:
Just to wade into the consumer law argument here - EU law is the statutory warranty with the manufacturer. The 6 year faulty goods is with the retailer.

If you order from Apple online or in store, then its one and the same - but if you bought a Mac from PC World - you'd be able to go back to Apple as the manufacturer for 2 years (in the EU) and after that you'd need to go to PC World - and its with PC World you're likely to get worse service than perhaps going direct to Apple, although thats all anecdotal on my part.

Obviously AppleCare is a manufacturer warranty. So whilst Apple say 1 year, you're really getting 2 minimum providing we stay in the EU, which it looks like we won't, sigh, so expect that to be stripped back to 1 maximum.
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U.K. Law says your contract is with *the retailer*, not the manufacturer.
 
Shameful move, especially because the new models are yet to be announced. This plus a predictable increase in price for the new Macs would make the students and the educators buy something else.
I myself am gonna get a Surface or an HP, when my 2011 MBA dies.
 
dannys1 said:
Just to wade into the consumer law argument here - EU law is the statutory warranty with the manufacturer.
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There is no EU law on statutory warranty. Just statutory guarantees with the retailer and the directive provides for a claim made up to two years after purchase. Individual countries may have additional protection but that is not due to the EU.

A warranty is a service agreement with the manufacturor. This is determined by the contract the manufacturor signs with the retailer. The law relating to this is the that of contract. What the EU directed on are statutory guarantees that retailers must make to customers with regard to fitness for purpose, durability, being defect-free etc. Those guarantees are required by the directive to be implemented in consumer legislation throughout the EU in each member state. Big difference.

What muddies the water is that Apple is both a retailer and a manufacturor, so that it falls into both camps. It is customary for manufacturors to offer a limited warranty on certain goods to the end customer through the retailer but there is no legal requirement to do so unless one is stipulated as part of the sales contract. Cars tends to fall into the latter category as certain technical maintenance (firmware upgrades, key cutting) can only be done at approved workshops for security reasons.
 
Well this sucks. I still don't get Apple's "warranty" system. Every other company you can buy from will offer you at least 2 or 3 years of warranty for free by default, it's obvious and there's a signed paper that comes with it to tell you the exact date of expiry. Apple, for some stupid reason, only offers 1 year, which is illegal, and offers you to pay (a lot) for an extra 2 years of warranty (which defeats the purpose of warranty). But EU laws require at least 3 years of warranty. So what happens if you buy a Mac in the EU, don't get Apple Care, and go claim your warranty just before the 3 years are up? Apple will say "sorry, no AppleCare, no warranty" and refuse to help. You'll have to sue them or something, but as a regular person, you won't know how to do that. Also, no one says anything, there is no obvious way to do it, and you're running out of time with a computer that won't turn on. So you bite the bullet and buy another Mac. Another victory for Apple! I can see why they do it. I just don't see why the government lets them get away with something illegal.
 
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Azzin said:
U.K. Law says your contract is with *the retailer*, not the manufacturer.
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It may well do - but the manufacturer warranty still exists. If I ever bought an iPad or Mac from PC World (shudder), i'd be taking it to Apple if I had any problems not them idiots. And Apple will happily repair it for you if its in the 1 year warranty and most likely in 2 years under EEC law (which someone here claims doesn't exist despite it being written in big writing under every check out on the Apple store).
 
Bearing in mind the 6 years UK consumer law states-

"The rule covers a fault that was present when you bought the item, or a defect that occurs from a manufacturing problem rather than as the result of usual wear and tear."

I wonder how some of you got their battery replaced?! I'd really like to know cause I feel like mine needs a replacement.
 
EmaDaCuz said:
Shameful move, especially because the new models are yet to be announced. This plus a predictable increase in price for the new Macs would make the students and the educators buy something else.
I myself am gonna get a Surface or an HP, when my 2011 MBA dies.
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Voting with your wallet is the most effective thing someone can do. I'm sure they had their analysts worked out that these changes wouldn't really reduce demand and so they can implement them without worrying. If students stopped buying their computers, they'd have to do something.
 
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