Belgium online apple store

[Hinza]

I am thinking of buying my first mac (mba) from the online store.
Now I am wondering how the customer services works as there are no real Apple stores in Belgium. If something is broken do I need to send it to them?
Also I heard somewhere that Apple wasn't respecting the 2 year warranty that is obliged by the EU. So has anyone has any experience with that?
Many thanks

 

[danetello]

If the MacBook becomes broken then I think you will be able to contact apple online and they will arrange a courier to come and collect then MacBook. Whenever it is repaired they will send it back to you free of charge. Not sure about the EU 2 year warranty

 

[Hinza]

If the MacBook becomes broken then I think you will be able to contact apple online and they will arrange a courier to come and collect then MacBook. Whenever it is repaired they will send it back to you free of charge.

Hmm that doesn't seem to be very handy...
There is apparently a authorised service provider/premium reseller in Belgium.
Do you know if they will accept my mba if I buy it online?
(I would go ask them but I am not close to one of there stores)

 

[Yvescorvilain]

I work at an Apple Premium Reseller (switch.be)
You can go to any Apple Premium Reseller and hand in your online bought MacBook. (Any Apple product, except the iPhone, which have to be brought to a Mobistar Centre for service)
There are loads of premium resellers in Belgium. Switch.be, EasyM, MacLine,... But not all give you 2 year warranty. I can only speak for my company, but we give 2 year warranty to all non-professional customers.

 

[iStudentUK]

Also I heard somewhere that Apple wasn't respecting the 2 year warranty that is obliged by the EU. So has anyone has any experience with that?
Many thanks

Well there is no EU 2 year warranty, people get confused about that. What exists is a right to get a repair/replacement for any inherent defects which present in the first 2 years after purchase (can be longer, for example the UK is 6 years). It's irrelevant if Apple 'respect' it or not, provided your country implemented the law (check that, it could even have implemented a better law) it applies, and you can sue for non-compliance. Here in the UK I haven't had to deal with Apple about this, but have with other companies. Being polite but firm usually works for me.

 

[hafr]

Well there is no EU 2 year warranty, people get confused about that. What exists is a right to get a repair/replacement for any inherent defects which present in the first 2 years after purchase (can be longer, for example the UK is 6 years). It's irrelevant if Apple 'respect' it or not, provided your country implemented the law (check that, it could even have implemented a better law) it applies, and you can sue for non-compliance. Here in the UK I haven't had to deal with Apple about this, but have with other companies. Being polite but firm usually works for me.

Which means you don't think Apple offers any warranty, Apple Care or otherwise, since they only cover the same cases as the EU law but within a shorter time frame.

 

[iStudentUK]

Which means you don't think Apple offers any warranty, Apple Care or otherwise, since they only cover the same cases as the EU law but within a shorter time frame.

In the simplistic what-they-say sense my view is that the EU "warranty" and AppleCare are similar (apart from length of time and things like software support over the phone). However, in practice the key difference is people are likely to have to argue their case if trying to use statutory rights instead of AppleCare. I guess people have to decide if they want to save money and take a risk in making their case, or buy AppleCare. My personal rule of thumb is I'll buy the warranty if it's 10% or less of the product value.

 

[hafr]

In the simplistic what-they-say sense my view is that the EU "warranty" and AppleCare are similar (apart from length of time and things like software support over the phone). However, in practice the key difference is people are likely to have to argue their case if trying to use statutory rights instead of AppleCare. I guess people have to decide if they want to save money and take a risk in making their case, or buy AppleCare. My personal rule of thumb is I'll buy the warranty if it's 10% or less of the product value.

So what makes AppleCare a warranty and EU consumer rights not a warranty is the fact that you will have to argue your case by referring to the consumer rights according to the law instead of arguing your case by showing the purchased consumer rights, despite them being pretty much identical? Meaning what makes AppleCare a warranty is the fact that you pay for it, and because you're not paying for the EU consumer rights it's not to be considered a warranty?

I'm not trying anything here, I'm just curious as to why one is a warranty and the other is not. I would have said the same thing before, one is consumer rights and the other is a warranty - but seeing this thread made me realize they're the same, apart from one being purchased and the other being in the law. So why can't you call both of them warranties?

 

[iStudentUK]

So what makes AppleCare a warranty and EU consumer rights not a warranty is the fact that you will have to argue your case by referring to the consumer rights according to the law instead of arguing your case by showing the purchased consumer rights, despite them being pretty much identical? Meaning what makes AppleCare a warranty is the fact that you pay for it, and because you're not paying for the EU consumer rights it's not to be considered a warranty?

I'm not trying anything here, I'm just curious as to why one is a warranty and the other is not. I would have said the same thing before, one is consumer rights and the other is a warranty - but seeing this thread made me realize they're the same, apart from one being purchased and the other being in the law. So why can't you call both of them warranties?

It's quite complex! Apple offers a warranty which effectively guarantees performance for a set period of time (provided you treat the device well etc).

The EU directive 2 year rule is more like a statute of limitations. The 2 years is the minimum time you must have to bring a claim against the seller, but that doesn't mean everything must last 2 years! For example-

Lets say I buy a MacBook which has a weak connection but I may not know that at first. But after 18 months of perfectly normal use the connection finally breaks. Now the fault is the connection being weak which was there from the start, it finally breaking is just the manifestation. So I'm claiming it was defective when it was sold to me and as a result I've suffered a loss 18 months later.

However, if I buy a Biro pen for 50p and the plastic shatters after 18 months that seems perfectly acceptable to me, so I can't find an original fault to bring a claim for. That's slightly different from a warranty.

The other difference is that Apple offers the manufacturers warranty which applies even if you don't buy direct from them. The EU directive implies a term into the contract you make with the seller, which could be Apple or anther outlet like Amazon.

 

[hafr]

It's quite complex! Apple offers a warranty which effectively guarantees performance for a set period of time (provided you treat the device well etc).

The EU directive 2 year rule is more like a statute of limitations. The 2 years is the minimum time you must have to bring a claim against the seller, but that doesn't mean everything must last 2 years! For example-

Lets say I buy a MacBook which has a weak connection but I may not know that at first. But after 18 months of perfectly normal use the connection finally breaks. Now the fault is the connection being weak which was there from the start, it finally breaking is just the manifestation. So I'm claiming it was defective when it was sold to me and as a result I've suffered a loss 18 months later.

However, if I buy a Biro pen for 50p and the plastic shatters after 18 months that seems perfectly acceptable to me, so I can't find an original fault to bring a claim for. That's slightly different from a warranty.

The other difference is that Apple offers the manufacturers warranty which applies even if you don't buy direct from them. The EU directive implies a term into the contract you make with the seller, which could be Apple or anther outlet like Amazon.

I talked to a lawyer friend about it, and he said it's pretty much the same thing, but a warranty is a) purchased and b) accepted by the seller, whilst as the consumer rights are a) laws and b) what warranties should be based on. Basically, warranties are (should be) an extension of (consumer) rights. In the case of AppleCare (as with many other warranties), it's very handy in countries such as the US, but a way to milk more money from the clients in Europe.

But then again, he's into family law, not consumer rights

 

[iStudentUK]

But then again, he's into family law, not consumer rights

I'm a trainee lawyer, but certainly not in consumer law. I don't know if lawyers actually do that kind of stuff in any real detail at the consumer level, the 1% of cases which actualy go to court are frequently argued without lawyers. Plus there's not much money in it!

 

[Hinza]

I work at an Apple Premium Reseller (switch.be)
You can go to any Apple Premium Reseller and hand in your online bought MacBook. (Any Apple product, except the iPhone, which have to be brought to a Mobistar Centre for service)
There are loads of premium resellers in Belgium. Switch.be, EasyM, MacLine,... But not all give you 2 year warranty. I can only speak for my company, but we give 2 year warranty to all non-professional customers.

Ok thanks. So you treat customers that bought there mac online and then ones that bought from your store the same way?
But that means if the premium seller close to my town refuses I can go to an other one and try to get my 2 year warranty?

I talked to a lawyer friend about it, and he said it's pretty much the same thing, but a warranty is a) purchased and b) accepted by the seller, whilst as the consumer rights are a) laws and b) what warranties should be based on. Basically, warranties are (should be) an extension of (consumer) rights. In the case of AppleCare (as with many other warranties), it's very handy in countries such as the US, but a way to milk more money from the clients in Europe.

But then again, he's into family law, not consumer rights

I am not planning on buying apple care as it only increases it by one year and is to expensive in comparison.
But if I get it that means that Apple gives me the first year and the second one is given bye the store?

 

[iStudentUK]

But if I get it that means that Apple gives me the first year and the second one is given bye the store?

Whichever company you buy it from is bound by this EU law (provided the Belgian government has implemented it?). It commences the minute the device is yours. But remember, if Belgium is anything like the UK you may need to be prepared to make an argument if something goes wrong.

Apple offer a 1 year warranty. This is entirely seperate from the above. You can pick either to talk to either Apple or the seller if something goes wrong in the first year (Apple would probably be easier though).

 

[BruceiD]

I'll type this in dutch since the topic was made by a Belgian person.

Ik woon ook in België, ik heb mijn iMac gekocht bij Easy-M
Je hebt dus wel 2 jaar garantie (1 jaar door Apple ander door de reseller)
Je moet beslissen wat voor jou het makkelijkste is om te kopen (online/winkel).
Indien je nog vragen hebt stel die dan maar

 

[Hinza]

Whichever company you buy it from is bound by this EU law (provided the Belgian government has implemented it?). It commences the minute the device is yours. But remember, if Belgium is anything like the UK you may need to be prepared to make an argument if something goes wrong.

Apple offer a 1 year warranty. This is entirely seperate from the above. You can pick either to talk to either Apple or the seller if something goes wrong in the first year (Apple would probably be easier though).

Belgium has implemented the law, I am sure of that. If I buy it online Apple is the seller. Hmmm I hope that I don't need to make an argument don't like doing that. I find it easier to get the warranty if you can go to their store. Never had any good experiences with trying to get it over the phone. But like Yvescorvilain suggested I can go to a premium reseller and try to get my warranty instead of over the phone. (If something is broken)

I'll type this in dutch since the topic was made by a Belgian person.

Ik woon ook in België, ik heb mijn iMac gekocht bij Easy-M
Je hebt dus wel 2 jaar garantie (1 jaar door Apple ander door de reseller)
Je moet beslissen wat voor jou het makkelijkste is om te kopen (online/winkel).
Indien je nog vragen hebt stel die dan maar

Yeah but I was thinking of buying a mac from the Apple online store as I want a custom build mba and you can only get those at the online store if I am not mistaken.
Testaankoop said that apple didn't respect the 2 year warranty sometimes if you bought your mac online. So that is why I was a little worried to buy it there. But like Yvescorvilain said that I can apparently go to easy-M or an other premium reseller.