The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), S. Korea’s antitrust watchdog, has taken action against Apple’s consumer-unfriendly repair policy.
After examining the repair contract terms of six Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASP), the KFTC Thursday issued a recommendation for correction of two unfair provisions pertaining to restricting repair contract cancellation and requiring customers to pay estimated maximum repair costs upfront.
Since the six AASPs signed a contract with Apple Korea, they have been in charge of repairing iPhones. The problem is that AASP technicians complete only simple repairs. Major repair work, such as cracked screens, battery replacement and faulty rear-facing cameras is sent to Apple Korea’s ‘diagnostic center.’
The six AASPs have demanded customers sign a repair contract and pay the estimated maximum repair costs upfront before specific repair work or exact costs are determined
Apple Korea has recently added to the repair terms a new clause saying “I (customer) have been fully informed that repair cancellation requests will Not be accepted if repair work is already in progress,” therefore angering Korean consumers.
According to the KFTC, an AASP said to customers: “Whether only the broken screen is replaced or a refurbished iPhone is provided is determined only by Apple’s diagnostic center. Customers must follow its final decision.”
Some other AASPs didn’t even return products as customers expressed their intention to cancel repair.
Consumers’ skepticism over Apple’s diagnostic center continues to linger. Apple has been non-committal about the location of centers and actual repair processes. Apple has yet to make any official response to the KFTC’s action.
