The Italian Antitrust Authority has fined Apple US$1.2 million for not giving consumers enough information about its guarantees, the authority said yesterday.
The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato started an inquiry following a number of complaints from consumers and organisations, it said in a statement.
Apple Sales International, Apple Italia Srl and Apple Retail Italia share the fine, which is split into two parts: €400,000 for not providing consumers with enough information about guarantees afforded by the Italian Consumer Code and another €500,000 for giving users misleading information in order to sell more AppleCare packages, according to the Antitrust Authority.
Apple Sales International has to shoulder the largest burden and pay €540,000, while Apple Italia Srl and Apple Retail Italia have to pay €180,000 each.
The verdict isn’t final, and Apple now has 60 days to appeal, according to a spokeswoman at Antitrust Authority.
The company didn’t reply to questions about the fine or if it plans to appeal the decision.
