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The US firm will reportedly stop selling its extended warranty in Italian stores after being found to not be respecting EU-mandated guarantees.
Apple initially found itself in Italian court over the issue, after failing to make it clear to customers that its products come with a two-year warranty – as required by all electronics sold within Europe – as well as selling its own premium AppleCare service.
Whilst the firm has yet to make any formal announcements regarding the issue, the information was taken from a leaked email, which Apple sent out to retailers.
It details that whilst Apple stores will not longer offer AppleCare, customers will still be able to purchase the extended warranty service online via the company’s website.
Italy may not be the only country to witness the withdrawal of AppleCare.
With the European Justice Minister writing to all member countries of the EU, it is possible that the firm may be forced to adopt a similar approach across Europe entirely.
As more customers become aware of the mandated two year warranty on products, less and less will be tempted to purchase AppleCare from the get-go, a trend that could cause the service to no longer be a viable option for Apple to offer.
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