Apple apologizes to Chinese consumers, revises local warranty policy

Over the last couple of weeks, Chinese consumers and media had been up in arms over Apple's lesser warranty coverage compared to that applied in other countries, and Cupertino's seeming arrogance from its lack of response at the time didn't help at all. But in an open letter addressed to Chinese consumers earlier today, CEO Tim Cook apologizes on behalf of his company and promises that "Apple's commitment and passion for China are no different than for other countries." After taking a closer look at China's "Three Guarantees" law (repair, refund and replace), Cook's China team will now be offering the following:

• Improved warranty policy for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S: instead of just the first 15-day grace period, full replacement is now honored throughout the one-year warranty period as opposed to just replacing parts; and the warranty period is restarted for the new device
• More concise repair and warranty policy statement now available on Apple China's website
• Strengthened supervision and training for Apple Authorized Service Providers
• Direct online feedback link now available for Chinese consumers

Looks like a good start here (especially for the second hand market, of course), but let's see if the Chinese consumers will see an effective change at the stores.

Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, Mobile

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Source: Apple (Chinese)