By Star Chang, posted Jul 28, 2012 at 2:24 AM, 677 views,

Chinese Consumer Watchdog Blacklists Apple for ‘Unfair’ Service

The consumer watchdog in China’s southern province of Guangdong has included Apple on a “company integrity” blacklist, citing the American gadget maker’s after-sales service policies. The China Consumer Association took the American firm to task over complaints that its after-sales service in China is not fair to Chinese consumers. The association took Apple’s iPhone 4 as an example, citing an owner of the device who found his smartphone was malfunctioning during the warranty period. The company replaced all parts of the device except for the case and battery charger, but refused to renew his warranty …

The association published a survey of consumer complaints received in the first half of this year. Some foreign firms refused to offer after-sales service, seriously jeopardizing consumers’ ability to voice dissatisfaction. The association earlier allied with consumer groups in different cities and provinces, criticizing Apple’s “unfair” support policies. Recently, the company has made some changes to its policies to alleviate dissatisfaction. Local legal experts think Apple’s policy changes are not enough to prove that Chinese consumers will be treated fairly. Many still insist that some portions of its policies violate China’s consumer protection laws.

In the meantime, there is no offical Apple stores in China’s southern province of Guangdong. The nearest one is located in Hong Kong, but the place is considered a special administrative regions of China, which has a different political system from mainland China. It is rumored Apple will soon open their store in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, which both cities are located in Guangdong. We just hope Apple will no longer in the “company integrity” blacklist by the time when the new stores open.

SOURCE: National Business Daily (Chinese translated)
Photo credit: REUTERS