Italy Takes $1.2 Million Bite Out of Apple for Unfair Commercial Practices
Apple on Tuesday was fined 900,000 euros (about $1.2 million) by Italy's Antitrust Authority following an investigation into complaints of "unfair commercial practices" relating to its retail stores. The company's first retail store opened in Italy in 2006 in Ponte di Nona, and now there are nine stores in all located in various parts of the country.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Italian authorities fined Apple 400,000 euros for not providing adequate information to customers about the length of warranties, and another 500,000 euros for failing to provide sufficient information to customers about its AppleCare Protection Plan. The fines were handed down to Apple Sales International, Apple Italia Sri, and Apple Retail Italia.
Italy has been keeping a close eye on Apple's operations. According to Apple Insider, the Italian government, along with the U.S., France, Germany, and South Korea, probed Apple over its location data controversy earlier this year, which was addressed in an iOS update.