ACCC: 'Apple mislead Australian consumers'
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is fuming over Apple’s new 4G Apple release, claiming that Australian buyers were mislead by the product’s advertising about the functionality of its high-speed data connectivity, Reuters reported today.
As we wrote on the iPad’s launch day, one of the most excitable features of the new gadget, the speedy 4G connection, isn’t compatible with Australia’s 4G network carrier Telstra – even with a SIM card. While some buyers didn’t see this as a deal breaker for buyers, the ACCC begs to differ.
SEE RELATED STORIES FROM THE WDM CONTENT NETWORK:
Read the March issue of Business Review Australia
On the grounds of “[breaking] the country’s consumer law” and misleading buyers, the ACCC is taking Apple to court.
“Apple’s recent promotion of the new ‘iPad with WiFi + 4G’ is misleading because it represents to Australian consumers that the product ‘iPad with WiFi + 4G’ can, with a [SIM] card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case,” the Financial Times quoted from a statement released by the ACCC.
The ACCC is expected to have lodged an official application to Melbourne’s Federal Court this morning.