Users of Apple Inc.’s iPhone and iPad can now enjoy a seven-day free trial on application software products purchased online from Apple, the Taipei City Government said July 14.
Apple announced on its Taiwanese App Store website the same day that consumers can return products for a full refund within seven days of purchase.
Consumer complaints in June over a mobile-phone software being ineffective in Taiwan and Hong Kong prompted the Taipei City Government to exert pressure on Apple.
The city’s Law and Regulation Commission asked the computer maker to comply with Taiwan’s Consumer Protection Act, which requires a free trial period of at least seven days for items purchased on the Web or via mail order.
Apple did the right thing in acting before a 15-day grace period given by the city government ended, the commission said, adding that if Apple had failed to respect the law it would have been faced with stiff penalties.
“This is a victory for Taiwan’s consumers, who are the only ones in the world to enjoy such a service from Apple at the moment,” said LRC Director Yeh Ching-yuan.
Consumers have also complained that the company’s online grievance procedure is too complicated. “We have also asked Apple to make this procedure more user-friendly,” Yeh said.
Meanwhile, the commission informed Google Inc. that it has until the end of the month to ensure that its online store complies with all consumer protection laws in Taiwan.
“We expect Google to follow Apple’s lead,” Yeh said. (HZW)