BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The China Consumer's Association (CCA) has asked Apple Inc. to "sincerely apologize to Chinese consumers" and "thoroughly correct its problems," after the U.S. firm took little action to address waves of criticism.
In a statement posted on the CCA's website, Apple Inc. was told to equalize the warranty periods in China compared with other countries. Buyers of iPads, after the company admitted the device is classifiable as a portable computer, are entitled to two-year after-sale service packages for its key components, said the statement.
Apple should inform consumers if refurbished parts are used when repairing broken devices, and repair costs should be counted accordingly, the statement said.
The CCA made clear its specific demands after Apple Inc. responded indifferently to consumers' repeated complaints despite intensive exposure in the Chinese media.
In a special program to mark the International Day for Protecting Consumers' Rights on March 15, national broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) accused Apple of offering discriminatory after-sales services in China.
On the same day, the CCA unveiled a report detailing that complaints about after-sale service account for 25.6 percent of the total 2,170 complaints it has received about Apple products, seven percentage points higher than the averaged data for the home appliance sector.
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