News - Australian commission catches on to iPad 4G nonsense

[HEXUS]

If it doesn't work on the 4G network, don't advertise it as a 4G device.

Read more.

[Hicks12]

Good shout Australia... wish ours would do something instead of thinking along the lines of "oh more tax woo lets not stop their sales"

... Maybe one day we will truely have a department that will sort out obvious stuff from the big players!

[crossy]

It would be nice to see UK Trading Standards take matters as seriously as its Australian counterpart.

Given that most TS folks probably: (a) don't know what 4G is; and (b) that the US "4G" isn't the same as the UK's definition (guilty of that charge myself) I'm guessing that they're not aware that Apple selling their "4G" iPad3 is false advertising*. So they need someone to make a complaint.

(* and I'm guessing that this is one of those times where the Advertising Standards Authority doesn't have any say)

Looks to me like a (rare) misstep by Apple's PR machine, rather than any kind of deliberate attempt to sell by misleading the punters. Think a small fine and an apology+clarification (not in small print) would be in order.

[Roobubba]

Hope it's a very, very big fine. I'm unfortunately an Apple user (through work) and a very unhappy one at that. Nothing 'just works', let alone working as advertised.

Despite it being quite probable that trading standards people may not be aware of the technicalities of the 4G claim, Apple themselves *must* be aware, so to run that campaign so hard outside of North America, by derivation, must be a deliberate attempt to sell by misleading the punters.

Not that I have any sympathy for the punters, mind - always banging on about how great Apple products are, and in my experience over the last 4 years, that claim is simply unfounded!

[[GSV]Trig]

Hope it's a very, very big fine. I'm unfortunately an Apple user (through work) and a very unhappy one at that. Nothing 'just works', let alone working as advertised.

Are you holding it properly?

[CK_1985]

The main page for the new iPad on the Apple UK website lists 3 key features: the screen, the camera and 'ultra fast wireless'.

Listing something in the top 3 reasons to buy a product that is actually completely irrelevant to the country you're selling it to cannot possibly be described as anything other than deliberately misleading customers in my view.

Our ASA should follow suit ASAP (I'll get my coat)

[Brewster0101]

So they need someone to make a complaint.

We live in a society (in UK) where no one listens until the problem has already occurred. To expect the UK's trading standards or what ever people they are , to actually do anything until people complain is like asking a cow to throw itself onto the grill to save time.

[crossy]

We live in a society (in UK) where no one listens until the problem has already occurred. To expect the UK's trading standards or what ever people they are , to actually do anything until people complain is like asking a cow to throw itself onto the grill to save time.

Oh so true - I've had little respect for Trading Standards since the time that a relative of mine reported a local garage for selling him a car that was actually in dangerous condition, (confirmed - in writing - by a specialist garage), and they did sod all other than send the usual "we got your letter, we're looking into it".

Reading back through the postings and I was amazed to see that mine was the most pro-Apple - which is a bit of a turn up for the books, since I'm not what you'd call a fan of that company!

[apmallett]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17532613

Still bullish enought to say they have not misled customers. Not saying I am an expert on 4G networks, but surely a globally accepted 4G network does not mean one that only applies to North America?

[miniyazz]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17532613

Still bullish enought to say they have not misled customers. Not saying I am an expert on 4G networks, but surely a globally accepted 4G network does not mean one that only applies to North America?

Well not necessarily. It could mean that it runs on a network that is globally accepted to be 4G, regardless of whether it's globally supported/available. However, I'd also question the veracity of that statement.

[crossy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17532613
Still bullish enought to say they have not misled customers. Not saying I am an expert on 4G networks, but surely a globally accepted 4G network does not mean one that only applies to North America?

I'm with you on this - if they're advertising the iPad3 as "4G capable" in Australia and the 4G only works in the US, not in Australia then they're misleading Australians. I'm content to give them the benefit of the doubt for an honest mistake - but if they're trotting out "well it works on the US' enhanced network and everyone says that this is '4G' so we're right" and sticking to their guns, then it stops looking like a mistake and more like deliberate false advertising.

Actually, I don't much like the UK ad's either - the ones I've seen recently still say 4G, despite it not working on our 4G networks either. And no, a tiny disclaimer at the bottom of the page isn't a get-out-of-jail card in my book.

[TooNice]

refunds unhappy customers

I wonder how many will take on that, at least for this reason.

This will affect people who bought the iPad with 4G as a key reason. I wonder how many buyers knows enough and care enough about the presence / absence of 4G support to return a device in the absence to the presence of one. Others might return on principle, they don't know fine details, but they do not want to support questionable (at best) advertising. This feeling will have to outweigh how much they wanted / needed the device in the first place though.

To expect the UK's trading standards or what ever people they are , to actually do anything until people complain is like asking a cow to throw itself onto the grill to save time.

On the other hand, we've had a advertisement pulled because an absolutely tiny number of people complained. I have often found myself on the side of the advertisers in such instances due to not believing in the complainers cause. Could it be that most people consider this a non-issue?