Opinion: How Microsoft beat Apple in the war on warranties

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clpstaff &clp articles

Apple and Microsoft's warranty polices have come under fire from China's state-run media. Stan Abrams, Asia legal counsel for Bentley Systems, explains what PR lessons foreign companies can learn from the war on warranties

Tech giant and China success story Apple was slammed by an unexpected attack on March 15 from China Central Television (CCTV), which included the Cupertino-based company in its annual Consumer Day broadcast, which typically targets alleged corporate scofflaws.

In the days and weeks that followed, Apple was forced to defend not only its warranty policy in the face of stinging media criticism and stepped-up regulatory attention, but also its public relations strategy and attitude towards its Chinese customers. The saga ended on April 1, at least temporarily, with a formal online written apology issued in Chinese by Apple CEO Tim Cook.

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