By now you may well know my thoughts about Apple‘s patchy track record when it comes to the treatment of many of its customers. Well today was a small victory for those buyers, as the Office of Fair Trading raised concerns about Apple’s terms and conditions, and Apple has now amended them. It affects those who buy from Apple or iTunes stores or download software from the Web. Following discussions with the OFT, Apple has agreed to revise its standard conditions to ensure these:

  • do not exclude liability for faulty or mis-described goods
  • are consistent with consumer rights under the Distance Selling Regulations
  • are drafted in plain or intelligible language
  • do not potentially allow changes to be made to products and prices after an agreement is made
. Jason Freeman, Legal Director, OFT Consumer Markets Group, said: “The contract or terms of use between a company and a consumer, whether they are found online or on paper, must be clear, fair and easy to understand. In particular, it is important that consumers are given clear and accurate information about their consumer rights in case things go wrong. We have worked closely with Apple to secure these changes and we believe they will improve confidence and clarity for consumers.” Apple, needless to say, hasn’t commented. Please follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/jasonstamper