Apple Inc's new repair clauses fail to impress

Apple Inc has changed some repair clauses after accusations by the China Consumers Association that they were unfair.

But a legal expert said the changes were minor and the wording still vague.

A clause stating that customers allow Apple to use either new or refurbished spare parts in repairs has been deleted.

The new version says: "Customers own repaired spare parts, while Apple owns old spare parts, and customers can forward their specific requirements to Apple's repair center in advance."

The association said earlier that companies should use new components or parts rather than retreads during the guarantee period, according to national repair and return rules regarding computers.

But there is no change in terms of ownership of old spare parts in the revised version. That means that during the guarantee period, Apple owns old spare parts, but that once this warranty is over they should be returned to customers as they pay for the repairs.

Another revised clause says that Apple is not responsible for keeping a repaired product if customers fail to collect it after a "time limit" after being informed. Apple doesn't specify the time limit.

The earlier version stated Apple would charge 10 yuan (US$1.58) a day if customers failed to collect the product after a month and would not be responsible for keeping it if 90 days had passed.

Zhao Zhanling, an expert in IT law, said there was no substantive change in the new versions and the wording continued to be vague.