The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently made a legal move against Apple regarding the false claims of their new iPad. In response to this, Apple announced that they would offer refunds for people who were affected by this issue.

The ACCC recently filed a legal complaint against Apple for allegedly violating sections of the Australian Consumer Law. According to the ACCC, Apple is misleading their customers regarding the new iPad's 4G feature. Here is an excerpt from the statement released by ACC regarding this matter:

"It represents to Australian consumers that the product "iPad with WiFi + 4G" can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case. The ACCC is seeking urgent interlocutory relief to ensure consumers are made aware of the correct technical capabilities of this device."

Aside from that, the ACCC is seeking a final verdict regarding this situation which includes "injunctions, financial penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to affected consumers."

The 4G feature is one of the highlights of the new iPad but in Australia, it is not compatible with Australia's 4G network that is run by Telstra. The new iPad's 4G feature can only be utilized on the 700MHz and 2100MHz LTE bands, the 4G network offered by Telstra operates within 1800MHz band thus making it incompatible with the 4G feature of the new iPad. The 4G feature of Apple's new iPad is compatible with the 4G LTE networks in U.S. and Canada through the use of the data speed specifications of HSPA, HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA.

During the hearing last Wednesday, Apple agreed to several changes regarding their marketing strategy for the new iPad. One of the changes incorporated by Apple is displaying an advisory in their official website and promotional material reading stating that "This product supports very fast cellular networks. It is not compatible with current Australian 4G LTE networks and WiMAX Networks." Apple also announced that the company will send an official e-mail to people who already purchased the new iPad from March 16 - March 28. The content of the e-mail will focus on informing their customers regarding the connectivity issue and also offer a refund for customers that are affected by this situation.

Though Apple already made some action regarding this complaint, the situation is still far from being settled. A directions hearing is still scheduled to push through on April 16 while a mediation hearing is scheduled on April 18. There is also a hearing on liability that will take place on May 2.