Support for Legacy Products FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Revised: 01-APR-02 Q. I have heard that Apple is settling both an FTC investigation and a lawsuit about technical support. What happened? In October 1997, Apple made certain changes to its technical support policy. As part of these changes, Apple stopped providing free live telephone technical support beyond the first 90 days to purchasers of certain products who had previously received such support. Instead, Apple offered free technical support to these purchasers by offering technical information through our Web site and our telephone-based voice response system. Several class-action lawsuits were filed (they subsequently joined into one lawsuit). The lawsuits contended that Apple had promised the purchasers of certain products free live telephone technical support for the entire time they owned their products, and that Apple should be required to resume providing free live telephone support. Though Apple denies wrongdoing, in April, 1999, Apple received preliminary approval of a proposed settlement in the private class-action lawsuits. That judgment became Final on September 8, 1999, but two appeals were filed. The Appeals court affirmed the lower court's approval of the Settlement, and the California Supreme Court refused to hear the Appeals. The Settlement is now Final and Effective. Per the terms of the Settlement agreement, Apple has already restored free live telephone technical support for the products involved. Apple has issued refunds to customers who paid Apple for phone support. Certain other benefits, described below, will be distributed to claimants no later than April 12, 2002. Q. Which products are involved? The products involved are certain Apple hardware product models introduced in the marketplace between April 1, 1993 and April 1, 1996, and certain Apple Performa product models introduced in the marketplace between September 1, 1992 and April 1, 1996. List of Apple Legacy Products for the detailed list.) Q. My family is the original owner of one of those products. What do I get? The settlement plans have several parts: You may obtain free telephone-based technical support by calling 1-800-SOS-APPL. If you paid a third-party company for technical support for your product, the class-action Settlement gave you the opportunity to apply for reimbursement from Apple. The deadline to submit claims was September 8, 1999. If you submitted a valid claim form, Apple will send you the amount you paid or $35—whichever is less—no later than April 12, 2002. If you attempted to obtain telephone-based technical support from Apple but opted not to because you were asked to pay a fee, you had the opportunity to submit a claim to receive a $50 coupon good towards a future purchase at the online Apple Store (the exact URL and toll-free number will be printed on the coupon). The deadline to submit claims was September 8, 1999. If you submitted a valid claim form, Apple will send you a coupon no later than April 12, 2002. Q. I was unable to submit my claim form by September 8, 1999. Can Apple extend the deadline? It is unfortunate that you were unable to submit your claim form by the deadline specified in the court-approved settlement agreement. However, the specific postmark cut-off date was clearly identified in the settlement notice documents and, in the interest of fairness to all customers, will be upheld.