Apple executive to meet South Korea lawmakers on iPhone

SEOUL: An executive of US technology giant Apple will visit South Korea next week to defend the firm's after-sales service policy to lawmakers, an official said Wednesday.

Farrel Farhoudi, senior director at iPod and iPhone service operations, will testify to parliament's national policy committee, the committee spokesman told AFP.

"The testimony will address consumer disputes over iPhone's after-sales services," he said.

"Since the Apple Korea spokesman who testified last week failed to give sufficient answers, the legislators asked Apple to send someone with authority who can talk about this matter more freely."

The spokesman said the firm had told lawmakers it would send Farhoudi, who is scheduled to testify on October 21 as part of the annual parliamentary audit into various issues.

An Apple Korea spokesman declined to comment.

Lawmakers took issue with an Apple policy that gives most customers who complain of faulty iPhones refurbished devices from its inventory, instead of allowing the option of free repairs or a new device in line with local laws.

They also said consumers are often forced to pay an excessive cost to get refurbished phones.

More than one million iPhones have been sold in South Korea since they went on sale locally last November. As of June a total of 884 complaints had been filed and more than 60 percent were about after-sales service, the Korea Consumer Agency said.

Apple is also seeking regulatory approval to sell its iPad tablet computer in South Korea, with competitor Samsung Electronics set to roll out its own version by year-end.