Why does Apple not care for customers, once the product is sold?

Just how long after the purchase do you expect free repairs?

The manufacturer's warranty is only for a year. If you had purchased the apple care warranty then you would have been covered.

Things are only covered for so long. Cars for years and miles, computers for years and even then only for certain defects and issues. Many electronics only have a 90 day warranty. A 'lifetime unlimited warranty' is very hard to find.

it's no fun that yours failed after 20 months but that's sometimes how it is. My iPad will be 2 years old in August, and after that if it kicks up its heels and dies, I'm going to be in the same boat as you.

There is no Apple here, as is pointed out in the terms of service you agreed to when signing up for this forum.

Should have bought AppleCare, you did not and are out of luck.

The warranty - assuming you do not purchase Apple Care - is 1 year. Its clearly stated in the literature provided with the device. Your expectations are simply unrealistic. And not just for Apple, but any manufacturer.

Check to see if there is a 3rd party repair source in your country. A repair should cost less that Apple's refurb cost. If you do get it repaired, you might also consider getting the battery replaced at the same time.

 Cheers, Tom 😉

Better stated, how long after the warranty period ends do you expect free repairs.

EU consumer law mandates a minimum warranty period:

http://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/

You may have recourse under that.

One year has become fairly standard industry-wide, once Apple implemented it most other manufacturers extended theirs from what was then the standard 90 days. Do you know of anyone offering more without additional cost?

Joachim wrote:

Is my expectation that a product for over 500 € lasts more than 24 months so unrealistic?

That in itself is not necessarily an unrealistic expectation. However, expecting that the warranty would somehow still apply long after it has expired is.

Many people have iPads, iPhones, and other devices much older than 2 years that still work fine. However, not every single unit will - some are going to fail in less time, many will last far beyond the average. Pretty much as applies to any device. Sorry yours failed when it did, but stuff happens, and I don't see why the OEM should be on the hook when it does after the base warranty has expired. If you did not like the terms of the warranty, perhaps you should have purchased a different product that offered different warranty terms?