The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent letters to eight companies warning that their warranty policies could be violating customers’ right to repair products they’ve purchased.
Five of the firms allegedly maintained that consumers should only use specific parts or service providers if they wanted to keep their warranties intact.
“Unless warrantors provide the parts or services for free or receive a waiver from the FTC, such statements are generally prohibited by the MMWA. Similarly, such statements may be deceptive under the FTC Act,” the FTC stated.
The five companies were InMovement, a treadmill company, and four air purifier manufacturers—Aeris Health, Blueair, Medify Air, and Oransi.
The remaining three letters were sent to ASRock, Zotac, and Gigabyte—firms engaged in the sales and marketing of PCs, motherboards, graphics chips, and other accessories. The FTC warned the tech companies against using stickers with “warranty void if removed” or similar language. The stickers were found to have been placed on products in a way that impeded consumers from conducting routine maintenance or repairs.
While the FTC is pushing for a consumer’s right to repair products, critics have warned against promoting these practices.
The report gave an example of a microprocessor embedded in internal combustion engine vehicles that regulates the engine’s adherence to emission standards. Allowing third parties to modify vehicles allows them to make amendments in a way that defeats the set emission limits.
Owners may alter engines to ensure greater speed, thus compromising safety on the road, the report stated. Given the risks, pushing stringent right-to-repair legislation could result in “a reduction in quality, performance, consumer safety, and the environment,” the institute warned.
Meanwhile, the FTC asked the eight companies who received the letters to review their promotional and warranty materials and make sure that such coverage is not restricted to using specific parts or services.
The FTC staff plan on reviewing the websites of companies after 30 days. Any failure to correct potential violations could trigger legal action.
The Epoch Times reached out to the companies for comments.
Warranty Rights
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a consumer advocacy group, welcomed the FTC decision.“A warranty is a federally protected right, not a privilege that a manufacturer can dangle to convince product owners to use the manufacturers’ repair services,” said Nathan Proctor, the senior director of PIRG’s Right to Repair Campaign.
“Repair saves consumers money, and cuts unnecessary electronic waste. It’s clear that the FTC is stepping up their work to protect our Right to Repair, which is good news for our pocketbooks and the planet. All manufacturers should take notice.”
When it comes to devices with tech components, getting these products serviced by certified technicians is a way that manufacturers seek to protect the data they collect.
The report warned that bad actors could infiltrate the device, and if it’s connected to a network of other devices, criminals could open a gateway to access all other devices, the report warned.
At the federal level, right-to-repair regulations “would ultimately alter how manufacturers operate their businesses, and there is no guarantee that consumers would benefit, as manufacturers would be forced to change the way their products perform, altering both the cost and user experience of their products,” the report states.
