You Can Repair Your Own Electronics Without Voiding Your Warranty
The FTC has sent out warning letters to six major companies selling cars, phones and game consoles, informing them of the illegality of canceling warranties when consumers try to repair their own products or use parts other than theirs. The same goes for the use of third party services. That’s right, you can rip off that stupid sticker that says “Warranty void if removed” without fear.
The letter described in the FTC press release expresses concerns about certain companies ‘warranty clauses that prevent consumers from using other companies’ parts and services. Statements such as “Use of [company name] parts is necessary to maintain your … manufacturer’s warranties and any extended warranties intact” and “This warranty does not apply if this product … has a warranty seal on [product] altered, distorted or removed ”are illegal under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act . The law governs warranties for consumer products and explicitly prohibits manufacturers from placing restrictions on the repair of items for which they offer a warranty. The FTC states that these restrictive provisions may also be considered misleading under the FTC Act .
It is difficult to say which companies were targeted by these notices – it is likely that Sony, Microsoft and Apple are involved in a confusion – but the FTC has asked each company to review their advertising and warranty materials and then remove or amend the clauses that suggest the use of certain parts or services for the next 30 days. Thomas B. Pal, acting director of the FTC’s Consumer Protection Bureau, explains that such stringent regulations are only beneficial to the manufacturer:
“Provisions that tie warranty coverage to the use of certain products or services harm both consumers who pay more for them and small businesses that offer competing products and services.”
What does this mean to you? Well, if the device is over $ 15 and you don’t do anything to void your warranty (read them carefully), you can rip off that sticker to try and fix the device yourself with third-party parts, or take it to a third-party repair shop. to fix it – all without voiding your warranty. Failure to comply with a manufacturer’s warranty is illegal just because you first took the item elsewhere.
However, it is best to proceed with extreme caution. Just because you can legally open your Playstation 4, or what you have, doesn’t necessarily mean you can do whatever you want there. Before doing anything, make sure you know all the warranty conditions for your device.