If you have ever felt like you are being held hostage by a manufacturer when an electronic device breaks down, fear not, you are not alone. From cell phones to cars to mechanized agricultural equipment and everything in between, breakdowns can mean a visit by a factory-certified technician and service call fee, even if a product is under warranty.
Amid pleas from consumers who say they are tired of being fleeced for repairs they would make themselves - if only they could - the Federal Trade Commission recently voted to enforce existing laws around the Right to Repair, ensuring U.S. consumers will be able to repair their own electronic and automotive devices.
Proponents of Right to Repair argue consumers should have access to tools, parts and software to make repairs to products they own. Manufacturers say they have a right to protect proprietary software - even if the software is embedded in a product someone else own.
Right to Repair has its roots in agriculture and could soon branch off into the golf industry.
The inability to access embedded software or proprietary repair tools prevents owners and independent repair shops from performing some fixes that they say they could do cheaper than factory reps.
After its decision, the FTC says it is dedicated to investigating restrictions that might be illegal under the nation's antitrust laws as well as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a consumer protection law governing product warranties.
The ruling targets small electronics manufacturers, such as Apple, that make phones with inaccessible memory and batteries and seal products with glue. It also targets the auto industry and companies that make large agricultural equipment.
U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle-D, N.Y., has introduced the Fair Repair Act, legislation that would guarantee consumers and small businesses a right to repair their own products by requiring manufacturers to make diagnostic repair information, parts, and tools readily available. Many states have introduced a similar version of fair repair legislation, and it has been enacted into law in Massachusetts.
