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from the an-industry-group-of-notorious-for-lobbying-to-protect-is-repair-monopolies dept.
Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984
When you buy a game console, smartphone, dryer, vacuum cleaner, or any number of other complicated electronics, there’s usually a sticker or a piece of paperwork telling you that trying to repair the device yourself will void your warranty. That’s illegal under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Companies offering a warranty on their goods aren’t allowed to void that warranty if the user attempts to repair it themself, but that doesn’t stop the company from scaring customers into thinking it’s true.
It’s such a huge problem that US PIRG—a non-profit that uses grassroots methods to advocate for political change—found that 90 percent of manufacturers it contacted claimed that a third party repair would void its warranty [pdf]. PIRG researched the warranty information of 50 companies in the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM)—an industry group of notorious for lobbying to protect is repair monopolies [sic]—and found that 45 of them claimed independent repair would void their warranty.
(Score: 3, Informative) by RS3 on Sunday October 14 2018, @02:46AM (1 child)
Good on you MDC. Have you done phone surgery before? I've done a few. There are so many different batteries, and I read that they degrade if they discharge too much. So if you have a big investment in a stock of batteries, you have to figure out how to keep them charged every 3 months or so. Better to order them as needed. I've gotten stuff on ebay but there are lots of places to order batteries, digitizers, LCDs, etc.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday October 14 2018, @03:14AM
It happened that I once did not use my iPad for five months, then upon plugging it in didn't get the Battery charging graphic for two solid hours.
While quite distressed I sent my iGadget my Thoughts And Prayers until that graphic really did appear. From then until fully charged was I think three hours.
There are so very many homeless people in Portland alone that I think wholesale - case - quantities of the most-common batteries would still be OK, but only the most common.
My plan is to request that one sign up with me ahead of time, then permit me to examine their phone so as to be certain I get the right battery and tools for it.
Also quite common around here are prepaid AT&T GoPhones that are sold cheap as dirt by the Fred Meyer grocery store. Those all have replaceable batteries, no tools required.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]