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Manufacturers could be forced to include repair instructions:
In yet another sign the right-to-repair movement is gaining ground in the United States, manufacturers could be forced to provide fix-it guides and maintenance instructions with certain products.
The FTC this week said it's seeking public comments on this proposed rule change.
Those proposals also include a shakeup of those yellow energy-usage labels equipment makers must attach to certain products: a wider range of goods would need to carry the stickers, and the information on them may have to be posted online too, seeing as fewer of us are going out shopping and seeing appliances in stores – if the proposals are approved.
Updated Energy Star labeling is all well and good, but it's not as big as the possibility that manufacturers could be forced to include repair information, something many have been loathe to do.
FTC chairwoman Lina Khan last week said [PDF] research by the regulator demonstrated that US companies use a variety of tricks to prevent folks from repairing their own products. By doing so, manufacturers "raise costs for consumers, stifle innovation, close off business opportunit[ies] for independent repair shops, create unnecessary electronic waste, delay timely repairs, and undermine resiliency," Khan said.
Much of the proposed changes focus on the energy-usage labels, which the FTC is considering adding to clothes dryers, air purifiers, "miscellaneous refrigerator products," a broader range of light bulbs, home ice makers, humidifiers, "miscellaneous gas products," cooking tops, and electric spas.
That focus makes it a bit less clear which products would be affected by the repair instruction requirements. In a press release about the proposals, the FTC mentioned its 2021 Nixing the Fix report that homed in on the struggles people potentially face repairing their own vehicles and mobile devices.
Despite that, the FTC told us these latest repair instruction proposals so far only apply to appliances and equipment covered by the yellow energy label regulations.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by MrGuy on Sunday October 23 2022, @12:13PM (1 child)
The trend I foresee here, should manufacturers be required to provide parts, is to have most common cheap parts be bundled as part of expensive “assemblies”
My former dishwasher had why should have been a cheap and easy fix - the door that held the soap until needed had little “ear” that the mechanics latch held break off. This was a 2”x3” piece of plastic, and could have easily been snapped out and replaced.
My manufacturer did sell replacement parts to the public. However, they didn’t sell the door stand-alone, even though this was a dead simple part and by its (poor, imo) design would break frequently. I had to buy the “soap dispensing assembly,” including a replacement latch motor, 2 relays, and multiple seals because installing it meant taking the washer door to bits, connecting to the main board, etc. I don’t hate selling this assembly - I’m sure others might have the latch fail mechanically or electrically. But not in lieu of selling the obvious standalone piece by itself. It was disappointing to have to pay $70 (plus shipping) for a $0.50 part.
If manufacturers want to protect the revenue stream after being required by law to provide service parts, I suspect this is the route they’ll go down. Sell parts as part of bundled “assemblies” to everyone (possibly making even authorized repairs more expensive by making getting specific individual parts more expensive).
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 23 2022, @12:26PM
Do yerself a service, buy a 3D printer and learn a CAD. If only to tell your missus you're busy repairing something and it worth it.