Why is it so difficult to repair an electronic device? Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to fix smartphone, computer ή την κονσόλα που χρησιμοποιείτε; Οι εταιρείες κατασκευάζουν τις Appliances in such a way that it basically prevents you from doing so.
However, a change in the existing legislation entitled "Right to repair" could change things.
What is the problem exactly?
Many manufacturers do not want to allow their customers to be able to repair their own devices or make it from a local specialist store. On the contrary, they prefer to do so themselves (or through authorized dealers), which often comes at a cost that is much higher than what you would pay at a local repair shop, and of course much more than it would cost you to do it yourself.
So most manufacturers do not sell genuine spare parts and do not offer information on repairing the devices. In other words, they want to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to repair broken appliances.
Apple, for example, has made even bigger strides by even making its own screws (not the common safety screws, but its own "Pentalobe" screws) to prevent users from opening their devices easily with a regular screwdriver.
Of course most manufacturers would prefer to buy a new phone or a computer in the event of a breakdown, which we often see, with very high charges for each repair, or with the well-known "impossible" repair phenomenon.
Of course you can always repair your device. There are sites where you can buy spare parts from the same suppliers used by the manufacturers (even if they are not technically "genuine spare parts"), but there are also online instructions that provide repair information. needed to empty it safely.
But if you do, you will lose the guarantee ...
This is where the change in legislation called "Right to Repair" comes from.
Currently, 17 states have enacted new legislation that will give independent repair shops the same access that manufacturers have to genuine parts, tools and information to help procedure consumer electronics repair.
Currently not officially approved in the consumer electronics sector, but a law on the right to repair cars was passed in Massachusetts 2012.
The good news is that this legislation is constantly gaining popularity, especially since the scandal with the iPhone battery has been revealed.
Repair: And the warranty?
So, the Right of Repair Law will allow you to open your devices. What will happen to the warranty?
In accordance with HTG, from a technical point of view, you can keep the guarantee. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975, it is illegal for companies to cancel your warranty simply because you repaired or modified something yourself. They must prove that your repair or conversion caused something else on the device to malfunction. This means that these scary warranty stickers you see on many electronic devices are virtually meaningless… at least from a legal point of view.
I wish.
To do this.