Right to Repair: Your thoughts

[learninmypc]

Should consumers be able to have smartphones fixed by third parties without voiding their warranties? Twenty states are now considering so-called "right to repair" bills. The Federal Trade Commission is asking for public comments on whether people should be able to get their electronics fixed by a third party, at regulations.gov

https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=FTC-2019-0013-0001

 

[DelJo63]

Very emotional issue. IMO, the automobile repair business is the standard on this question. As long as all the maintenance is performed by a trained, certified technician, the consumer should be able to pick the repair station.

As long as the parts used meet the OEM specs, parts should also be a non-issue.

 

[DelJo63]

9to5mac.com is reporting:

Apple announced a new scheme that will allow independent repair shops to offer official servicing of iPhones that are out of warranty. The new Independent Repair Provider Program gives small repair businesses access to the same Apple-genuine parts, training, and resources as Apple authorized service providers.

The company said it trialed the initiative at 20 stores across North America, Europe, and Asia. It is today launching the program for the United States and will announce further regions in the future.


For end customers, it should ultimately offer more places for Apple users to get their iPhone repaired using official Apple parts. This is in addition to the June announcement that saw all Best Buy stores in the United States begin accepting Apple device repairs.

Apple says the program targets the most common out-of-warranty repairs. This presumably includes repairs such as cracked screen replacements or back glass replacements.
​