Patrick Ma / Edge columnist
In the past decade companies have made it increasingly more difficult for customers around the world to get their devices or appliances repaired either by themselves or by third parties. Companies have denied their customers the right to repair by denying access to genuine replacement parts, device information in an effort to boost profits.
According to the New York Times article “What You Should Know About Right to Repair” by Thorin Klosowski, “The idea behind “right to repair” is in the phrase itself: if someone owns something, then they should be able to repair it or take it to a technician of their choice.”
The Consumer Reports article, “People Want to Get Phones and Appliances Fixed—But Often, They Can’t” by Kaveh Waddell, states that “new products often have forbidding design elements such as nonstandard screws and glued-on parts.” This makes something as simple as replacing a battery nearly impossible. Which forces consumers to get their device fixed at an authorized service center, turning a simple repair into a hundred-dollar inconvenience.
A consumers’ inability to fix their own devices has an environmental impact too. In the Consumer Reports article, “People Want to Get Phones and Appliances Fixed—But Often, They Can’t,” by Waddell, Aaron Perzanowski, a professor at the Case Western Reserve University law school stated that, “Each failed fix adds to the staggering volume of harmful e-waste produced and stokes demand for new devices built with rare natural resources.” This would contribute to global warming and be detrimental to the environment as more energy would be used in the acquisition of new materials, assembly, and shipping of new devices.
On top of the environmental impact, the lack or a right to repair law also has a major impact on consumers wallets. In Waddell’s article, Perzanowski said that “it’s expensive for consumers: A new smartphone can cost many hundreds of dollars, while a simple fix might amount to $50 or $100,” this means that if you had a minor issue with one of your devices that would only cost a few dollars to repair, you would have no choice but to spend hundreds, if not thousands or dollars to replace that device with a newer one.
This issue isn’t limited to handheld devices, however; according to the CBC news article, “Why calls for ‘right-to-repair’ rules are revving up again for vehicles in Canada” by Tony Seskus and Paul Karchut, Lawrence Romanosky, who managed luxury car dealerships for two decades, said that “roughly 30 per cent of income at a dealership comes in from the service department.” further proving that manufacturers have chosen profits over their consumers. Due to the fact that the tech and auto companies charge more for repairs, this would have an impact on lower-income families as the won’t be able to afford the repairs they need, which may result in lost jobs or income. For instance, if you are working remotely, and your laptop breaks. The repairs may be too costly, and out of reach. Which would prevent you from working.
Technology companies have refused to make changes to their devices that would make repairs easier. In the New York Times article by Klosowski “What You Should Know About Right to Repair,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, says that “There’s evidence that when companies want to make something repairable, they can,” “Wiens points to the Surface Laptop 3, which Microsoft improved in terms of repairability between versions without changing the core design.” “They rearranged things inside the product, and they found their way to making a serviceable product.”
Throughout a devices life, things may break and need to be replaced, but, if the customer needs to rely on major corporations to fix their devices for them, do they really own the device? Do customers really own their devices if they can’t take matters into their own hands and fix the device themselves?
Steps towards giving consumers the right to repair are being made. In the CBC news article, “Canada gets closer to a right to repair law” by Andre Mayer, Michael Coteau, an Ontario MPP introduced a private member’s bill amending Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act, the first right to repair legislation ever proposed in Canada. This bill would force companies to provide consumers or third-party repair shops with genuine replacement parts, and diagnostic tools for a fair price. Additionally, according to the New York Times article, “What You Should Know About Right to Repair,” by Klosowski, “After years of pushback, in 2019 Apple finally opened its iPhone parts and tools to third-party repair shops.”
Sources:
What You Should Know About Right to Repair
People Want to Get Phones and Appliances Fixed—But Often, They Can’t
Why calls for ‘right-to-repair’ rules are revving up again for vehicles in Canada