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Apple on Right to Repair: We Want Customers to Be Confident Their Products Will Be 'Repaired Safely and Correctly'
Right to Repair advocates continue to lobby the U.S. government, arguing that large tech companies like Apple are monopolizing repairs of consumer electronics in order to preserve profits, reports Axios.
Image: iFixit.com
In testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law last month, Nathan Proctor of the non-profit U.S. Public Interest Research Group claimed that "repair hurts sales," giving Apple "an incentive to restrict repair of their devices."
Similarly, in a letter submitted to the subcommittee last month, The Repair Association's executive director Gay Gordon-Byrne wrote that "manufacturers have no reasons for blocking repair other than money," referring to the "monopolization of repair" as a "huge profit opportunity."
In March, California became the 20th state to introduce Right to Repair legislation in the U.S., according to iFixit. Apple representatives have continually opposed these bills, which if passed would require companies to make repair parts, tools, and documentation available to the public.
In a statement, an Apple spokesperson told Axios that Apple's goal is to ensure its products are "repaired safely and correctly," while touting the company's growing network of Apple Authorized Service Providers:
Right to Repair legislation aims to make these parts and documentation available to independent shops and customers directly.
In testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law last month, Nathan Proctor of the non-profit U.S. Public Interest Research Group claimed that "repair hurts sales," giving Apple "an incentive to restrict repair of their devices."
Similarly, in a letter submitted to the subcommittee last month, The Repair Association's executive director Gay Gordon-Byrne wrote that "manufacturers have no reasons for blocking repair other than money," referring to the "monopolization of repair" as a "huge profit opportunity."
In March, California became the 20th state to introduce Right to Repair legislation in the U.S., according to iFixit. Apple representatives have continually opposed these bills, which if passed would require companies to make repair parts, tools, and documentation available to the public.
In a statement, an Apple spokesperson told Axios that Apple's goal is to ensure its products are "repaired safely and correctly," while touting the company's growing network of Apple Authorized Service Providers:
We want to make sure our customers always have confidence their products will be repaired safely and correctly, and in a way that supports recycling. We are continually growing our network of certified technicians and most recently announced that any Best Buy store in the U.S. is now an authorized service provider.Apple Authorized Service Providers have access to certified parts and service guidelines from Apple. There are over 1,800 of these authorized locations in the United States, which Apple said is "three times as many locations as three years ago." As of June, that includes every Best Buy store in the country.
Right to Repair legislation aims to make these parts and documentation available to independent shops and customers directly.
Tag: Right to Repair
[ 229 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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2 weeks ago
I'm a fan of the Apple products that I own, but this is a load of bs. If the repair is not repaired 'correctly', that's between the consumer and the repair shop. Places that do bad repairs will become known as such and people will avoid them. In the mean time, places that do good repair work will save consumers thousands of dollars every year, which is money that wouldn't go to Apple, hence why they don't want anyone else repairing the hardware they make.
2 weeks ago
Sure Tim, Just send the link to where I can order genuine Apple Parts at a fair price and I'm good. :-)
2 weeks ago
Apple must have missed the videos from Louis Rossmann.
I had an iPhone repaired by Apple and later ran into issues...turned out that two screws where missing.
I had an iPhone repaired by Apple and later ran into issues...turned out that two screws where missing.
2 weeks ago
It's obvious why they are doing it, just wish Apple would be honest about it, sick of all the hypocrisy. From slowing down devices, to non upgradable Macs, its all about profit, which is fine, but just stop pretending its for the consumers.
2 weeks ago
I love Apple products but they are being greedy ****s and Louis Rossmann is right about Apple in repair issues.
I hope a strong Right to Repair legislation is effective soon.
Also, Apple wants to sell the image of being a eco-friendly company... but replacing things is not eco-friendly. Repairing things is.
I hope a strong Right to Repair legislation is effective soon.
Also, Apple wants to sell the image of being a eco-friendly company... but replacing things is not eco-friendly. Repairing things is.
2 weeks ago
Ensure it’s repaired “safely and correctly”… right.
While I don’t disagree, if people are allowed to repair their cars - objects that weigh thousands of pounds and transports people at high speeds - then yeah, it’s not unreasonable for a person to expect to be able to replace the battery on their phone.
While I don’t disagree, if people are allowed to repair their cars - objects that weigh thousands of pounds and transports people at high speeds - then yeah, it’s not unreasonable for a person to expect to be able to replace the battery on their phone.
2 weeks ago
Those who would give up essential rights of reparability, to purchase a little safety, deserve neither reparability nor safety.
2 weeks ago
If I hadn’t had crappy service from “geniuses” and the Apple stores then maybe I would agree.
I go in for a battery replacement and somehow they try to tell me that my mobo is bad. I ask them to prove it. they can’t. They ask me to prove the mobo works and that the battery “is really defective” so I boot into the diagnostics tools and show them the results and then boot into my system and show the battery warning, cycle count etc.
they called in a manager over the geniuses and I repeat the exercise.
he asks how I knew to check all that.
I said, I’m an apple certified technical coordinator, associate, desktop technician, mobile technician, etc.
please replace my battery and don’t try to sell me a new motherboard, your tech was lazy and didn’t want to replace the upper part of my chassis.
they agree, then I come back at the appointed pickup time.
they ordered the battery/chassis in but didn’t do the work because ... no one knows. but I literally went through the same exercise as before. I told the manager I’ll pay you just to give me the battery/chassis so I can go home and do this myself today. He wouldn’t let me, another 3 day I want back and they were still working on it but 45 min later I did get my machine back finally.
Please let us have the option to repair our own devices. If I screw its up then I only have myself to be mad at and Apple gets to sell me an all new machine.
Tim, I’d humbly suggest that your repair people are not always more qualified to do it correctly. There was a time when I recommended Apple largely on the merits of customer service and reliability of staff. I’m not sure we are there anymore.
I go in for a battery replacement and somehow they try to tell me that my mobo is bad. I ask them to prove it. they can’t. They ask me to prove the mobo works and that the battery “is really defective” so I boot into the diagnostics tools and show them the results and then boot into my system and show the battery warning, cycle count etc.
they called in a manager over the geniuses and I repeat the exercise.
he asks how I knew to check all that.
I said, I’m an apple certified technical coordinator, associate, desktop technician, mobile technician, etc.
please replace my battery and don’t try to sell me a new motherboard, your tech was lazy and didn’t want to replace the upper part of my chassis.
they agree, then I come back at the appointed pickup time.
they ordered the battery/chassis in but didn’t do the work because ... no one knows. but I literally went through the same exercise as before. I told the manager I’ll pay you just to give me the battery/chassis so I can go home and do this myself today. He wouldn’t let me, another 3 day I want back and they were still working on it but 45 min later I did get my machine back finally.
Please let us have the option to repair our own devices. If I screw its up then I only have myself to be mad at and Apple gets to sell me an all new machine.
Tim, I’d humbly suggest that your repair people are not always more qualified to do it correctly. There was a time when I recommended Apple largely on the merits of customer service and reliability of staff. I’m not sure we are there anymore.
2 weeks ago
This is terrible legislation and over reach.
Yes. Apple absolutely should be allowed to void warranties based on self repair.
No. Apple should never be forced to sell parts.
They aren’t running a charity.
2 weeks ago
It is MUCH better for apple to repair your computer for $1000 than have some random hobo do it for $100 even if they do the same thing. Apple knows best!!
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