Manufacturers Have ‘Exclusionary’ Service Practices, Says OMI on Right-to-Repair

Consumers are “losing the freedom to fix their things,” reported the Open Markets Institute on right-to-repair. Manufacturers “leverage a wide array of legal tactics, predatory designs, and even lawbreaking” to force the public to use in-network repair services instead of independent or do-it-yourself repair, OMI said Monday. “A deadly combination of anemic antitrust enforcement and technological development has allowed manufacturers to purposefully adopt exclusionary practices and cut off the tools necessary for repair.” It urged lawmakers to “ensure that consumers have access to all necessary parts, manuals, and tools, as well as to diagnostic and service software to repair their products.” It wants the FTC to enforce the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act to thwart manufacturers from “illegally limiting or restricting product warranties." The agency organized a “Nixing the Fix” workshop last summer (see 1907160058). It took no action. There has been state legislation.