> The rules require spare parts to be available at reasonable prices, and product makers will be prohibited from using "contractual, hardware or software related barriers to repair, such as impeding the use of second-hand, compatible and 3D-printed spare parts by independent repairers," the Commission said.<p>This sounds like it would stop Apple bricking phones when they are repaired using 3rd party parts (screens/cameras etc) but I wonder if they'll claim they are "Security related barriers" and therefore exempt?
On the one hand I’m sad we left EU since there are some good consumer things (and Brexit was moronic)<p>But I’m also waiting to see how this is torn apart and made horrible by big corps just like cookies was
Two year warranties after purchase are already common throughout the EU, and so are warranties upon repair. What this directive appears to do is make the former also cover replacement throughout the warranty period, and extend the latter to one year instead just a couple of months.<p>"which would then come into force 20 days after it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union"<p>One important detail...<p>EU <i>directives</i> don't come into force until they are translated/incorporated as law in each member state, which can take years. This is unlike <i>regulations</i> (e.g. GDPR) which don't require local incorporation.
In EU, most items are under 2 year seller warranty. When the buyer makes a warranty claim, it may be resolved by repair, replacement, or refund. If I understand correctly, the article says that when the warranty claim is resolved by repair, and less then one year remains in the warranty period, the warranty period is prolonged to one year. Do I understand it correctly or does this cover also post-warranty repairs?
[dupe] / Related:<p><i>New EU law sets to make repair more affordable for selected products</i><p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39252957">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39252957</a>
Listen, I get it. It would be <i>amazing</i> if every product was of perfect quality, highly repairable, had an instantly available supply chain of spare parts, was 100% carbon neutral, had zero profit margins, could turn itself into gold, and was in fact free!<p>Am I the only person who is skeptical of how this will turn out long term?<p>Not every company is Apple with insane profit margins and insane economies of scale.<p>The only rational outcome for this is increased prices, less choice, more corporates merging into giants, and less competition for EU consumers. You can’t change one side of the economic equation without affecting the other.