Why it is so complicated and costly to get your computer or phone fixed when it breaks?
All too often, your only options are to either use the manufacturer’s preferred repair service at a possibly inflated price or buy a whole new product.
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We’re working for you to explain how change is on the way.
“I don’t remember exactly how I dropped it, but it started to crack a little. And then every time I would take off my case, I would just notice a little bit more damage.”
“They charge me like, 400-something dollars for the phones that I have for myself. If I don’t get it fixed in time, I lose all my information.”
“It’ll cost a lot to fix. You might as well buy a new one. And I said, “I don’t want to buy a new one.”
It’s a common gripe for consumers – manufacturers frequently limit tech repairs to “authorized” repair shops, making it much harder for people to search for convenient and affordable service, much less perform the repairs themselves.
“Oftentimes manufacturers don’t develop these products with repairability in mind. And then on top of that, forced consumers to again rely on them for repairs, which can be costly and at times inconvenient,” said Angel Han with Consumer Reports.
But that might be starting to change. Consumer Reports’ Advocates like Han, helped pass the nation’s first “right to repair law” in New York, giving residents more choice in how they can get tech products like laptops and phones fixed.
“You can go to an independent repair shop that should be able to provide the same kind of quality of repair like Apple or Best Buy. Alternatively, you are now able to get the parts, the tools and instruction manuals straight from the manufacturer,” Han said.
Similar bills are in the works in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. But even if you don’t live in a state that has a right to repair law, you may see benefits.
Manufacturers are beginning to make replacement parts and service manuals available online, information Consumer Reports says has been secret for way too long and could save consumers big bucks.
“Families could save up to $330 a year if they were able to repair their products themselves or find other ways to repair their products outside of the manufacturer, as well as save over 600,000 tons of e-waste going into landfills,” Han said.