The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to eight companies due to harmful warranty practices that affect consumers' right to repair.
The notice revealed that the companies implement a warranty void once official stickers are removed by the customers upon third-party repair.
FTC Warns Companies for Potential Warranty Violation
In a press release, the FTC stated that the companies are in potential violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA). Moreover, the Commission revealed that the notice is focused on the policies that restrict the consumers' right to repair.
"The Commission will continue our efforts to protect consumers' right to repair and independent dealers' right to compete," said Samuel Levine, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Three PC companies including ASRock, Gigabyte, and Zotac were warned about their warranty policy. Similarly, air purifier companies aeris Health, Blueair, Medify Air, and Oransi were issued a warning, along with treadmill company InMovement.
FTC Wants PC Companies to Review Warranty Policies
The three PC companies are known for selling gaming PCS, graphic chips, motherboards, and other accessories. They were warned against their policy of labeling stickers with "warranty void if removed" or similar language.
According to FTC, these stickers are located on parts that will prohibit customers from performing regular maintenance and repairs on their products. The Commission warned that companies are not allowed to prevent customers from doing repairs on their devices.
The FTC requires the companies to review their promotional and warranty policies to ensure that they comply with the right-to-repair law. The Commission will check the companies' websites after 30 days.
Failure to revise any potential violation may push the Commission to take legal action.
