FTC Right To Repair Push Continues With Weber Grill Settlement

Following through on a request by the Biden administration to defend right to repair, the FTC recently demanded that Harley Davidson and Westinghouse stop voiding customer warranties over repairs. An FTC announcement noted how both companies told consumers that using cheaper, third-party parts or repair shops to repair equipment violated warranty in a bid to monopolize repair.

The FTC has also taken action against Weber for also claiming that third-party parts and repair violate user warranties:

The FTC's complaint charges that Weber's warranty included terms that conveyed that the warranty is void if customers use or install third-party parts on their grill products. Weber is being ordered to fix its warranty by removing illegal terms and recognizing the right to repair and come clean with customers about their ability to use third-party parts.

Three cases in as many weeks suggest there are likely more complaints and settlements like these waiting in the wings. The actions come on the heels of an FTC report, Nixing The Fix, showcasing how companies increasingly use warranty, DRM, and other underhanded tactics to erode consumer repair choice.

Last June, New York State became the first state to pass right to repair legislation, though it failed to include vehicles, home appliances, farm equipment or medical devices. Meanwhile, right to repair activists continue to go after one of the biggest offenders, John Deere, using a new tactic claiming the company is violating the Clean Air Act. Companies attempting to monopolize repair are feeling the heat all over.

In the U.S. there hasn't been a whole lot of good news on the consumer protection front, but the shift of the right to repair" movement from nerdy niche to mainstream has been a major exception to the rule.