The US Federal Trade Commission is warning three PC vendors that allegedly used warranty policies to stop consumers from repairing their products. This includes telling customers that pulling off the stickers from a PC part will void its warranty.
The warnings were sent on Wednesday to ASRock, Gigabyte, and Zotac after the FTC reviewed the companies’ warranty policies and found they can “hinder consumers’ ability to perform routine maintenance and repairs on their products.”
In the case of Gigabyte and Zotac, the FTC flagged how both companies’ warranty policies declare that removing, tampering, or damaging a product’s stickers will void the warranty.
According to the FTC, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act generally prohibits companies from “conditioning their written warranties on a consumer’s use of any article or service.” In addition, the Commission says using warranty policies in such a way represents a deceptive trade practice that also impedes a consumer's right to repair.
ASRock also used to have a policy that said removing product stickers could void a warranty. But in November, the PC vendor changed the policy to say removing or tampering with a sticker “will not void the warranty” for consumers in the US.
Even so, the FTC sent a warning notice to ASRock about other language in the company’s warranty policy that could still deny a legitimate repair. Specifically, the Commission flagged a condition that says: “Manufacturer's warranty will be null and void if products are modified, damaged or otherwise tampered with, for example, the outer case is opened or additional optional parts/components are installed/removed.”
The letters to the PC vendors also warn that the FTC could take legal action if the policies aren’t revised. “FTC investigators have copied and preserved the online pages in question, and we plan to review your company’s written warranty and promotional materials after 30 days,” it says.
ASRock, Gigabyte, and Zotac didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The FTC also sent warning letters to four air purifier sellers and a treadmill company about requiring customers to use specific parts or service providers to keep their warranties intact.