PD Editorial: Give Californians the ‘right to repair’

Californians should get to choose who repairs their electronics and appliances, but state lawmakers are sliding toward protecting manufacturers’ monopolies instead.

Anyone who has bought a television, toaster or anything else with a warranty is likely familiar with the sinking feeling that occurs when it breaks right after the warranty expires. It used to be that people could call a local fix-it specialist who would show up with the right wires, compressor or whatever to repair the ailing device. Handy individuals might even make repairs themselves.

That sort of low-key repair that extends the life of an appliance is a lot rarer today because manufacturers want their customers to use officially approved vendors for repair. Some manufacturers even install digital or electronic passkeys so that only their hand-picked service centers can work on a device.

Theoretically that ensures that repairs are done to manufacturer specifications. In practice, it mostly prevents any competition and lets approved repair shops charge whatever they want, cutting in manufacturers for a piece of the action.

That’s if the parts are available at all. Anyone who has wanted to get something repaired has likely heard something like, “Sorry, I could fix this, but the manufacturer doesn’t make the part anymore. Maybe I can find an expensive one on the used market. It’s cheaper to buy a new one.” That works just fine for a manufacturer happy to sell the latest model. It’s less ideal for people trying not to buy expensive new appliances every few years and for the landfills where old appliances land.

California law offers consumers some protection when it comes to parts. Manufacturers must continue to provide parts and service for three years on products that cost $50-$99.99 and for seven years on those that cost more than $100. If a refrigerator goes kaput in the first seven years, parts have to be available.

What the law doesn’t address is the monopoly part of the system. A manufacturer can still insist that the owner go to an officially sanctioned repair shop.

State lawmakers could change that. Senate Bill 244 would require manufacturers to provide parts and related documentation to any repair shop that wants them. Those shops would have to pay fair rates, but they could then woo customers with better prices, better service or faster repair times. A related bill, SB 271, would extend the system to powered wheelchairs.

North Bay Sen. Bill Dodd is the lead sponsor on the wheelchair bill and a co-sponsor on the broader right to repair legislation. The bills are part of a national movement toward empowering consumers to do what they want with the products they’ve already paid for.

Inexplicably, some senators may not want to give consumers a choice when it comes to repairing their expensive appliances. Both bills have landed in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s “suspense file.” That’s an opaque process that often leads to a bill quietly dying without explanation or even a vote.

The suspense file isn’t a final death sentence. Lawmakers could and should revive these pro-consumer bills. People who spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on an appliance should be able to use it for many years and get it repaired where they want.

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