Passed along in email this afternoon was this article about cafes/shops popping up to which stuff-owners can take their stuff and have it fixed instead of just thrown away. I hadn't been aware that some companies not only discourage repairs, they prohibit them.
But if you take the time to fix something, you might miss a TV show.
ReplyDeleteSpecifically, it’s John Deere that claims to be able to prevent user repairs under copyright law. Sounds much like the heavy-handedness used by other corporate greed monsters.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how it works in reality. I imagine small companies and individuals learn to buy from more reasonable manufacturers.
Problem usually is the cost of parts and labor.
A fixable item doesn’t get fixed when the repair nears the replacement cost. Especially when the replacement has a much better feature set.
Another problem is the complexity of even basic items. Besides the availability and cost of parts, skill with soldering micro parts and knowledge of electronics is needed.