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FTC Gives Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo 30 Days To Get Rid of Illegal Warranty-Void-if-Removed Stickers (vice.com)

Matthew Gault, reporting for Motherboard: The Federal Trade Commission put six companies on notice in early April for illegally telling customers that getting third-party repairs voids the warranty on their electronics. You've seen the stickers before and read the messages buried in end user license agreements. Plastered on the back of my PlayStation 4 is a little sticker that says "warranty void if removed." That's illegal. Motherboard has obtained copies of the letters via a Freedom of Information Act request and has learned the names of the six companies that were warned. They are Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Hyundai, HTC, and computer hardware manufacturer ASUS. The letters were sent by Lois Greisman, the FTC's associate director of marketing practices, on April 9; the FTC has given each company 30 days to change its official warranty policies and says that it may take legal action against the companies.

2 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Pointless by Faldgan · · Score: 4, Informative

    Even if they remove the stickers, they will just point to the ToS that says if you open your device, you're SoL in terms of warranty. Like Apple does.

    Unfortunately for the manufacturers that part of ToS is not enforcable since it violates the law. Despite having put some writing on their product and documentation and websites, they are legally required to honor that warranty.

    --
    Nathan Brazil?
  2. Re:Fine. by JMJimmy · · Score: 4, Informative

    Most Western countries have a minimum warranty period on electronics - the US is one of the few who don't.