Samsung is reportedly asking independent repair shops to monitor customers who use aftermarket parts

If you take your Samsung device to an independent store for repair, Samsung requests that the store send your name, contact information, device ID, and the nature of your complaint to the parent company. Worse still, if the repair shop discovers that your device was previously repaired by an aftermarket store or a non-Samsung part, Samsung asks the organization to immediately “disassemble” your device and “notify” the company immediately.

These details were revealed thanks to 404 mediaany Acquired A contract that Samsung requires all independent repair shops to sign in exchange for selling them genuine repair parts. Here’s the relevant section of the contract: “The Company shall immediately dismantle all Products constructed, assembled, composed of, or containing any service parts not purchased from Samsung.” It adds that the Store “must immediately notify Samsung in writing of the details and circumstances of any unauthorized use or misappropriation of any part of the Service for any purpose other than in accordance with this Agreement. Samsung may terminate this Agreement if you violate these Terms. Samsung has not responded to the request.” Comment from Engadget.

Samsung’s contract is troubling — customers who take their devices to independent repair shops don’t necessarily expect their personal information to be sent to the device manufacturer. And if they’ve previously repaired their devices using third-party parts that are often much cheaper than official parts (and in many cases of the same quality), they certainly don’t expect the repair shop to report it to the manufacturer and have their device rendered unusable. .

The experts who spoke 404 media He said consumers have rights to use third-party parts to repair devices they own under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a federal law governing consumer product warranties in the United States. To date, right to repair legislation exists in 30 states in the United States. nation according to Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a consumer advocacy organization. But in states like New York, Minnesota and California, where this legislation goes into effect this year, contracts like the one Samsung signs with repair shops will be illegal. 404 media pointed out.

“This is exactly the kind of one-sided, burdensome ‘agreement’ that necessitates a right to repair,” Kit Walsh, an attorney at the Electronic Freedom Foundation, told the publication. “In addition to the requirement I mentioned about disassembling devices that contain third-party components, this creates additional disincentives for device repair, which can harm device security and the environment as repairable devices end up in landfills.”

This isn’t the only device repair incident that Samsung has found itself in trouble for. Hours before the report from 404 mediaAnd the repair blog and parts store iFixit Announce It has ended its collaboration with Samsung to launch the “Repair Center” after less than two years of partnership. “Samsung’s approach to repairability is inconsistent with our mission,” iFixit said in a blog post, citing the high prices of Samsung parts and the non-repairable nature of Samsung devices that “remained frustratingly stuck together” as reasons to pull the plug.