Texans are no strangers to fighting for private property rights and personal responsibility. The latest leg of that fight has nothing to do with land ownership, but rather the items you purchase. The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is promoting a "right to repair" law in Texas, which would allow people to fix their own appliances or electronics without penalty. "What right to repair intends to do is allow consumers to have complete control over their products," says Greyson Gee, policy scholar with TPPF.
That's right, you may not realize it, but under the current rules of most manufacturers you are not allowed to do "unauthorized" repairs on your own items. "There's a lot of concerns with the way in which companies utilize terms and conditions to restrict repair services," says Gee. "Often, if you go outside the authorized retailer's repair services, you void your warranty."
That "authorized service" is usually more costly and less convenient for people than buying parts and fixing the product themselves, or taking it to a local repair shop. Gee tells KTRH this is part of a broader effort by companies to make weaker products, then require you to get them fixed or replaced through the manufacturer. "(Companies) decided decades ago let's reduce the quality of our product so we can make more money, and that dynamic is at play in the market today," he says. "You place unnecessary restrictions to make more economic profit, and it costs consumers more money."
The TPPF is pushing Texas lawmakers to pass a "right to repair" bill in next year's Legislature. "This issue is really about the tension between the intellectual property rights of those who design and produce the products, but also the personal property rights of consumers who purchase those goods," says Gee.
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