The Right to Repair Crisis.
Let’s say you purchased something. You technically have the right to do anything to the certain product purchased yea? Since you bought it, you might think yes you have the sole right to do so. BUT, apparently it does not work like that; you actually have a certain limit into tinkering that certain product. Lately with everything going on in today’s world, there is a ruckus spreading regarding the right to repair of smartphones if and when it breaks or malfunctions.
So today I am gonna uncover the weeds regarding this and relate a personal opinion of whether repairing anything on your own accord is a better option or not.
Why Repair?
To start off, let’s have a chat regarding as to why you would need to repair or fix a broken product. And to base off everything I am gonna be using a Smartphone as an example.
Let’s assume the screen on your phone broke. You technically have all the right to go a store and get another screen and attach that and have the phone work. For one it reduces the harm on the environment. And two, it makes it cheaper rather than going to a store and getting a brand new phone just because your current phone lost its screen. If you are a person like that, well you rich and don’t care about the environment in comparison to the majority; most of us live off the fact — “keep using the thing as long as it works”. If a phone is perfectly working on every aspect except on the screen then having a switch on the screen is more viable. Or even selling a used phone with a few broken parts can change things because it is just a matter of fixing the broken parts and ET voila.
But the manufacturers like Apple, Samsung and the rest have completely the opposite of the above equation of us having the right to fix what we own.
What manufacturers want you to do is to give them back the certain product and in this case the phone and let them fix it for you costing you a huge sum whereas you can go to a local independent repair shop that have the parts and necessary items to fix these products for cheap and you can save a ton.
But going to a local repair shop also has it’s downsides as well.
The device parts in most repair shops have like a set order of price ranges. For example in this case if we are talking about the phone screen. There is the original screen (which everyone wants), then the A grade ones (which is a lower quality than the original) and then the quality depreciates away like that onwards. And yes of course the cost matters but in most third world countries you cannot expect them to be a person of their word and expect them to use the part you requested because you wouldn’t know if the quality is A grade or B grade or even an original after they’ve fixed it for you. So there is a chance they might rip you off but if you do the person or if you know notice the teensy differences between the graded and the original screen then things are different and things work out in your favor but most people wouldn’t mind cause its done for cheap either way.
Personally, knowing the differences between each part would not mind either. Why you may ask? Cause it’s done for cheap so I wouldn’t mind coming in again and fixing it again for the same rate or even lower cause phone value decreases in time so either way it is a win on both ends. Unless you are a reckless arse who drops their device all the damn time.
Plus if there is a further issue on the phone after them mending it, they gonna bring you in the bad news of your device not working and this is where giving the device back to manufacturer comes to as a better option. Yes it is costly but you can for sure trust them to bring your back to life and if an issue occurs it is an issue on their end and since they made the phone it brings no further cost on your end.
Conclusion
There is a lot of factors to key in choosing the right people to repair your device. Places like iFixit teach you how to repair certain modules of your phone. It is a risky choice but if it works, good for you.
Also you have to understand that tech is getting so good and small so in due time there wouldn’t be a repair stage available. Tech industries tend to attach all the parts tightly to each other that in the end its going to be hard to fix it on your own but as technology progresses if repair shops also advance into repairing there is still a chance for regression.
Here are some videos which will help you understand this problem further…
Also check on https://www.youtube.com/user/rossmanngroup — Louis Rossmann’s channel for further updates regarding the entire issue.
And that’s it from me…
I’ll see you guys next time. Peace ❤
