Right to Repair is just common sense

I find it amusing to see our volunteer coalition of nonprofits, social enterprises, electronics refurbishers, small businesses, farm associations, tinkerers and DIYers branded as “special interests” by an industry lobbyist. The worrisome part is if we accept the points by Association of Equipment Manufacturers President Dennis Slater in his recent letter, he fundamentally seeks to change what it means to own products (June 21 letter, “Helping Farmers”). That’s not so funny.

Mr. Slater suggests that some repairs should remain monopolized to prevent farmers from hurting themselves or the environment. Yet farmers, as owners, are supposed to have total control over their purchases including repair, neglect and even dismemberment. Original equipment manufacturers always disclaim your mistakes, and then seek to command control of repair when it suits them. (Read your contracts and look for the sections about limitations of liability, disclaimers of merchantability and fitness and limited warranties.)

So why not let farmers fix their stuff? Repair monopolies, like all other monopolies, benefit the OEM and never the consumer. Higher costs of repairs don’t make for better repairs — just more cash flows back to the OEM or dealership. Repair monopolies don’t enhance agriculture any more than ventilator repair monopolies improve patient care. Shapes, sizes or costs of product are irrelevant. You either own the thing, or you don’t.

AEM is asserting it is in support of Right to Repair but still imposes monopolistic limits on repairs. This means that farmers don’t own their stuff, which is a deeply unpopular position. People understand that owning things has meaning and that a sort-of, kind-of, whenI-allow it set of policies is not to their benefit. Polling shows more than 75% support for Right to Repair across all political groups; 86% of voters in Massachusetts pulled the lever for “yes” on auto Right to Repair when they had a chance in 2012.

GAY GORDON-BYRNE

Executive Director The Repair Association

North River, N.Y.