The self-repair program is a problem for Apple!
As one of the most popular companies in the world, Apple still has many eyes on itself. In recent years, competition and regulators in different countries have focused on evaluating each step of the business, to detect any missteps. This time, French authorities have launched an investigation into misleading commercial practices and planned obsolescence.
According to information confirmed by Reuters, a spokesperson for the Paris prosecutor’s office in France has confirmed the judicial investigation following a complaint filed by Stop à l’obsolescence programmed (HOP), in which he claims that Apple is “associating the serial numbers of spare parts with those of a smartphone”. This issue has been reported previously in some product reviews.
Problems in Apple’s Repair Program
According to HOP’s statement, shared on its website, issues with the practice of repair parts serialization, which involves associating the serial numbers of a product’s components and peripherals with that of the iPhone, including, through microchips, It affects other components like screens, battery, camera.
It allows the manufacturer to limit the possibilities of repair, in particular for non-approved repairers. In many cases documented in the complaint, defects are found in cases where the device is repaired with a part, even identical and original, not authorized by the Apple software. These can also be activated during an update (as in the recent case of a repaired touchscreen on an iPhone XR that became unusable after the iOS 16 update). While a simple rollback to iOS 15 fixes this bug, Apple doesn’t sanction it, preferring to blame it on a “non-genuine Apple screen causing touch problem”.
The complaint insists that These practices not only violate the right to compensationbut also the development of the reconditioning of smartphones, insofar as the devices put into circulation may suffer from current or future breakdowns.
Apple Self-Service Repair Programreleased in France last December, requires customers to enter their iPhone serial number when purchasing parts. To obtain proper credit for the returned part, the serial number entered must match the serial number of the returned part, per Apple’s requirements.
Since its launch in November 2021, this program which offers users the ability to request parts and tools for recent iPhones, as well as access repair manuals, has been praised by users and iPhone repair advocates. devices, but as this complaint reveals, he also has debts.
