'Fair Repair Act' proposal in New York under fire by Apple lobbyists
A bill currently on the table which would require electronics companies to sell replacement parts and service tools to the general public is being challenged by a lobbyist group being funded by Apple.
A report by Motherboard points out a required filing by the Roffe Group, Apple's lobbyists in New York. Out of $366,634 paid between January and April of 2017 to lobbyists both for and against the bill, Apple is responsible for $32,000 of that total.
Other companies lobbying against the bill are Apple, Caterpillar, Toyota, and Verizon. The omnibus Consumer Technology Association comprised of thousands of electronics manufacturers is also lobbying against the bill.
The fact that Apple opposes so-called right to repair bills is no surprise. In March, Apple sent delegates to oppose a similar bill in Nebraska.
Apple has consistently opposed similar government action on the matter in other states, saying its products should only be serviced by qualified technicians. Apple and allies argue such legislation would expose industry secrets and could create security and safety concerns.
While not as large as it was before the Apple Stores launched, Apple still maintains an "Authorized Service Provider" program.
The company has always contended that conducting repairs through authorized outlets like Apple stores and vetted shops provides customers with a consistent experience. Further, Apple notes that an authorized repair network helps the company control and protect its various hardware platforms that users rely on for security and authentication, like Touch ID.
Proponents of the "Fair Repair Act" state companies like Apple are only interested in holding sway over the lucrative repair industry. Opening up the repair market would present consumers with more choices, thereby lowering out-of-pocket costs, supporters say.
Apple claims both in New York and Nebraska that passage of the bill into law would result in the states becoming a "Mecca for bad actors" seeking to profit from shoddy repairs and haphazard work.
Nebraska has only one brick-and-mortar Apple store in Village Pointe, with a handful of authorized repair shops dotting the state. New York has 21 Apple Stores, and New York City alone has more than 40 venues to seek repair for iPhones outside the Apple stores.
Apple's revenue from repair is bundled in with its "services" revenue, alongside digital content sales, AppleCare, and Apple Pay revenue. While there is no good way to figure out how much revenue comes from repair, Apple's services revenue pulled down $7.04 billion in net sales, out of $52.90 billion total.
There is little solid data on what repairs cost for Apple, or how they contribute to the bottom line. In 2013, Apple hoped to save $1 billion per year on device replacements when it shifted to in-house repairs of the iPhone.
Besides Nebraska and New York, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Tennessee and Wyoming are currently mulling similar bills.
A report by Motherboard points out a required filing by the Roffe Group, Apple's lobbyists in New York. Out of $366,634 paid between January and April of 2017 to lobbyists both for and against the bill, Apple is responsible for $32,000 of that total.
Other companies lobbying against the bill are Apple, Caterpillar, Toyota, and Verizon. The omnibus Consumer Technology Association comprised of thousands of electronics manufacturers is also lobbying against the bill.
The fact that Apple opposes so-called right to repair bills is no surprise. In March, Apple sent delegates to oppose a similar bill in Nebraska.
Apple has consistently opposed similar government action on the matter in other states, saying its products should only be serviced by qualified technicians. Apple and allies argue such legislation would expose industry secrets and could create security and safety concerns.
While not as large as it was before the Apple Stores launched, Apple still maintains an "Authorized Service Provider" program.
The company has always contended that conducting repairs through authorized outlets like Apple stores and vetted shops provides customers with a consistent experience. Further, Apple notes that an authorized repair network helps the company control and protect its various hardware platforms that users rely on for security and authentication, like Touch ID.
Proponents of the "Fair Repair Act" state companies like Apple are only interested in holding sway over the lucrative repair industry. Opening up the repair market would present consumers with more choices, thereby lowering out-of-pocket costs, supporters say.
Apple claims both in New York and Nebraska that passage of the bill into law would result in the states becoming a "Mecca for bad actors" seeking to profit from shoddy repairs and haphazard work.
Nebraska has only one brick-and-mortar Apple store in Village Pointe, with a handful of authorized repair shops dotting the state. New York has 21 Apple Stores, and New York City alone has more than 40 venues to seek repair for iPhones outside the Apple stores.
Apple's revenue from repair is bundled in with its "services" revenue, alongside digital content sales, AppleCare, and Apple Pay revenue. While there is no good way to figure out how much revenue comes from repair, Apple's services revenue pulled down $7.04 billion in net sales, out of $52.90 billion total.
There is little solid data on what repairs cost for Apple, or how they contribute to the bottom line. In 2013, Apple hoped to save $1 billion per year on device replacements when it shifted to in-house repairs of the iPhone.
Besides Nebraska and New York, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Tennessee and Wyoming are currently mulling similar bills.
Comments
I have a few friends that had virtually every major component in their MBPs replaced for something like $320, including next day shipping.
I think it similar with Apple, but with a caveat though... I can easily see people/shops damaging something in the process of saving a few bucks, then turn right around and expect Apple to replace their iPhone. There are just too many people that will take any opportunity to take screw Apple, or better yet post their whine on Twitter - edited for context of course - to make it sound like Apple is the big bad wolf here.
Will be interesting to see this being played out.
People have no clue how the internals of these things are packed...
They want it all, a slab of supercomputer/phone/tv/dvr/pc/camera/etc in 7mm and want to make it easy to fix too!!
These are incompatible goals.
Which parts can't you get for your BMW?
I'm generally against Right to Repair acts, but they do kinda make sense for automobiles. Though they're not really needed as there's a very healthy aftermarket parts supply system in place for just about every vehicle out there (save for some exotics or high-end luxury cars).
My stance is that electronics solder reworking, auto repair, etc. are skills easily teachable in CTE programs. People coming out of the military or straight out of high school can all pick it up. This is an important fight in the battle against planned obsolescence.
That being said, I get the point with qualified individuals performing work. However, this is stuff that's out of warranty, out of warranty scope, or that Apple is charging an arm and a leg for a complete logic board replacement when it's a faulty capacitor.
That said, I suspect 99% of people would have Apple repair their device if it was in warranty rather than risk it themselves. I'm perfectly capable (and have) repaired my and others iDevices; but if in warranty, I always take it to Apple.
Those are just two examples. For some strange reason, BMW appears to not allow 3rd-parties (including the actual manufacturers) to make the replacement pieces.
I'm not referring to automobiles. BMW cars certainly need to have a healthy aftermarket of parts due to the never-ending repairs their cars have to go through.
The iPhones though are different. I grew up fixing motors. I have no problem fixing my motorcycles. iPhones though... I'm a software engineer and even with my skill level at fixing things, even I would hesitate to open up and repair something as complex and intricate as an iPhone.
How many times have we read about iPhones catching fire and the user crying foul on Apple, only to find out it was a 3rd-party cable/charger, or unauthorized repair shop that contributed to it? I can see why Apple doesn't want that kind of exposure.