3 Factors That Point to the Need to Get a Right to Repair Law in India When you buy a new product, what are the last things on your mind? ...
3 Factors That Point to the Need to Get a Right to Repair Law in India
When you buy a new product, what are the last things on your mind? For most people, it is either the price or the brand. Very few ask about the after-sales service and availability of spare parts. Nevertheless, these are very important factors in making an informed purchase decision. Empirical evidence from across the globe shows that customers will not buy a product again if they have no access to repair services or spare parts at fair prices. This is why manufacturers generally offer extended warranty and other such schemes so as to mitigate this risk. However, there are some scenarios where even this isn’t enough and manufacturers need to take measures that go beyond offering extended warranties. These might include setting up authorised service centres with trained technicians who can diagnose problems with ease, establishing a parts depot so that spares are always available at affordable prices and making user manuals easily accessible online for all their products so third-party service centres can help customers more effectively.
Why do we need a Right to Repair Law?
Basically, a Right to Repair Law puts the onus on the manufacturer to ensure that any product sold is easily repairable. This, in turn, means the manufacturer will have to make spare parts available for a certain period of time (usually 5 years) so that customers can repair the product if it breaks down. In other words, a Right to Repair Law empowers the customer by giving them access to spare parts, repair services and diagnostic tools. This ensures that the customer needn’t throw away a perfectly good product just because it has broken down. On the contrary, they can just get the broken part replaced at a reasonable cost and continue using the product. With this law, manufacturers will also be more careful in how they design products so that they are easy to repair. This will ensure that the after-sales service provided by the manufacturer is high in quality. Ultimately, a Right to Repair Law will benefit both manufacturers and customers.
Electronic Goods and Spare Parts: A Pathmarker to the Need for a Repair Law
The Indian government is said to be considering a Right to Repair Law after being pressured by manufacturers of white goods such as refrigerators and air conditioners. The reason is that these are products where the demand for spare parts is extremely low. This is because customers don’t buy these products to repair them – they buy them to replace them. As a result, manufacturers don’t make spare parts available for these products. Consequently, customers have to throw them away and buy a new product. This is something that has been happening for a long time in India. However, customers are now getting increasingly angry about it and the government is taking notice.
Consumer Rights: How Important Are They?
Consumer rights are a very important factor that points to the need for a Right to Repair Law in India. Since the first and second generation of Indians are now making purchases, the retail market is growing at a rapid pace. This is, of course, a good thing for the economy. However, it also means that there is a huge chance of consumers being taken for a ride by manufacturers who are more interested in their bottom line than customer satisfaction. That’s why it is important to have strong consumer rights laws in place. They can help consumers get their money back if the product doesn’t work as promised or has defects. Similarly, these laws can also require manufacturers to provide repair services even if the product is out of warranty. What’s more, these laws can also force manufacturers to provide spare parts for a certain period of time.
3 Factors that Point to the Need to Get a Right to Repair Law in India
When it comes to the need for a Right to Repair Law in India, the following three factors stand out. Firstly, it has been observed that customers in India often don’t buy products that have a long replacement cycle. This means that the manufacturers of such items are not making as much money compared to those whose products have a short replacement cycle. As a result, customers are not being given options such as repair services or spare parts. This is something that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. Secondly, customers in India aren’t aware that they can get a repair done even if the product is out of warranty. This is because there is no law to protect their interests. Thus, a Right to Repair Law can help in this regard. Thirdly, the availability of repair services is quite low in India compared to other countries. This means that customers of products like refrigerators and air conditioners need to pay a hefty amount every year to get them repaired. A Right to Repair Law can help in this regard as well.
Conclusion
The discussion above points to the fact that there is a need for a Right to Repair Law in India. This is because there are many factors that indicate the need for such a law. However, there is no denying that such a law will be beneficial for both manufacturers and customers. For those who manufacture products, it will mean designing them with ease of maintenance in mind. Similarly, customers will get their products fixed even if they are out of warranty and will be able to get spare parts easily. So, it is clear that a Right to Repair Law will benefit both manufacturers and customers. Therefore, the government needs to make all efforts to enact this law without any further delay.
