The Federal Trade Commission announced in a press release on Thursday that they approved final orders against three companies for illegally restricting customers’ right to repair products purchased from them. The target companies include motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group, grill maker Weber-Stephen Products, and the manufacturer of Westinghouse outdoor power equipment, MWE Investments.
In June and July, the FTC alleged that the aforementioned corporations included anti-independent repair and third-party parts in their warranties, which violated the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and FTC Act, according to the press release.
The FTC’s order requires the companies to abstain from further violations, formally recognize the right to repair in their warranties, and inform their customers about their rights more clearly, requiring them to post notices showing that warranties will remain intact if a customer buys aftermarket parts or independent repair services. Harley-Davidson and MWE are specifically required to ” direct authorized dealers to remove deceptive display materials, train and monitor employees, and not promote branded parts and dealers over third parties.”
