William Sommerwerck said:
Not what I was told, including by my Sony contact -- the head of the parts
department.
Such laws are eminently enforceable. It's just a matter of whether the law
wants to get involved. Dragging companies into court for a relatively
small
social benefit might not seem a good use of time to prosecutors.
The real problem is that technology changes so rapidly that manufacturers
have little practical justification for keeping service parts. But the
idea
of tossing something because it can't be fixed is fundamentally
anti-green.
I expect expensive products to be fixable.
I've heard lots of comments regarding so-called "parts availability laws".
Never seen a single concrete example.
Of course in the modern world, it would be nearly impossible for
manufacturers to even comply.
Sony's policy in the U.SO. at least (at present) does not guarantee any
specific parts availability.
As regards most consumer electronics, they do pledge to provide out-of
warranty service at a factory service center (Laredo, Texas) for a period of
seven years after the last market date.
If parts are not available, an accommodation offer will be made, meaning
they will sell you a new or refurb unit at a reduced cost.
Due to shipping costs, the way they handle TV's is different, but they still
frequently offer deals on refurbs and new TV's under similar circumstances.
Sony is losing so much money these days I don't expect their current policy
to last.
Most companies don't even come close to Sony this way. If it's out of
warranty you are very often "on your own", especially with cheaper products
(or anything with the name Dell on it).
Mark Z.
