FTC Warns It Is Illegal to Condition Warranty on Use of Specified Parts/Services

Re:FTC Warns It Is Illegal to Condition Warranty on Use of S... by avoutthere on Wednesday April 11, 2018 @01:00PM (#16813143)

I wonder if Keurig will have to change their brewer warranty:

"Only the use of Keurig® K-Cup® brand pods and accessories will guarantee the proper functioning and lifetime of your Keurig® brewer. Any damage to or malfunction of your brewer resulting from the use of non-Keurig® pods and accessories may not be covered by this warranty or may result in a service fee if the damage or malfunction is determined to be caused by such use."

http://support.keurig.com/article?id=kA036000000CJGOCA4

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Re:FTC Warns It Is Illegal to Condition Warranty on Use of S... by lostcolony on Wednesday April 11, 2018 @01:05PM (#16813191)

That's likely what their legal team decided on, not what they actually enforce at the customer support level. I've replaced a Keurig. I called them, told them it was not working when plugged in, they asked I send in the little k-cup holder, and sent me a replacement unit.

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Re:FTC Warns It Is Illegal to Condition Warranty on Use of S... by Johnny555 on Wednesday April 11, 2018 @01:28PM (#16813394)

Any damage to or malfunction of your brewer resulting from the use of non-Keurig® pods and accessories may not be covered by this warranty

I don't see a problem with this -- if a 3rd party part/accessory damages the product, the manufacturer shouldn't be held liable. This applies whether it's a bad k-cup or a third party turbo charger blows up your car engine.

Though the onus should be on the manufacturer to show that the 3rd party part was to blame.

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Re:FTC Warns It Is Illegal to Condition Warranty on Use of S... by matte_black on Wednesday April 11, 2018 @01:22PM (#16813341)

They don’t have to change anything, it says it may not be covered, which means it may or may not be. In this case it will be covered.

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Re:FTC Warns It Is Illegal to Condition Warranty on Use of S... by Someone on Wednesday April 11, 2018 @01:31PM (#16813415)

I doubt it. The FTC takes issue with modifications voiding warranty even if a modification doesn’t cause the defect.

That text clearly is about causality: if a non-Keurig part caises damage, the warranty doesn’t cover it (actually not even that: may not cover it)

For example, a sticker covering a ventilation opening shouldn’t void your warranty w.r.t. a design error in its power supply, but if that sticker causes your device to overheat and break down, things are different.

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