OSPIRG Foundation releases ‘Right to Repair’ scorecards for laptops, cellphones

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Consumers often don’t know which products will last and they’ll be able to fix, or which manufacturers make fixable devices and support Right to Repair. A new scorecard from OSPIRG Foundation, “Failing the Fix,” ranks the most popular cell phone and laptop makers for Oregon consumers who seek to purchase easily repairable products – especially those from companies who do not fight Right to Repair.

“No one walks into the store and thinks ‘I’m going to buy something unfixable,’” said Charlie Fisher, OSPIRG’s State Director and an advocate for Right to Repair in Oregon. “People should be able to buy products that will last, be repairable when they break, and which are made by companies that respect our Right to Repair.”

Over the last year, France has required manufacturers to publish a repair score, from 0 to 10, with their products. “Failing the Fix” collected the French repair scores of 187 devices from 10 popular manufacturers, weighed a few additional factors related to how repair-friendly the manufacturers and products were, and came up with a final score.

The report found that the prevalence of unfixable stuff is a problem for both consumers and the planet. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that electronic waste is now the fastest-growing part of our domestic municipal waste stream, and an earlier, National PIRG report found Americans could save a combined $40 billion if they were able to repair instead of replacing their products.

The report concludes that there are large disparities in device repairability, and it can be difficult for consumers to assess that when they shop -- if they don’t know where to look.

The Right to Repair coalition, which includes OSPIRG, U.S. PIRG, iFixit, and Repair.org, has been calling for better access to parts, tools and information needed to repair modern devices.

“A repair score is important information for consumers that can impact the value of the device. If it can be fixed and kept in use, it is worth more over time,” explained Fisher. “The fact is, no products should be unfixable. Oregon lawmakers should pass Right to Repair bills to ensure that we can access necessary parts and tools for each product we buy.”

The “Failing the Fix scorecard” is part of OSPIRG’s work to recognize National Consumer Protection Week 2022 by putting actionable consumer protection information in the hands of all Oregonians. All week, OSPIRG Foundation is providing consumer protection tips and tools to help Oregonians address some of the most common consumer issues that threaten our health, safety or financial security.

New reports and guides that will be released this week include:

• Wednesday, March 9 - Dark patterns guide for how to protect your privacy on leading apps with a quote provided by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum
• Thursday, March 10 - The ‘buy now, pay later’ phenomenon and tips to avoid hidden debt traps
• Friday, March 11 - Counterfeit products and a new guide on how to avoid them online 
• Saturday, March 12 - Illegal surprise medical bills and new tip guide to help consumers know their new rights