Samsung demands to destroy gadgets with non-original spare parts during repair
Samsung will require repair shops to destroy gadgets that use non-original spare parts. This is reported by 404 Media, which received a contract that is mandatory for third-party services to sign in exchange for supplying original components from Samsung.
The contract provides for several contradictory terms:
- Customer Data Transfer: Repair shops are required to share a large amount of customer data with Samsung, including name, contact information, reasons for complaints, and details about the nature of the breakdown.
- Destruction of devices with non-original parts: If a technician discovers that a device has been repaired using non-original components, they must immediately notify Samsung of the customer and disassemble the device, effectively destroying it.
The contract states:
“Company shall immediately disassemble all products that are created or assembled from, consist of, or contain any Service Parts that were not purchased from Samsung (except for those Service Parts described above) and shall immediately notify Samsung in writing of the details and circumstances of any unauthorized use or misappropriation of any Service Part for any purpose other than as provided in this Agreement. Samsung may terminate this Agreement if these terms are breached.”
This contract has drawn criticism, as Apple has previously been accused of preventing third-party service centers from repairing devices using unofficial parts. As it turned out, Samsung goes even further in this regard.
Recently, iFixit, a laboratory specializing in device repair, terminated its cooperation with Samsung due to the unreasonably high cost of spare parts and the company’s ongoing practices that are inconsistent with the right to repair. Whether this is related to the contract described above is currently unknown.
