feature: service and repair


obtaining parts for many tech products, as the brand owner tends to retain stock for in-house repairs only. This can result in consumers buying third-party components, with many available only on-line, without provenance and likely to be substandard, untested and (more importantly) potentially dangerous.


With modern products


composed of multiple components from global sources, linked to other items and being installed and maintained by another set of actors, where does responsibility lie when things go wrong?


Today, most high streets or markets will have at least one shop or stall dedicated to selling replacement parts or undertaking repairs. Mobile phones, computers, kettles, vacuum cleaners, tumble dryers and washing machines, are the items most commonly catered for. But without the necessary technical know-how, equipment or experience, it’s not surprising that complex repairs are often counter-productive. So it’s unlikely that there will be an audit trail for these repairs; creating further safety issues and increasing diagnostic difficulties for brands if the product continues to malfunction. And this, of course, can be unfairly damaging to hard- earned reputations.


Sub-standard replacement components


may lie at the root of a number of product failures but consumers may well blame the brand or shop where the item was originally bought. With many people now carrying their life on their mobile, waiting a month for a repair will be inconceivable. Not surprisingly, many will opt for the phone repair shop on the High Street. For some time now, Electrical Safety First


has been liaising with manufacturers to encourage them to support a network of authorised repairers. We also want them to consider – when it makes environmental and economic sense – to make products more accessible to self-maintenance. This would, we believe, provide consumers with a repair solution which meets their needs, while protecting brand value and improving safety. As part of our research into second-hand


electrical goods, the Charity has also been reviewing methods and means of recycling electrical products. This is usually dealt with by Local Authorities, with information provided on most council websites. However, when we contacted a selection of local councils, we were surprised to discover that a number of them – or their contractors – were reselling electrical items, rather than dismantling and recycling them. We are currently investigating this further, via a number of Freedom of Information requests, to determine the level of quality control for these resold items. Further proof that product end-of-life


and after-care is gaining greater attention was also high-lighted last December. That’s when the UK government launched its new Resources and Waste Strategy: the first comprehensive update to this policy


area for more than a decade. It aims to extend plastic recycling, as well as reviewing how manufacturers could take more responsibility for items – including cars, TVs and other electrical products - that can be harder or costlier to recycle. By the time you read this, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee will have completed its Inquiry on the implications of this new strategy on Local Authorities in England. The Committee’s response should make interesting reading. Having begun this article with reference


to the circular economy, it seems appropriate to end with it. The benefits of its approach seem obvious but, as I’ve indicated here, it will also impact on product liability, brand reputation and, ultimately, consumer trust. With modern products composed of multiple components from global sources, linked to other items and being installed and maintained by another set of actors, where does responsibility lie when things go wrong? And how might new initiatives arising from the ‘circular economy’, such as recycling, repurposing and right to repair, impact on these issues? These aren’t questions that are going to go away – but we are working on them. Electrical Safety First hosts a number of industry events to keep you informed of new developments. The next one – which will focus on risk assessment – will be held on Tuesday 17th September at Mary Ward House, Tavistock Place, London. For more information, please contact Martyn at martyn.allen@ electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk


May / June 2019


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