Is Sony Scamming on Controller Repair? This YouTuber says "yes."
A buggy and inefficient repair process is sending electronics to an early grave. Is it a bug or a feature? Also: Motorola partners with 3D printing firm to simplify repairs.
YouTuber Major_Trenton officially lost his faith in Sony after trying to fix the joystick in his $200 PlayStation controller. After trying to fix a seemingly insignificant problem with his gaming controller, they were forced to trudge through hours of customer service calls and buggy websites, all to get Sony to honor their warranty and replace a $20 part.
If you aren’t familiar with the scourge that is “stick-drift,” it’s when your gaming controller moves without you unintentionally because it’s been bent into a direction (however small). It’s fairly infuriating, and I would imagine especially so for people who take their gaming more seriously than me.
CONTENTS:
Canadians deserve a right to repair!
Motorola partners with 3D printing firm to ease repairs
Apple retreated on opposition to repair. Don't get too hopeful.
Graphic: how repairable are smartphones? Meh.
Maine moves ahead in implementing auto right to repair
Doubt that the right supports a right to repair? I give you: The Blaze
Minnesota farmers feeling left out of state's right to repair
Is the Framework 13 your forever laptop?
The EU's right to repair directive explained
California launches program to certify repaired/rebuilt vehiclesMajor_Trenton wanted to fix the stick drift, but didn’t want to cough up another $200 for a new controller. Swapping out the defective part was the best solution. The good news: Sony carries and sells replacement stick modules. The bad news? Good luck getting your hands on the part — it’s always sold out.
And even if you are lucky enough to procure a replacement stick module, Sony’s controllers are designed in such a way that you risk breaking other parts of the device to fix the most commonly broken component of the controller—much like how battery swaps on iPhones have long been difficult. Not to mention, if you choose to fix a controller which is under warranty, Sony claims that you void the agreement and won’t be able to access Sony’s repair services. (Note: this sounds like a restriction that violates the Federal Magnusson Moss Warranty Act, but the recent Harley Davidson victory in a class action suit alleging violations of Magnusson Moss makes me wonder. You would need to read the fine print on the Sony controller warranty to be sure.)
Fortunately the controller Major_Trent had was under warranty, so there was no need to dirty their hands with controller repair. The next step was to get in touch with Sony customer service. And after getting routed through hours of customer service, they were told they couldn’t be helped because the serial number was faded. With a bit of effort, though, he managed to use a magnifying glass and some liquid to reveal the magic numbers and get to the next stumbling block: Sony’s company website.
A bug on the Sony website meant that even after spending hours on the customer service line and doing black magic to make the serial number visible they couldn’t get the form submitted. This sent them back to the customer service line where they were eventually able to get the form submitted and send their controller in for a repair.
A Sticky Situation
So a victory for repair, yes? Actually “no.” The hours of time Major_Trent spent on support calls, combined with the procedural and technical hurdles to getting the device cleared for repair should be looked at as a feature and not a “bug” in Sony’s repair process. They’re impediments to getting repairs done. If you think that’s a stretch - maybe walk through the process of buying a new Sony controller versus getting one fixed. My prediction: that process will run as smooth as glass with no glitches that keep you from spending your money.
Sony’s says their controller “invites you to craft your own unique gaming experience so you can play your way.” But Major_Trenton wasn’t expecting a gaming experience where the two options were “let Sony fix the controller in the most frustrating way possible” or “just buy a new controller and move on.”
If it seems like a system to make people buy more controllers rather than replacing them, you would agree with Major_Trenton who has dubbed the process a scam. The Sony example is another in a long line of unrepairable and unsupported devices set to be thrown away too soon.
🇨🇦 Canadians deserve a right to repair!
Are you a resident of Canada? If so, you deserve a right to repair your stuff. And the time to make your voice heard is now! The Government of Canada has launched consultations on the right to repair for home appliances and consumer electronics. From now through September 26, they are inviting residents to tell them what matters to them on the issue of the right to repair. Check out OpenMedia’s website where you can fill out a form and submit your comments along with those of other OpenMedia supporters. Or you can visit the government’s Right to Repair Consultation website and submit comments on your own. Use the button below to access that site.
Other News
Motorola partners with 3D printing firm to speed repairs
A big impediment to repairing personal electronics is finding the customized tools needed to repair broken devices. Historically, these had to either be purchased new from the manufacturer or -in the case of parts- salvaged from a broken device. But Motorola has a new option for independent repairers: printing your own tools. Motorola Mobility recently announced a partnership with Red Wolf Technology to empower repair shops with 3D printing of genuine Motorola OEM tools Utah-based Red Wolf Technology is a pioneer in 3D printing phone accessories with its Primo Print3D platform. The collaboration aims to revolutionize phone repairs by enabling shops to 3D print essential tools on-site, reducing costs and enhancing precision. Using Primo Print3D, essential tools like jigs and molds can be 3D printed on-demand, ensuring high-quality repairs with reduced turnaround times. On-site 3D printing is transforming the phone repair industry, reducing dependency on supply chains, and lowering operational costs, VoxelMatters reports.
Apple has retreated on repair opposition. Don’t get too hopeful.
Right to repair advocates have celebrated Apple’s concessions in recent years on the matter of repairability and self-repair of its popular personal electronics like iPhones, iPads and Macbooks. But they shouldn’t take too much comfort in the company’s back pedaling, David Price writes over at Macworld. Instead, the company’s concessions on repair are “just one example of a strategy Apple has used to good effect across its business” and are often followed by further restraints just beyond their line of retreat. Price cites Apple’s retreats in opposition to things like the standard USB-C interface, sideloading, and environmental protections as other issues - like repair- where proponents faced “the same tedious struggle, first battering away at Apple’s locked door, and then trying not to fall on their faces when it’s suddenly and unexpectedly thrown open… only to reveal another locked door barely any further along.” Worst of all, Price notes: “Apple will take credit for the concession as if it was being altruistic, rather than yielding to insurmountable pressure at the most convenient moment.”
How repairable are smartphones? Meh!
This graphic, via the site Statista, summarizes data from iFixit on smart phone repairability including the availability of service manuals and parts, and the ease of conducting repairs.
Maine moves towards implementing auto repair
Maine has taken a significant step towards implementing its "Right to Repair" law with the formation of a working group tasked with developing recommendations for an oversight board, Auto Body News reports. The board will ensure that vehicle owners and independent repair facilities have secure access to vehicle data necessary for maintenance and repairs. The law, approved by voters in November, requires manufacturers to make onboard diagnostic systems accessible to car owners and independent repairers, aiming to provide more flexibility in repair options while addressing cybersecurity and privacy concerns. However, progress has been slow as the law faced push back from legislators, who attempted to gut the law.
Doubt that the Right supports a Right to Repair? I give you: The Blaze.
There is plenty of evidence that the right to repair is one of the very few issues in U.S. politics that enjoys strong, bi-partisan support in a deeply politically polarized country. You see evidence of this in right to repair laws in states like Colorado and Oregon that are submitted and passed with bi-partisan support. You saw it a year ago in the Congressional “Is there a Right to Repair” hearing on Capitol Hill, in which representatives from both solid red and blue districts voiced comments supportive of right to repair legislation and questioned repressive Big Tech ecosystems that hinder repair. The latest evidence? This article over at The Blaze. If you don’t know it, The Blaze is a conservative news website founded in 2018 and operated by Blaze Media. Its articles and opinion pieces track to (far) right themes. These days, those include attacks on the Democratic party, anti-LGBTQ stories and conspiracy theories about election interference and political persecution of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. And…a full throated defense of the right to repair. A recent opinion piece by Andrew Edwards reads as a full throated endorsement of right to repair (albeit with some shade thrown on government regulation), celebrating Oregon’s recent right to repair legislation. That’s right: the Blaze gave Oregon’s government a “thumbs up.” From the piece:
This overarching problem of centralized power creeping deeper into absolute ownership and control — we are merely renters, actually slaves to the production of yet more technology — needs to be addressed in the strongest, smartest possible terms. The right to repair seems to be a piece. Long-term, the alternative is clear: a nightmarishly inescapable Internet of Things where compliance with corporate and government dictates is the condition of use for every appliance, meter, and thermostat — each connected to a central AI for management and functioning.
Minnesota farmers feel left out of state’s right to repair
Minnesota farmers are preparing for the upcoming fall harvest and are concerned about equipment reliability. Theirs is one of five U.S. states to enacted a comprehensive "Right to Repair" law, requiring manufacturers to provide documentation, parts, and tools to independent repair shops and product owners, but it excludes agricultural equipment. Farmers, led by Gary Wertish from the Minnesota Farmers Union, are expressing disappointment that farm machinery isn’t included, limiting their ability to repair equipment independently, Valley News Live reports. Long travel times to dealerships for electronic fixes can reduce farmers' time in the field, affecting productivity and profits. And while manufacturers like John Deere claim to offer repair details through memorandums of understanding, farmers argue these are insufficient. The solution: a law facilitating independent repairs that could strengthen rural economies and ease the burden on large dealerships, especially during peak farming seasons. There is hope that Minnesota lawmakers will revisit the issue in the next session, with similar pressure on Congress to enact federal legislation.
Is the Framework 13 your forever laptop?
Framework has been making headlines for years with its vision of an open laptop hardware and software platform that encourages repair, reuse and modification - a marked alternative to the “walled garden” approach of manufacturers like Apple. Why choose one over the other? That’s what Jason Evangelho takes on in this Forbes article. “What is Framework selling, exactly? In essence, a solution — instead of merely a band-aid — for the escalating problem of e-waste,” Evangelho writes. “Framework laptops are designed around consumer-friendly principles like repairability and upgradeability. Refreshingly, the company is striding in exactly the opposite direction of the rest of the laptop industry. While the eternal pursuit of thinness and portability now means removing a headphone jack, or soldering memory and storage drives right onto the motherboard, Framework is doubling down on a modular approach that gives consumers freedom of choice instead of locking them into forced obsolescence.”
The EU Right to Repair Directive explained
The EU recently enacted a comprehensive right to repair regulation: EU Directive 2024/1799, which went into force on July 30th, 2024. There’s a lot in it - as well as some limitations on covered products - that consumers need to know about. And this article over at firstonline.info provides a good run down of the main features of 2024/1799 - from its mandates around warranty coverage and which products are covered. It also details some of the gaps in the new law, such as the failure to mandate fair prices for repairs and the sale of replacement parts. Check it out!
California launches program to certify repaired and rebuilt vehicles
The California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) has launched the Vehicle Safety Systems Inspection (VSSI) Program aimed at ensuring that revived salvage vehicles are safe for road use, Collision Week reports. The program inspects key safety systems of vehicles that were previously declared a total loss but have been repaired, ensuring they meet the necessary standards to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This initiative provides added assurance to buyers of salvage vehicles, promoting safer roads in California.