{"id":2966,"date":"2025-02-25T17:34:10","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T16:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agoragroup.io\/?p=2966"},"modified":"2025-02-25T17:34:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T16:34:10","slug":"reasonable-but-not-evident-the-cost-of-repairs-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.agoragroup.io\/en\/repair\/reasonable-but-not-evident-the-cost-of-repairs-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Reasonable but not evident: the cost of repairs in europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction <\/strong><\/p>\n

As I mentioned in my previous article, the European Directive on the right to repair obligates manufacturers to repair products even after the warranty period. However the specifics of this obligation remain unclear, which is common for a European directive that needs to be further clarified by the legislation of the member states.<\/p>\n

The directive notably states that the repair must be “free of charge or at a reasonable price” and must be completed within “a reasonable time.” Since the directive speaks of “right” to repair, it must be accessible by all. The requirement for reduced prices and short delays primarily aims to ensure this accessibility.<\/p>\n

A 2022 study by Agoraplus shows that price and delays indeed play a role in consumers’ decision to repair, but it also highlights the importance of other factors. By overlooking these aspects of repair, European lawmakers risk undermining their own goal of accessibility. Let me explain.<\/p>\n

An example: the appliance\u2019s age
\n<\/strong>Agoraplus\u2019 study shows that a factor influencing the decision to repair is the age of the appliance. The older the appliance, the less willing consumers are to repair it, preferring instead to replace it with a new one.<\/p>\n

To illustrate this point with data on washing machines, our studies show that a price of \u20ac119 encourages 25% of consumers to repair, regardless of the appliance’s age. However, when we segment this data, different populations diverge in their behaviours: it takes a price of \u20ac114 for 25% of consumers with washing machines older than 10 years to repair, compared to \u20ac134 for those with machines aged 2 to 4 years (right after the warranty ends). Thus, between the newest and the oldest appliances, a 15% price reduction is required to maintain the same repair rate.<\/p>\n

Despite this, repairers do not reduce prices based on the appliance\u2019s age, instead usually preferring a uniform price based on the cost of the required spare parts. However, spare parts for older appliances are often more expensive because they have been stored for longer. So, the cost of repairs is higher whereas consumers are more sensitive to price.<\/p>\n

A Political Issue
\n<\/strong>National legislators who will transpose the European directive must therefore choose whether they want to promote the repair of older appliances or if they will allow the oldest appliances to be replaced. The issue underlying this decision is the following: is the concept of repair accessibility a matter of European citizens’ rights, where repair should be accessible to everyone, including those with older appliances, or an environmental question, for which it is better to repair younger appliances that consume less energy? Depending on the answer, legislators will either set a price threshold for repairs that aims for a general repair rate, or one which guarantees a certain repair rate for the oldest appliances.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong>
\nI believe that promoting the repair of older appliances is a lose-lose situation. First, repairing these appliances is generally more expensive for repairers. Second, to encourage consumers to repair the price would need to be reduced, which would decrease the repairers\u2019 profit margin. Finally, the age of the appliances presents significant ecological issues: their energy efficiency is often lower, and their environmental footprint remains high even after repair. For instance, a study by Applia showed that it\u2019s better for the planet to dispose of a 10-year-old refrigerator than to repair it. So, by prioritizing the repair of younger appliances, European legislators will help the planet, repairers\u2019 margins, and government budgets: a win-win situation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emmanuel Benoit, CEO of Agoragroup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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