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FTC: You Can't Void a Warranty by Breaking a Seal

We've all purchased products that have a little sticker on the back that says something along the lines of "warranty void if removed." Or you actually read the manual or visit a product website where it states any warranty is void if you don't carry out repairs using official parts and service providers. Well, it turns out such demands and claims are illegal, and the FTC is taking action against such practices.

In a post on the FTC website, the Federal Trade Commission details how it has sent warning letters to six major companies who market and sell "automobiles, cellular devices, and video gaming systems in the United States." In each case, the company states its products must not use unauthorized parts or service, be used with products not sold or licensed by the company, or have had a warranty seal altered, defaced, or removed.

Limiting a warranty based on any of those restrictions is actually illegal in the US, classes as deceptive under the FTC Act, and is prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.