The repairability index has been in force in France for almost a year now. As the time to take stock approaches, UFC Que-Chooser has already made some initial conclusions. In his view, this tool is deeply useless for the moment, the fault of a cruel lack of investment on the part of manufacturers and distributors.
With the aim of actively combating waste and promoting repair and recycling, the French authorities launched in January 2021 the repairability index. The principle is simple: manufacturers of televisions, smartphones, laptops, lawn mowers and washing machines must rate their products from 1 to 10.
This score is calculated according to several criteria: quality and clarity of the documentation provided, ease of repair, spare parts availability, and finally the relationship between the most expensive spare part and the initial price of the product. On paper, this repairability index looked promising. However, it is still struggling to convince the French as proven by a study commissioned by Samsung published in August 2021.
Indeed, 31% of respondents only plan to take this index into account when buying an electronic product. For the UFC Que-Choisir, the observation remains the same as the tool’s 1st anniversary approaches. In a report published this Tuesday, December 14, 2021, the association ensures that “the index falls short both in its construction by the public authorities and in its distribution by distributors ”.
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A reform of the repairability index is needed
She calls for “a reform of the repairability index so that it can be a real tool, useful for guiding consumer purchases ”. According to the organization, the main problem is a flagrant lack of consideration and investment on the part of builders and manufacturers. Out of the 330 products tested by the association (on 9 different e-commerce sites), the repairability rating is displayed on only 42% of them. However, brands have an obligation to mention it.
There are many good students like Leroy Merlin and Boulanger, with 100% and 95% respectively, while others do not care about the repairability index like Amazon (affixed to 22% of products only) or even Crossroads with a dotted zero! Of course, brands would be more inclined to respect their legal obligations. if official controls were in effect… We will have to wait until January 1, 2022 for this to be the case. Another point denounced by the association.
For the association, it is urgent “to revise the construction of the repairability index so that it truly reflects the aptitude of a product to be repaired ”. And for more transparency, it is necessary “require sellers to make the rating grid directly accessible to consumers ”.
