Austrian Consumer Battles Applianceโ Failures,โฃ Highlights ‘Right too Repair‘ โฃPush
Vienna, Austria – Walter krichbaumer is locked in a frustrating cycle familiar to consumers across Europe: repeated, premature breakdowns of household appliances and a difficult fight for โคreplacements. Over the past year, Krichbaumer’s washing machine, tumble dryer, and freezer all failed well before their expected lifespan, forcingโ him toโ navigate warranty claims โand company offers he deems inadequate. His case underscores a growing consumer โbacklash against built-inโ obsolescence and fuels momentum behind the EU’s recentlyโ implemented “Right to โRepair” directive.
Krichbaumer’s freezer, purchased forโฃ just under 800 euros, stopped working, and the company initially informed him โa replacement wasโ unavailable until โขDecember. A customer service representative then offered โคa 349 euro credit toward โคthe purchase price, “as โขa gesture of goodwill, without recognizing a legal obligation,” and valid for only 14 days. Krichbaumer rejected the offer, stating, “349 euros for a device thatโค cost justโ under โ800 euros is too little,” and opted to wait for a replacement in December.
The experienceโ isn’t isolated.Krichbaumer notesโ the absurdity of a nearly new appliance being discarded, aโ sentiment echoed โby consumer โฃadvocates who point to a systemic issue ofโฃ manufacturers designing products with limited lifespans. this practice, often driven by cost savings and planned upgrades, generates significant electronic waste and financial burden for consumers.โ
The EU’s “Right toโ Repair” โขdirective, first publishedโ in 2024, aims to combat this trend by requiring manufacturers to make spare parts and repair information more accessible to consumers โand self-reliant repair โshops. “Fortunately, something hasโ changed in the EU,” Krichbaumer said. “If you think about it, there’s a freezer that’s brandโ new and is about to beโ thrown away – that’s crazy!”