A “warranty void if removed” sticker does not automatically mean a company can cancel every part of your warranty if you remove it. In July 2024, Federal Trade Commission staff warned three companies about stickers placed where they could hinder routine maintenance and repair. The letters raised potential legal violations; they were not final rulings that every such sticker is illegal.
What did the FTC warn companies about?
On July 3, 2024, FTC staff sent warning letters to eight companies over warranty practices that the agency said could restrict consumers’ right to repair. Three letters addressed “warranty void if removed” stickers or similar language in locations that could get in the way of routine maintenance and repair. The companies named over stickers were ASRock, Zotac, and Gigabyte, which market gaming PCs, graphics chips, motherboards, and related accessories.
The other five letters concerned warranty terms that required customers to use specified parts or service providers: air purifier sellers aeris Health, Blueair, Medify Air, and Oransi, and treadmill company InMovement. The FTC asked all eight companies to review their promotional and warranty materials.
Samuel Levine, then director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said: “These warning letters put companies on notice that restricting consumers’ right to repair violates the law.” That was the agency official’s characterization of the concerns, not a court judgment against the named companies. FTC announcement, July 3, 2024.
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Can removing a sticker or using an independent repair shop void your warranty?
Not automatically. The FTC’s warning focused on stickers placed where they hinder routine maintenance and repairs; it did not establish that removing any sticker, opening any product, or choosing an independent repair shop cancels all warranty protection. Nor does the warning mean a company must cover damage caused by a repair.
The legal context is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA), which governs consumer product warranties and is enforced by the FTC. The agency says warranty terms that condition coverage on using specified parts or service providers are generally prohibited unless the warrantor provides those parts or services for free, or receives an FTC waiver. The July 2024 announcement also identified repair-obstructing stickers as a concern under the MMWA and potentially the FTC Act. Whether a particular warranty term or sticker violates the law depends on the circumstances; the warning letters were not a final decision on every use of such labels.
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What happened after the warning letters?
The FTC announced that staff planned to review the companies’ websites after 30 days and said failure to correct potential violations could lead to law-enforcement action. The July 2024 announcement does not establish the outcome of that planned review.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How common are warranty terms that may restrict repairs?
A 2021 FTC report summarized an analysis by U.S. PIRG Education Fund of warranties from 50 companies. U.S. PIRG concluded that 45 of the 50 had warranties that appeared to violate Section 102(c) of the MMWA. That figure is the outside organization’s 2018 analysis as recounted by the FTC—not an FTC finding that 45 companies violated the law. FTC, Nixing the Fix (2021).
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What should you do if a company threatens to void your warranty?
- Check what the warranty actually says. Save a copy of the warranty and any message claiming coverage is void. Note whether the company objects to the sticker being removed, a repair being done elsewhere, or damage allegedly caused by the repair.
- Ask the company to identify the specific basis for denying coverage. A blanket statement about an independent repair or removed sticker is different from a denial tied to damage the company says that work caused.
- Keep repair records. Retain receipts, service notes, photographs, and parts information. These can help distinguish a repair from a separate product failure.
- Escalate a disputed warranty denial. You can submit a consumer complaint to the FTC; the agency’s warning letters do not resolve an individual warranty dispute or guarantee a particular outcome.
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