"Right to Repair" - Potentially great news for DIY!

[rsingler]

So, as Jen Psaki says, "Let's circle back. "
Can we group-think a letter to be sent to a wide variety of Congressmen from Michigan to Florida asking them to cosponsor a tiny piece of specialty legislation that says something like this:
"Scuba regulators are generally dirt-simple with physical principles that haven't changed since 1965. Yeah, they're life support equipment, but so is the car traveling on the Interstate at 65mph, whose brakes you let me fix. Support the little guy. Give me access to parts and schematics. Support the Executive Order. "

 

[Marie13]

I know Europeans have a much easier time getting service kits due to their consumer protection laws. Does that include access to repair manuals, etc., for specific regs? Just curious.

 

[Bigbella]

I know Europeans have a much easier time getting service kits due to their consumer protection laws. Does that include access to repair manuals, etc., for specific regs? Just curious.

That has not been my experience, in dealing with European distributors, for sundry parts and service kits, who often request a copy of a current tech certificate:

"Verkauf ausschließlich an Poseidon-Techniker mit vorhandenem und gültigem Zertifikat (bitte bei Bestellung Kopie des Zertifikats zumailen)."

Warm and fuzzy German, for "SHOW ME YOUR PAPERS!"

 

[Marie13]

Apeks kits are available there, at least. Can’t get those here.

 

[kelemvor]

So, as Jen Psaki says, "Let's circle back. "
Can we group-think a letter to be sent to a wide variety of Congressmen from Michigan to Florida asking them to cosponsor a tiny piece of specialty legislation that says something like this:
"Scuba regulators are generally dirt-simple with physical principles that haven't changed since 1965. Yeah, they're life support equipment, but so is the car traveling on the Interstate at 65mph, whose brakes you let me fix. Support the little guy. Give me access to parts and schematics. Support the Executive Order. "

It's a good idea. Perhaps it could be a modification to the Fair Repair Act that's currently in the house. Currently the Fair Repair Act specifically addresses "consumer electronics". There's a similar bill going around in my state, but that one is specific to farming equipment (believe it or not, Florida's biggest industry is farming).


Dear [Congressperson],

Please consider a modification to H.R.4006 or simmilar legislation to expand the rules beyond consumer electronics. Fair repair of Automobiles has been the standard in the United States for many decades. The need for Fair repair on nearly every consumer good is equally important. Examples include Scuba Equipment, Farming Equipment, Home Appliances, and other items. When my father was a young man, repairing anything you owned was the normal thing to do. If you had a broken tractor, you got out a wrench and fixed it. If you had a broken television, you went to the grocery store and bought a replacement vacuum tube.

Sincerely,
[consituent]

[address]

Someone please update and expand.

 

[kelemvor]

Federal Fair Repair Act: Text - H.R.4006 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Fair Repair Act

Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] (Introduced 06/17/2021)

I attached it as PDF because the text was too big for scubaboard to allow.

 

[kelemvor]

So what exactly is the SP PFL scam? Can you document it? They (SP) seem to have so many answers to these requests. "Must be original purchaser with proof of purchase". "Can't buy computer in Europe as part of PFL package". I've heard so many excuses from them but no one has been able to show a document showing that SP is wrong. Anyone?

So here it is. Until 2018 (I might be off by one year, I'd have to check my records) Scubapro sold their regulators with "Free Parts for Life." Obviously there were conditions - most important you had to buy from an authorized retailer (which may be anti competitive) and you have to get it serviced annually. On one of my annual trips to the shop for service, they told me that Scubapro had ended the Free Parts for Life program, unless you buy a whole scuba kit which included a bcd, regulator, and possibly other stuff. They changed the rules after the fact. The regulators sold with the PFL have a certificate talking about it and a "card" that shows your "right" to free parts for life. I tried going to a second scubapro shop in my town and got the same story.

Yes, I have receipts and the retail boxes withe the card and warranty and all that stuff. I guess I'm a packrat. I'll have to go get the receipt out, but I bought mine in 2013 I'm pretty certain.

 

[tridacna]

I hear those stories all the time but no one has been able to actually factually document one of these.

Meaning: Here is the PFL card. Here is my sales receipt from the dealer and here are my receipts for each annual service. If you miss a service, PFL is void.

The new PFL promotion requires a BCD, computer and reg set all purchased within a year from the first item. It must be registered with SP and regs must be serviced at two year intervals by an authorized SP dealer. All items must be purchased from an authorized dealer in the USA. If you miss a service by a few months, SP is generally quite flexible but miss it for a year and you lose.

SP are still good about replacing batteries in Aladins and other vintage computers if you're the original owner and can prove it.

 

[Scubagaskets]

We try to do our best to provide you with high-quality products at the best possible price.
Scubagaskets has more than 700 diferent products related to scuba o-rings, EPDM,NBR,Viton, Polurathane,scubatools,scuba lubrinacts ,scuba accessories, full-service kits, and part.
The Offered parts are NOT OEM parts, but excellent replacements equivalent to OEM Quality

O-rings for scuba diving - EPDM - NBR - VITON - POLYURETHANE
Let us know what you think about us

 

[kelemvor]

I've bought o-rings from scubagaskets a couple times. Got what I needed at a good price, I'll use them in the future when I need more.