We know how frustrating that can be. That’s one of the reasons we’re supporting the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill. It represents a significant opportunity to reduce waste, improve consumer rights and strengthen economic resilience in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The proposed changes in the Right to Repair Bill are crucial. As we’ve all experienced, there are often barriers or challenges to getting a product repaired. They include a lack of spare parts, inaccessible repair information, products designed to be unrepairable and high repair costs. Due to liability concerns some businesses offer a replacement at a cost to themselves, rather than offering a repair option. These barriers mean we often have an unfair choice between replacing or going without.
Empowering New Zealanders with the right to repair products that break or develop a fault makes sense on every level. It will improve resource efficiency and productivity, bringing us closer to a low-carbon circular economy. Businesses will benefit from new revenue streams, lower warranty costs and improved customer loyalty. It will also provide competitive advantages in a cost-conscious market. Improving our repair rights will create local repair jobs and strengthen community and social enterprises like The Repair Cafe and Ripple Movement.
Join us in urging our MPs to support the Bill and advance it past its first reading for further consultation and refinement. You can read the full letter here.
If you would like to add your organisation’s support to the letter, please contact [email protected] or send your organisation’s logo directly to [email protected] by 12pm, 17 February 2025.