A warning was issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over questionable language in Sony and Nintendo’s warranties which would deny users any repairs to their systems if the sticker was broken and/or if third-party components were installed. It should be noted right off the bat, that installing mod chips in your console does still void the warranty and the FTC’s warning doesn’t do anything to negate this action.
The language used in these warranties was cited as being prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act unless the companies provide part or services for free or are waived by the FTC. Sony and Nintendo were the companies the FTC directed the warning at and since then, both companies have updated the language in their warranty disclosures.
Previously, the language stated that the warranty would not apply if the product was used with a third-party peripheral. The updated version now says that the warranty will not apply if damage was caused by a third-party peripheral.
In Sony’s case, they removed their clause stating that the warranty would not apply if the seal had been altered or removed. The new stipulation states that the warranty will not apply to damage caused by opening to the product or to damage caused by service performed by someone other than a representative of Sony Interactive Entertainment or an authorized SIE service provider.
The FTC gave Sony and Nintendo 30 days to change their language in their warranties. After 30 days, if the language was not updated, any violations may result in law enforcement action. Needless to say, both companies have complied and made it a little easier for gamers to get their consoles repaired, even if they decide to open them up, take a look, or install a bigger and/or better hard drive.
