Comment by _heimdall
20 days ago
I just don't see a problem with customers ignoring or not caring about the details as long as its clear. If a car manufacturer makes clear, for example, that you aren't allowed to work on the car you are buying yourself and the person still buys it that's their choice.
A practical one is that many industries have extreme barriers to entry and are dominated by a small number of players, with minimal chance of an upstart competitor showing up.
And if it so happens that engaging in some sort of anti-customer behavior is profitable, then it's entirely viable that all major players adopt it, even if they don't necessarily overtly collude.
The problem is that if 95% of people don't care and do this then the 5% who do care are completely fucked and can't work on their cars. This is because no manufacturer will make more money selling to the 5% who care.
Well I'm in that 5%, and I own older cars mainly so I can still work on them myself.
My argument was that manufacturers should have to be clear up front with what they're selling. If 95% of the population doesn't care, and that means the market for maintainable cars isn't viable, why should I impose my will on everyone else? I'd like to buy a new car and be able to work on it but no company should be obligated to serve that desire.
You're being illogical. You'd only be 'imposing your will' on people if somebody preferred it being impossible to work on their car, which is obviously absurd. It's outright anti-customer behavior with no benefit to the customer whatsoever. It's akin to arguing that e.g. price fixing should be legal so long as a business informs the customer that prices are being rigged against them.
Those old cars won't last forever. What's your plan when they're all rusted out junk?