Ftc Sues John Deere For ‘unfairly’ Raising Repair Costs On Farm Equipment

John Deere’s “unfair” practices raised repair costs for farmers and kept them from being tin to make repairs connected tractors and different instrumentality they own, nan Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges successful a caller lawsuit.

The FTC and attorneys wide for Illinois and Minnesota revenge suit coming successful a long-running conflict for nan correct to repair — a conflict that’s spell overmuch heated arsenic Deere increasingly incorporated package into workplace equipment. The title accuses John Deere of “decades” of unlawful practices that forced farmers to move to nan company’s ain web of authorized dealers for repairs.

“Illegal repair restrictions tin beryllium devastating for farmers, who spot connected affordable and timely repairs to harvest their crops and summation their income,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said successful a spot merchandise today. “The FTC’s action coming seeks to guarantee that farmers crossed America are free to repair their ain instrumentality aliases usage repair shops of their choice—lowering costs, preventing ruinous delays, and promoting adjacent title for independent repair shops.”

Deere produced “the only afloat functional package repair instrumentality tin of performing each repairs” connected its equipment, according to nan FTC. It says nan instrumentality was only made disposable to nan company’s dealers, which charged higher prices than independent shops. That unlawfully gave Deere “monopoly power” for definite repair services, nan FTC alleges.

Deere says it supports customers’ correct to repair equipment. The institution signed a memorandum of understanding with nan American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) successful January 2023 that was expected to make its software, tools, and archiving disposable truthful that farmers and independent shops tin make their ain repairs.

“We personification and enactment committed to enabling customers to repair nan products that they buy,” John Deere CTO Jahmy Hindman said successful a 2021 Decoder interview.

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