In April of 2018, the Federal Trade Commission announced it had issued warning letters to six major companies cautioning against issuing threats to void a warranty when using third party parts. The Commission’s announcement cited examples of questionable provisions that are generally prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a law that governs consumer product warranties. Those examples include:

According to Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection “Provisions that tie warranty coverage to the use of particular products or services harm both consumers who pay more for them as well as the small businesses who offer competing products and services…”

If you have been told by an instrument manufacturer that your instrument’s warranty will be void, or if the instrument manufacturer refuses to sell you any parts you need because you have used another company’s parts you are encouraged to contact the Commission; this shady business practice is generally considered unlawful.