The customer is always right – they should know the life expectancy of goods

Joe Wright, 4 March 2015

France is forcing manufacturers of appliances like TVs, phones and white goods to display the life expectancy of their products. The law is part of a raft of measures including requirements for vendors to tell customers how long spare parts for an appliance can be bought. More significantly, a new law is being planned which will require manufacturers to replace or repair a product for up to two years after the purchase.

The laws are intended to combat planned obsolescence – the practice of designing products with artificially low life spans to shorten the replacement cycle and boost sales. The idea dates back to the Great Depression when a property broker suggested the US government force companies to do precisely this to products in the hope of stimulating spending to reboot the economy.

Technology giants like Apple have been charged of using the strategy covertly: Apple’s early iPods were prone to rapidly shortening battery life after a certain amount of charges, and more recently they have been accused of using software updates to slow older iPhone models and use up battery space to encourage people to upgrade. Apple dismisses these as conspiracy theories.

France’s direct approach to tackling intentional product obsolescence is part of a growing trend. The EU Commission is mid-way through a consultation process to establish the best way of measuring product durability as part of its Eco-innovation Action Plan, though the plan is motivated more by environmental concerns than consumer rights.

For some manufacturers, these new requirements will have huge, immediate impacts. Longevity is a key component of customer choice for utility products like white goods; for appliances we only replace when we have to – washing machines, fridges, kettles – the market could change overnight once durability becomes comparable at the point of purchase.

But it could also change the dynamic of consumer spending and choice entirely if the measures become more common across markets – even for products which are fashion-sensitive, which develop rapidly and rely on product obsolescence, such as phones and TVs.

Just as health has played an ever greater role in the food industry since the introduction of health warnings on packaging, so too could longevity change the technology industry. Branding is an incredibly sensitive part of business. Short life span, no matter the intricacy and innovation of a product, suggests poor quality.

Consumers hate the idea of being cheated by companies. If made to confront the question of how long they would like the product to last at the point of purchase, they will likely punish companies for fragility. Apple has already made better battery life a key part of the promotion of their iPhone 6 (though it could be better still).

The positive side to this is that it will help manufacturers which rely more on quality than cost to sell their goods – ‘Made in Britain; made to last’. What is more, if more fashionable, manufacturers will place greater emphasis on durability at all levels, including R&D.