Is it a legal practise in manufacturing to design a product to become prematurely obsolete.?

Question

Are there specific laws that forbid this practise.

Example: manufacture of a device that uses a battery but make it impossable for the battery to be replaced without distruction of the product.

Answer 1

I know of no law that would prevent this. After all, where you would draw the line? Consider that every product you own eventually becomes obsolete - cars rust, clothes wear and wood rots.

If the law set the precedent that things could be "repaired" or "replaced" it would open up the floodgates to am entirely new standard for consumer law. For example, I buy a car and find I cannot replace part of he water bottle. I need to buy the entire part at greater expense (something many car manufactuers do with car parts!). Where would it end? If it did exist at all I feel it would have to be so narrowly defined in a legal sense as to make it a very rare animal indeed.

A manufactuer of a product does own a duty to the end user of the product - the consumer. This is clear with electrical equipment, drugs and numerous other products. (Consumer Protection Act 1987)

Any manufacturer that does produce a product which is incapable of repair or becomes obsolete within a short period of time may be shooting themselves in the foot due to intense competition in the market place. After all if we buy something we tend to want to see the product have a reasonable lifespan.

Answer 2

I believe that many products are made this way. For instance electronics such as computers, phones, cars & toys,when they are being made they have improved products all ready in the making they call that advance technology. If they didn't make things to become obsolete than supply & demand would stop, hence economical callapes.

Answer 3

Do disposable razors fit this category???
What about disposable diapers???
What about Kleenex tissues instead of a handkerchief???

Many products are intentionally designed to be used and disposed of.