A consumer advocate has accused major high street brands of “keeping customers in the dark” about important upgrades to their smart appliances.
Manufacturers of household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and televisions are not telling Britons how long it will take before they stop critical technology updates and abandon their products. I found it.
This is despite major upcoming legislation making transparency a legal requirement.
A survey conducted by “Which?” Out of more than 220 brands, the vast majority update their smart devices with critical technology fixes for a disastrously short period of time or have no published policy, leaving consumers wondering how long their products will last with updates. We found that it remains unclear how long it will be supported.
New legislation that comes into effect from April 29 will make it illegal to sell products in the UK that do not have a published product update policy with a minimum support period.
Manufacturers who fail to comply with the law could be subject to fines of up to £10 million, or 4% of global revenue.
Unsupported devices can become a security risk because they introduce flaws that hackers can exploit.
Support is a promise from the manufacturer that the smart elements of the product will continue to work.
This is important because unsupported products may lose functionality or become useless before their expiration date.
Home appliances that are in good working order may be thrown away, with negative consequences for the owner and the environment.
Which one? asked 224 brands across 37 categories whether they had clear update policies.
Only 3 in 10 (31%) clearly state how long their product will be supported, and 1 in 10 (11%) offer vague policies.
6 in 10 (58%) did not respond, declined to comment, or did not have a policy.
Some brands have repeatedly failed to comment for three years, but Which? has conducted an investigation.
Hoover and Candy (both owned by Haier), along with Beko and AEG, have never given Which? Clear policy.
TP-Link and Huawei (both various devices), Canon (printers) and V-Tech (baby monitors) have also consistently said nothing.
Some brands said they are aware of the upcoming legislation and are working on policies.
Brands such as Sony, Hisense and Arlo, which previously reported their policies, said nothing about 2023.
Which one? We believe that Apple provides excellent support (the iPhone 8 is still receiving security updates more than six years after its launch in 2017), but the brand has a clear policy of leaving things in the public domain. He said he refuses to put it down.
Which one? found that update policies across smart TVs are disastrous.
No brand fits the period. Which one? We expect a TV to have an average lifespan (6.8 years). Samsung could probably lead with 5 years of support from launch.
However, LG only offers warranties for many sets for two years from launch, so the OLED 65G26LA TV, for example, will end support after April 2024, even though it’s still on sale. There is a possibility.
The company offers a scary two-year support warranty on many of its appliances from launch, but says its 2024 TVs will have a five-year renewal policy.
Sky, Panasonic, TCL and Toshiba did not disclose details of their policies.
This also applies to Sony and Hisense, giving them two years from release in 2022 and eight years from discontinuation of sales, respectively.
Some of Sony’s smart TVs can cost close to £3,000, but they are sold with no indication of how long they will receive important updates – the only Sony brand to do so. Not.
Which one? Experts have seen market-leading Nest thermostats on sale even though official support appears to have ended years ago.
No one wants their smart thermostat to stop working in the middle of winter.
Washing machines have an estimated lifespan of 11 years, but Samsung and LG only provide support for five and two years after launch, respectively.
AEG, Beko, Candy, Hisense, Hoover, and Whirlpool did not report clear policies.
AEG said it is considering new legal requirements and will develop a policy soon.
The lifespan of a dishwasher is said to be 13 years. Samsung and LG have short support periods.
Which did Smeg give you? There is no information regarding that policy.
This situation applies to most large household appliances, such as ovens, tumble dryers, and refrigerator-freezers.
Which one? It’s “bewildering” that so many brands wait until the 11th hour to provide customers with clear information about support, leaving customers once again left in the dark when purchasing smart products that often come at a premium price. He welcomed the upcoming legislation.
The Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) will be responsible for enforcing the Product Security and Telecommunications Act of 2022, which takes effect in the spring.
Which one? called for clear guidance to be provided and to ensure that the smart product market is properly prepared ahead of the implementation of the new law.
Rocio Concha, which one? Director of Policy and Advocacy said: “With new laws on the horizon forcing transparency from manufacturers, our research finds that many big brands are dragging their feet in confirming the critical update support period for their products. .
“Smart product manufacturers need to prepare themselves ahead of new legislation coming into effect later this year.
“If they do not comply, regulators must be prepared to take strong enforcement action, including imposing fines on companies that do not comply.”