FTC threatens legal action if firms don't remove warranty-void-if-removed stickers

Last month we wrote about a crack down on the use of warranty-void-if-removed stickers. The US FTC issued a warning to major electronics firms that these stickers are illegal , companies do not have the right to refuse warranty claims if these stickers are breached.

Motherboard dug a little deeper and received a bunch more information via a Freedom of Information Act request. The six companies that were targeted were Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Hyundai, HTC, and ASUS.

In the letter, which was got mailed out on April 9, the FTC gave each company 30 days to change its warranty policies:

“This letter places you on notice that violations of the Warranty and FTC Acts may result in legal action,” the letters state in bold, adding that the FTC had reviewed warranty language on each manufacturers’ websites and found it to be infringing. “ FTC investigators have copied and preserved the online pages in question, and we plan to review your company's written warranty and promotional materials after 30 days. You should review the Warranty and FTC Acts and if necessary, revise your practices to comply with the Acts' requirements. By sending this letter, we do not waive the FTC's right to take law enforcement action and seek appropriate injunctive and monetary remedies against [company name] based on past or future violations.”