Developer Mode = Voided Warranty ???

[DennisLfromGA]

Some of us are having a bit of a debate in Chromebook Central about putting a Chromebook in Developer mode voiding the manufacturer's warranty.

I'm of the opinion that simply going into Developer mode does NOT void the warranty, however some things you do while there might void it like tinkering with the BIOS, etc.

I know (some) manufacturers' may frown on it being in Developer mode when they receive it since they may be looking for reasons not to repair it but I would not think it's a valid excuse. 

I'd be interested in getting other's opinions, or better yet, some facts about this. I would think Google has had some discussions with manufacturers where this has come up.

Thanx,

DennisL

[Mike Frysinger]

sorry, but you will not get any legal advice here, and def not from Google employees (lawyers, how do they work!).  if you want to know whether a warranty covers specific usage, you'll need to review the warranty that came with the device, and consult the company that sold the device.

it is *my personal opinion* that going in/out of dev mode is supported and should not void the warranty.  opening the case, for any reason, including but not limited to adding/removing modular parts (e.g. upgrading sticks of RAM or the hard drive) or messing with the write protect screw, will most likely void the warranty.

if a user utilized dev mode (and never opened the case or messed with the read-only firmware), but are having trouble with their warranty being respected, then raise it on the forums and one of the Google moderators should be able to assist.

-mike

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[Nathan K.]

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/warranty-void-if-removed-stickers-are-illegal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson%E2%80%93Moss_Warranty_Act#Requirements

"Warrantors cannot require that only branded parts be used with the product in order to retain the warranty.^[7] This is commonly referred to as the "tie-in sales" provisions,^[8] and is frequently mentioned in the context of third-party computer parts, such as memory and hard drives."

Does this apply to operating systems? Manufacturers can say/do anything they want. They can say they'll void your warranty for using the product on the Sabbath. Doesn't make it legal or binding.

But it also means someone would literally have to bring a Magnuson-Moss class action lawsuit to actually get them to honor the requirement. And prove any "damage" wasn't caused by what they did. Most people won't resort to this.

Also, what does this mean for blown eFuses or intentionally "self-destructing" hardware? Interesting subject, but that's all I can add.

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[Mike Frysinger]

you make great points.  certainly manufacturers can claim anything they want, but the only way to know if their claims hold up is to actually take them to court.  most companies/people would rather sort it out faster or more amicably.

until then, we're all just armcharin' it ;).

-mike

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[Jay Lang]

I just had a text chat with a Google support rep:

In regards to the Pixelbook warranty she said: "Your device warranty will void if your on Developer mode."

I guess that settles it, no Developer mode for me.

J

[Mike Frysinger]

please share the case/ticket/whatever-they call-it number you have with me so we can follow up

-mike

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[Mike Frysinger]

i've escalated the issue internally with relevant teams and it's making its way through.  your warranty should still be valid regardless of you using dev mode as long as the device can be returned to normal/verified mode.  i.e. don't crack the case & don't mess with the read-only firmware and you should be fine.

feel free to follow up with your support thread and let me know if they still push back.

-mike

[Vadim Bendebury]

Note that you are supposed to put the device back into normal mode before requesting warranty support.

--vb