The Warehouse is pushing for potential 'right to repair' legislation to hold overseas manufacturers accountable.
The retailer's among companies taking part in the select committee process for the Right to Repair Amendment Bill.
It aims to reduce waste, create a repair workforce, and cut costs for consumers.
Warehouse Group Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing GM Phil Cumming told Mike Hosking the Commerce Commission isn't doing enough when overseas products don't meet expectations.
He says consumers are often turning to retailers instead of manufacturers, which is why clearer, stronger rules are needed.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You might remember the Right to Repair bill. It's a
select committee stage and the Warehouse are weighing and looking
to push the Commis Commission to hold overseas manufacturers to
account now their claimers retailers are being stonewalled by overseas supplieres.
Phil Coming is the GM of Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing
from the Warehouse Group and he's with us. Phil, good
morning to you. Good morning make as a concept. Are
you into this or not? Really?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
We absolutely support the intent of the bill. We think
people every day key we should have be able to
fix the stuff when it breaks, when it goes wrong,
but not not just throw that out and buying you,
but put it to work. The rules need to be
fair and work for everyone. That means making sure manufacturers
do the bit, particularly those overseas that aren't here and
(00:43):
they don't get a three pass, and we have a
network of repairers here that can do the right job
safely and properly.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I think you've just outlined the various problems that the bill.
None of this is real. I mean the Commerce Commission
will have no control over accompanying at the back quarters
of China who made something that arrived in the country
that now doesn't work. I mean, who's listening to the
Commerce Commission anywhere outside of New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, that's right. I mean that the the the Commerce
Commission does have powers to act when manufacturers don't meet
their obligations. But in reality, as you rightly say, if
you if you've got a company based overseas, those those
consumers are left largely left sorting out, often turning to
retailers like us to help, which is why we need
to do need as clear a stronger rules to make
(01:26):
sure that those those companies are held accountable and those
those of us based here are picking up the PAP.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Say I buy something from you, and this law has passed,
and I want to repair it, and I bring it
back and I say, see this it's broken. Now, first
of all, I'm assuming the law will say you've got
to tell me how it's broken or why it's broken,
and you need part A, B C and screwed D
and then you need to source that is there. How
it's supposed to work.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So how it's supposed to work is is effectively you
know the rule that you've already got rights. Now repair
everyone's got repaired. Now we're the big gap is around parts, tools,
technical information. Well, this will what this will enable is
is effectively required those who bring stuff onto market, manufacturers
and importers to open that up, make that available. Obviously
(02:14):
you don't want, you know, particularly in safety critical stuff,
you don't want people sort of going off and trying
to do their own DIY. But but you make it
possible and make it easy access to safe repairs. And
then obviously for things out of warranty, you make it
even easier for people to fix stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
There's a cost in this though, isn't it The more
you have to do, the more I'm going to have
to pay as a punter.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So potentially, I mean, I think, you know, we are
already stepping into that space, right so we I think
where where there is a bit of an impact and
the customer can't sort it out, we as retailers already
doing that and then we're having to try and then
recover those costs for the manufacturer. We just have recent
case recently where it's just taken a year for us
to do that where we picked something for the customer
(02:57):
that said, you know, if the bill's done right, it
needn't do and if it's practical, proportionate and every and
particularly on those higher value products as well. They're making
it easier, would help help the consumer, help reduce waste,
help us drive better service, and obviously potentially even make
products ideally more repairable, so they could drive innovation as
(03:18):
well if it's done well.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
But doesn't most stuff crep that we buy and then
it breaks when we throw it out.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, look, I think I think there's that that I
think that I think there's there's some truth that I mean,
I think in reality, you know, stuff that's available is
you know, there's the stuff that's available for a range
of price points and and to suit different needs, and
it needs to be for purpose. I think what we'd
say about this bill is that, you know, it needs
to be proportionate and needs to really focus on those
(03:45):
things that are at the moment, it applies quite widely.
In most markets, For example, EU, it's predominantly electricals, and
I think, you know, I think you could have a
situation here where it's focused on those those those sort
of higher value items and maybe have a print based
approach outside of that to just make it easier for
things if people do want to repair. And I'm rightly
(04:08):
so in some cases.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
All right, Phil, go well with it. Appreciate it, Phil coming,
who's the gem of sustainability and ethical sourcing at the
Warehouse Group. All I know about that is that's going
nowhere because Marima dreamed it up and it's full of
fencible nonsense. I've got an old Audi and I've got
several parts I can't get for it because they don't
make them anymore. So does that bill cover this? Are
(04:29):
they going to suddenly make Audi in Germany produce parts
for a nineteen ninety three Audi?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Now?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Of course they're not, So why are we wasting our
time on this? For more from the Mike Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You might remember the Right to Repair bill. It's a
select committee stage and the Warehouse are weighing and looking
to push the Commis Commission to hold overseas manufacturers to
account now their claimers retailers are being stonewalled by overseas supplieres.
Phil Coming is the GM of Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing
from the Warehouse Group and he's with us. Phil, good
morning to you. Good morning make as a concept. Are
you into this or not? Really?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
We absolutely support the intent of the bill. We think
people every day key we should have be able to
fix the stuff when it breaks, when it goes wrong,
but not not just throw that out and buying you,
but put it to work. The rules need to be
fair and work for everyone. That means making sure manufacturers
do the bit, particularly those overseas that aren't here and
(00:43):
they don't get a three pass, and we have a
network of repairers here that can do the right job
safely and properly.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I think you've just outlined the various problems that the bill.
None of this is real. I mean the Commerce Commission
will have no control over accompanying at the back quarters
of China who made something that arrived in the country
that now doesn't work. I mean, who's listening to the
Commerce Commission anywhere outside of New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, that's right. I mean that the the the Commerce
Commission does have powers to act when manufacturers don't meet
their obligations. But in reality, as you rightly say, if
you if you've got a company based overseas, those those
consumers are left largely left sorting out, often turning to
retailers like us to help, which is why we need
to do need as clear a stronger rules to make
(01:26):
sure that those those companies are held accountable and those
those of us based here are picking up the PAP.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Say I buy something from you, and this law has passed,
and I want to repair it, and I bring it
back and I say, see this it's broken. Now, first
of all, I'm assuming the law will say you've got
to tell me how it's broken or why it's broken,
and you need part A, B C and screwed D
and then you need to source that is there. How
it's supposed to work.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So how it's supposed to work is is effectively you
know the rule that you've already got rights. Now repair
everyone's got repaired. Now we're the big gap is around parts, tools,
technical information. Well, this will what this will enable is
is effectively required those who bring stuff onto market, manufacturers
and importers to open that up, make that available. Obviously
(02:14):
you don't want, you know, particularly in safety critical stuff,
you don't want people sort of going off and trying
to do their own DIY. But but you make it
possible and make it easy access to safe repairs. And
then obviously for things out of warranty, you make it
even easier for people to fix stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
There's a cost in this though, isn't it The more
you have to do, the more I'm going to have
to pay as a punter.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So potentially, I mean, I think, you know, we are
already stepping into that space, right so we I think
where where there is a bit of an impact and
the customer can't sort it out, we as retailers already
doing that and then we're having to try and then
recover those costs for the manufacturer. We just have recent
case recently where it's just taken a year for us
to do that where we picked something for the customer
(02:57):
that said, you know, if the bill's done right, it
needn't do and if it's practical, proportionate and every and
particularly on those higher value products as well. They're making
it easier, would help help the consumer, help reduce waste,
help us drive better service, and obviously potentially even make
products ideally more repairable, so they could drive innovation as
(03:18):
well if it's done well.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
But doesn't most stuff crep that we buy and then
it breaks when we throw it out.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, look, I think I think there's that that I
think that I think there's there's some truth that I mean,
I think in reality, you know, stuff that's available is
you know, there's the stuff that's available for a range
of price points and and to suit different needs, and
it needs to be for purpose. I think what we'd
say about this bill is that, you know, it needs
to be proportionate and needs to really focus on those
(03:45):
things that are at the moment, it applies quite widely.
In most markets, For example, EU, it's predominantly electricals, and
I think, you know, I think you could have a
situation here where it's focused on those those those sort
of higher value items and maybe have a print based
approach outside of that to just make it easier for
things if people do want to repair. And I'm rightly
(04:08):
so in some cases.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
All right, Phil, go well with it. Appreciate it, Phil coming,
who's the gem of sustainability and ethical sourcing at the
Warehouse Group. All I know about that is that's going
nowhere because Marima dreamed it up and it's full of
fencible nonsense. I've got an old Audi and I've got
several parts I can't get for it because they don't
make them anymore. So does that bill cover this? Are
(04:29):
they going to suddenly make Audi in Germany produce parts
for a nineteen ninety three Audi?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Now?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Of course they're not, So why are we wasting our
time on this? For more from the Mike Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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