Confused😩😩😩

Smokey2016
Smokey2016 Posts: 23 Forumite
in Mobiles
I have been looking on the web about rooting / jailbreaking of mobile phones and voiding of statutory warranties.

Some people say yes it is illegal, some people not.

Then I came across this
DIRECTIVE 1999/44/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

This seems to imply that as long a phone was bought within the eu and you live in eu, then it is legal, as long as you done harm the hardware to make a fault.

Now I am well confused.

Please can you help

Comments

  • Frozen_up_north
    Frozen_up_north Posts: 2,420 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    Loading pirate firmware will void the warranty, legal, or not. Plus you are at significant risk of malware that the manufacturers firmware is generally updated to minimise.
  • almillar
    almillar Posts: 8,621 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Er, it's not pirate firmware (implying stolen), simply unofficial.
    You'll have warranty problems, but it's perfectly legal to root or jaibreak your own phone, and/or install unofficial firmware. I don't do it until my warranty's up.
    Any manufacturer could claim that unofficial ROMs could damage the phone, for example by running the processor too fast and overheating.
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Op i can tell you that the warranty check list usually asks has the phone been rooted or non stock firmware installed .

    <<
    DIRECTIVE 1999/44/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

    This seems to imply that as long a phone was bought within the eu and you live in eu, then it is legal, as long as you done harm the hardware to make a fault.

    >>

    As to this directive you usually find that the manufacturer will reject it under their warranty terms and conditions .
    Your consumer rights would be against the vendor .

    But the biggest problem with rooting/ custom roms is users refusing to read the instructions and potentially bricking the phone .

    There has to be a valid reason to root a phone as it does nothing itself .
  • wunferall
    wunferall Posts: 845 Forumite
    If you look at the various resources aiding or discussing the rooting of phones you will see that they very often recommend keeping a backup original firmware of the phone which you should reinstall before returning if warranty work becomes necessary.
    The rooting/jailbreaking of phones is not illegal but as has been said, you will usually find that a manufacturer will reject any claim under warranty if non-original firmware is used.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    I can't see how it could possibly be illegal or invalidate your warranty. If you have problems, just unroot the phone before returning it for repair/replacement.
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,572 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    esuhl wrote: »
    I can't see how it could possibly be illegal or invalidate your warranty. If you have problems, just unroot the phone before returning it for repair/replacement.
    Unless the problem makes it impossible to operate the phone sufficiently to unroot it..?
    Evolution, not revolution
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    eDicky wrote: »
    Unless the problem makes it impossible to operate the phone sufficiently to unroot it..?

    Fair point. But it's rare to completely brick a phone just by rooting it. I guess there's a chance that a warranty might be invalidated if you can't unroot it. However, I'd be surprised if it affected your statutory rights.

    It doesn't really matter whether it's legal or not. It's your phone and (risk of voiding a warranty notwithstanding) you can do what you like with it.

    Rooting is just like enabling UAC in Windows, or adding a user with Administrator rights. It's part of the basic functionality of the hardware to allow you to do this.
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