Roborock: Difference between revisions

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'''[[wikipedia:Roborock|Roborock]]''' is a prominent Chinese manufacturer of robotic vacuum cleaners founded by Richard Chang in July 2014 that offers users an app to control and monitor their devices.<ref name="about" />

==Consumer impact summary==

{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):

* User Freedom

* User Privacy

* Business Model

* Market Control}}

==Anti-consumer practices==

===Inaccessibility of Repair Parts and Anti-Repair Practices===

Roborock restricts access to repair parts, schematics, and documentation for out-of-warranty products. Consumers and even professional repair technicians have reported substantial difficulty sourcing critical components, effectively rendering repairs impossible or unreliable.

====Case Example – Roborock S7 Max-V Power Supply Board Failure:====

Following a power surge during a storm, a consumer's Roborock S7 Max-V robotic vacuum (retail value approximately $1,000) suffered a failure of its dock power supply board. Despite being a relatively simple electronics issue, the user encountered the following obstacles:

*No Official Support for Out-of-Warranty Repairs: Roborock does not sell replacement parts to consumers

*No Access to schematics or pin-out documentation

*Global parts scarcity and regional lockout: OEM parts must often be sourced from Chinese vendors via unofficial channels, with no guarantee of compatibility or full feature support (e.g., drawing/map functions or pin-outs for daughter boards)

*Well established repair centers also blocked: Even specialized robotic vacuum repair centers in the United States have acknowledged they are unable to obtain these parts through any official channel

====Broader Implications:====

This reflects a growing trend in consumer electronics where manufacturers:

*Lock down access to internal components

*Fail to support long-term maintainability of products

*Push customers toward full replacement over repair (even for minor failures)

====Result:====

Customers are forced to either discard a high-value device due to a single point of failure or resort to sourcing questionable aftermarket parts (undermining both sustainability and consumer rights).

===Spam===

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It is possible to operate some of their vacuum robots with alternative firmware [https://valetudo.cloud/ Valetudo]. This voids the warranty, may require small modifications to the device depending on the model and may disable some features, but allows them to be used and controlled in a privacy friendly manner without internet access or connecting to Roborock's cloud.

==Products==

=References=

[[Category:Roborock]]

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 '''[[wikipedia:Roborock|Roborock]]''' is a prominent Chinese manufacturer of robotic vacuum cleaners founded by Richard Chang in July 2014 that offers users an app to control and monitor their devices.<ref name="about" />
+==Consumer impact summary==
+{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):
+* User Freedom
+* User Privacy
+* Business Model
+* Market Control}}
 ==Anti-consumer practices==
+===Inaccessibility of Repair Parts and Anti-Repair Practices===
+Roborock restricts access to repair parts, schematics, and documentation for out-of-warranty products. Consumers and even professional repair technicians have reported substantial difficulty sourcing critical components, effectively rendering repairs impossible or unreliable.
+====Case Example – Roborock S7 Max-V Power Supply Board Failure:====
+Following a power surge during a storm, a consumer's Roborock S7 Max-V robotic vacuum (retail value approximately $1,000) suffered a failure of its dock power supply board. Despite being a relatively simple electronics issue, the user encountered the following obstacles:
+*No Official Support for Out-of-Warranty Repairs: Roborock does not sell replacement parts to consumers
+*No Access to schematics or pin-out documentation
+*Global parts scarcity and regional lockout: OEM parts must often be sourced from Chinese vendors via unofficial channels, with no guarantee of compatibility or full feature support (e.g., drawing/map functions or pin-outs for daughter boards)
+*Well established repair centers also blocked: Even specialized robotic vacuum repair centers in the United States have acknowledged they are unable to obtain these parts through any official channel
+====Broader Implications:====
+This reflects a growing trend in consumer electronics where manufacturers:
+*Lock down access to internal components
+*Fail to support long-term maintainability of products
+*Push customers toward full replacement over repair (even for minor failures)
+====Result:====
+Customers are forced to either discard a high-value device due to a single point of failure or resort to sourcing questionable aftermarket parts (undermining both sustainability and consumer rights).
 ===Spam===
@@ Line 40: / Line 68: @@
 It is possible to operate some of their vacuum robots with alternative firmware [https://valetudo.cloud/ Valetudo]. This voids the warranty, may require small modifications to the device depending on the model and may disable some features, but allows them to be used and controlled in a privacy friendly manner without internet access or connecting to Roborock's cloud.
+==Products==
 =References=
 <references />
 [[Category:Roborock]]