Model F Labs: Difference between revisions
restore sourced material scrubbed by a day-old single-purpose account (rev 55388/55390); re-embed warranty + wear scans removed under a pretextual "dmca" summary; forum/social reports kept but attributed and footnoted as unverified community reports; re-source dead journalism cites; drop promotional rewording |
add verbatim tos quote on cosmetic defects ("all buyers agree to accept cosmetic defects on all products"); add archive.org links to the eur-lex directives, the cjeu judgment, the commission guidance, and the pcmag source; citations re-audited and reachable |
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|Website=https://www.modelfkeyboards.com | |Website=https://www.modelfkeyboards.com | ||
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'''Model F Labs LLC''' is an American company, operating online as modelfkeyboards.com, that sells reproductions of [[wikipedia:IBM|IBM]] Model F and beam-spring mechanical keyboards.<ref name="extremetech">{{Cite web |title=The IBM Model F keyboard returns from a 30-year hiatus |url=https://www.extremetech.com/computing/252014-ibm-model-f-keyboard-returns-30-year-hiatus |publisher=ExtremeTech |date=2017-06-09 |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250526170002/https://www.extremetech.com/computing/252014-ibm-model-f-keyboard-returns-30-year-hiatus |archive-date=2025-05-26 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="store" /> Its Terms and Conditions declare that all sales are final, require buyers to accept cosmetic defects as standard, and furnish the limited warranty only after delivery or by mail-in request rather than before the sale.<ref name="ToS">{{Cite web |title=Terms and Conditions |url=https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/terms-and-conditions/ |publisher=Model F Labs |access-date=2026-06-01}} Archived at [https://megalodon.jp/2026-0406-0731-30/https://www.modelfkeyboards.com:443/terms-and-conditions/ megalodon.jp].</ref> Several of those terms conflict with mandatory European Union consumer protections that apply to distance sales and that cannot be waived to a buyer's detriment.<ref name="dir2019771-art21">{{Cite web |title=Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 21 (Mandatory nature) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> | '''Model F Labs LLC''' is an American company, operating online as modelfkeyboards.com, that sells reproductions of [[wikipedia:IBM|IBM]] Model F and beam-spring mechanical keyboards.<ref name="extremetech">{{Cite web |title=The IBM Model F keyboard returns from a 30-year hiatus |url=https://www.extremetech.com/computing/252014-ibm-model-f-keyboard-returns-30-year-hiatus |publisher=ExtremeTech |date=2017-06-09 |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250526170002/https://www.extremetech.com/computing/252014-ibm-model-f-keyboard-returns-30-year-hiatus |archive-date=2025-05-26 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="store" /> Its Terms and Conditions declare that all sales are final, require buyers to accept cosmetic defects as standard, and furnish the limited warranty only after delivery or by mail-in request rather than before the sale.<ref name="ToS">{{Cite web |title=Terms and Conditions |url=https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/terms-and-conditions/ |publisher=Model F Labs |access-date=2026-06-01}} Archived at [https://megalodon.jp/2026-0406-0731-30/https://www.modelfkeyboards.com:443/terms-and-conditions/ megalodon.jp].</ref> Several of those terms conflict with mandatory European Union consumer protections that apply to distance sales and that cannot be waived to a buyer's detriment.<ref name="dir2019771-art21">{{Cite web |title=Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 21 (Mandatory nature) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260518100525/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |archive-date=2026-05-18 |url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
The project was started by Joe Strandberg, known in keyboard communities as ''Ellipse'',<ref name="about">{{Cite web |title=About the Project |url=https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/about/ |publisher=Model F Labs |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> to recreate the buckling-spring keyboards IBM produced in the early 1980s.<ref name="pcmag">{{Cite web |title=Keyboard Enthusiast Sells Brand-New IBM Model F |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/keyboard-enthusiast-sells-brand-new-ibm-model-f |publisher=PCMag |date=2017-07-05 |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref><ref name="extremetech" /> | The project was started by Joe Strandberg, known in keyboard communities as ''Ellipse'',<ref name="about">{{Cite web |title=About the Project |url=https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/about/ |publisher=Model F Labs |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> to recreate the buckling-spring keyboards IBM produced in the early 1980s.<ref name="pcmag">{{Cite web |title=Keyboard Enthusiast Sells Brand-New IBM Model F |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/keyboard-enthusiast-sells-brand-new-ibm-model-f |publisher=PCMag |date=2017-07-05 |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250526062032/https://www.pcmag.com/news/keyboard-enthusiast-sells-brand-new-ibm-model-f |archive-date=2025-05-26 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="extremetech" /> | ||
==Consumer-impact summary== | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
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* The Terms and Conditions concede that finishes and surfaces wear down with use, sometimes exposing the bare metal underneath.<ref name="ToS" /> | * The Terms and Conditions concede that finishes and surfaces wear down with use, sometimes exposing the bare metal underneath.<ref name="ToS" /> | ||
* The homepage shows an order deadline set to the end of the month and presented as urgency to buyers.<ref name="homepage">{{Cite web |title=Model F Keyboards homepage |url=https://www.modelfkeyboards.com |publisher=Model F Labs |access-date=2026-06-01}} Archived at [https://megalodon.jp/2026-0406-0731-20/https://www.modelfkeyboards.com:443/ megalodon.jp].</ref> | * The homepage shows an order deadline set to the end of the month and presented as urgency to buyers.<ref name="homepage">{{Cite web |title=Model F Keyboards homepage |url=https://www.modelfkeyboards.com |publisher=Model F Labs |access-date=2026-06-01}} Archived at [https://megalodon.jp/2026-0406-0731-20/https://www.modelfkeyboards.com:443/ megalodon.jp].</ref> | ||
* For buyers in the EU, the no-returns policy and the absence of an upfront two-year guarantee conflict with the Consumer Rights Directive and the Sale of Goods Directive.<ref name="dir201183-art9">{{Cite web |title=Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 9 (Right of withdrawal) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0083 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref><ref name="dir2019771-art10">{{Cite web |title=Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 10 (Liability of the seller) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> | * For buyers in the EU, the no-returns policy and the absence of an upfront two-year guarantee conflict with the Consumer Rights Directive and the Sale of Goods Directive.<ref name="dir201183-art9">{{Cite web |title=Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 9 (Right of withdrawal) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0083 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601063459/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0083 |archive-date=2026-06-01 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="dir2019771-art10">{{Cite web |title=Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 10 (Liability of the seller) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260518100525/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |archive-date=2026-05-18 |url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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===Finish wear and the company's response=== | ===Finish wear and the company's response=== | ||
[[File:Model f labs wear.jpg|thumb|Finish wear reported on a Model F Labs F62 case, which the buyer who posted the photo said appeared after roughly nine months of use. The image is a community forum report.<ref name="forumnote" />]] | [[File:Model f labs wear.jpg|thumb|Finish wear reported on a Model F Labs F62 case, which the buyer who posted the photo said appeared after roughly nine months of use. The image is a community forum report.<ref name="forumnote" />]] | ||
Model F Labs' Terms and Conditions | Model F Labs' Terms and Conditions require buyers to accept cosmetic flaws as a condition of sale: ''"All buyers agree to accept cosmetic defects on all products."''<ref name="ToS" /> The listed examples include chips, scuffs, lost or missing paint, scratches, and gouges, and the terms add that keyboard finishes and surfaces will wear down over time with usage, ''"sometimes exposing the bare metal material."''<ref name="ToS" /> The same terms state that such cosmetic defects are not considered ''"non-conforming"''.<ref name="ToS" /> | ||
Rather than treating wear as a defect to be remedied, the Terms and Conditions tell buyers that each keyboard is powder-coated or anodized and direct them to buy their own touch-up paint, naming ordinary paint-store touch-up paint or Birchwood Casey Aluminum Touch Up to ''"improve any issues"''.<ref name="ToS" /> | Rather than treating wear as a defect to be remedied, the Terms and Conditions tell buyers that each keyboard is powder-coated or anodized and direct them to buy their own touch-up paint, naming ordinary paint-store touch-up paint or Birchwood Casey Aluminum Touch Up to ''"improve any issues"''.<ref name="ToS" /> | ||
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For distance contracts, Directive 2011/83/EU gives consumers a right of withdrawal. Article 9(1) provides that, save where the Article 16 exceptions apply, ''"the consumer shall have a period of 14 days to withdraw from a distance or off-premises contract, without giving any reason."''<ref name="dir201183-art9" /> The company's ''"all sales are final"'' term offers no such withdrawal window.<ref name="ToS" /> | For distance contracts, Directive 2011/83/EU gives consumers a right of withdrawal. Article 9(1) provides that, save where the Article 16 exceptions apply, ''"the consumer shall have a period of 14 days to withdraw from a distance or off-premises contract, without giving any reason."''<ref name="dir201183-art9" /> The company's ''"all sales are final"'' term offers no such withdrawal window.<ref name="ToS" /> | ||
The directive also requires that goods conform to what was agreed and to objective standards. Under Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 7, a seller is not liable for a deviation from objective conformity only where the consumer was specifically informed of that deviation and ''"separately"'' and expressly accepted it when concluding the contract.<ref name="dir2019771-art7">{{Cite web |title=Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 7 (Objective requirements for conformity) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> Model F Labs' acceptance of cosmetic defects is set out in the Terms and Conditions rather than as a separate, express acceptance at checkout.<ref name="ToS" /> | The directive also requires that goods conform to what was agreed and to objective standards. Under Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 7, a seller is not liable for a deviation from objective conformity only where the consumer was specifically informed of that deviation and ''"separately"'' and expressly accepted it when concluding the contract.<ref name="dir2019771-art7">{{Cite web |title=Directive (EU) 2019/771, Article 7 (Objective requirements for conformity) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260518100525/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771 |archive-date=2026-05-18 |url-status=live}}</ref> Model F Labs' acceptance of cosmetic defects is set out in the Terms and Conditions rather than as a separate, express acceptance at checkout.<ref name="ToS" /> | ||
====Article 16(c): made-to-order exemption==== | ====Article 16(c): made-to-order exemption==== | ||
Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 16(c) lets Member States withhold the right of withdrawal for ''"the supply of goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised."''<ref name="dir201183-art16">{{Cite web |title=Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 16 (Exceptions from the right of withdrawal) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0083 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> Whether that exemption reaches a reproduction keyboard chosen from a fixed set of catalog options, such as a predefined layout, case color, or keycap set, is a contested legal question. The European Commission's guidance on the directive treats the exemption as covering non-prefabricated goods made on the basis of an individual choice by the consumer, such as tailor-made curtains.<ref name="ec-guidance">{{Cite web |title=Commission Notice: Guidance on the interpretation and application of Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights (2021/C 525/01) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021XC1229(04) |publisher=European Commission / EUR-Lex |date=2021-12-29 |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> In Case C-529/19 (''Möbel Kraft''), the Court of Justice held that the exemption applies from the moment the contract is concluded, regardless of whether the trader has begun manufacturing, but the case concerned goods made to a customer's specifications.<ref name="mobel-kraft">{{Cite web |title=Judgment in Case C-529/19, Möbel Kraft GmbH & Co. KG v ML |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62019CJ0529 |publisher=EUR-Lex / Court of Justice of the European Union |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> | Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 16(c) lets Member States withhold the right of withdrawal for ''"the supply of goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised."''<ref name="dir201183-art16">{{Cite web |title=Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 16 (Exceptions from the right of withdrawal) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0083 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260601063459/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0083 |archive-date=2026-06-01 |url-status=live}}</ref> Whether that exemption reaches a reproduction keyboard chosen from a fixed set of catalog options, such as a predefined layout, case color, or keycap set, is a contested legal question. The European Commission's guidance on the directive treats the exemption as covering non-prefabricated goods made on the basis of an individual choice by the consumer, such as tailor-made curtains.<ref name="ec-guidance">{{Cite web |title=Commission Notice: Guidance on the interpretation and application of Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights (2021/C 525/01) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021XC1229(04) |publisher=European Commission / EUR-Lex |date=2021-12-29 |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260227125605/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021XC1229(04) |archive-date=2026-02-27 |url-status=live}}</ref> In Case C-529/19 (''Möbel Kraft''), the Court of Justice held that the exemption applies from the moment the contract is concluded, regardless of whether the trader has begun manufacturing, but the case concerned goods made to a customer's specifications.<ref name="mobel-kraft">{{Cite web |title=Judgment in Case C-529/19, Möbel Kraft GmbH & Co. KG v ML |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62019CJ0529 |publisher=EUR-Lex / Court of Justice of the European Union |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225013420/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62019CJ0529 |archive-date=2026-02-25 |url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
====The two-year guarantee that cannot be waived==== | ====The two-year guarantee that cannot be waived==== | ||
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====CE marking==== | ====CE marking==== | ||
A mechanical keyboard is electronic equipment, which brings it within EU harmonized product rules. The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2014/30/EU applies to apparatus liable to cause or be affected by electromagnetic disturbance.<ref name="emc">{{Cite web |title=Directive 2014/30/EU (Electromagnetic Compatibility) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014L0030 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2011/65/EU restricts substances such as lead and mercury in electrical and electronic equipment, and CE marking is required to show compliance.<ref name="rohs">{{Cite web |title=Directive 2011/65/EU (Restriction of Hazardous Substances, RoHS) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0065 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01}}</ref> | A mechanical keyboard is electronic equipment, which brings it within EU harmonized product rules. The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2014/30/EU applies to apparatus liable to cause or be affected by electromagnetic disturbance.<ref name="emc">{{Cite web |title=Directive 2014/30/EU (Electromagnetic Compatibility) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014L0030 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260425132526/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014L0030 |archive-date=2026-04-25 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2011/65/EU restricts substances such as lead and mercury in electrical and electronic equipment, and CE marking is required to show compliance.<ref name="rohs">{{Cite web |title=Directive 2011/65/EU (Restriction of Hazardous Substances, RoHS) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0065 |publisher=EUR-Lex |access-date=2026-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260423064044/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0065 |archive-date=2026-04-23 |url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
<!-- INCIDENT_SCORE: EU consumer-law shortfalls | 38 | Multiple of the company's written terms ("all sales are final," cosmetic-defect acceptance, no upfront warranty) conflict with primary EU directive text (withdrawal, non-waivable two-year guarantee, CE marking); no enforcement action documented, so the harm is established on legal text and the company's own terms rather than a regulator's finding. --> | <!-- INCIDENT_SCORE: EU consumer-law shortfalls | 38 | Multiple of the company's written terms ("all sales are final," cosmetic-defect acceptance, no upfront warranty) conflict with primary EU directive text (withdrawal, non-waivable two-year guarantee, CE marking); no enforcement action documented, so the harm is established on legal text and the company's own terms rather than a regulator's finding. --> | ||