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Louis Rossmann
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Louis Anthony Rossmann (/ˈluːɪs ˈæntəni ˈrɒsmən/) (born November 19, 1988)[2][primary 1] is an American independent electronics technician, YouTuber, and consumer rights activist. He is the owner and operator of Rossmann Repair Group in Austin, Texas (formerly New York City), a computer repair shop established in 2007 which specializes in logic board-level repair of MacBooks. He also started the Repair Preservation Group, a non-profit organization advocating for the right to repair.

Key Information

Rossmann operates a YouTube channel that began with showcases and live-streams of his repairs as an educational resource. He has since shifted its focus to consumer rights and right to repair, along with videos on life, business practices and real estate. He also owns a channel on Odysee, which mirrors the content on his YouTube channel.[3] Rossmann has actively campaigned for right to repair legislation to be passed in multiple city and state legislatures. In August 2022, Rossmann announced his move to Austin, Texas, to work for tech independence organization FUTO; his repair business followed in 2023.[4]

Campaigns

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Criticism of Apple

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On October 8, 2018, CBC News ran an investigative piece on Apple's business practices surrounding repair of their devices. They went undercover in an Apple Store with a malfunctioning MacBook Pro looking for a quote on repair. They explained that the screen was simply black, and they could not see anything on it. The Apple Store quoted a customer in their undercover video $1,200 for a logic board replacement, explaining that the liquid contact indicators (LCIs) had been triggered, which would only happen if they had been in contact with any type of liquid. They concluded the whole logic board needed to be swapped out, in addition to the top case.[5] When the machine was taken to Rossmann's repair shop, Rossmann explained that there was no liquid damage, and that simple room humidity likely set off the LCIs. He also explained that a pin that connected the MacBook Pro's backlight was simply not seated properly. After seating the pin properly, the MacBook Pro was seen working again. Rossmann explained his repair shop would likely not charge for simply re-seating the backlight pin.[6] He has also spoken and testified in right to repair hearings in Boston,[7] Maine,[8] Washington state,[9] and Nebraska.[10] Rossmann has criticized the design of the third-generation MacBook Air. He notes that the fan is not positioned above the CPU, nor connected to it via any radiator circuit, calling it a "placebo fan" which can easily lead to overheating and damage.[11][12]

In July 2021, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak endorsed Rossmann's right-to-repair efforts and called for open sourcing in a Cameo video requested by Rossmann. Wozniak spoke about how electronic devices used to come with schematics, allowing anyone with the expertise to repair, if not improve, their devices, and credited this openness for the success of the Apple II.[13][14][15] In January 2025, Rossmann founded the Consumer Action Taskforce Wiki, later renamed to the Consumer Rights Wiki, as a means to document consumer rights violations for the general public and consumers to read.[16][17]

Other campaigns and organization

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Rossmann has also appeared in right to repair campaigns related to farming machinery in Nebraska in March 2020.[18] He was initially completely against any restrictions by companies on farmers from repairing their equipment (which might have resulted in voiding the equipment's warranty). However, Rossmann later admitted that his opinions were not completely correct due to a lack of expertise in farming machinery; this came after he received mail from a John Deere employee stating how allowing farmers to tune their tractors can result in harm to themselves and possible violation of environmental laws.[19]

In March 2021, Rossmann started a crowdfunding campaign on the GoFundMe platform, with the goal of raising $6 million to start a direct ballot initiative protecting consumer right to repair in the state of Massachusetts, citing previous similar successes in the automotive industry.[20] As of September 2025, the campaign has raised over $790,000.[15]

In order to help right to repair efforts, he created the Repair Preservation Group,[21][22] a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.[23] The organization's efforts are mainly concentrated in spreading the word about the right to repair and publishing documentation on an online wiki for repairing devices.[24] Rossmann also directs the Repair Preservation Group Action Fund,[25] which is another 501(c)(4) non-profit that actively lobbies for the passing of right to repair legislations.[26]

Clippy profile picture

[edit]

On August 8, 2025, Rossmann uploaded a video encouraging internet users to change their profile pictures to an image of Clippy as a form of silent protest against unethical conduct by technology companies,[27] such as mining personal data for the training of artificial intelligence programs or its sale to data brokers, planned obsolescence, censorship, or the use of ransomware. Clippy, in contrast, was seen by Rossmann as a harmless virtual assistant that only wanted to be helpful.[28][29][30]

Notable videos

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On October 18, 2018, Rossmann uploaded a video entitled "Apple & Customs STOLE my batteries, that they won't even provide to AASPs."[31] In the video, Rossmann explained that U.S. Customs seized his package containing 20 Apple MacBook batteries, worth US$1,068 (equivalent to $1,337 in 2024), labeling them as counterfeit goods.[32] He claims the sole reason for the seizure was that the batteries he was importing bore Apple's trademark, and feels it is retribution for the CBC News piece, as Rossmann had been importing MacBook batteries for years without incident until shortly after the CBC story was published.[33][34]

In 2018, Rossmann testified as a witness in a lawsuit from Apple towards an independent smartphone repair shop owner in Norway, Henrik Huseby, regarding the right to repair and authorized smartphone parts. The Norwegian court originally sided with Huseby but ruled in favor of Apple in 2019 after an appeal hearing showed Huseby had been using counterfeit parts.[35][primary 1] On June 5, 2019, Rossmann posted a video on YouTube where he appeared as a key witness in the case.[36][primary 1] In a June 29 video, he explained that the case ended with the court ruling in favor of Apple Inc. as the repair shop in question was using counterfeit parts, a detail Rossmann claims he was not aware of before testifying.[37]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Louis Rossmann

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from Grokipedia
Louis Rossmann is an American electronics technician, YouTuber, and consumer rights activist specializing in the repair of Apple logic boards and advocacy for right-to-repair policies that oppose manufacturer-imposed restrictions on independent servicing. He founded Rossmann Repair Group in 2009 to address deficiencies in component-level repair options for Apple products, growing it into a business that provides training and services for technicians. Through his YouTube channel, Rossmann documents repair techniques, critiques corporate repair monopolies, and shares testimonies from legislative hearings on right-to-repair bills across various U.S. states, contributing to increased public awareness of issues like parts pairing and software locks that hinder repairs. He has co-founded the FULU Foundation to promote digital ownership rights and served as president of its U.S. branch, while also leading the Repair Preservation Group to lobby for legislative changes enabling access to diagnostics, parts, and tools. Rossmann's efforts have included keynote speeches on repair rights and initiatives to document consumer rights violations by manufacturers, emphasizing empirical challenges faced by independent shops due to proprietary barriers rather than safety concerns. His work highlights causal links between restricted repairs and accelerated e-waste, as well as economic incentives for consumers and small businesses to favor durable, fixable devices over planned obsolescence.

Early Life

Childhood and Initial Interest in Electronics

Louis Rossmann was born in 1988 and raised in Staten Island, New York. He grew up influenced by his grandfather, Jack Rossmann, a machinist in the South Bronx who repaired abandoned buildings during the 1970s crack epidemic and taught neighborhood children practical problem-solving skills, instilling in Louis an early appreciation for hands-on fixing and self-reliance. In his late teens, Rossmann developed an interest in audio engineering, securing work at a New York recording studio around age 17 because he aspired to become a recording engineer. During this period, after losing his job at the studio, he purchased a broken MacBook with a damaged screen from eBay to support a recording project; he successfully repaired it without formal training and sold the device for $250, recognizing the potential for repair work as a practical outlet. This experience marked his initial foray into electronics repair, focusing first on simpler tasks like screen replacements, which he completed in about 25 minutes for $175—far quicker and cheaper than Apple's $750 fee and two-week turnaround at the time. Rossmann's early repairs were self-taught, drawing on personal experimentation with personal devices rather than structured education or mentorship in electronics specifically, though his grandfather's ethos of addressing tangible problems shaped his approach to troubleshooting hardware issues methodically. By fixing gadgets for his own needs, such as the MacBook for audio work, he built foundational skills in disassembly, component handling, and basic diagnostics, transitioning from audio interests to viewing repair as a viable, problem-solving pursuit in the mid-2000s.

Professional Career

Entry into Repair Work

Rossmann's entry into professional electronics repair occurred around 2008, when, at age 17, he purchased a broken-screen MacBook Pro from eBay while working at a recording studio in New York. After repairing it himself, he sold the device for a $250 profit in about 15 minutes, recognizing the potential for repair as a viable pursuit following the loss of his studio job, which had paid $450–$600 monthly. He transitioned to freelance work, initially specializing in screen replacements and charging $175 for 25-minute fixes—far undercutting Apple's $750 fee and two-week turnaround—while performing services at customers' homes or in improvised setups, such as Herald Square Park using extension cords for power. Self-taught through relentless practice, including late-night sessions until 3 a.m. and iterative experimentation on salvaged devices (buying, fixing, sometimes destroying, and retrying), Rossmann developed proficiency in soldering, diagnostics, and component-level techniques, supplemented by informal mentorship from other technicians. Practical challenges abounded, including restricted access to proprietary parts from manufacturers like Apple, which limited independent repairs and forced reliance on aftermarket or scavenged components. The New York repair scene was rife with scams, where shops advertised in-house work but outsourced to a single facility or overseas, eroding customer trust and highlighting a market gap for transparent, local service. Rossmann addressed common Apple product failures, such as liquid damage and logic board malfunctions, through hands-on diagnostics that emphasized root-cause identification over superficial fixes. These experiences underscored systemic barriers imposed by design choices and parts policies, foreshadowing his later scrutiny of industry practices.

Founding of Rossmann Repair Group

Rossmann Repair Group was established by Louis Rossmann in 2009 in New York City, initially as a solo repair operation specializing in component-level fixes for Apple products, particularly MacBooks, amid a dearth of such services from authorized providers. Rossmann initiated the venture after briefly working at a retail repair store where he observed practices of inflated pricing, prompting him to prioritize affordable, high-volume repairs focused on logic board issues like liquid damage. The operational model centered on transparency and customer-facing processes, with repairs conducted on-site and often visible to clients to foster trust, alongside free estimates and no diagnostic fees to eliminate hidden costs. Pricing was structured upfront and fairly, independent of customer demographics, with warranties of one year on most repairs to underscore reliability, enabling direct competition against manufacturer replacement policies that often exceeded $700–$1,200 for similar issues. Parts were sourced from vetted vendors and stocked in-house for rapid turnaround, avoiding outsourcing delays. From its solo origins, the group scaled into a structured enterprise by recruiting and training additional technicians through proprietary guides and live classes, standardizing workflows to handle increased volume efficiently while maintaining component-level expertise. This expansion supported profitability via streamlined direct-to-consumer services, including mail-in options, without reliance on intermediaries.

Business Expansion and Challenges

Following a surge in visibility from a 2018 CBC segment, Rossmann Repair Group expanded rapidly from 4-5 employees to 12-16 technicians, enabling higher-volume component-level repairs such as logic board fixes for MacBooks. This scaling incorporated standardized protocols, including flat-rate pricing for diagnostics and repairs completed in 2-5 days, which streamlined operations and reduced per-unit costs by minimizing diagnostic variability and outsourcing. Rossmann also produced educational videos on repair techniques to address industry knowledge gaps, fostering internal efficiency and technician training without reliance on proprietary manufacturer documentation. Manufacturer restrictions on access to genuine parts and schematics posed significant hurdles, forcing the business to source components through alternative channels, which elevated expenses and complicated supply chain reliability. These barriers, particularly from Apple, limited scalability by increasing procurement risks and turnaround dependencies on gray-market suppliers. Rossmann has publicly acknowledged operational missteps during expansion, including overstocking parts that risked financial instability akin to a "self-imposed Ponzi scheme" due to tied-up capital, and timing a shop remodel just before COVID-19 shutdowns, which strained cash flow amid a $20,000 weekly payroll. Early financial pressures, such as inability to cover utility bills leading to months of cold showers, highlighted misjudgments in buffering against demand fluctuations and high fixed costs like $4,000 monthly rent for expanded facilities. These experiences underscored lessons in prudent inventory management and avoiding over-reliance on low-margin, labor-intensive repairs without diversified revenue streams.

YouTube Presence

Channel Launch and Growth

Rossmann established his YouTube channel in 2011, with early videos focused on demonstrating component-level electronics repairs to empower viewers with practical skills. The channel's growth accelerated through a strategy of frequent uploads, including detailed repair walkthroughs and live-streamed sessions, which provided transparent, educational content distinguishing it from more superficial tech reviews prevalent at the time. By January 2022, the channel had amassed 1.7 million subscribers, reflecting sustained engagement from consistent content production averaging multiple videos per week. Subscriber numbers continued to expand, surpassing 2.4 million by mid-2025, driven by algorithmic promotion of high-retention repair demonstrations that appealed to viewers interested in self-sufficiency. This trajectory marked a departure from slower-growing repair channels, as Rossmann's emphasis on real-time problem-solving and tool usage fostered repeat viewership and community interaction via comments and forums. Monetization derived primarily from YouTube ad revenue, occasional sponsorships, and customer referrals to Rossmann's repair services, where video viewers often sent devices for professional handling. To counter platform dependency and potential content restrictions, Rossmann mirrored videos on Odysee, ensuring archival access and distribution resilience. The audience, largely comprising hobbyist technicians and individuals deterred by manufacturer repair fees, contributed to organic growth through shares and discussions on repair feasibility.

Content Focus and Style

Rossmann's YouTube channel centers on practical repair tutorials for Apple products, with a heavy emphasis on MacBook logic board diagnostics and fixes for issues like power failures and design-induced crashes. These videos showcase real-time disassembly, testing, and reassembly processes, prioritizing empirical evidence from failed units to illustrate repair feasibility. Interwoven among them are segments offering business operational advice for independent repair technicians, analyses of New York City commercial real estate market distortions, and exposés on corporate tactics that obstruct consumer access to parts and tools. The content's educational core lies in deconstructing hardware malfunctions through sequential causal analysis, such as linking adhesive hinge designs to flex cable wear or inadequate thermal dissipation to GPU degradation, thereby equipping viewers with the reasoning to troubleshoot beyond superficial symptoms. This approach contrasts with manufacturer service models by revealing root causes verifiable via multimeter readings and visual inspections, fostering self-reliance in repairs. Rossmann employs a forthright, unvarnished delivery style, filming amid active workbench operations with minimal editing to capture authentic problem-solving flows, which underscores the labor-intensive reality of repairs over stylized narratives. This raw format, coupled with pointed critiques of industry obfuscation, delivers unfiltered insights into systemic barriers like proprietary diagnostics, enhancing the videos' credibility through transparency rather than gloss.

Notable Videos and Series

Rossmann's "Practical Board Repair School" series provides in-depth tutorials on advanced logic board repair techniques, including live sessions and demonstrations conducted by Rossmann and his team. These videos emphasize hands-on methods for diagnosing and fixing motherboard failures in devices like MacBooks, drawing from the Rossmann Repair Group's training curriculum, which has been publicly shared as a 167-slide guide since at least 2018. The series targets aspiring technicians, highlighting challenges such as component-level soldering and troubleshooting without proprietary tools. Several videos expose design flaws in consumer electronics, particularly Apple's products. In a 2023 upload titled "Apple's soldered-in SSDs are engineered in the worst way possible," Rossmann demonstrates the difficulties of replacing storage modules due to soldering, arguing it hinders user upgrades and independent repairs. A follow-up video addresses fan reactions to this critique, underscoring debates over repairability. Earlier content, such as repairs involving adhesive strips in iMac Pros, illustrates removal techniques for otherwise "unfixable" components, often using third-party tools. Rossmann has produced reflective content on business pitfalls, offering candid analyses of entrepreneurial errors. The 2019 video "Why my old business failed, how to not be a stupid failure like Louis Rossmann" details specific missteps from his early ventures, such as over-reliance on inefficient tools and poor scaling decisions, presented as lessons for viewers. This is part of a broader playlist on "Things I was wrong about," which includes admissions of past overconfidence in repair strategies. A 2023 stream titled "reflections on a decade and a half of failure" extends this introspection, reviewing long-term patterns in his repair operations.

Right-to-Repair Advocacy

Legislative Campaigns and Testimonies

Rossmann provided oral testimony at the Massachusetts State House right-to-repair hearing on October 22, 2019, advocating for mandated access to parts, tools, and diagnostics from manufacturers to enable independent repairs and curb excessive device discards. He testified in support of Washington Senate Bill 5799 on January 22, 2020, contending that restricted repair information stifles small businesses and compels consumers toward costly replacements rather than fixes, framing the legislation as essential for challenging corporate monopolies on post-sale service. On February 1, 2021, Rossmann submitted written testimony for Maryland Senate Bill 412, asserting that independent repair shops address surging demand unmet by slow, expensive authorized services—such as $1,500 fees for devices originally priced at $2,000—and prevent e-waste accumulation, noting that producing one computer requires 1.5 tons of water, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 530 pounds of fossil fuels, with improper disposal risking lead contamination. His persistent lobbying influenced New York's Digital Fair Repair Act (S8923A/A9003), enacted December 28, 2022, which obligates electronics makers to supply documentation, parts, and software updates to third-party repairers without discrimination, though Rossmann later highlighted loopholes allowing manufacturers to withhold certain tools. In a July 19, 2025, appearance before a U.S. Senate committee, Rossmann detailed tactics like parts pairing—where software rejects non-OEM components—as deliberate barriers inflating repair expenses and accelerating obsolescence, forcing consumers to discard functional hardware and amplifying electronic waste volumes. Rossmann broadened advocacy coalitions by linking electronics repair restrictions to parallel struggles, such as farmers circumventing John Deere software locks on tractors via unauthorized modifications and gamers confronting proprietary console servicing that discourages longevity, collectively illustrating how planned obsolescence imposes inefficient resource churn and elevates societal costs beyond consumer electronics.

Establishment of Fulu Foundation

The FULU Foundation was co-founded in 2025 by Louis Rossmann, an electronics technician and right-to-repair advocate, and Kevin O'Reilly, a legislative strategist in the consumer rights movement, with Rossmann serving as president and O'Reilly as executive director. The organization was publicly announced on June 5, 2025, through a video by Rossmann emphasizing the need to combat the erosion of consumer ownership over purchased products. Unlike ad-hoc campaigns, FULU was structured as a nonprofit to institutionalize long-term advocacy, drawing initial resources from Rossmann's personal contributions and public donations to sustain operations independent of short-term funding cycles. FULU's initial mandate extends consumer rights advocacy beyond physical repairs to encompass digital ownership, specifically targeting restrictive practices such as firmware locks that prevent independent modifications and software restrictions that render devices inoperable post-purchase. The foundation aims to challenge anti-repair clauses in manufacturer warranties through targeted litigation, arguing these provisions unlawfully condition product usability on authorized service. This focus addresses causal barriers to ownership, where proprietary controls—rather than mere hardware degradation—force premature obsolescence, as evidenced by cases of server-dependent appliances becoming bricked. To differentiate from prior efforts, FULU emphasizes knowledge preservation via the Consumer Rights Wiki, a centralized repository for documenting anti-ownership tactics and legal precedents, alongside coalition-building for broader legal reforms like DMCA exemptions. Early activities included educational outreach on warranty voids tied to third-party repairs and preparatory work for lawsuits against firmware-enforced monopolies on service. Funding relies on grassroots donations and Rossmann's network, avoiding corporate dependencies to maintain independence in pursuing systemic changes.

Impact on Policy and Industry

Rossmann's advocacy has coincided with the passage of state right-to-repair laws aimed at mandating manufacturer provision of parts, tools, and documentation for consumer electronics repairs. New York's Digital Fair Repair Act, signed December 28, 2022, requires such access for devices manufactured after July 1, 2023, marking one of the first comprehensive digital electronics measures in the U.S. Industry adaptations include Apple's Self Service Repair program, launched November 17, 2021, which provides genuine parts, tools, and manuals for iPhone, Mac, and other devices in response to mounting repair access pressures. Critics, however, contend the program falls short by charging premium prices for parts—often 2-3 times independent market rates—and limiting tool rentals to experienced users, thereby hindering broad independent repair viability. These policy shifts show potential for quantifiable environmental gains, as right-to-repair facilitation extends device lifespans and curbs e-waste; estimates suggest comprehensive measures could avert millions of tons of annual electronic discards by prioritizing repairs over new production. Limitations remain evident, including New York's allowances for manufacturers to restrict proprietary diagnostics, which constrain full repair empowerment and expose laws to ongoing industry pushback.

Controversies and Criticisms

Disputes with Tech Companies and Creators

Rossmann has long criticized Apple for engineering decisions that impede independent repairs, including the use of strong adhesives to secure components like batteries and logic boards in MacBooks, which necessitate heat guns, solvents, and prying tools not typically available to consumers, thereby elevating repair costs and risks. These practices, demonstrated in his teardown analyses, contrast with modular designs in older models and have been linked to higher e-waste, as evidenced by Apple's reported 1.8 million tons of device returns annually in the mid-2010s before policy shifts. Apple has countered that such designs prioritize thinness, durability, and safety, though Rossmann attributes them to planned obsolescence, citing Genius Bar overestimations of repair costs—often thousands for issues fixable for hundreds by independents—as deliberate disincentives. A core contention involves Apple's parts pairing, or serialization, where replacement screens, batteries, and cameras are tied to specific device serial numbers via software checks; non-paired parts trigger warnings like "Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple battery," disabling features such as True Tone or performance throttling prevention. Rossmann has showcased this in videos repairing serialized devices, arguing it nullifies third-party parts even if functionally identical, effectively enforcing monopoly control post-warranty. Apple maintains pairing ensures security and calibration accuracy, responding to backlash with a 2022 Self Service Repair program offering genuine parts, tools, and manuals for $349 annual access, but critics including Rossmann note its high barriers—requiring specialized equipment costing thousands—and favoritism toward authorized providers, as independent shops report continued software blocks. By 2023, Apple endorsed California's right-to-repair bill after opposing similar measures, conceding access to documentation while resisting mandates for unpaired parts. Rossmann's feud with Linus Sebastian of Linus Tech Tips, spanning 2021 to 2025, centered on LTT's promotion of custom PC builds backed by informal "trust me bro" warranties—verbal or implied assurances from Linus rather than transferable manufacturer coverage—which Rossmann contended expose buyers to risks like denied claims for latent defects in untested components. He highlighted cases where builders evade formal warranties by altering systems, leaving consumers reliant on the assembler's goodwill, a practice Rossmann linked to eroded protections amid rising custom PC popularity, with U.S. sales exceeding $40 billion annually by 2023. Linus defended the model as flexible and customer-focused, arguing formal warranties often exclude modifications anyway, but faced amplified scrutiny after Rossmann's critiques intertwined with 2023 LTT production pauses over ethical concerns and 2025 employee allegations. No formal resolution emerged, though Rossmann framed it as symptomatic of content creators prioritizing spectacle over repair accountability. In early 2025, Rossmann clashed with Australia's Better Way Electronics (BWE), a PlayStation repair software provider, after BWE issued copyright strikes against his videos alleging unethical practices like arbitrary license revocations, spyware insertion for monitoring, and inadequate customer support. Rossmann retaliated with investigative videos incorporating public call recordings from dissatisfied users, revealing patterns of abuse such as denied refunds for faulty software and threats to brick devices; he also disclosed owner Luan Tahiraj's 2013 conviction for unrelated fraud, sourced from court records. BWE accused Rossmann of doxxing via privacy complaints to YouTube, prompting three takedown attempts, but platforms ruled in his favor, citing fair use and public interest; Rossmann denied doxxing, asserting all details were verifiable from open sources like news archives, with no Australian court finding liability. The dispute underscored tensions between repair advocates exposing competitors and claims of reputational harm, with BWE continuing operations amid customer exodus reported in forums.

Accusations of Aggressive Tactics

Rossmann has faced accusations of employing overly aggressive tactics in his YouTube content, particularly when publicly criticizing other tech creators or exposing industry scams. In January 2025, during the ongoing dispute between Linus Tech Tips and Gamers Nexus, Rossmann released a video titled "Informative & Unfortunate: How Linustechtips Failed," accusing Linus Sebastian of ethical lapses in business practices, which some observers described as intensifying the conflict unnecessarily and prioritizing confrontation over nuance. Critics within pro-Apple online communities have similarly labeled his repeated critiques of Apple's repair policies as biased and aggressive, arguing that he selectively highlights flaws in Apple's ecosystem—such as glued components and serialization—while downplaying comparable repair challenges in other platforms like PCs, potentially to favor non-Apple alternatives. Rossmann counters such claims by emphasizing empirical evidence from his repair demonstrations, asserting that exposing verifiable scams, including fake repair shops using counterfeit parts or fraudulent "water damage" denials, serves consumer protection rather than personal vendettas. Despite these allegations, no major defamation lawsuits have succeeded against Rossmann, with his videos often featuring on-site testing and documentation to substantiate claims over mere rhetoric. He maintains that transparency in calling out deceptive practices, such as manipulated reviews or substandard repairs by competitors, is essential to combat systemic fraud in the electronics sector, rather than sensationalism for views.

Self-Admitted Business Errors

In a January 29, 2019, YouTube video titled "Why my old business failed, how to not be a stupid failure like Louis Rossmann," Rossmann dissected the collapse of his early online electronics parts sales venture, which shuttered by the end of 2013. He explicitly admitted that accepting external investment—totaling around $200,000—too early created unsustainable pressure to scale operations rapidly in a capital-intensive market, yielding per-sale profits as low as $0.48 to $2.48 while competing against entities backed by millions. This misstep, he stated, diverted focus from sustainable growth to volume-driven expansion without adequate margins or infrastructure. Rossmann further conceded errors in strategic direction, including the lack of a defined mission statement that led to pursuing low-margin opportunities, such as generic PC laptop screen sales, over specialized, higher-profit Apple component repairs. He also acknowledged miscalculating customer behavior on platforms like eBay and Amazon, where price-driven buyers received premium service but contributed to losses through low rates of defective part returns (under 20% in sampled cases) and unprofitable hassle factors. These revelations underscored his pivot to a mission-centric model emphasizing high-value, customer-aligned repairs. In reflecting on repair chain scalability, Rossmann has admitted underestimating operational pitfalls like technician turnover in franchise models akin to uBreakiFix and iCracked. A video in his "Things I was wrong about" series detailed "eating crow" over initial criticisms and predictions of iCracked's instability, recognizing that inadequate retention incentives eroded viability despite apparent expansion. He linked this to broader scaling errors in his own group, where insufficient profit-sharing mechanisms fostered staff dissatisfaction and inefficiencies, advocating instead for merit-based rewards to align incentives with performance. Rossmann has also tempered early enthusiasm for mass DIY repair adoption, admitting over-optimism amid evidence of consumer inertia; despite tutorials reaching millions, market data indicated persistent reliance on professionals due to skill barriers and perceived risks, prompting a recalibration toward hybrid advocacy models.

Personal Views and Philosophy

Economic and Consumer Rights Perspectives

Rossmann posits that mandating manufacturer disclosure of parts, tools, and diagnostics promotes economic competition in the repair sector by dismantling monopolistic barriers erected through intellectual property restrictions and selective supply chains. This approach, he argues, counters inflated pricing—such as Apple's restrictions on logic board chips or John Deere's dealer-only service models—that limit independent shops and consumers to high-cost authorized repairs, effectively subsidizing corporate aftermarket revenues at the expense of market entrants. By enabling broader access, right-to-repair policies align with free-market principles, allowing repair providers to compete on price and service rather than being gated by proprietary controls that stifle innovation in secondary markets. In Rossmann's view, consumer rights hinge on true ownership, which includes the agency to modify or extend device utility without manufacturer veto, rejecting "rental" paradigms where software locks or parts scarcity force premature replacements. He critiques corporate tactics that obscure repair feasibility, such as environmental virtue-signaling on recycling while embedding design flaws like glued components that accelerate obsolescence and e-waste, diverting attention from causal fixes like parts availability. This underscores his preference for data-driven reforms—rooted in empirical repair outcomes—over performative gestures that fail to address root monopolistic incentives. Rossmann stresses personal accountability in device stewardship, teaching that electronics degrade through use and require proactive maintenance or repair rather than entitlement to perpetual functionality without user effort. Through educational content, he empowers individuals to perform interventions like board-level fixes, assuming responsibility for outcomes to build self-reliance over dependency on opaque corporate ecosystems. He contends that such agency fosters resilience against planned obsolescence, where consumers bear the cost of uninformed purchases, advocating minimal regulatory baselines to enforce access while preserving incentives for durable design in competitive markets.

Critiques of Corporate Practices

Rossmann has repeatedly criticized technology companies for employing design-for-disposability strategies, such as soldering RAM and SSDs directly onto motherboards, which prevents user upgrades and accelerates device obsolescence. In analyses of Apple products, he notes that MacBook models from 2012 onward feature non-removable RAM, forcing consumers to either purchase higher-spec units upfront or replace entire systems when memory needs increase, thereby inflating long-term costs and generating unnecessary hardware turnover. This practice contributes to environmental harms, including heightened electronic waste; Rossmann links it to broader patterns where restricted repairs lead to premature discards rather than refurbishments, exacerbating the global e-waste crisis that saw 62 million metric tons generated in 2022 alone. He further indicts corporations for hoarding intellectual property, such as proprietary schematics, diagnostic tools, and replacement parts, which stifles independent repair and fosters anti-competitive monopolies on service. Rossmann contends this secrecy—exemplified by manufacturers withholding firmware access or microcode—is not primarily for safety but to maintain control over post-sale revenue streams, contrasting sharply with open-source hardware communities where shared designs enable successful modding and extended device lifespans without eroding innovation. In one examination, he dissects how such IP barriers enable companies to charge premiums for authorized repairs while rendering third-party efforts illegal or impractical, ultimately harming consumers through reduced choice and higher prices. While acknowledging corporate investments in research and development—such as Apple's annual R&D expenditures exceeding $26 billion in 2023—Rossmann argues these do not justify repair restrictions, as enabling independent fixes primarily extends existing product value rather than cannibalizing new sales. He posits that repairs salvage margins from otherwise discarded units, citing examples where modular designs in older hardware sustained profitability without deterring upgrades, and maintains that true innovation thrives on competition rather than enforced disposability.

References

  1. https://fulu.org/our-team
  2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-rossmann-3a5396292
  3. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl2mFZoRqjw_ELax4Yisf6w
  4. https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-right-to-repair-passed
  5. https://www.adammendler.com/blog/louis-rossmann/
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ol3rMem_Eg
  7. https://columbianewsservice.com/2021/05/21/one-mans-fight-for-the-right-to-repair-broken-macbooks/
  8. https://rossmanngroup.com/about-us/
  9. https://rossmanngroup.com/
  10. https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/Right_to_repair
  11. https://assets.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/279381/subdr216-repair.pdf
  12. https://rossmanngroup.com/category/uncategorized/page/4/
  13. https://us.youtubers.me/louis-rossmann/youtube-estimated-earnings
  14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O5uqqeaG0E
  15. https://hypeauditor.com/youtube/UCl2mFZoRqjw_ELax4Yisf6w/
  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3c2dOw6Frg
  17. https://socialblade.com/youtube/handle/rossmanngroup
  18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUaJ8pDlxi8
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCIVI6M48KM
  20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugmOfXpeEj0
  21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdfmMB1E_qk
  22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Trz65P1gnA
  23. https://9to5mac.com/2016/07/01/tekserve-closure-louis-rossman-videos/
  24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdwDvz47lNw
  25. https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/Louis_Rossmann_-_Video_Directory
  26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxo6l_whDeE
  27. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkVbIsAWN2ltGUjyAZfD0jDvrUcWs_x0G
  28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDDAy5ThfxI
  29. https://www.scribd.com/document/391680453/Rossmann-Repair-Training-Guide-free
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qbrLiGY4Cg
  31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4pPhyhHs2Y
  32. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkVbIsAWN2lsmib_7u44bFXEXXJj1HXjT
  33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuSA0yomESo
  34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHpXJzjin7k
  35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLIW7mQ8CI4
  36. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/cmte_testimony/2021/fin/1U_CuPPNrdmqd9ewqeDxFgd6PE8E-goyC.pdf
  37. https://www.ifixit.com/News/70515/new-york-passes-historic-right-to-repair-bill
  38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xGBB-717AI
  39. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-20/louis-rossmann-gives-evidence-in-washington/105543126
  40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBG6Vw3nxZs
  41. https://fulu.org/
  42. https://www.linkedin.com/company/fulu-foundation-usa
  43. https://www.consumerreports.org/right-to-repair/new-york-right-to-repair-law-electronics-a1202339752/
  44. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/11/apple-announces-self-service-repair/
  45. https://repair.eu/news/apples-self-repair-programme-is-not-the-right-to-repair-we-need/
  46. https://earth.org/repairing-our-electronics-could-reduce-millions-of-tons-of-e-waste/
  47. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/right-repair-essential-reducing-electronic-waste
  48. https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/29/23530733/right-to-repair-law-new-york-tech-hochul-oems-parts
  49. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Ubk2Z4nMk
  50. https://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/complete-control-apple-accused-of-overpricing-restricting-device-repairs-1.4859099
  51. https://www.reddit.com/r/LinusTechTips/comments/1dqnj1n/louis_rossmann_fires_shots_at_mkbhd_in_latest/
  52. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw_A0JWOPag
  53. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tB3t7xGWjk
  54. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WziV0lvz-c
  55. https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1i9a49q/louis-rossmann-informative-unfortunate-how/
  56. https://russburlingame.substack.com/p/stop-accepting-the-premise-of-assholes
  57. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-20/youtuber-louis-rossmann-takes-on-better-way-electronics/105532410
  58. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaC33C9eyCc
  59. https://www.eevblog.com/forum/other-blog-specific/bwe-%28better-way-electronics%29-software-and-louis-rossmann/
  60. https://www.reddit.com/r/GamersNexus/comments/1i9c2i5/gamersnexus_replies_to_louis_with_the_most/
  61. https://www.quora.com/Is-Louis-Rossmann-right-about-Apple-being-unreliable
  62. https://reclaimthenet.org/louis-rossmann-public-hearing-youtube-privacy-complaint
  63. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C67Lh4LE5LY
  64. https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/07/a-computer-repair-expert-takes-on-big-tech/
  65. https://medium.com/codex/right-to-repair-f2c4151982cb
  66. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27254719
  67. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0S1ku9xvDI
  68. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8FxEPO337o
  69. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8clIWQ13tGg
  70. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/louis-rossman-on-soldered-ssd.2398023/
  71. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37259803
  72. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rccoBZlaNTs
  73. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt2KDtDt940
  74. https://www.ifixit.com/News/8210/rossmann-repair-legal-threat
  75. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/right-repair-future-technology-conversation-louis-rossmann-kirstel-77wwf
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