RepairShopr
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Software Services |
| Official website | https://www.repairshopr.com/ |
RepairShopr is a US software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for repair shops created by Troy Anderson in 2012.
Consumer impact summary
Over the years RepairShopr has declined significantly in features and consumer friendly practices. This can be seen by the following:
- AI tools and data usage on user interactions
- Malicious Opt-out policies specifically for training data
- Higher costs with decreased functionality
- Lack of transparency for auto accepting updated terms
Controversies
AI tools and data usage
Main Article: AI tools and data usage
As of the latest terms of RepairShopr has granted itself the right to "user content" and "usage information" to train future AI models. While the parent company Syncro claims no AI features are in the works. Many consumers argue that this term allows a backdoor into adding and training these types of tools whenever they please. Businesses and consumers alike are concerned with the lack of privacy and storing such sensitive information to indirectly profit off of.
Opt-out policies
Main Article: Opt-out policies
RepairShopr's terms require you to Opt-out of data collection. Meaning that unless the company takes the proactive steps to ensure their data won't be used by the Syncro they automatically accept. Not only is it one sided but is also operated on a "go-forward" basis retaining all previous information before the business opted out of the data collection.
Increased costs with decline in functionality
Main Article: Increased costs and decline in functionality
After the acquisition by Syncro RepairShopr's subscriptions fees have risen by 40%. Users have pointed out worse functionality of the platform since then including basic functionalities like email communications with customers along with frequent downtime outages undermining the reliability as an effective easy tool.
Transparency and communication
Main Article: Transparency and communication
By late December of 2024 a notification went out to users. This policy had been enacted weeks before the notice went out to the users on the platform. Customers of the platform scrutinized RepairShopr's late notice being unable to deliver changes when new terms were enacted without the users consent. This update had also been buried under a bunch of non-critical updates obscuring many people from being able to see what actually changed.