{
  "schema": "vedokrok.public-item.v1",
  "release_id": "MHC-RPUB-20260920-75ad787a",
  "url": "/knowledge/write-the-upgrade-trigger-before-shopping",
  "id": "MHC-D-RESEARCH-9056",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "title": "Write the upgrade trigger before shopping",
  "summary": "Shopping first makes the new product define the problem for you.",
  "kind": "template",
  "body": "Write the event that would make replacement rational before reading product pages. Good triggers are observable: support ends, repairs cross a chosen threshold, a required workload misses a target, downtime becomes unacceptable, fit cannot be corrected, or a needed capability is absent. Then define a keep condition for the current item and a reject condition for the new one. The trigger protects against novelty-driven upgrades while still allowing an early replacement when reliability or support risk is real.",
  "limits": [
    "Unexpected failure, safety issues or a genuinely new requirement can invalidate the trigger. Revise it when the job changes."
  ],
  "topics": [
    "union-interaction-weighted-purchases"
  ],
  "intents": [],
  "source_ids": [
    "RS-E143967DDAA5BB73",
    "RS-EA8E2EA9D7970C00"
  ],
  "evidence": [
    {
      "claim": "FTC consumer guidance recommends researching a product's expected life, what is likely to break and how difficult repairs may be before purchase.",
      "source_id": "RS-E143967DDAA5BB73",
      "role": "supports",
      "note": "This is general consumer guidance, not evidence that repairability should outweigh every other requirement.",
      "locator": "Consumer buying advice"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Current EU smartphone and tablet ecodesign rules make longevity factors such as battery durability, spare-parts availability, repairability information and operating-system support explicit product attributes.",
      "source_id": "RS-EA8E2EA9D7970C00",
      "role": "supports",
      "note": "The rule applies to covered EU products and does not mean every compliant device will have the same real-world service life.",
      "locator": "Ecodesign requirements"
    }
  ],
  "use_when": [
    "You are browsing replacements before the current item has a clear failure or capability gap."
  ],
  "avoid_when": [
    "Unexpected failure, safety issues or a genuinely new requirement can invalidate the trigger. Revise it when the job changes."
  ],
  "example": "Replace the phone when security support ends or the battery/repair path no longer sustains a full workday—not when a new camera generation appears.",
  "check": "The replacement decision can be triggered without seeing a specific new model or advertisement.",
  "template": "Replace when [observable trigger]. Keep the current item while [acceptable state]. New item must improve [named requirement]. Reject the upgrade if [trade-off or failure]. Review again on [date/event].",
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "RS-E143967DDAA5BB73",
      "title": "FTC weighs in on repair restrictions",
      "url": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2021/05/ftc-weighs-repair-restrictions"
    },
    {
      "id": "RS-EA8E2EA9D7970C00",
      "title": "Smartphones and Tablets",
      "url": "https://energy-efficient-products.ec.europa.eu/product-list/smartphones-and-tablets_en"
    }
  ],
  "relations": [],
  "collections": [
    {
      "id": "RC-74CA3FEDEC162686",
      "title": "Spend more carefully on the things that touch your life most",
      "url": "/collections/spend-more-carefully-on-the-things-that-touch-your-life-most"
    }
  ]
}