John Deere booth signage is displayed at CES 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 6, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The Federal Trade Commission has sued agricultural equipment giant Deere & Company, arguing it holds a monopoly on repair services that raises costs and creates delays for farmers, the agency announced Wednesday.
The lawsuit alleges Deere has for decades hindered customers’ ability to repair their equipment, including tractors and combines, forcing them to rely on the company’s network of authorized repair providers. A Deere software tool called “Service ADVISOR,” which is only available to more expensive authorized dealers, is necessary to fully fix equipment, leaving farmers and independent repair providers unable to do it themselves, the FTC alleged.
The FTC said authorized dealers often use Deere-branded parts instead of less expensive generic ones for repair jobs, adding to…
