Think of it like this:
You buy a new vehicle at the dealership. They give you a significant discount (25% - 50%) because you sign a two-year contract to have your vehicle serviced and repaired at only that dealership. They’re gonna make lots of money on your service and repairs. (The service & repairs aren’t free to you.) To enforce this contract, they install a lock within the engine that only they can unlock when they service or repair the vehicle. Optionally, you can well above MSRP for the vehicle with a lock and have it serviced where you want. You opt for the discount and service contract.
So later, when your two-year service contract is up (or you pay a gigantic fee to break your contract early), you decide that you want to have your car serviced and repaired somewhere else. Maybe you weren’t happy with their service or you can have the same work done for much less elsewhere.
You ask the dealership to unlock the engine. They ask, “Why?” You tell them that your contract is up and you want go elsewhere for service and repairs. The dealership says, “No.” You argue that it’s your vehicle; you paid for it. They say, “It’s our lock and it’s copyrighted.” You pay an independent mechanic to remove the lock. You then have your vehicle serviced and repaired wherever you want.
Under this new interpretation of the law, it’s now illegal for you to hire that independent mechanic to remove that lock. You can sell your vehicle, but the buyer can’t have the engine unlocked either. He has to have it serviced and repaired at that same dealership.
If you’re a customer in good standing with the dealership, they may or may not take off the lock. It’s their decision not yours.
Whoops. Optionally, you can pay well above MSRP for the vehicle without a lock and have it serviced where you want.
Thank you FRiends for the explanations. You are why I love FR!