Click below to listen to our Consumerpedia podcast episode on whether to fix a busted appliance or purchase a new one.
We collected ratings from appliance repair customers in seven major metro areas and found substantial quality differences between appliance repair services. In each area, several appliance repair services were rated “superior” for overall quality by at least 90 percent of their surveyed customers, while others received such favorable ratings from fewer than half of their surveyed customers.
Price differences can also be substantial. Our undercover shoppers found some services charge twice as much as their nearby competitors for the same work.
Fortunately, some of the low-priced companies also got good reviews from their customers. In fact, lower-priced companies on average rate higher on service quality than their higher-priced competitors.
If your appliance is still covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, use a shop authorized to perform in-warranty repairs so you don’t have to pay for the work. But after the warranty expires, consider only top-rated shops. We have found that, on average, repair services that don’t do warranty repairs for manufacturers rate better than “factory-authorized” outfits (although some independents do score low).
Unfortunately, there’s seldom an easy way to determine whether an appliance is worth repairing. Appliances are no longer built to last for decades, but if you’re happy with your appliance’s appearance, size, features, and energy usage, it may be worth getting a repair if the cost is less than $400 or so.
Consider whether you can fix it yourself. Though many consumers are uncomfortable repairing electronic devices, most appliance-repair tasks are quite straightforward.
If you decide it’s time for a new appliance, our buying guide will help you find a reliable store that charges low prices.
Even if you’ve had many unreliable appliances, don’t buy an extended warranty. Those plans are terrible deals for most consumers.
