Repaircare are a National appliance repair company offering fixed price repairs. This review was written only several months after they began trading. Things may, or may not, be different now.
Their fixed price appliance repairs include call out, parts, labour and VAT. Repaircare are part of Connect Distribution who are the UK’s largest distributor of appliance spares and accessories.
They supply much of the independent repair trade. Their website is easy to use and features 3 simple steps to get a quote. It’s incredibly simple and well designed.
How do they do fixed repairs? What’s the Catch?
I’m naturally pretty sceptical and not easily impressed – always looking out for a catch. It shouldn’t be possible for Repaircare to be able to include the spare parts in their repair charges but they are the UK’s largest spare parts distributor so they have access to much cheaper parts than most and they obviously think they can.
Repaircare advertised fixed price repairs, but unfortunately the truth is they did not fix every appliance for the price initially quoted. They covered themselves against the more expensive repairs with a clause in their terms and conditions allowing them to charge extra.
They did claim that most repairs should be covered by the amount advertised, but after a few months (of complaints) they were forced to change their terms and conditions to remove their right to charge extra for certain parts. Offering fixed price repairs is a big ask.
But Repaircare should have access to very cheap spare parts because of their massive buying power as part of the UK’s largest spares distributor 4Ourhouse. However, they don’t employ their own engineers.
They instead use a network of independent engineers, which appears to cause some problems at times where people have complained of poor customer service.
Complaints
Repaircare have been accused of washing their hands of some complaints when (presumably) a customer and the independent engineer have been telling them different things.
However, I don’t believe they can do this because a customer’s contract is with Repaircare, and not the engineer that Repaircare subcontracted to do the repair.
It sounds like Repaircare have been frustrated by different accounts from the engineer and customer and want them to sort it out between themselves. But if a customer can’t, then Repaircare must.
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Margins must be small and this operation probably relies on economies of scale. As it is covering all of the UK they may be able to achieve the quantities of repairs necessary to be viable. However, they need most repairs to be relatively minor to balance out the expensive repairs.
If only people suspecting they have a serious fault use them, the system just won’t work. There have been a lot of complaints in the comments of this article (and elsewhere), which is disappointing.
They may have been struggling to cope with the work load at the early stages as they had promoted themselves very heavily. It’s also fair to say that appliance repairs tend to attract a lot of dissatisfied customers due to the length of time it can sometimes take to get them repaired.
Repaircare did eventually respond pro-actively to public complaints and put in place a system to allow people to complain directly to a manager. People with complaints previously felt they had no option but to complain on the Internet because they couldn’t get past the call centre staff to complain to a manager.
If you are the type of person who takes comfort in prices being fixed and inclusive, then fixed price repairs may be attractive for you. Sadly it’s become the main way large repair companies operate now.
You can end up paying a lot more than necessary if your appliance turns out not to need any parts, or only needs inexpensive parts, (most repairs).
You can save money if it needs an expensive part but if it’s quite expensive most repair companies just tell you it’s beyond economical repair. This can make it difficult to get a “win” on these schemes.
Make sure you read and understand the terms & conditions. It will probably state that if parts are “too” expensive they can say the appliance is not worth repairing, which may still cost you a fair amount of money.
Make sure you understand how much it will cost you in that scenario.
Alternatives?
Some manufacturers also offer fixed price repairs now at rates competing with Repaircare. For example Hoover / Candy, Ariston, Indesit, Hotpoint, Creda and even the obsolete Dyson washing machine have fixed price repairs. Also, AEG, Electrolux and Zanussi have relatively low and reasonable labour charges.
Only 3 months guarantee
A mere 3 months guarantee on repairs is very poor indeed. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (previously the Sale of Goods Act), any repair should last a reasonable time, as should any new parts fitted. 3 months (90 days) is nowhere near a reasonable time for almost any repair, especially if new parts are fitted. However, that’s all you get.
So you would have to pursue your claim in the small claims court or through a consumer help body if a repair by a company offering only 3 months guarantee failed after an unreasonable time outside 3 months.
I have to be honest and say that I personally would never use any repair company that only gave a 90 day guarantee, which I consider pretty disgraceful, and a very poor show of confidence in their own work – Is a 3 month guarantee on repairs reasonable?)
More appliance repairers
There are some appliance repair companies listed on site Book washing machine (or other appliance) repair page including companies offering a much more desirable 12 month guarantee on repairs.
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I just contacted repaircare for quote, as know what problem is, the particular part will take 7 weeks to arrive, why?! The person on the other end of phone sounded completely disinterested. Natural instincts say no, rather pay more from company more credible (and interested)!
Sarah, Companies will usually quote the maximum time it may take to get a part even if it’s usually quicker. They actually have access to probably the largest spares stock in the country but there are millions of different parts. If they don’t have the part they will have to order it from the manufacturer.
Some parts, and some makes of part in particular can take a long time to get hold of. They may need to come from over seas. Many parts will unfortunately take a long time – often unacceptably long.
There’s just no system set up anywhere to fast track parts that aren’t commonly used or are from models out of production. It’s not economically viable. This isn’t any repairer or spare parts company’s fault it’s because there’s just too many different models and makes and millions of parts.
In cases where normal independent repairers don’t have a specific part and can’t get one quick enough I would try the manufacturer. Sometimes even the manufacturer doesn’t have a part in though and has to order it in turn from whoever they get to make them.
It depends on which make and which part you need as to how quickly you can get it but it’s not necessarily Repaircare’s fault for not having it and not being able to promise one quicker.
Sarah, the response from washerhelp is valid. However, if you email your appliance make, type, age and postcode to [email protected] Repaircare will look into who dealt with your call and will also be able to specifically respond regarding the availability of part(s) to repair your appliance?
Booked a repair for a Hotpoint washing machine – specified exactly which lights were flashing – ie the error code. Engineer came, could not decypher the error code so spent 15 minutes on the phone to mate and then declared that as it was a Hotpoint machine, they would have to get a Hotpoint engineer in to fix it at their cost. Heard nothing so followed up …to find that it had been classified as irrepairable. I wrote to the escalation e mail address a week ago and not even an acknowledgement so far.
Why did they accept the booking – which described the error code – if they cannot mend Hotpoint machines ? Just cost me £40 to have a chap on site for 20 minutes of which 15 was on the phone to a mate. Not exactly a great experience and would not recommend them.
Charles/Sarah
My experience with repaircare was also a nightmare as it took nearly 4 weeks to get my oven fixed.
I would not recommend them. Go local! it would be quicker.
Charles (comment 96), we’ve tried to find your details but without your Job Number Prefix C followed by 7 digits this is proving difficult? Please email [email protected] and we will answer your complaint. Thank you.
Pete, the engineers working at Repaircare are local engineers. They aren’t employed by Repaircare, they are independent local engineers who get work passed onto them from the Repaircare network.
I can’t comment on your individual experience as I don’t know the facts and I have no wish to undermine your complaint but nearly 4 weeks to get an appliance fixed can happen virtually anywhere and it’s not uncommon at all I’m afraid. If parts need ordering and have to come from a manufacturer it can take a long time.
Many people may be surprised but repairs to appliances are now very complex, and there’s never been so many different types and makes of appliance and so many different parts. The days when you had a local specialist fixing a small number of appliances with a large stock of spares for them and focussed experience are long gone I’m afraid and this problem is in no way restricted to Repaircare.
I’m currently writing an article about repairs in general highlighting some of these problems, which I hope to publish soon.
Hi Washerhelp,
I am supprised you say the repaircare engineers are local and independent. From speaking to an engineer they are given all there work by repaircare and work exclusively for them through 0800repair.com/ ?
Damien: Repaircare is a division of Connect Distribution Services Limited, whose registered office is: Connect House, Talbot Way, Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands. (Connect Distribution Services are the UK’s largest appliance spares company (as far as I’m aware) supplying much of the trade and stocking “over 1-5 million products”). They offer, “UK coverage delivered by a local engineer ensuring a quick response whatever the locality”.
0800repair is owned by Pacifica Group Limited with registered offices in Co Durham and as far as I’m aware use engineers who work under a franchise arrangement.
I booked a job with repaircare to repair my hob on 1st of March, was told that the overall cost was £123.00 and that an engineer would be at my house on 03rd of March. On 02nd of March I was sent a text message confirming that the engineer would visit the next day and a telephone number to contact the engineer if need be. My husband took a day off work for this, at about 12.30 pm he called the engineer to find out at what time they were visiting and they said that they had never received a job from repaircare and that they could not visit me until the 05th March. I called repaircare to complain and find out what happened, the lady I initially spoke to was very unhelpful and said that unless I wanted to make the appointment on the 05th that the only other thing was a full refund. She could not explain why the engineer had no knowledge of the job.
I then asked to speak to a manager and was passed to a gentleman called Shaun, he said that they had booked the job but it was not their fault if the engineer had not looked at his job list, that they could never guarantee that they would keep an appointment 100% because ‘accidents happen’ or traffic. However the point is that the engineer was not notified of the work in which case repaircare is lying or the that he was in which case the engineer is lying, which worries me.
Repaircare refused to compensate for the day off my husband has had to take for a no show and said that the full refund will take up to 5 days.
After looking at all these reviews I am now so glad I did not pursue the job and cancelled it altogether, as these people wash their hands off completely and cannot guarantee 100% that an engineer would visit on the next rescheduled visit.
I have now booked a local engineer who will only charge me £120 so even cheaper, he will make on the day I can make it and will make an a.m. appointment so I will only need half a day off work. Also he will call me to let me in the morning at what time he will be with me. Now that is service and customer care.