Advice On Choosing Pc Repair Shop

I need to have a laptop PC repaired for physical damage. Other than the damage it works. However, I need advice on how I should choose a PC repair shop. Finding one is no problem but choosing a good one is a different matter. Obviously, the best would be word of mouth recommendation but I know no one who has used one. We live in a throw-a-way society so I think a lot of people in my situation would probably bin it and but another one.

 

Sadly, you didn't provide any information as to where you live - not even the country.

Many communities have local websites you can research for reviews of local products and services. I suggest you Google your town and "computer repair shops" and see what's out there. However, take each user review with a grain of salt. Some folks will down-rate a review for really stupid reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the product or service. It's not the technician's fault, for example, if the repair took a few extra days to complete because the replacement part was delayed in shipment due to bad weather.

You might also just visit shops and check them out. Do they look clean and organized? Are the techs friendly and helpful? Perhaps get an estimate.

That said, estimates for repairs are tricky because it is not uncommon for the need for extensive troubleshooting just to see what needs to be repaired. And troubleshooting is often the most difficult and time consuming part of each repair. Replacing the defective part is often simple. Determining which part needs to be replaced often is not. So it is not uncommon for shops - especially small shops - to charge a fee for estimates. But note that fee is then deducted from the final repair costs if you get it fixed by them.

 

That is because I was really ask about how to go about choosing a repair shop rather than asking for recommendations for one. If it will help people direct me I will go as close as saying Greater Manchester in the UK.

 

I was not asking for your street address. But knowing if you live in a "first world" country versus a "third world" can help us understand your situation. For sure, Greater Manchester, with its population over 2.5 million, will have many quality and reputable shops to choose from. So my advice to use Google to pick a good one near you stands.

 

I did not say you were.

 

I know. It just seemed like you took offense about asking which country you lived in. No big deal.

 

I didn't. The Internet and email are great, they're really useful but we mis-out on the non-verbal communications we humans use. If we were speaking you'd have known from the tone of my voice, facial expressions and body language. I was just trying to explain why I hadn't said where I live. Another problem with this type of communication is we try to be concise to we don't always explain ourselves well.

It never occurred to me in my OP to give any indication of where I lived because I never even hoped for someone saying go to Joe Bloggs round the corner from you. I may be mistaken but I've always assumed that the majority of users of Majorgeeks are in the US. So, they'd not know of anywhere to recommend.

What I'd hoped for, and you did it in your first reply, is just some ideas of what you look out for or avoid because to some extent we're at the mercy of these people. It took me a long time to find a garage I trust with my car. But, I've never had a PC repaired before because they've always completely broken down. On the laptop I want repaired the half of it which is the screen has badly cracked where the joint (probably the wrong term) is where it moves to open and close it. I'm hoping that can be repaired for less than the price of a new one. Plus it's a good machine and I'd like to have it back in use.

 

I would pick 3 repair shops, present each with the task at hand and call for an estimated quote making sure to quiz them on procedures required.
From here, after scrutiny, you should be able to ascertain one to suit your requirements and budget.

 

I make this argument all the time. I also point out as readers and advisers we cannot assume a poster's level of expertise, or assume they really meant to say something else. In technical discussions, I would rather have too much information than not enough.

It is probably true that the majority are from the US, but there are people from all over - including very remote and under-developed regions. If you had said Laos or perhaps Barrow, Alaska I probably would not have suggested Google but instead suggested you try harder with word of mouth, or perhaps look for a bulletin board ad at a local place of worship, shop or post office.

 

When it comes to IT my level of expertise is zero. I say zero because it is less embarrassing than giving the true value which is a negative number.

 

LOL - well sadly, many experts forget they knew less than nothing at one point too!