TV repairmem coming back

slowrev · Sep 29, 2004

I have been following the Plasma TV thread and thinking on this for a while, so here goes.

Do you think that the new HIGHER cost TV's will bring back TV repair as a viable profession ? Or are they still just throw away units ?

Ben

KubotaSteve · Sep 29, 2004

I think they will be repaired but probably not by a repairman coming to your house. It will probably be one of those deals that you have to send the TV off. My brother's LCD computer screen went out and they had to send it off to get it fixed. Besides with technology going the way it is, the higher priced TV's will come down as something newer is invented. They may eventually come down to throw away models again.

twabscs · Sep 29, 2004

My old 36" TV stopped working a couple of years ago and the TV repair man came to my house not once but three times! It took that long to fix/troubleshoot. I'm sure I paid for the service trip somehow, but there wasn't any way to tote that TV to the repair facility. I think the bill was $165 for the month-long ordeal.

Oh, the TV was $600 about six years ago. Overall, not a bad price to keep it going awhile longer.

thcri · Sep 29, 2004

My Samsung Projection LCD display when it broke I had to take it to a place that is about 60miles away. An then that guy didn't even want to touch it as he had never seen one before. I hate buying things from one company and then taking it someplace else to have it repaired. Service is going down the tubes??

murph

ByronBob · Sep 29, 2004

Sears charges me $95 just to come to the house for a service call. That's before he even comes in the house /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I appreciate the fact though that they will at least show up. It's hard to think you can buy a TV at Wally world and then get someone to come to your house to fix the thing so the difference in cost from Sears at least pays for the fact that they might do something for you if it breaks........

slowrev · Sep 29, 2004

I was thinking along the lines of every town seeming to have a TV repair shop. Anyone remember those days ? Or just me and the rest of the old fogeys /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Most would also have a service truck so you could pay them pick up and deliver, or you could take it in and save some money.

My origional career was electronics, however I do not tell anyone that or everyone wants me to fix their walkman, computer, microwave, etc and I would never get any seat time /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Ben

Bob_Skurka · Sep 29, 2004

My general rule of thumb is if I am buying something from a discount store, then I am buying a disposable item.

So if I bought a TV at Wal Mart and it broke, I would throw it out. If I bought a TV at Best Buy/Circuit City/Sears/etc, then I would only buy it if they had a service department to call so it could get fixed.

MossRoad · Sep 29, 2004

<font color="blue"> Do you think that the new HIGHER cost TV's will bring back TV repair as a viable profession ? </font>

No. Because there is not very much $$ in TV repair. Nothing is troubleshot on a component level anymore. The components are modular. If somethings goes out, just a board has to be changed. Or a CRT. Or an LCD. It is getting so a trained monkey can make a non-functioning electrical appliance work again and trained monkeys don't get paid much. Notice how I didn't use the term "repair" I said "work again". "Repair" is reserved for skilled workers, in my book at least. Why do I sound bitter about this? /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Because I have a degree in TV and Radio repair. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif (no offense was meant to anyone in this field, or to monkeys as a species).

Golfgar4 · Sep 29, 2004

We still have a couple of businesses in our town that repair TV's, VHS decks, etc. They won't come to you, but if you can get it to them, they'll fix just about any brand. I do think, however, that a good part of the time, because of the cost of the parts, it becomes more cost effective to replace the particular equipment rather than fix it, and they explain that to the owner so that (s)he can decide if it should be fixed or replaced.

It is nice to have that option, however. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif