TV Repair Shops

By HomeAdvisor

Updated August 30, 2017

Wall mounted TV

The ever-changing faces of television technology have also changed the TV repair landscape. Newer TVs require exponentially increased technical skill to understand and repair. As the demands of a TV repairman have gone up, the number of reliable TV repair shops has understandably declined. Furthermore, like automobiles, TV design has become more connected with their manufacturers, meaning reliable, generic replacement parts simply don’t exist. This dearth of TV repair services has led to a surge in TV repair scams. Let us match you with a reliable contractor in your area and you’ll be able to avoid the more dishonest con-artists out there.

TV Repair Shop Scams

There are no areas of home improvement impervious to scams, but TV repair is particularly susceptible to deceitful practices including price gauging and deliberate destruction of your TV set. Knowing these common scams should give you enough TV repair tips to identify when you’re being scammed:

  • Creating Damage: Most often, a dishonest TV repairman will try to convince you that your TV is irreparable so he or she can, then, gut your TV to use as parts on other repairs. They may also deliberately cause damage to your TV to keep you from taking it to another repair shop once you’ve refused their estimate.
  • Free Estimates: This gets tricky. Free estimates sound like a great idea, but what may end up happening is that the TV repair shop will offer free estimates to get people in the door and then only service the TVs that are easily fixable. They know that more extensive repairs are less likely to be accepted by customers and, worse, they may not even have the expertise to diagnose or fix the problem. This doesn’t mean every TV repair shop that offers free estimates is dishonest, but you should double-check to ensure your TV is getting looked at by a certified technician and that your estimate will be completed in a timely fashion.
  • In-Home Repair: This scam works on the same principle as free estimates. The TV repair shop sends someone who’s not a qualified technician in the hopes you have a simple problem with your TV. He or she may also charge you a diagnostic fee for his or her best guess. A qualified technician should be able to tell you exactly what’s wrong with your TV and how much the repair will cost.
  • Generic Parts: Dishonest repair shops may also use cheaper, generic parts to fix your TV, which sounds fine except, they probably won’t pass the savings on to you and, worse, your TV may very well fail again in a matter of weeks. This type of failure may also destroy your DVDs and speaker systems.
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More TV Repair Tips for Avoiding Scams

We can match you with local, prescreened TV repair shops and provide quality-controlled customer ratings. To choose between multiple contractors in your area, the best idea is to visit the TV repair shop. If the shop looks dirty, disheveled, or if you see a bunch of gutted TVs lying around, you probably don’t want to leave yours there. Another TV repair tip is to inspect the shop’s infrastructure. If you have a modern plasma or LCD TV, make sure the TV repair shop has advanced electronic diagnostic equipment. Without this equipment, they may not be able to identify and fix your TV set.

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