Frequently asked questions

(copy & pastable version)

(incorporating our terms and conditions)

August 2023.

Please note: Charges, services offered and promotions can change at any time, but our site is always live and up to date with the latest information so prices will always be correct when you book.

Our aim is to make our pricing transparent, booking easy, and our service professional and straightforward.   

We hope that we've managed to explain our service and pricing on our other pages but just in case there's anything we've missed, here are a few example questions you may have, along with their answers.  If there's anything you're still not sure of, please give Ray a call on 07936 771341.

We fix most laundry appliances (washing machines & dryers) as well as ovens, hobs, dishwashers, cooker hoods and freestanding fridges/fridge-freezers (including American-style fridge freezers,) and under-counter refrigeration appliances.

As a very small 'one man band' business with no office or admin  staff, we'd really appreciate it if you can book online using our booking system on the home page.  We're often unable to take phone calls due to either being en route to a job or engaged in a repair at a customer's premises, so if you can't get a reply, and need to speak to us, please send a text to 07936 771341 and we'll get back to you as soon as possible, but hopefully, any questions or queries you may have will be answered in this section.

Unfortunately, we no longer repair full-size built-in fridges & freezers (the ones with décor doors) but still repair all other types including American-style ones.

NEW: Advance booking discount: If your new repair isn't urgent, book a time slot online, for the same day or later for a week ahead, and the labour charge automatically reduces to £40. 

For example, if today is Tuesday, book any time slot for the following Tuesday or later to receive the £15 discount.

So, onto the questions!

Q, Do you charge a call-out fee?  Yes, but it's only a one-off £20 in our local coverage area. All subsequent visits for the same repair are covered by the initial call-out charge.

A, We charge a very reasonable one-off £20 call-out charge to cover costs in visiting to assess the fault with your appliance. This applies to all new repair bookings whether or not a repair goes ahead.  

We have to pay for costs like fuel, road fund licence, insurance, maintenance, a website, domain names, accountancy, bank and payment processing charges, public liability insurance, tools and test equipment, an online booking system with confirmation texts & emails, phone charges, etc,  and we utilise our time, skill and considerable knowledge in expertly assessing faults and providing written quotations, so we cannot offer 'free' call-outs.  Businesses offering 'free call-outs' recoup the cost in higher repair charges. We don't. We're very clear and totally transparent in our pricing with no hidden charges - ever! With us, 'what you see is what you pay'. And we have become one of the most popular and trusted appliance repair businesses in south Hertfordshire as a result.

Our local area is Hemel Hempstead, St Albans Berkhamsted, North Watford, Leavesden, Kings & Abbotts Langley, Redbourn, Chesham, Rickmansworth, Chorleywood, Chipperfield, Bovingdon, Tring, Dunstable, Harpenden & other nearby areas, and the call-out charge is a one-off £20 for the first visit. Outside of these areas, the call-out charge is a minimum of £30.

Q, What is your  labour charge?

 A, On top of the £20 call-out charge, the vast majority of repairs are one-off fixed-cost labour charge of £69, however long a job takes and regardless of the number of visits required to complete. However, some unusual repairs may be estimated on complexity and time required to complete. In these cases, we will always let you know the likely cost in advance, and there will never be any obligation to go ahead.

There's currently no VAT (as our turnover does not require us to be VAT registered, allowing us to keep charges as low as possible) so the only extra would be parts (where required, often they're not).  If parts are required, we'll give you a written quotation for the price of these parts so you know the cost before committing.  On simpler repairs, the labour charge will sometimes be under £69, but the most you'll ever pay for a repair is £20 call-out charge plus £69 labour charge, plus any parts required to complete the repair.

The fixed-price labour charge does not apply where we are called out to take over and complete an attempted repair by another party. In order to repair an appliance which somebody has attempted and failed to achieve involves additional work, testing and other checks, and often requires undoing of previous mistakes.  For this reason, the charge will be based on the work required and any parts needed to achieve a repair, and will be estimated outside of our fixed price offer.

Once a diagnosis has been made, and a repair has been accepted to go ahead, the £69 labour charge becomes payable.

We no longer replace drums or tubs in washing machines under our fixed-price £69 labour charge since the time it takes to install and test can take many hours, and sometimes requires 2 technicians.  We can still replace tubs and drums in washing machines or washer-dryers but these will be quoted on an individual basis taking into consideration the time required to complete the work and whether or not we are to supply the parts.  With drum/tub failures on washing machines or washer dryers, it is often uneconomic to repair due to the cost of parts and labour.

Q, Are ALL appliances repaired under the fixed-cost labour charge?

A, Almost all appliances, yes, but there are a few very limited exceptions.

Some repairs require considerably more time and work to complete. Examples are zeolite dishwashers, where the entire tank often needs removing in order to do the simplest of repairs, bearing and drum changes in washing machines, and some other work which requires significant additional time and labour. 

The chances are that your repair will be fixed-cost plus parts, but if we see a booking that might be outside of the fixed cost labour charge, we will get back to you to let you know, and provide details of the likely cost.  There's no obligation to go ahead with any newly booked repair visit.

Q, What if I have two or more appliances requiring attention?

A, Additional appliances are charged at the same total repair cost of £89 plus parts as for any other repair. 

However, if the repairs can all be completed during the same visit, the call-out portion of the charge (£20) will not apply to the additional appliances, making the additional appliance/s repair £69 plus the cost of any part or parts fitted, since no call-out for those appliances would apply due to already being on site.

Q, I want my appliance repaired by a qualified, experienced technician. What experience do you have?

A, Ray is a highly qualified and experienced engineer who has been repairing appliances for over 25 years. 

Ray has worked mostly for large manufacturers & repair companies and was most recently employed by Bosch B/S/H (Bosch/Siemens/Neff), as their directly-employed local engineer for Hemel Hempstead and St Albans areas. He was fully trained on Bosch, Neff & Siemens appliances at the BSH training centre in Milton Keynes. He has also worked for other large appliance repair organisations such as Comet, MFI (Hygena/Diplomat appliances), National Homecare and Curry's.  He's worked for a Whirlpool service agent and also small independent appliance repair businesses too.  He has vast experience of all makes & models of appliance and can quickly assess the fault & provide a solution.  He's based in Hemel Hempstead and is always friendly and professional.

Q, My repair is urgent, can you visit today?

A, Provided there is a time slot still available on the day, yes. 

Just go online to our booking system and book the slot as normal.  If there are no slots left, text us as we can sometimes open up another one for you subject to a surcharge of £20 for the personalised time slot.  Although this will result in a same-day visit, a same-day repair may depend upon availability of any parts which may be required.

Q, Do you install appliances?

A, We can install washing machines, dishwashers, dryers electric hobs and under-counter fridges & freezers, but installations do not come under the fixed-price call-out/labour of £89 and will be quoted on the individual circumstances. We are unable to dispose of old appliances, so you would need to arrange for scrapping of the old one.

We can also install built-in appliances, but in the case of washing machines or washer dryers, the new appliance's décor door cut-outs may not line up with the new hinges.  In those cases, you would need to arrange to have the décor door fitted by a kitchen fitter or handyman who can re-cut the receiving holes in the wooden door.  We don't install large built in refrigeration appliances.  Installations are charged on a case by case basis and do not come under our fixed-price labour.  We can replace vented tumble dryers where one has been previously installed, but we cannot make openings in brickwork for a vent hose for a new one.

Q, I like the convenience of booking online but I don't want to commit myself or might change my mind prior to your visit.  Can I cancel a booking before the initial visit?

A, Absolutely, yes. We really encourage and recommend that you use our online booking system  making it easy to find availability & book. 

It saves time for you and for us, and there is absolutely no obligation whatsoever prior to the visit.  You can even cancel on the day of the visit due. Booking simply reserves a time slot. It takes under a minute to do, and there is no commitment.  You can return to the booking page   to reschedule or even cancel at any time prior to the initial visit or just text Ray on 07936 771341 and he will amend or cancel for you. 

If you do decide to cancel a reserved time slot, we'd appreciate it if you would use the booking system to cancel the slot, or let us know by phone or text so that we can release the time slot to somebody else.

Q, I've booked a time slot. When can I expect you?

A, The online booking system reserves a time slot for you and automatically sends an instant text and email confirmation, and a text and email reminder on the day of the visit an hour ahead of the time booked.  Our booking site is available 24 hours a day.

When you book a time, it isn't necessarily the arrival time (although it may be), but a 2-hour window within which the visit should take place. So, for example, if you book a 10:00am slot, the visit should be expected between 10:00-12:00. 

It isn't possible to guarantee that we will arrive at the time booked as previous jobs may overrun, but we aim to be with you within two-hours of the start of the booked time slot. 

Think of this as a 2-hour window, narrowing down the timeframe.  We cannot give a definite time unless it is the first visit of the day. On occasions, there may be a delay such as bad traffic, or an over-run of an earlier job.  Should we be delayed for any reason, we'll try to let you know (phone signal allowing) and offer to reschedule if necessary.

Q,  So if parts aren't required, do you repair it on the day for a maximum of £89 (£20 call-out charge plus £69 labour)?

A, Yes. Since no parts were needed, the cost to you is the £20 call-out charge plus the £69 fixed labour charge complete. If it's a simple and quick repair, the labour charge may be even less.

Q, What if you don't have the required parts on the day and need to come back to fit them?  Do you charge me for a return visit?

A, Absolutely not!  The £20 call-out charge and £69 labour charge is a one-time-only charge per individual appliance repair, even if we have to come back after obtaining parts.

The exception to this is if we are unable to access the appliance on the day due to it being installed in a way in which we cannot safely or physically remove it to work on, or if we have visited and been unable to gain access to the appliance, for example, if nobody is home, or the appliance needs significant removal of items before it can be accessed to be worked on.  In these cases the £20 call out charge will apply to any aborted visit, and you will need to arrange to make the appliance accessible.  Once the appliance is available to be worked on, a return visit will be deemed to be a new one i.e, £20 call-out plus £69 labour should the repair go ahead.  Tumble dryers stacked on top of washing machines must be placed at floor level prior to the engineer's arrival if either of the two appliances require repair.

Q, If you don't have the part needed and have to order it, how long does it take?

A, Our suppliers all have different delivery times but most parts are received within 24-48 hours, so in most cases, a few days is all that it takes for parts to be received and fitting can be quickly arranged once received.  However, a large stock of parts are always carried on the van so for typical repairs such as elements and door seals, the repair can often be completed on the same day. 

We can even book your return visit based upon the expected delivery time of the parts so you'll know exactly when we will be back to complete the work.

Q, I have parts that I'd like you to fit. Can you do this?

A, We can fit parts that you have purchased on a call-out & labour-only basis but the cost will be outside of our fixed-price labour offer, and therefore quoted separately.

Parts which we fit but have not supplied do not qualify for the £89 call-out/labour fixed price. The cost of fitting the part will depend upon the complexity of the work and type of part supplied by you, the customer.

If you're supplying spare parts for fitting by us, we will estimate the cost of the repair on assessment of the work required when we visit.  The call-out charge would apply regardless of whether or not the repair is to go ahead.  If the part to be fitted requires extra time to fit, or is large and time-consuming, such as a washing machine drum or other complicated work such as dismantling a part from another appliance to fit to the current one, an additional charge may apply.

We will fit customer-supplied parts, but cannot guarantee any repairs for which we have not diagnosed the fault and/or have not supplied parts. The part/s will be fitted on a labour-only basis. We will not be responsible if, after fitting of the customer-supplied part , it fails to rectify the fault, or if the part fitted should cause any additional damage or issues.

In these cases, labour is all that is supplied and any failure of the part to remedy the fault will not be covered by us.  Any subsequent failure of the customer-supplied part will also not be covered, and if it later requires replacing, a new call-out & labour charge will apply. 

If, after fitting parts supplied by you, the fault persists, we can investigate, diagnose, and provide you with an additional estimate to repair the fault, which will be outside of our normal fixed-price repair charge.

We will not fit parts supplied to us by any customer which are considered by us to be substandard or dangerous, nor will we defeat or bypass any safety mechanisms, even on a temporary basis.

We will not leave connected to the electricity, any appliance which does not have a functional earth, or which shows an unacceptably low level of electrical insulation, or is deemed electrically unsound.


Q, When you come to repair my appliance, will you fix any other faults at the same time? 

A, Our repair visit covers only one main fault notified to us at the time of booking.

Should we for example fix a motor fault on a washing machine which is not spinning and then you ask us about an older or additional, incidental fault such as an already damaged door seal or broken door handle, or some other fault which you would like to have fixed as well: an additional and proportionate charge may apply.  However, we will quote any additional cost in writing and there will of course be no obligation for you to accept any additional work.  Should the additional fault require a revisit, for example, to return with parts, an additional £20 call-out charge will apply for the return visit, as it will be considered a completely new repair.

Q, I have a fridge-freezer fault. It seems like a loss of refrigerant gas.  Do you re-gas or replace compressors on refrigeration appliances?

A, No, we do all repairs on fridges & freezers EXCEPT for 'system' faults (refrigerant gas or compressor replacements) as we do not carry the equipment required to repair such faults such as vacuum pumps, refrigerant gases, gauges and brazing kit. 

However, if we attend a problem that turns out to be a system fault, we will advise you accordingly and you will only pay the standard call-out charge of £20 if in our catchment area. 

The vast majority of faults are not system related.  We repair defrosting heater issues, thermostats, sensors, ventilator actuators, PCBs, ice maker faults, fans, valves, seals, hinges, handles, doors, inbuilt water storage tanks and dispenser supply pipes, etc. 

You can call us out safe in the knowledge that you will never be charged more than £20 by us (In our local area shown on our flowchart) if the fault turns out to be a refrigerant gas or compressor one that cannot be repaired by us.

Q, I live outside of the areas you serve displayed on your website. Can you repair my appliance?

A, Yes, provided that you are within a reasonable distance.  We would charge a higher amount, and it would not be covered under the fixed-price call-out/labour, so please call Ray direct on 07936 771341 for an estimate. Please note that we do not go into the ULEZ zone.

Q, What forms of payment do you take?

A, We accept Cash, Debit & Credit cards and Android & Apple Pay.

Landlords booking a call for a repair at the home of their tenant will need to ensure that payment for the work is available on the day that the work is completed using one of the payment methods above.  Since repairs are often completed without the need for a second visit, this means that full payment should be expected to be made on the first visit, and the tenant will be expected to provide payment (We cannot take a card payment over the phone).

We will only send out invoices in exceptional circumstances, and, as this adds delay and additional admin, we charge an additional £15 on top of any repair which requires invoicing.  Work at non-domestic premises such as offices, shops or care homes, etc, will be undertaken on the basis that payment by card or cash will be available onsite on completion of the repair.

Q, Do you provide a guarantee?

A, Yes. All new parts supplied and fitted by us are guaranteed for 6 months from the date of fitting against manufacturing defects or premature failure.  Non-part repairs such as removal of foreign objects and unblocking of hoses are not covered under this guarantee since further objects can remain hidden, and emerge later, causing another blockage.  In these cases, a minimum of an additional call-out charge will apply for a subsequent visit.

Should another component in your appliance be causing failure of the guaranteed part, it may be necessary to replace the other part along with the part under guarantee.  The other part will not be covered under the guarantee, and should it need replacing, there will be an additional cost for that part.  

The guarantee does not apply where the part has been subjected to misuse or modification, or has been tampered with, or if the appliance has had any other repair (or attempted repair) for the same (or any other fault in the interim) other than by us.  The guarantee covers labour to re-fit a guaranteed part. Any part replaced under guarantee will be covered for 6 months from the date of the original  fitting, i.e, a 5 month-old part replaced under guarantee will have an additional month of guarantee.  The guarantee does not 'reset' with the fitting of the replacement part.  Any subsequent faults which are not related to the original repair will be considered a new fault and will require booking as a new repair.

Q, How can I book?

A, Click HERE to check current time slots available and book online.