With the lack of reliability of their household appliances which break only a few years after their purchase, Quebecers have no choice in turning to repairers more often despite the costs which can be high.
This was the case for Simon St-Pierre, who had to have his refrigerator repaired less than three years after purchasing it. Without warning, the device’s compressor gave up the ghost. Not too practical with two young children.
“It’s frustrating. It should last longer, he says. this is the first time that it happens to me.
“It was explained to me [que] Today’s refrigerators have smaller compressors than in the past. Since they force more, it breaks more.”
Household appliances break more easily since the arrival of electronic parts.
Photo provided by Daniel Gagné
When he realized his refrigerator was no longer doing its job, he quickly went into solution mode. At the end of the races, he found himself with a bill of more than $400 to pay.
“When you pay more than $2,000 for a product, you shouldn’t have to spend $400 a few years later,” he adds. There is no one brand that is better than the other. The phenomenon is widespread. It’s a little disappointing.”
Another consumer also had a disturbing experience when in January his refrigerator decided to give up the ghost.
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On January 13, the Brick company gave Vincent Duquette and his wife a repair date, in 30 days.
“There, we are panicking a little, me and my partner. We wonder how we’re going to manage without a fridge for a month. Then, I receive an email telling me that it won’t be before March 8th! Luckily, my parents had a small refrigerator in their garage and they lent it to us while we waited,” he says.
Lack of reliability
Although unable to provide precise statistics, the four repair companies contacted by THE Newspaper are unanimous. The unreliability of household appliances is one of the causes of this increase in the number of calls.
Daniel Gagné believes that household appliances break much more quickly than before.
Photo provided by Daniel Gagné
“When I started, 31 years ago, the first repairs only arrived after 17 years,” says Daniel Gagné, senior technician at the Electro Clinic. There, we’re talking about more than three or four years.”
“Over the years, companies have added parts and electronics to the devices. It’s more fragile than before.”
As for Patrick Réhel, a repairer with 35 years of experience, his number of calls has increased by 15% in recent years.
“All brands break down in the first five years,” he says. The quality is no longer the same. It’s not as good as it used to be.”
“For example, a hose that was rubber before is now plastic. It breaks with the snap of a finger.”
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The downside of technology
The presence of electronic components makes the devices even more sensitive, according to the president of the Corporation of Household Appliance Technicians of Quebec (CTEQ), Sylvain Lebel.
“It will break more often for this reason,” he emphasizes. Current variations are catastrophic for household appliances.”
“When a customer tells us about breakdowns or recurring drops in their sector, it’s not a good sign for their devices.”
Sylvain Lebel, president of the Corporation of Household Appliance Technicians of Quebec, believes that electronics have changed the situation in terms of the reliability of appliances in recent years.
Photo provided by Sylvain Lebel
He also sees customers who do not maintain their devices properly or others who do not use them adequately.
“It is also a question of certain manufacturers programming the lifespan of their devices,” mentions Lebel. It doesn’t make sense to do that.”
“You can’t screw up your product like that, especially when a customer is paying for an overpriced cooktop. Companies will not take the risk of tarnishing their reputation.”
Repair or throw away?
Appliances that are more than ten years old are more difficult to repair due to the scarcity of available parts.
“I just told a customer that there was nothing more to be done with his refrigerator,” says Patrick Réhel. He had to spend $1,500 to extend its life and he told me that was the price of a new one.”
When repairs exceed $1,500, technicians often advise their customers to purchase a new device. They then find themselves faced with a heartbreaking choice.
“There are a lot of devices that we are no longer able to repair because the parts are no longer available from our suppliers,” says Asma Makhlouf, who works for Service 2000. “This pushes our customers to buy new more often than not. Before.”
–With the collaboration of David Descôteaux