London Repairs is our tool to help people find a reliable repair shop in their local area. We are building a directory of reliable local repair businesses, and making it simple for the public to find these businesses when they need an urgent fix to their gadget or device.
We are growing the repair economy
We are active in community repair, encouraging and empowering citizens to use their devices for longer. But we recognise that community repair alone is not enough. Commercial repair is a key part of the repair economy.
Data from ten years of running repair events shows that while we can repair over half of the items brought to repair events, over one quarter of items are assessed as “repairable” requiring more work, which could be done by commercial repairers.
Yet the general public’s limited trust in repair businesses and the time currently required to find an appropriate repair option often stop people from getting things repaired. Our research with Nottingham Trent University in 2016 shows that as yet only 33% of attendees at our repair events could name a reliable commercial repairer, indicating a lack of knowledge and a trust barrier.
We constantly receive requests for advice on commercial repairers: for many people, access to a reliable service makes all the difference between repairing and buying a new product. Searching for reliable repair businesses can be time-consuming and often frustrating – London Repairs aims to make it easier, and to grow the repair economy in the process.
What is a reliable repair business?
We have designed a set of criteria that we use to gauge the reliability of a repair business.
The criteria used are:
- The business has a trading address.
- The business has 80% or more positive online reviews, with a minimum of 10 reviews.
- The business provides at least a one-month warranty on repairs.
We’re also keen to harness people’s local knowledge, so invite business recommendations from the public, which we will then check against our criteria.
Disclaimer: we are fully aware that online reviews can be contested, or prone to manipulation. We consider “positive” reviews those that are 3/4/5 stars, and we use our best judgement to exclude potentially ‘fake’ reviews from this mix. The sources of our reviews are platforms such as Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, Yell, Freeindex and Checkatrade.
How does it work?
Data on repair businesses is collected by researching them online and by calling businesses, and where possible by visiting the neighbourhoods in person to find additional businesses without a strong web presence. Key data about businesses is then entered in the backend of the directory, including the percentage of positive reviews a business has. Data is then verified and approved for publishing on the directory. As most of the work is currently done manually, it requires frequent updates to avoid listing businesses which might no longer meet the requirements (for example, in case their percentage of positive reviews dropped below the threshold we set).
Get involved
You can help us grow the repair economy.