15+ Stories Proving That Hiring a Repairman Is Always a Total Lottery

A jack-of-all-trades might be a wise grandfather who can fix your washing machine in 15 minutes or a sly character who writes off your fridge as non-repairable. This article is about the incredible contrasts in the world of home services. These tradesmen gave their clients not just a service, but a bunch of funny stories.

• My washer broke down, so I found a guy with high ratings. He came over, fiddled with it, and said the repair would cost more than the washer itself.
  Then he offered his help. Like he’ll take this one and bring a good used one from the warehouse. This scheme sounded weird, so I refused and paid him only for diagnostics.
  On the same day, I found an ad in the local newspaper and called. An older gentleman came over, looked at it, went next door for some piece of pipe, replaced it all in 15 minutes, and charged me peanuts. 6 years later, the washer runs like clockwork. © doooo / Pikabu
• My great-grandmother is 93 years old. Her fridge broke down once, so she called a repairman.
  The guy fixed everything and said it would last another 20 years without needing a repair. And she replied, “And then what am I going to do? Fix it again?” © palinaaliakhnovich / Threads
• Yesterday, I called a repairman because my router wasn’t working. He approached the router, checked the cable with a tester—everything was fine—and crimped it.
  I stood there half asleep, watching him, and thought, “Darn, this used to be my job. I have the same tester, crimping tool, and new connectors in my car.” © bazarbekov1986 / Threads
• My stepdad had a plasma still under warranty. They came out once, made some repairs, but didn’t fix it.
  Came back a couple of weeks later and pretty much replaced everything inside the TV, everything but the panel and case, basically. He asked them if it wouldn’t just be cheaper to give him another TV, and they said it probably would be, but they weren’t allowed to. © Scienlologist / Reddit

A great way to start the morning

• Today, a technician came to mount the TV on the wall. I went to another room, thinking my husband and the technician, 2 guys, will handle it. I hear they’ve finished.
  I come in, and the TV is crooked. Both of them say, “It’s straight!” We started measuring—I was right. It’s crooked. © tarolog.tbilisi / Threads
• Funny enough, a technician hung mine crooked too and left. I walk around, look—well, it’s crooked. Called a second technician; he came with a laser.
  It shifted literally 0.2 inches to the side. The technician even laughed, saying, “Wow.” And I’m not a nitpicker at all and don’t see well. But here it was really noticeable that it was hanging strangely. © darya_olegovich / Threads
• My mother-in-law started feeling like there was a draft from the window. No matter how much I tried to prove it wasn’t so—useless. Eventually, she called some window repair service.
  Well, I thought, it’s definitely going to be a scammer. A guy came, looked around, and concluded, “I don’t see any problems with the window; everything is perfectly fine.” My mother-in-law insisted:
  — If I’m cold, then there are gaps, and they need fixing!
  — Maybe just a little adjustment...
  — How much?
  — Just for the call, since I didn’t do anything.
  — No, you did repair. Here’s $100 (the call fee is $50).
  — I don’t take money for work I didn’t do.
  — So you didn’t do anything?
  — Well, I just adjusted it.
  — Then take it.
  So he took the extra $50, then took out silicone grease and lubricated the seals. When I escorted him out, I said:
  — I lubricated it recently.
  — Well, I can’t just take money for work I didn’t do!
  The man is a saint. © Zasebya / Pikabu

Workers had to destroy our driveway at 3:00 a.m. to install fiber cables.

• My plumber wanted to install the radiators backward. I told him he was attaching them on the wrong side, but he replied, “I know better.” Then he realized it was wrong and started unscrewing everything. © miss_anastaska / Threads
• The washing machine broke for the second time this year. I called the same repairman as last time. He fixed everything, all was good, but as we said goodbye, I told him, “I hope I don’t see you again.” We both laughed. © ans.anv / Threads
• I called a repairman to replace some damaged laminate boards. He asked for $400 just for the call-out. Realizing the work would only take him about half an hour, he spent an extra hour teaching me how to change the boards myself so I wouldn’t have to spend money calling specialists next time.
  Tomorrow, I’m starting a new career. Just kidding, I’m too lazy, but for the approach, I give a score of 5 out of 5. © alexandrrayn / Threads
• The dryer started squeaking. The drum barely turned. I was looking for a repairman.
  The first one said, “Oh no, buddy, I can’t.” The second one said, “You’ll pay as much as a new one; I won’t even bother.” The third one said, “Just take it apart yourself; it’s simple. Then examine it. Call if you need anything.”
  Alright. I took out the dryer, dismantled it—removed the dust, reassembled it—and it still squeaked. I found a video online; the author’s phone number was there. I messaged him, sent him the video. He told me where to look—it wasn’t it.
  The previous repairman messaged, asking how it was going. I complained. He suggested removing the sensors. The video author said the same.
  I looked—and there was a small stone wedged between the temperature sensor and the edge of the drum. That was causing the squeak. Removed it, reassembled everything.
  Both repairmen congratulated me, refused any payment, and asked for reviews. I’m still in shock—2 strangers taught me over the phone on Sunday how to repair equipment for free. Usually, just diagnostics start “from $200 with a visit.” © AdDucoMorior / Pikabu

Our ceiling was leaking for nearly a year before the landlord finally had it fixed: this happened last night.

• The fridge stopped freezing. Repairmen refused to take the job, saying that this model couldn’t be fixed because it had this “little hole” that was too small and couldn’t be cleaned. Until someone said, “So I don’t waste a trip, turn off the refrigerator for 3 days. Let it thaw and then turn it back on. If the problem remains, I’ll come.”
  We did it, and the problem disappeared. He declined payment for the long-distance repair. © Fima Sobak / ADME
• We went away on a business trip with my husband for 2 weeks and asked a friend to look after our apartment. 3 days later, she called in a panic — the drain in the bathroom was clogged.
  My husband called the plumber he knew. That evening he called back and said, “I can understand many things, but why are you bringing women home?” He didn’t believe she was our friend.
• A tech came to fix our fridge. He tinkered for an hour and a half, charged $300, but the fridge still didn’t work. We had to hire another one—that first guy blocked me when I complained. I paid another $200 to the second one, who had to fix the first one’s mess for an entire week. © Solnce / ADME

Concrete overflowed out of the toilet.

• I always take pictures of my workspace when repairmen are to be there to fix something. Particularly, I have quite a bit of expensive electronics within my area (i.e., laptops, oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, circuit boards, memory cards, hard drives, etc.).
  It may look chaotic to someone seeing it for the first time, but I know exactly where everything is. If something is moved, there better be a damn good explanation. If something is missing, there is hell to pay! © Devistator / Reddit
• Today I had a guy do “maintenance” on my AC units. After 15 minutes, he concluded that I had to have a leak “somewhere” and that both 12-year-old units needed replacing. 15 minutes and I need to spend $20K to fix 2 working units? I don’t think so. © cyber***** / Reddit

The neighbors drilled through my wall.

• The washing machine started leaking. I wasn’t home; my mom found a repairman online. He came, fixed the machine, and asked to use the bathroom.
  Later it turned out that he somehow managed to break the toilet flush button. He fiddled with it, said he fixed it, and left. I came home from work, went to the bathroom. Naturally, the button had fallen off.
  I called this so-called repairman and told him to come back and fix it properly. He showed up with the comment that it would be on my conscience. What does my conscience have to do with it?! © Overheard / Ideer
• Wife: “The sewing machine has broken down. The serger too.”
  Found a private repairman—rating 4.9. A man came. I was in the room, thinking, I didn’t need these machines.
  Half an hour later I came out—he had disassembled the machine to the last screw, and my wife was amazed. He explained where to put a drop of oil, how to assemble it, and asked for fabric—we gave him chiffon. Pressed the pedal—wife was smiling: it hummed like new. And she was like:
  — And my serger is acting up too; can you help?
  — Bring it in.
  He spent 4 hours and gave a lecture on threads, needles, and fabrics. Charged just a little. Gave him 5 stars and a good review. The man is in his right place. © Kspksp / Pikabu

And here are stories from repairmen who stumbled upon shocking secrets in people’s homes.