PSA: Should we fix old gear or just tell people to buy new? I got split on this last week at a local shop.

Last week at a friend's repair shop in Austin, a guy brought in a 2012 Samsung TV with a blown power supply. My buddy quoted him $85 for the part and labor. The guy laughed and said he could get a used 4K set for $120 on Facebook. I argued we should fix it because it's less waste and the picture is still solid. But my buddy pointed out that most people don't care about e-waste, they just want the cheapest option. So where do we draw the line as repairers? Do you guys push back and fix old gear even if it costs close to a replacement, or do you just hand them a referral to Best Buy? Has anyone else dealt with this argument at their own bench?

2 comments

2 Comments

laura9402h ago

Settle down, it's just a TV not a moral crisis.

benwilliams27m ago

Holding a TV show free from criticism feels like a weird line to draw, @laura940. What makes this specific topic not worth discussing compared to other things we see on screens every night? Doesn't the stuff we watch reflect something back at us, whether we mean it to or not?