How it works
How Our Appliance Repair Referral Works
You make one call, we connect you with a local repair company that covers your ZIP code, and you deal with them directly from there.
What San Jose Appliance Care is
San Jose Appliance Care is a free phone referral service for appliance repair in San Jose, Sunnyvale and the surrounding cities of Santa Clara County, plus Fremont. We don't repair appliances ourselves. When you call, we connect you with an independent local repair company that works on your kind of appliance in your ZIP code, and that company diagnoses the problem, quotes the job and does the work.
It saves you ringing round five companies to find one that handles, say, a built-in Sub-Zero in Los Gatos or a stacked LG washer in a Milpitas condo. The trade-off is that we're a connection, not a contractor, so the steps below explain exactly where our part ends.
From the call to the repair
What happens after you dial
You describe the problem
Brand, appliance type, what it's doing, any code on the display, and your ZIP code. The model number helps; it's usually on a label inside the door, on the door frame or on the back.
The call goes to a local repair company
You're connected with a company that has told us it covers your area and works on that appliance. You talk to them directly about timing and their diagnostic fee.
They diagnose and put the price in writing
California requires a registered repair dealer to give you a written estimate before repairing, and it can't charge above that estimate without your consent. A diagnostic fee is allowed if you're told the amount before the visit.
You decide, and you pay them
Approve the estimate or don't. If you go ahead, you pay the repair company, and their invoice and any warranty on the work come from them.
How to check a repair company before it starts
In California, businesses that repair appliances register as Electronic and Appliance Repair Dealers with the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS), part of the Department of Consumer Affairs. The registration belongs to the business, so ask for the company's name as it's registered, or its registration number.
Then look it up on the BHGS license search. It shows whether the registration is current, when it expires, and any disciplinary action on record. It's worth doing before anyone opens up a built-in fridge or a gas range.
We don't hold a registration ourselves, because we don't do repairs. What we can tell you is what to ask, and the questions below are the ones that matter most.
How San Jose Appliance Care is paid
Repair companies and call networks pay us for the calls we connect. You don't pay us anything. Being paid per call is also why we're open about it here: you should know the connection isn't a neutral recommendation of the best company in the valley, and nothing stops you comparing quotes. The full disclaimer has the details.
Questions
Questions about the referral
Does it cost anything to call?
No. The call and the connection are free. San Jose Appliance Care is paid by the repair companies and call networks it works with, not by you. Any fee you pay, such as a diagnostic or service-call charge, goes to the repair company, and California law says they must tell you that fee before the visit.
Who is responsible for the repair?
The repair company that does the work. Their estimate, their invoice and any warranty on parts or labor are between you and them. We do not supervise the job, so check their registration, get the estimate in writing and keep the invoice.
Can I choose not to hire the company I am connected with?
Yes. Talking to the repair company does not commit you to anything. If the diagnostic fee, the estimate or the timing does not work for you, you can decline and call again or look elsewhere.
Is the repair company factory-authorized for my brand?
Sometimes, not always. If your appliance is still under the manufacturer warranty, the manufacturer usually wants its own authorized service used, so ask the company directly, or book through the brand before paying anyone else.
Ready to describe the problem?
Have the brand, model number and ZIP code handy. The call is free, and you decide whether to book.