Technical devices have become an indispensable part of our lives. If they break down, it is not only annoying, but also makes everyday life more difficult. Repairs are usually very expensive and often do not seem to make economic sense considering the current value of a device. According to the representative “Repair instead of throwing away” study by the specialist insurer Wertgarantie, three quarters of the population decide against repairs, a third of them because the costs are too high.
And: Many people don't even know where they can get their defective devices repaired, as another recent Wertgarantie study shows. Only one in five knows a suitable repair shop nearby. However, repairs are an important lever for extending the service life of electrical devices and thus reducing the amount of electronic waste.
Find a nearby repair shop using the Wertgarantie workshop search
“We strongly believe that the awareness of repair shops near where people live has a significant influence on the willingness to repair. The more professional repair options there are, the more likely consumers are to have their defective devices repaired. With our workshop search, we help to find suitable repair shops,” explains Wertgarantie board member Konrad Lehmann.
Using the Wertgarantie workshop search, consumers can easily and simply find a suitable repair shop in their area and compare different offers. With this service, Wertgarantie meets consumers' need for a quick and uncomplicated workshop search. At the same time, the specialist insurer wants to ensure more repairs.
Especially in eastern Germany, few people know of a nearby repair shop
Overall, the representative survey of 2,100 households in Germany shows that consumers are primarily familiar with repair shops in smaller residential areas with fewer than 100,000 people. In large cities, only a few customers know what to do with their defective electrical appliances. There are also major differences between the federal states.
Generally, consumers in western Germany know more repair shops than in the east. The Saarland is the leader. Here, almost one in three people knows a workshop near where they live – followed by Bremen (28%) and Baden-Württemberg (22%). The state capital Berlin is far behind: only one in seven people knows where they can get their broken electrical device repaired nearby.
At the same time, the study makes it clear that for more than half of the population (58%), easily accessible repair shops in their own area are important. After all, consumers are willing to travel 17 kilometers to the nearest workshop to have their defective device repaired there.
“Repair instead of throwing away”: Wertgarantie’s mission to reduce electronic waste
Why are repairs so important? When electrical devices break, they usually end up in the trash. Often even if they could still have been repaired. This is fatal, because every year 376,748 tons of electronic waste are generated in German households.
As an insurer, Wertgarantie has been promoting repairs with its device protection products for over 60 years. Under the motto “Repair instead of throwing away”, Wertgarantie insurance products support the sustainable and responsible use of devices and help reduce electronic waste.
High repair costs? Be on the safe side with the Value Guarantee complete protection
Whether it's a smartphone, television or washing machine – the company insures consumer electronics and household appliances and covers the repair costs in the event of damage. With the new Value Guarantee complete protection, an electrical appliance can be insured from just 3.50 euros per month, depending on the purchase price – regardless of whether it is new, used or refurbished.
Learn more about Value Guarantee here
Source: https://www.basicthinking.de/blog/2024/07/08/wertgarantie-studie-reparieren-statt-wegwerfen/