A repair person must provide a written evaluation when the costs for a repair are estimated to be higher than $50.

What if you have signed a document rejecting the need for such an evaluation? Such a document has no legal value. To reject an evaluation, you must write a document yourself and sign it.

Covered small appliances

The written evaluation is required for the repair of the following small appliances:

• Microwaves;
• Air conditioning appliance;
• Dehumidifier.

Evaluation costs

Getting an evaluation should be free, unless the repair person mentioned the exact fee beforehand.

Information contained in an evaluation

The evaluation provided must include the following information:

• Your name and that of the repair person;
• A description of the small appliance to be repaired;
• Details about the repair that must be done and its costs;
• The evaluation date and the period for which it is valid.

Authorizing the repair

You must provide your authorization before any repair can be done. Moreover, without your authorization, the repair person cannot proceed with repairs that were not mentioned in the evaluation.

The repair person cannot ask for more than the amount stated in the evaluation. The only fees that can be added to the evaluation are those linked to additional repairs that you have expressly authorized.

Getting replaced parts back

During the evaluation process, you can request that the parts that will be replaced be returned to you. The repair person must agree with your request, unless:

• the repair work is done for free;
• the defective parts are replaced by refurbished parts;
• the merchant must send the defective parts back to the manufacturer or distributor because a repair is under warranty.

Repairs under warranty

A repair person is not required to provide an evaluation when a repair is done for free, such as when it is under warranty.

Prohibited practices

Whatever the small appliance that needs repair, false or misleading statements are always prohibited. For example, a repair person breaks the law if they pretend a part is needed for a repair when it is not.

Small appliances not covered by the law

Need to have a toaster oven, a food processor, a coffee maker, or any other kind of small appliance repaired? You can still request an evaluation from the merchant or the repair person before authorizing the repairs. A merchant or repair person who cares about their customers will readily accept to provide one.
 

Top of page

After repairing a microwave oven, an air conditioning appliance, or a dehumidifier, a repair person must provide an invoice that includes:

• Your name and address;
• The repair person’s name and address;
• A description of the repaired small appliance;
• Details of the repair work done;
• The parts that were replaced and their corresponding prices, including details regarding whether the parts were new, used, or refurbished;
• The number of labour hours, the hourly rate, and the total labour costs;
• The tax amounts charged;
• The total amount you must pay for the repair;
• Details about the small appliance’s warranty.

Repair work done on a small appliance is guaranteed for 3 months, so make sure the repair date is indicated on the invoice.