HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a games console repairer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to games console repairers. Here is how to get a fair quote, a warranty and the right repair.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a games console repairer in five steps

  1. Check the manufacturer's warrantyIf the console is still covered, read the terms before an independent repair.
  2. Back up savesSync game saves to the cloud where you can.
  3. Ask about the diagnosis feeWhether there is one, and whether it is charged if you decline the repair.
  4. Get the quote in writingThe fault, the parts, the price and the warranty before work begins.
  5. Test with a gamePicture, sound, discs, controllers and Wi-Fi before you pay.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses games console repairers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. A written quote, a warranty and reviews from booked repairs are your checks.

Ask for the diagnosis, price and warranty in writing.

Reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015)

A trader repairing your console must do it with reasonable care and skill. If the repair fails because of poor work, you can require it to be redone free, and then a price reduction if that does not work.

Keep the quote and invoice so you can rely on the warranty. legislation.gov.uk →

Posting the console: cancellation

A mail-in repair agreed online is a distance contract. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 normally give 14 days to cancel a service, with payment for any work you asked to start sooner.

Read the terms on cancellation, return postage and insurance in transit. legislation.gov.uk →

Your account data

Consoles hold account logins and payment details. Data protection rules, enforced by the ICO, require a business handling personal data to keep it secure.

Sign out of accounts or remove saved payment methods before handing the console over. gov.uk →

VAT

Console repair is standard-rated, so a registered games console repairer adds 20% to parts, labour and any diagnosis fee charged when you decline the repair. Registration becomes compulsory once a games console repairer has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the games console repairer for the VAT number on the repair ticket and for parts, labour, postage and VAT listed apart. gov.uk →

“What is the console fault, and what will you replace?”

A good answer: A clear diagnosis: port, drive, fan, power or board, and the part.

“Is there a charge if I decline the console repair?”

A good answer: A stated diagnosis fee, or none.

“Is board damage involved, and does it cost more?”

A good answer: An honest view of micro-soldering work and the price before starting.

“Are the parts genuine or generic?”

A good answer: A straight answer and the warranty on each.

“How long is the warranty on the games console repair?”

A good answer: A period in writing.

“How long will the repair take, including postage?”

A good answer: Days for the repair, plus postage if mailed.

“Will you test the console with games before returning it?”

A good answer: Yes: display, sound, discs and controllers.

Getting the quote right

  • The diagnosed fault and the parts to be fitted
  • Who actually attends to the console: the games console repairer you sent it to, an employed technician, or a subcontracted workshop
  • Diagnosis fee and whether it is charged if you decline
  • Labour and parts, priced separately
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on parts and labour as its own line
  • Warranty on the repair
  • Turnaround and postage costs both ways
  • Extra work only with your approval

Walk away if

  • No written quote
  • No warranty
  • Extra board repairs added without asking
  • Will not say which parts are used
  • No tracking or insurance on postage
  • Pressure to sell the console instead
LOW
£35
TYPICAL
£80
HIGH
£220

What a games console repairer costs: £35–£220 per repair

Console repairs are quoted per repair after diagnosis, covering parts and labour, with postage extra for mail-in. Games Console Repair price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Games console repairers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. DiagnosisThe games console repairer tests the console to confirm the fault.
  2. QuoteParts and labour priced in writing.
  3. RepairPort, drive, fan or other part replaced; board work if agreed.
  4. TestingRun with games and display output.
  5. ReturnCollected or posted back, with invoice and warranty.

HDMI port
The socket that carries picture and sound to the TV; often damaged.
Micro-soldering
Fine repair work on the circuit board.
Stick drift
A controller registering movement when untouched.
Thermal paste
The compound that helps heat leave the chip; renewed in overheating fixes.
Disc drive
The part that reads game discs.
Mail-in repair
Posting the console to the repairer.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoiceIt is your proof of the warranty.
Play for a few daysOverheating and port faults can take time to show; report them quickly.
Check the controllers tooIf they were part of the job, test them separately.
Rate the workSay what the games console repairer did well and what could be better, once the work is finished. A problem goes through the make-it-right step first, so they can put it right.

STEP 1Raise it with the games console repairerA short, dated message works best: the problem, the proof and the remedy you want from the games console repairer. Your rights come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which requires a trader to use reasonable care and skill and gives you repeat performance or a price cut where they did not.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightGive the games console repairer fewer than four stars and Locufy offers to pass the complaint on first. The make-it-right step is followed through before you publish.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplineNobody licenses games console repairers, so the route is consumer advice: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland. They can refer the games console repairer to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Small claims courtFor money the games console repairer owes you, the small claims courts handle claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 through simple procedure in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a games console repairer: questions people ask

No. There is no licence or register for this work anywhere in the UK, and no qualification is required.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires reasonable care and skill; ask for the repair to be redone free, then for a price reduction if that fails.

Check the manufacturer's terms before booking if the console is still covered.

£35–£220 per repair, with a typical figure of £80. The fault, any board damage and genuine parts move the price. Read the games console repairer price guide for the factors, or search your town above for games console repairers nearby.

Compare the quote with the cost of a replacement; a good repairer will say if it is not worth it.

Many repairs take a few hours to three working days, plus postage if mailed.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Computer & Laptop RepairHow to hire: Phone & Screen RepairHow to hire: Data RecoveryHow to hire: Computer Setup & InstallationHow to hire: IT SupportHow to hire: Network EngineerHow to hire: Game DeveloperHow to hire: Managed IT ServicesAll 701 hiring guides →

Games console repairers near you

Games console repairers in LondonGames console repairers in ManchesterGames console repairers in BirminghamGames console repairers in GlasgowGames console repairers in BelfastAll games console repairers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 55 — repeat performance
  3. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  4. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register