With many people hiring technicians off of sites like Craigslist, it’s really important that you find out if you’re dealing with a legitimate technician who can fix your computer properly, or someone you should avoid.

In the almost 30 years that I have worked as a Computer Technician I have seen many people get scammed by dishonest or unqualified Technicians. When deciding on a person to help with a repair, you may want to consider the items on this checklist to ensure you’re about to hire someone who will repair your computer correctly.

1. The Technician or workshop has a Commercial License:
A business license shows that the technician or shop is legal and less likely to run a repair scam. If a “tech” is doing things “under the table” and cutting corners with the law, what shortcuts will they cut with you and your repair?

2. Full-time professional technicians:
Make sure this is how they make a living and not as a side job.
Being a Professional Technician is a full-time job. Aside from being busy making repairs, a good technician spends a lot of their time learning about new software and hardware, getting the latest drivers and security updates, and so on.

If it’s a side job or a hobby, they’re not putting in the time to keep up and do you know if they’ll be around when you really need them?

3. Written guarantees and receipts for all work performed:
Make sure warranties are on paper or they will be worthless. Ask for a copy of your warranty before you do business and read it over so you know before you start a repair what your options will be if something goes wrong.

And always make sure you get a receipt, always, no matter what.

4. Realistic prices:
You get what you pay for. We all know that. If someone is offering a service that seems very cheap, find out why. Make sure you know about any additional charges that may arise. Like travel time. Or fees that skyrocket after using the first “cheap” block of time. Be on the lookout for “offers” that claim to give you free time or hardware.

Everything has to be paid at some point and it is the customer who always pays. Otherwise, the company could not stay in business. There is no problem with looking for a good offer. Always look around you. But keep in mind that your computer and software cost you a fair amount of money. Want to entrust it to someone who thinks their service is worth less than a pizza delivered to your door?

5. Real World Contact Information:
If a technician doesn’t include a phone number and only uses anonymous email accounts, like hotmail, ask yourself why. If they claim it’s to stop spam and telemarketers, ask yourself if you want a technician who doesn’t know how to use caller ID and a simple spam filter on their own systems to work on yours.

Will you be able to find that anonymous person if something goes wrong with your repair? Real companies list their phone, email, and websites however they want to make it easy for you to contact them. If you have to jump through a lot of hoops to find the “tech,” ask yourself why. If you had a business, would you hide from customers?

6. Certificates:
Many technicians who advertise online are not certified, so ask if they are and then ask for a test. It’s always a good sign when you can see that the technician you’re thinking of using has gone the extra mile and verified his knowledge through testing. Never be afraid to ask someone you’re thinking of using if they’re qualified. And if for some reason they can’t prove it, stay away from them.

7. Experience:
As with most things in life, nothing beats the real world experience. Ask anyone thinking of using how much real-world computer repair experience they have. If they mention just one or two places where they have worked or are still in school or have less than 10 years of experience, most of the time they will not have the level of experience you will need.

8. Other points to remember…
Don’t be rushed. Be sure to call to get an idea of ​​what the different companies offer. Ask all your questions and make sure you feel comfortable. If you are in a hurry or the technician is too busy to help you, you should call someone else.

Does the technician ask you questions? If they do and they listen to what you have to say, that’s a good sign. If they also try to help you by phone or email, then that’s an even better sign. A real technician will try to help you if they can before scheduling a service call or having you come to their store.

You have spent a lot of money on your computer and its software. It contains information you use and need every day, and some of its data is priceless to you. Make sure your investment is safe by asking for professional IT help when you need it.