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Repair Process

Curious about our repair process? Here’s what you can expect:

  • Before issuing a Repair Authorization, we’d like to know the age, model, and general condition of your machine, so we can advise you of any red flags that may make your machine not worth repairing (too old, obsolete parts, serious lack of maintenance, etc.). We sometimes also request pictures.
  • Repair Authorizations are issued by email with an approximate date we’d like your machine to arrive. If you follow that request, the average time we’ll need to keep your machine is one week or less. (Severe scale, special order parts, or delays in responding to our emailed estimate will delay the repair time).
    • The authorization email includes a link to our Repair Submission Form. To hold your position in our repair queue, you must print, complete, sign, scan, and email us a copy of the form within 3 days.
    • If you are shipping your machine in, you must also include a signed and completed Repair Submission Form, including symptoms, we will delay starting the diagnostic process until it is received. It's very important that you include intermittent symptoms in the event they do not present themselves while your machine is on our bench.  
    • We'll also email a link to UPS-approved shipping guidelines and boiler draining instructions to help your equipment arrive safely.
  • When the time scheduled for your repair is approaching, we'll remind you by email to ship your machine and send a bill for the repair submission fee. Once your machine has arrived, we’ll visually inspect the equipment. It’s important for you to adhere to our recommended arrival date in case your equipment is damaged in transit -- if your equipment arrives too early for your repair, then your window for filing a claim may have already expired by the time we alert you to any damage in transit. We’ll follow up that visual inspection with an email letting you know that your machine has arrived and if there are any abnormalities (i.e. visual issues, missing parts, damage-in-transit, etc.). Pictures will be included, if applicable. 
  • If you send in a partially dismantled machine that we must reassemble prior to being able to properly test, diagnose, and estimate your repair, you will be charged additional labor according to the added time. This does not apply to our specific packaging recommendations (i.e. removing the water tank on t an Elektra SemiAutomatica).
  • Your machine should hit the repair bench within a few days of that follow-up email. After the initial diagnostics, and we’ll email an estimate for your review. In some cases, electrical issues on some machines may prevent us from providing an accurate estimate without some initial repair work. You will be notified in advance if this is the case with your repair.)
  • If you approve the estimate, we’ll apply 1/2 of the submission fee to your first hour of labor and get to work. If your approved estimate total is over $300, we require a 50% deposit prior to starting the repair. Many machines are repaired and ready to ship back within a week. In-depth repairs can take longer, although it’s unlikely for us to keep a machine longer than a week unless we’re performing a complete rebuild. If you decline the repair, we retain your submission fee to cover our labor up to that point, and you’ll need to decide whether to have us recycle the machine (no charge) or have it shipped back to you (shipping fees will apply).
  • Once we’ve completed your repair, we will test your machine by bringing up to pressure and letting it cool down several times within a 24 to 48 hour period, and we’ll pull a few shots as well. Unless we’re installing factory-calibrated components, we will also fine-tune any adjustable components, such the p-stat, OPV and pump.
  • After that process is complete, we’ll package up your machine and send you a final bill for the balance due. As soon as the bill is paid, we’ll get your equipment on its way back to you along with some complementary cleaning supply samples. We have supplemental instructions on how to clean and maintain your equipment for many of the brands we sell and include those if applicable.
  • If you followed our packing guidelines and the packaging wasn’t damaged in transit or soaked with water left in your boiler, we’ll ship the machine back in the same condition. IF we need to repackage the machine, we may charge for packaging material.
  • Unless you specifically ask us not to insure the equipment against damage, we will add UPS insurance for the full value of a replacement machine to the return shipping costs.
  • All equipment is sent back “signature required” unless it is sent to a commercial location where UPS automatically requires a signature by default.
  • Repair labor has a 30-day warranty. Most replaced parts also have a 30-day warranty, however, there is no warranty on electrical parts or damage caused to any part by hard water. Neither warranty covers misuse, abuse, hard-water damage, negligence, power surges, shipping damage, or items not included in the invoiced repairs. There are no returns or refunds for repair services.