Parents get consoles fixed to save festive cash
Thursday November 13 2008
CASH-strapped parents are getting game consoles repaired instead of splashing out on new models this Christmas.
A computer console repairer said he has already fixed several consoles for parents that will be given again as presents this year.
Sean Pezzillo, owner of Console Repairs Ireland, said they as the recession has taken hold he has noticed a marked increase in people looking to get things fixed instead of flippantly replacing them.
"We have gotten busier with people coming in to us and saying they can't afford to buy another one," he said. "Most machines can be fixed."
Christmas
Mr Pezzillo said that in one recent case a mother brought him a Nintendo DS that her child had received for Christmas last year then in March or April he broke it. She contacted him to repair it and put a different colour cover on it. Now she plans to give the Nintendo DS to him for Christmas just like a new one this year.
"Our service means that you don't have to go out and buy a new one," he said.
Console Repairs Ireland based in Bray repairs everything from Xbox 360s, Nintendo DS and PlayStation consoles.
Mr Pezzillo said the handheld devices are most likely to get broken because children often drop them.
The difference between now and 12 months ago is that parents have less disposable income to spend on buying a replacement.
"This year a lot of people are ringing," he said.
Mr Pezzillo said that last year in the week before Christmas the Nintendo DS were gone from the shops and a woman came on the radio to say that she had bought lots of games for the console for her child but it had broken that week.
She was on the radio pleading for someone to tell her where she could get her hands on a console so that the other gifts wouldn't be useless. Mr Pezzillo said he rang the station and offered his service to repair it. This time last year, people were just looking to replace things.
"People are feeling the pinch. Last year you couldn't buy Nintendo Wii or Nintendo DS. Now they are readily available," he said.
However, a survey by accounting firm Deloitte found that Irish people will continue to spend more than our EU counterparts this Christmas. It is predicted that each household here will splash out €1,354 on the festive season.
- Sarah Neville
