Hiring a professional to fix an appliance can be a tricky business. On the one hand, you want to save money by avoiding the cost of a new appliance or hiring someone else to do the job. On the other hand, you don’t want to end up paying even more money if the person you hire doesn’t do a good job or makes things worse.

So what can you do to protect yourself? First, make sure that you hire a reputable professional with experience in repairing the type of appliance you have. Second, write everything before work begins, including a detailed description of the problem and the proposed solution. Finally, be prepared to take action if something goes wrong. Taking these precautions can help ensure that your appliance is repaired properly and avoid being taken advantage of by a less-than-scrupulous repair person.