Why are all computer/mobile repair shops run by foreigners?

sarah_mol

Yesterday I was looking for somewhere in Limerick to have my laptop screen replaced and none of the 4 places I tried had anyone Irish working in them. Is there a reason for this or just coincidence? (Had it done by a lovely Algerian guy for €90 btw)

Overheal

Does it matter?

And how do you know they aren't run by an Irish employer?

And why does it matter again?

ZENER

I don't think the OP was being racist which is what your reply seems to be suggesting ! It's a good question ! I've often wondered that myself.

Walk down Moore Street and everyone of the shops there is run/owned/operated by a non national. Has computer repair become the service industry that food and hospitality was/is for the past 15 years ? Do we as Irish people see it as below us. Or is it a deficiency in the education system in Ireland ?

Ken

truedoom

ZENER wrote: »

Or is it a deficiency in the education system in Ireland ?

Ken

It's this.

We're not prepared to fix technology. But that's kind of the running theme in most countries.

How many people do you know who can't even wire a plug, or change a fuse? Imagine them trying to change a laptop screen!

As for why so many foreigners? Coincidence more than anything else i think

Thargor

I always assumed it was because after parts, labour and other associated costs, rent, electricity etc it worked out at earning less than minimum wage for probably a 60+ hour week, same as corner shops. Irish people would rather get a degree and earn more, sit on their ass on the dole or emigrate.

J_E

ZENER wrote: »

Walk down Moore Street and everyone of the shops there is run/owned/operated by a non national. Has computer repair become the service industry that food and hospitality was/is for the past 15 years ? Do we as Irish people see it as below us. Or is it a deficiency in the education system in Ireland ?

Ken

Hate that term, non-national. It's quite discrediting to a person even if you don't mean it, think of the connotations of the word.

I'd say if anything it's just a different work ethic/attitude to business.

Qualitymark

Soooo… no actual answers yet, all I'd-say-isms. Anyone actually know an actual reason?

J_E

Qualitymark wrote: »

Soooo… no actual answers yet, all I'd-say-isms. Anyone actually know an actual reason?

Why don't you just go in and ask? That would probably be the easiest way to find out.

Arthur Beesley

Would be pretty weary of using any if these companies. High risk of having your data or phone cloned or otherwise compromised.

Arthur Beesley

Qualitymark wrote: »

Soooo… no actual answers yet, all I'd-say-isms. Anyone actually know an actual reason?

Cash business, probably not tax compliant, low entry costs, built on buying and selling stolen phones.

was.deevey

The reason Im guessing is that the majority of developing nations use electronics until they are absolutely beyond repair and where off the shelf spare parts are prohibitively expensive.

E.g try getting an irish phone technician to trace down the exact resistor that is damaged on an iPhone logic board and causing patchy signal loss, or a guy to create a DIY ribbon cable which was causing screen flickering.

In many of these countries simple replacement of the parts is NOT an option and these guys probably lived and breathed electronics since they were kids.

nick 56

Hate that term, non-national. It's quite discrediting to a person even if you don't mean it, think of the connotations of the word.

I'd say if anything it's just a different work ethic/attitude to business.

This statement makes no sense. As a son of a non national from eastern Europe I am proud of the fact and the progress we as a family have made in this country (in no small part thanks to the brilliant Irish schools and university's ) that and spell check.

As Irish immigrants to the USA wild tell you being an immigrant can be a big advantage, you bring new ideas, work ethics ext. They don't mind being identified as non national, in fact they march about on one day a year.

A lot of the time it is obvious that a person is from some far away land, I look like a aged fat Saddam Hussain, Polish people tend to be bald (men) blond (Women), Africans black, people from the far east have a different set to their eyes and so on.

One of the main reason for non-nationals being the fixers of gadgets in the like of Moor St is because to fix computers / phones is that all you need to have is the skill set. Skills are easy to carry across borders as many an Irish illegal in the USA would tell you .

Us non nationals and our children need help to fight against discrimination but we don't need over anxious political correct statements.

Qualitymark

Now that I come to think of it, the last two people who told me about getting their computers fixed were getting them fixed by Irish people.

I don't know that damfurriners are more likely to clone your data than Irish people, looking at recent whistleblower information…

J_E

nick 56 wrote: »

This statement makes no sense. As a son of a non national from eastern Europe I am proud of the fact and the progress we as a family have made in this country (in no small part thanks to the brilliant Irish schools and university's ) that and spell check.

As Irish immigrants to the USA wild tell you being an immigrant can be a big advantage, you bring new ideas, work ethics ext. They don't mind being identified as non national, in fact they march about on one day a year.

I think you missed what I mean. I just find the term 'non-national' suggests someone has no nationality, and it's never used for say, a British, American or Australlian immigrant. it's just a polite way of saying 'foreigner' which usually means they have identified someone they don't feel as comfortable with or that doesn't speak English well. Then you go into the issue of a person who has been born in Ireland with full citizenship still being called that just because of an accent or skin colour. It's a discussion for another thread though.

Arthur Beesley wrote: »

Would be pretty weary of using any if these companies. High risk of having your data or phone cloned or otherwise compromised.

I think it's something a lot of people should be more wary of is if what they are handing in has sensitive info. If I were to hand in a laptop for repair I'd remove the HDD or put in a spare, haven't had to hand in a phone before but again, it's something to bear in mind for less reputable joints (nationality aside, because anyone can do it)

Actually, having had worked for a second-hand exchange store in the past, there have been one or two times I've accidentally seen some rather risque/sensitive stuff by accident while testing phones. So it definitely happens.

sarah_mol

Overheal wrote: »

Does it matter?

And how do you know they aren't run by an Irish employer?

And why does it matter again?

Wow. Did you read my question? I said the guy that fixed it was lovely. I did not say I had a problem or that it mattered that he wasn't Irish. I was just curious why no Irish repair shops exist. Calm the bleep down.

Thanks to everyone else for yer answers. The guy was so nice he even showed me how to replace it myself if it happened the next time. He did all the work in front of me. Very honest friendly fella.

riclad

MAYBE Irish technicians would prefer to work for big companys ,
than work in a small shop
i don,t wanna be racist,
There seems to be a network of companys , selling parts, preowned phones etc
most phone are made in china, or korea,
so it might be easier for an asian person to get into the business of selling preowned
phones etc

efb

Non-Irish-Nationals

LeBash

Cydoniac wrote: »

Hate that term, non-national. It's quite discrediting to a person even if you don't mean it, think of the connotations of the word.

.

Your in the wrong PC forum.

I noticed this myself.

Not sure if its still open but there was a place in drumcondra called computer works that had 4 Irish guys in it. Seemed to be a lot more modern hardware than you see on Moore St but the prices are no where near as competitive.

wally9

Absolutely well said, far too much political correctness in this country, too many do gooders trying to assert themselves.

J_E

Please don't do the 'PC gone mad' nonsense on me, it doesn't actually mean anything at all and this thread can do without that crap. I don't like the way the word is used and I'm not the only one. It's supposed to be a legal status not an identifier, and is only ever used in public for so-called 'foreign looking' people. Don't call me a 'do-gooder' just because I think a term may be misused, I'm not a social justice warrior... keep your 'liberal leftie' playground name-calling on a politics forum.

If someone lives and works in Ireland they are as much of a 'national' as you and I. Not sure what the issue is with just saying 'migrant' or 'non-Irish national' or the sort. It's not a big deal either way (of course, forums tend to amplify these things)

Shaygrah

Lucky Lucky loves the Irish did well in the Costas and Canaries so he decided to expand and try his luck at source of cheap electronics and NDS loving comsumers...
Calm down people there plenty of irish people doing this work ... repair-it in cork are a prime example and just the 1st that come to mind ..

-l-Z3k3-l-

Same in Ennis.
To be honest there is always someone that will spot a gap in the market for this kindof thing and we seem to suck at spotting it.
So if they make money, its all good.

I repair machines in Clare, but couldn't afford to open a shopfront, so more power to them

hfallada

From my experience in Dublin. Most of the Irish shops are expensive and the staff have a horrible attitude. One place wanted a diagotistic fee of €40( free everywhere else) and another Irish owned place had terrible yelp reviews. I used to use an Irish run place on parrnel street but its now closed.

I can't see an Irish person willing to be like a Chinese shop where the staff work from early morning to late at nighy, 7 days a week on **** pay. You can get an iPhone 4s screen fixed for €35 in a chinese phone shop. What's the marginon that?

sw33t_r3v3ng3

There is a lot of irish people like myself, repairing technology. They just dont have the money to open a shop because after rent, heating/electricity costs, parts and all other expenses its just easier to do it in your own workshop.

OldNotWIse

Cydoniac wrote: »

Please don't do the 'PC gone mad' nonsense on me, it doesn't actually mean anything at all and this thread can do without that crap. I don't like the way the word is used and I'm not the only one. It's supposed to be a legal status not an identifier, and is only ever used in public for so-called 'foreign looking' people. Don't call me a 'do-gooder' just because I think a term may be misused, I'm not a social justice warrior... keep your 'liberal leftie' playground name-calling on a politics forum.

If someone lives and works in Ireland they are as much of a 'national' as you and I. Not sure what the issue is with just saying 'migrant' or 'non-Irish national' or the sort. It's not a big deal either way (of course, forums tend to amplify these things)

I get sick of people calling me to complain about things who start their sentences with "now, the guy was a non national" - as if thats fecking well relevant... I hate "non national" too, because nobody is a non national unless (rarely) they become stateless. They may be non-EU or non-Irish, but they are nationals of somewhere.

More Irish ignorance. Course you cant open your mouth about it without being called a do-gooder.

Duggy747

hfallada wrote: »

You can get an iPhone 4s screen fixed for €35 in a chinese phone shop. What's the margin on that?

Next to zero unless they're fitting in cheap / 2nd hand components or making profit on charging higher on something else since a proper iPhone 4(s) screen for a shop to get in would cost about just under €30 incl. VAT.

rolliepoley

Better contacts.

my friend

Cydoniac wrote: »

Why don't you just go in and ask? That would probably be the easiest way to find out.

this may interest you... www.simpletons.ie

yoyo

Right I think this thread has run it's course.