My Miele automatic died after two years. The official service in Switzerland wanted 900 francs to look at it and fix it. I said no, tried to fix it myself, failed, and the machine sat in a cupboard for months.
A friend said: take it to Moldova. So I put it in the car and drove to Chișinău. A small service shop there quoted 2,500 lei, about 110 francs. Two days later it worked. Same machine, same parts, nine times cheaper. That is not about quality, it is about what a repair costs in different places.
The Miele is now for sale, and I bought a La Marzocco Linea instead. Full story here: https://antofica.com/en/blog/o-cafetiera-si-un-drum-pana-…
So, coffee people: what did your last machine or grinder repair cost, who did it, and have you ever crossed a border to get one fixed?
Two things from Victor's story worth keeping: get the quote in writing before you say yes, and ask an independent technician before the brand's service desk. In most cities there is someone who fixes espresso machines for cafés and will look at a home machine for the price of a coffee. Share the cost, the city, and who did the work; that list is useful to everyone here.
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