Search "IT technician Paris" and you'll get dozens of profiles: independents, repair companies, platforms promising someone at your door in thirty minutes. Hard to tell who does solid work before you've already paid. This isn't a pitch to convince you to call me instead of someone else — it's the method I'd use myself to pick a technician I didn't already know, and it gives you enough to judge any quote, including mine.
Where to look, and what each source is actually worth
Word of mouth still feels the safest, because a recommendation from a neighbour in the 15th or a colleague comes with real experience behind it. Its limit is sample size: one good experience says nothing about consistency, and someone good with a flaky Wi-Fi router isn't necessarily the right call for a dead MacBook logic board. A good generalist also knows when to say "that's outside what I do" instead of billing you for trial and error.
Google Maps reviews have become the default first check, as long as you don't stop at the headline average. A business with 4.6 stars and twelve reviews can be less reliable than one at 4.3 with two hundred spread over several years — sample size matters as much as the score. Sort by "most recent" to see whether quality has held up over time, and check whether the business replies to negative reviews; the reply often tells you more than the review itself.
Directories (Pages Jaunes, annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr, local listings by arrondissement) are mostly useful for confirming that an address and a SIRET number actually exist, not for judging the quality of the work. An up-to-date listing is reassuring on legality; an empty or unfindable one, for someone who claims ten years of experience in Paris, is worth a direct question.
Freelance platforms (Malt and similar) show rated profiles, sometimes with a portfolio. Useful for comparing several quotes quickly, but with two things worth knowing: ratings on a brand-new profile have no real track record yet, and the platform's commission is often baked into the price you're quoted.
The 7 questions to ask before booking
Once you've got two or three candidates, a five-minute call is usually enough to sort the professionals from the amateurs. These are the questions that, in my experience, reveal the most about how someone actually works.
- Is the call-out fee included in the quoted price? Plenty of "from €39" quotes leave out a separate call-out charge, which can double the final bill depending on the arrondissement and the time of the appointment.
- Hourly rate or flat fee? An uncapped hourly rate can drift on a complex fault; ask for an estimated time and what happens if it runs over.
- Is the quote written down, before the work starts? A verbal promise is worthless if you disagree on the final amount later. A written quote — even a quick text or email — commits the technician to a number.
- What happens if the fault turns out to be unrepairable? Some technicians charge for the diagnostic regardless, others waive it if nothing can be fixed. Both are reasonable practices — what matters is knowing which one applies before, not after.
- Is there a warranty on the replaced part? A decent battery or SSD should come with a three-to-twelve-month warranty on the part itself, separate from the labour.
- What happens to my data during the repair? On a failing computer, data recovery may need to happen before any fix that risks wiping the drive. Ask whether a backup is planned before anyone touches the disk.
- Does the invoice include a SIRET number? Without an invoice or a SIRET, you have no simple recourse if something goes wrong, and a business can't deduct the expense. It's the fastest question to ask and one of the most revealing.
Red flags to never ignore
A free diagnostic isn't suspicious on its own — I offer one myself over the phone. It becomes a problem when the conclusion is always the same regardless of the symptom: "everything needs replacing." A computer that's been slow for six months is more likely to have a tired mechanical drive or a full SSD than a dead motherboard; if the first answer is always the most expensive option, ask for the specific diagnosis behind it.
No written quote before the work starts is the single most common source of disputes. So is a request for full cash payment before the fault has even been seen: a reasonable deposit on a part ordered in advance, backed by an invoice, can make sense; demanding all of it in cash with nothing on paper never does.
On reviews, be wary of a burst of five-star comments posted the same week, often with similar wording and from accounts with no other reviews anywhere else. A natural flow spreads over months, with a few less glowing reviews mixed in — their total absence is itself a warning sign. And a business with no verifiable address, or one that uses a different name on every platform, are two classic signs also covered in my article on spotting tech-support scams, for cases where the contact came from an unsolicited call rather than a search you made yourself.
Reading reviews with a more critical eye
Beyond sorting by date, two habits change how a review page reads. First, open the three-star reviews before the extremes: they tend to be the most balanced, written by someone who had an okay-not-great experience, so they're less likely to be driven by anger or by a favour. Second, cross-check the Google listing against another channel — Pages Jaunes, or a proper website with visible legal notices — to see whether the name, address and stated activity line up. A mismatch between platforms isn't always serious, but it's worth a direct question before you book.
Fair Paris pricing in 2026, to judge a quote
Ranges move with the arrondissement, urgency and complexity, but here are realistic benchmarks for an individual client. A standard IT troubleshooting home visit within central Paris runs about €69 to €129 for a typical job (slow PC, printer, setup), call-out included. Independent technicians in Paris usually charge €60 to €80 an hour, whether remote or on-site. Data recovery from a simply failing drive starts around €89, much more if the drive has physical damage requiring a cleanroom. For a business, a monthly maintenance contract typically starts around €79 to €99 per device covered. A quote well below these figures, with no explanation, deserves as much scrutiny as one well above them — my detailed computer repair pricing guide for Paris breaks it down further by fault type. You can also compare against my own pricing page to see where a quote you've received elsewhere lands.
Here's how I actually work
In the interest of being upfront, since this is my job: I work solo, based in Paris 16e, no team and no datacenter — just an independent technician active since 2012, with a written quote before any job and no charge for the diagnostic when I can't find a fix, unless the call-out has already happened. That doesn't make me the right fit for everyone, but at least you know exactly who you're talking to before you pick up the phone; more on my background is on my about page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an IT diagnostic cost in Paris?
Expect roughly €39 to €59 for a remote or home-visit diagnostic within central Paris, call-out included. A free diagnostic isn't suspicious by itself, but be wary if it always ends with the same recommendation: replace rather than repair.
Should I be wary of a technician who asks for cash payment upfront?
Yes, in most cases. A reasonable deposit on a costly part ordered in advance can be justified if it's invoiced, but demanding full cash payment before any work is done, with no written quote, is a classic red flag.
How do I check that an IT technician is properly registered?
Ask for an invoice showing a SIRET number, which you can look up for free on annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr. A legitimate technician gives it without hesitation; a vague answer or no findable business address is a warning sign.
Are Google reviews enough to choose a technician?
No, not on their own. Read the 1- and 2-star reviews before the average, check whether the business replies, and look at how the dates are spread out: a burst of 5-star reviews posted the same week is more suspicious than a steady flow over several years.