So here I was sitting in my new flat in Glasgow, smug. Except the carpets were boggin. Hummin. So I…read moregot out the lovely Dyson and began to hoover. About half a second in, something small and round rolled across the floor, coming to an abrupt halt at the skirting board. "Hahaha" thinks me, "What is that?" Oh wait, it's the feckin wheel. One wheeled Dysons don't do the job. Off we toddle down to W. Crum & Sons to buy a new hoover. It's at the end of a fairly scary-looking row of shops at the eastern edge of Strathclyde uni's campus. In the windows prices are trumpeted in neon starbursts. It's a friendly wee shop, selling washing machines, cookers, hoovers, dishwashers and other such very boring but very necessary stuff. It specialises in repairs though, and it seems that is their main line of business. It is perhaps not as cheap as the likes of Argos, but I would rather spend an extra few quid if it's somewhere local. Especially when it's the letting agents' money and not mine.

W. Crum & Sons is a longstanding family business, situated on the corner of High Street on the edge…read moreof Merchant City, selling and repairing electrical home goods. I ventured in here when I was on the hunt for a washing machine for my new flat, as I realised how unpractical it would be to continue carting my washing around to my mum's forevermore, unfortunately. I was welcomed in by the owner who was friendly and knowledgeable about all of the electrical appliances and helped me pick out a nice white washing machine that was within my budget. It was delivered to my door the very next day, complete with a year's warranty. A great little locally owned business that prides itself on customer service and quality.

Tonight's visit was all about the Knowhow agreement. I had purchased this cover when I bought my…read morelaptop. At £69 for 3 yrs it maybe seemed a bit expensive however I was very grateful to have it. My laptop wasn't fixable so was written off, which meant I was allocated funds to buy a new one with matching speck. I totally recommend the know how cover. My experience was hassle free and the staff were amazingly helpful.

Sold me a tv with a 5 year warranty that doesnt exist with a link to a pdf the size of war and…read morepeace that mentions nothing about a 5 year warranty or how to claim it,never again,i should have turned round the min i seen an old graphics card at £350 that i seen being sold for 200 dollars less in the US,scam artists ,and to think i tipped the guys that helped me to the car no wonder they where laughing as i mentioned the 5 year warranty is what swung it,rats.

Things that suck: having a washing machine that leaks onto your kitchen floor every time you use…read moreit. Things that don't suck: these guys. We finally realised the washing machine wasn't going to fix itself, so Graeme phoned to see when they could come around. Same day - WIN! He was a little vague with the time he gave us on the phone and said after 3.30pm which translated to arriving at 5pm but that's no big deal really. It took him about 15 minutes to diagnose and fix, and cost only £25. It's hard to rave about a repair service but when it's simple, cheap and effective then it's a 5 star rating from me. We'd definitely call these guys out again if we needed something looked at.

If you're in the industry, the first port of call for your electronic needs is usually RS…read moreComponents. For the rest of us, there is Maplins. They used to be more of an Argos-style store with catalogue ordering and take-your-form-to-the-counter service, but some years ago they began opening larger stores with a great selection of budget consumer electronics on display. They're great if you're looking for extension cords, phones and accessories, computer bits and bobs, and obscure branded electronic thingamibobs. They're especially good around Xmas as they always have some bizarre electronic toy that's just perfect for your 8-year-old nephew or the other geek in your life. Sometimes they don't have the item you want in store (as happened to me today), but they're more than happy to order it up for you and it will be delivered to your home at no extra charge. I do find them a bit overpowering sometimes as they always seem to have a surfeit of staff who hover around you asking if they can assist every couple of minutes, which wears thin very quickly with me, especially as this is the kind of shop I like to circumambulate several times whilst waiting for inspiration to strike if I've got a particular project in mind but I'm not sure what I need (which is most of the time when I'm in here!)

As a self-confessed technology know-none, advice from Maplin employees has set me on the right…read moretrack many a time. From buying CDs for burning, to rewiring my speakers, they've been kind enough to share their know-how all over the shop (literally). You can get everything you want electronically here - even from batteries to welders, and when you can't find it - guess who'll come to the rescue? That's right, the maplin employees! Everyone loves a Maplin Employee...

Absolutely Brilliant from start to finish Best service I've…read morehad Id highly recommend them Joe was a great engineer