Berkeley Vacuum & Sewing Center

I love these people! I bought my miele from them over 20 years ago. Since then I moved out of Berkeley. So I made the mistake of taking my vacuum to another shop. After receiving a wildly overpriced estimate ($300) from the other shop, I took my miele to Berkeley Vacuum. The man who helped me immediately tested it. I had trouble with the power head not turning and knew that it had to be cleaned and serviced. He quoted me $65 and it was ready in 3 days! These guys are honest, trustworthy and they do an excellent job. Don't take your vacuum or sewing machine anywhere else! Really!

The current ownership is a significant step down from the previous family who were the longtime owner/operators. Took my vacuum in just before the pandemic to be serviced, The man who handled the transaction told me that it would be no problem, that I needed to leave a $25 deposit on the $75 quote. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago I get a call from someone who tells me the vacuum is unfixable and that they can "recycle" it for me, or I could pick it up along with my $25 deposit, that they had all my info there. I told him to recycle it and I would stop by and pick up the $25 deposit. I go in yesterday and was told I was lying about the $25 deposit, that it is always $20. In my case, IT WAS NOT A $20 deposit, it was $25, as acknowledged by the individual I had spoken to previously. I was then told by the woman who I was told was the "boss" by the cashier that since I didn't have my receipt with me and I wasn't being truthful about the amount of the deposit that I wasn't going to get anything.
The "boss" was remarkably rude and entitled.

These current owners are a dreadful replacement for the family that owned the business previously and built their reputation on top flight service and competitive pricing. We've done business with them for years; never again. These aren't the same people by a LONG shot. Do business here at your own risk. There are better (MUCH better) options available. I'll be investigating them next time I need "service". Unethical people. One can only hope they'll use $25 they didn't return to me to put it toward taking a course in business ethics.

The service here was quick and friendly! I bought in my broken vacuum and was expecting to wait a week or two for it to be repaired. Instead, the guy at the counter was able to grab a replacement part and fix my vacuum in less than 5 minutes. Incredible.

I am beyond happy with this place and I will come here in the future for any vacuum related needs.

Excellent service, fast and friendly.

Problem: My approximately 7 year old refurbished air purifier( surround air XJ 3000 model ) was starting to get louder. This purifier has been with me through heavy traffic neighborhoods and areas with lots of soot and environmental residuals.

I'm thrilled that Berkeley Vacuum & Sewing could fix it. They checked the components, cleaned the housing and did a lube job. It is now working beautifully and will give me more years of usage. I'm thoroughly satisfied with their work. They went beyond my expectations. And to boot, their prices are reasonable which saved me from making an expensive purchase.

The repair person is personable and professional. I contacted them before coming in and they responded within hours & were enthusiastic about me doing business with them.

Thank you so much BVC. If I have any other problems with appliances, I'll be sure to use your services and will recommend you to all my associates.

By the way, they are in a good location( plenty of parking, in front of the shop, available on Saturday and on weekdays.)

These guys get an extra star service, but my perfectly functional Miele broke after being serviced by these guys. The spring powering my retracting extension cord broke, so I took it in to be replaced. I stupidly also agreed to a 'maintenance check up' which is what I think resulted in my broken vacuum.

There was a whole Nextdoor thread about how this place routinely ruins Miele vacuums and needs to be avoided. I'm so sorry to write this review since I want to support a local business, but I wanted to voice a warning for those who don't want to see their very expensive vacuums ruined.

I am totally thrilled with the service I received at this business today. I arrived about 30 minutes before they closed, and they were slammed. No big deal, I expected to have to leave my sewing machine with them to be repaired, probably for a few days, at any rate.

I finally got to the front of the line, and the gentleman (he told me his name, but I am a total airhead and almost immediately forgot it--my bad) asked me if I had 15-20 minutes to spare. I told him I did. He said he could go ahead and fix the machine on-the-spot, in that case. Well, that tickled me pink.

And that's exactly what he did. I had to wait for him to serve the considerale number of customers still waiting in line, but I walked away with a perfectly working machine less than 30 minutes later, all for about 85% less than what I was expecting to spend. The repairman was very honest and told me the job was quite simple, and he therefore charged me only a nominal fee. I was pretty blown away.

It's a real pleasure--not to mention a surprise--to find such ethical professionalism and total honesty these days. I will definitely be going back to this business any time I need any work done on my machines, and will be wholeheartedly recommending them to my friends who sew.

I had been to Berkeley Vacuum's second store in ElCerrito, which recently closed due to difficulty managing two locations. Staff are extremely helpful and polite. I have always appreciated their service and advice. Purchased a lightweight daily use floor vacuum, great for floors and the occasional rug. Pleased w the product right out of the box! Support these guys - they deserve our support and business!

Took an older Elna sewing machine here for servicing, and they did a fantastic job. They're knowledgeable, were kind to me with all of my questions. I'm so glad this place is here! I was prepared to wait at least a few weeks for my machine to be done, but it didn't take too long. In 2013 I visited them, brought another vintage machine in (Singer sewing) and at the time, they said it just needed oil and not a service. I believe this place is honest and does genuine good work. Worth every penny!

I've been making masks for friends and family, so when my own sewing machine didn't work, I was disappointed, and had to borrow a machine from an acquaintance. They are slammed right now, with everyone taking up old hobbies, but I still got my machine back in less than a week. And the guy behind the counter is friendly and knowledgable. I got my White sewing machine in middle school about 40 years ago, so I was impressed.

I thought my antique vacuum was broken but it turned out that I only needed to replace the rubber belt. It works like new again, thanks to Berkeley Vacuum. I also needed help with my antique sewing machine. The slide plate came off and Susan was able to put it back on. Thanks to Susan and all her know-how, she put it back on the machine and my antique is good as new. I highly recommend Berkeley Vacuum and Sewing Center.

A few years ago, I was having issues with a Baby Lock sewing machine. I had it repaired at Berkeley Vacuum & Sewing at their Berkeley Way location. The technician was helpful and the repair was done within 2 weeks. In 2020, my mother's vintage Pfaff, which originally belonged to my grandmother, was in need of some serious repair. I told her I knew the perfect place. It was during the early days of SIP but with so many folks sewing masks, the shop was extremely busy. The staff was very kind and told me it would probably be around 2 weeks. Sadly, that wasn't the case. Since my mother's machine was so old, they had a hard time getting a switch from a parts supplier. I had dropped off the machine in June 2020. I must have called them once a month just to check on the machine. Finally in March 2021, I got a call from Wilson, my SIP contact at Berkeley Vacuum & Sewing to tell me the machine was ready. It had been so many months and there were days when I thought it was beyond repair. Wilson never faltered and improvised with a used switch. I was so thrilled to see my mother's machine after almost a year in the shop. She says the machine is so quiet now. I am grateful to the staff at Berkeley Vacuum and Sewing, especially Wilson for all the work put into salvaging my family's heirloom.