When your phone or other mobile device breaks we know that getting it fixed fast is an absolute priority. Unfortunately, this can also mean people jump the gun when picking a mobile phone repairer. But making a good choice here can, in some cases, be the difference between a repair that lasts the life of the phone or you needing to fork out for a brand new phone.
1. Warranty
Many mobile phone repair shops will offer warranty from 30 days all the way through to 12 months. This usually covers parts and labour associated with your repair but almost certainly will not cover things like water, physical or accidental damage. Fix My Mobile goes as far as offering a limited lifetime warranty on a number of repairs.
This warranty has a big part to play in the lifespan of your phone after the repair that most people don’t think of. Why? Because using cheap low-quality parts that are likely to break is very easy if you only offer a 30 day warranty.
2. What type of part are going to be used in my phone and where do they come from?
There is a vast array of mobile phone spare parts available to all mobile phone repair stores and they all range drastically in price. The unfortunate assumption many people make is that all the parts are the same for your phone. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
OEM Specifications, Aftermarket and Original are just some of the classifications commonly used from different supply lines. Knowing the difference is critical if you want to know what you are paying for and what’s going to end up in your phone. Generally speaking ‘aftermarket’ will be the lowest quality and are generally copies made by third-party manufacturers. While this in itself isn’t always an issue, the problem lies in the sheer number of third-party companies producing parts. All of which have different levels of quality control.
Generally original parts are the best and usually the most expensive to use. However, many mobile phone repair shops are unable to get these parts as many manufacturers do not have official supply chains to third-party repairers. This doesn’t mean they are unobtainable, but you should use caution if a repairer tells you their parts are ‘as good as’ the original manufacturers parts. This many not the be the case at all.
3. What happens if you find other problems with my device or cause more damage to my phone during the repair?
Mobile devices are extremely complicated devices with a vast array of problems. Once you drop your phone off for repair it’s important to know that you’re not going to get hit with extra repair costs, or worse, a completely wrecked phone. Make no mistake, some repairs can require some very precise work on the behalf of the technician.
At Fix My Mobile, we take a number of steps to minimize these issues such as never doing work without clear authorization from you. All of our techs and work stations are grounded to prevent a lot of damage that can be caused by static discharge. We also run full tests on a number of systems before and after the repair to make sure that your phone doesn’t come back to you with a different set of problems. Furthermore, as outlined in point 1. We back up our work with a number of comprehensive warranty options depending on the parts you choose for your repair.
4. Why are you cheaper/more expensive?
This is probably the most important question that you will ask yourself when choosing a repairer. If you have read the rest of this article then you probably already have a good idea about why the cheapest repairer is just that… the cheapest. Especially when we use the example of a typical ‘backyard’ repairer. It’s really not that hard to start repairing phones. You can order parts off eBay that have zero quality control and then read a few websites that outline a particular repair for a phone and then sit in your lounge room and go to work claiming to be as good as the next repairer. But as many people have learned, this simply isn’t the case.
A big part of the work we have to do is fix phones that have been repaired by other repairers. As already stated, quite a few people think that all mobile phone parts are made by a single factory all with the same guidelines. This is why so many people have to then find the money for a second repair, sometimes only weeks after the job was already done!
Don’t get caught in this trap. Fix My Mobile only uses parts that can be backed with a warranty and we also offer a price match service to make sure you are getting the best value repair possible. But it’s also for this reason we put limits on our price matching, we won’t price match “Bob from next door” for the very reasons listed above. We use top quality parts, that we have sourced from the best suppliers and back up all our claims with one of the industries best warranties.
