You have a laptop, tablet or cell phone that suddenly stopped working properly and you’re trying to decide whether to have it repaired. Unfortunately, making the decision to repair isn’t as easy as it once was. If you pay attention to these variables you’ll make the right decision.
Recovering data like pictures and documents is the number one reason people repair broken electronics. The second reason people fix stuff is because of the equipment’s value. The trend hasn’t changed since I started repairing computers almost 30 years ago.
Some devices like phones and tablets shouldn’t be repaired. Period. Prepaid cell phones are cheap phones to start with so they should never be repaired. High end phones should be traded in towards new phones. If you must have them repaired, send the phone back to the manufacturer directly to avoid poor service and aftermarket parts.
If the only reason you’re having something fixed is to recover your pictures and documents you may want to consider simply paying for a data recovery. Many times the recovery costs less than the repair needed to make the device functional again. We always offer this service for low-end or entry computers.
At the shops we use a formula when helping a customer decide whether to contract us for a repair or scrap the machine. I figured out a long time ago the repair cost should be no more than 2/3 the replacement cost of the computer or laptop. I think it’s fair to assume a $200.00 laptop should be deep sixed if the repair cost exceeds $150.00 provided there is no proprietary software installed.
Technology hasn’t changed that much in the past five years so repairing an older device isn’t that farfetched. Spending a few bucks to replace a hard drive, fix a broken screen or do a board level repair might be worth it on more expensive gear. Keep in mind, it doesn’t take long to exceed the replacement cost of low cost equipment.
Only you can decide whether making a repair is a good investment. Factor in the cost of reloading software and purchasing a similar piece of equipment. I think what you’ll find is repairing a lower end device is always a better value than re-configuring it the same way as your old device.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. You can read past articles at www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)
