Team-BHP - 3rd-party repairs of Apple products

A few days ago, my relatively new MacBook Pro decided to share some of my morning coffee. The idiot machine did not know that it was lactose intolerant. A small amount of coffee and it immediately had the Apple equivalent of a fit!

Fortuitously, I had purchased a third party laptop warranty at the time of the computer purchase. They took the MBP and sent it to an apple authorised dealer for a repair quotation. No surprises here. Repairing my coffee crazed laptop would cost as much as buying another one new. The insurance guys wrote this off as a BER (Beyond Economical Repair) and scrapped it. I was refunded about 60% of the cost of the laptop based on their depreciation tables and some miscellaneous expenses.

I have, in the past, used a 3rd party service centre to repair apple products only twice before:
1. replacement of a cracked screen on a iPhone6
2. replacement of screen on my daughters MacBook Air.

In both these instances, the work done by these service centres was efficient. The iPhone screen was replaced at home by the technician and the Air's screen was replaced in a few hours time. Both devices have been working flawlessly since then.

I am now considering getting my coffee addicted MBP looked at by a third party service centre. In the scheme of things, this is a more complex issue and I am not sure if I should proceed.

Here are a few questions:
1. What has been the general experienced with this scenario amongst other T-BHP members?
2. Where do these people source their spares?
3. Any recommendations of service providers in Bangalore?

Since the last few months, apple has launched apple care+, which covers accidental and liquid damage, amongst other things, for 3 years. However, this does not come cheap-it hovers around 15-20% cost of the device. However, in light of my recent experience, it seems worth every paisa!

Quote:

Originally Posted by docsr (Post 5004399)

Here are a few questions:
1. What has been the general experienced with this scenario amongst other T-BHP members?
2. Where do these people source their spares?
3. Any recommendations of service providers in Bangalore?

Since the last few months, apple has launched apple care+, which covers accidental and liquid damage, amongst other things, for 3 years. However, this does not come cheap-it hovers around 15-20% cost of the device. However, in light of my recent experience, it seems worth every paisa!

1- I have had friends laptops repaired by independent apple repair guys and working fine.
2- No idea about source, but they say these are approved parts. Most likely chinese I guess.
3- There are many you find in google, go with the ones that are having good reviews close to you.

Yes for a new device the extended apple care+ is defenitely worth it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by docsr (Post 5004399)

1. Cracked my Iphone screen 3 years back and had it replaced for 6k outside compared to 17 k Apple store quotation. As long as you find a decent guy, work is good.
2. It's all China / Taiwan, not original but copies. All parts used to be readily available
3. Check the iphone thread with search term 'Bangalore', maybe you will find someone mentioning a place earlier. Apple also has a Apple Certified Technician course so if someones done that then they are reliable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaggu (Post 5004919)

3- There are many you find in google, go with the ones that are having good reviews close to you.

This is where my friend's mac air was repaired for random shutdowns, apparently, some minor components had conked or were suspected to have water damage. Charged about 5k and working fine for the last 6 months. Whereas apple had suggested to junk and get new air.

https://www.ifixindia.in/branch2/?gc...8aAp6FEALw_wcB

Don't take this lightly, the way Apple deals with third party repairs is criminal.

You need special equipment to code new parts like screens and home buttons, otherwise touch id and face ID refuse to work. Sort of like changing a BMW battery.

Check online whether your particular repair doesn't require any specific coding of that sort. As long as that's taken care of, the work is easy peasy, I've openend and sorted several of these devices myself, they're all just intricate DIYs.

check this one out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY7DtKMBxBw

And this one is a true gem!! Watch from 8:31

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26cNHSilikI

Have fun!

Quote:

Originally Posted by docsr (Post 5004399)

Loved this part of your post and way of writing! rl:
Coming to the topic, I have come across two such instances (1 iPhone 4s display in 2016-17 and 1 2017 MacBook Pro sensor issue last month), though both are from Bhubaneswar, so can be used as a reference only (responses next to the questions below):

Quote:

Here are a few questions:
1. What has been the general experienced with this scenario amongst other T-BHP members?- Usually its easier to find technicians who can do the job and even if they can't they use tutorials online. So this is not a huge deal-breaker as there is no dearth of such skilled people and can be found through reference. But it all depends on the quality of spares.
2. Where do these people source their spares?- In case of my 4s, it was a Chinese part sourced from Kolkata and did not last. In case of the MacBook, the original sensor was sourced by a friend's acquaintance somehow and has been working well so far, but its been just a month so too early to say. In both cases, technicians were very skilled and I was perfectly happy with workmanship.

Quote:

Since the last few months, apple has launched apple care+, which covers accidental and liquid damage, amongst other things, for 3 years. However, this does not come cheap-it hovers around 15-20% cost of the device. However, in light of my recent experience, it seems worth every paisa!

This is like the extended warranty that all our car reviews recommend to take during purchase. I have purchased a few iDevices in the last few months for the family and will be extending the coverage just before the end of factory warranty. Its always better to be safe than sorry. Plus this covers accidental damage which is even better. I had to make a claim on my previous Lenovo ThinkPad (now being ruined by the sister:D) and thanked my stars that accidental damage protection (ADP as we IT guys like to call it) was included by default during my purchase. In fact, at work, this has been made mandatory for all our IT related purchases and has always been beneficial.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Researcher (Post 5005172)

What you refer is the Apple Protection Plan, which can be purchased till year end (not sure if the same is still available). What Apple is selling on their website is the Apple Care + and has to be bundled along with purchase. I don't see a way to buy Apple Care + separately, provided I have overlooked something. Apple Protection Plan can be purchased over amazon too and extends the warranty by one more year and covers battery too.

Edit: I don't see it on Amazon anymore:eek:

Quote:

Originally Posted by docsr (Post 5004399)

1. What has been the general experienced with this scenario amongst other T-BHP members?

Over the years, it has become more and more difficult to do a DIY on apple products. This is both good and bad.

My Apple journey started back in 2011 with a 21 inch iMac. It is still going strong. I have added more ram (20 Gb total from 4 Gb), separate 256GB SSD and even contemplated changing the video card, but that didn't happen. Ram was easy, but SSD took a good 6 hours for two of us to do it perfectly. We took help of the iFixit guide.

I also got a MacBook Pro in 2015 (used). The screen and charging port were replaced but I didn't attempt a DIY as it was complicated. Got it done from a local but known Apple specialist.

I replaced screen and batteries in iPhone 5, 5S and SE, but when it come to my iPhone 7, took it to the authorised person.

I have a iPad mini retina display which fails to boot (stops at apple logo), but the repair estimate was close to 50% of the new one. I also have an iPad Air 2020.

I don't take extended warranties as if it doesn't fail in the first year, it probably won't in the later years.

Quote:

2. Where do these people source their spares?

I usually source my spares from US / UK and ask family members to carry it. If its critical, few vendors will air ship it to India, but part cost is lesser than freight.

I have an iPhone X bought in 2017. This is not my primary phone today since I have another main phone.
While it was in warranty, it had a "Black Screen of Death" episode and was replaced by Apple free of cost.
Now since Oct 2020 I find that the battery does not charge at all. It stays at 1~3% and keeps restarting all the time. But when I keep it discharged for a few days and charge it, it will go up to 100% and work for a few days but then it will again have charging problems.
I don't believe it will be worth taking it to any apple service centers because it will be cheaper for me to buy a new phone.
Is it worth trying out 3rd party repair shops. Request Apple users to advise.

Off topic, I have wiped the phone clean, restored it to its original settings when the battery was working well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vid6639 (Post 5005212)

Bangalore has 2 guys who are quite popular:

1. Irepair - https://www.irepair.in/

2. Iservice - https://www.iservice.co.in/

I've used iservice a lot for macbook battery, ipad, iphone repair as its closer to my house.

However overall more reviews are of irepair and many who i know are happy with irepair.

I'am looking to change my macbook's battery and Apple has quoted a ridiculous ₹13,500, their attitude is like they are doing a favour on me by even looking at my macbook, so i'am looking for a third party to repair my macbook, how has your experience been with aftermarket batteries on your macbook?
I have always been cautious of getting batteries from outside in fear of them malfunctioning or worse, exploding, but Apple's unreasonable repair costs have forced me to look for other options.

Quote:

Originally Posted by docsr (Post 5004399)

Here are a few questions:
1. What has been the general experienced with this scenario amongst other T-BHP members?
2. Where do these people source their spares?

- Apple's official answer is always change the motherboard which is almost 2/3 of the device price.
- the parts are either compatible or rejects from Apple Auth service, brought out and repaired. Screens are relatively easier to source, but HDDs, motherboards are generally refurbished.

My own experience with third party repair has not been good. It's just one instance though.

In 2017 our brand new iPad was dropped accidentally from dining table. The screen cracked. To save money we got the screen replaced from a non Apple store in a mall. I think it boils down to inexperience and pathetic workmanship: the attachment of the screen to the "chassis" (the aluminium pan back cover) has not been the same since then. We have managed to use it somehow by holding it together with 3M magic tape. By now it is behaving erratic, time to replace it.