Frequently Asked Questions

How does this work?

There are two ways for us to service your device:

Mail it to our store.

Check out our mail in service page, then mail your device to our mail in service address at iRepair, ul. Stara Planina 10, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria. We will repair your device and send it back to you.

If you don’t know what service you need, feel free to email us, call us, and talk to someone about your problem.

Bring it to our store.

Walk into our location and we will fix your device for you. We will provide you with a free repair estimate so you know what the cost of fixing your device is – before we work on it.

What are your hours, when can I come to your store?

For our Sofia location, come by between 10 AM to 6 PM Monday – Thursday for a free consultation. We will diagnose the issue with your machine and give you all of your options.

What does it cost for you to look at my computer?

NOTHING! We feel diagnostic fees are predatory in the laptop repair industry, and  do not charge them.

Are you Mac only?

Yes.

How could this be true? Doesn’t a lack of certification mean you have no idea what you’re doing, or that my repair has a chance of premature failure?

No. To be an Apple certified warranty repair center, to the point that repairs are 100% officially covered under an Apple warranty, the service center must buy their parts from Apple. This gives Apple bargaining power in setting prices of parts, which results in unnecessarily expensive repairs. In order to make a profit, a repair shop must set a very high price for any given service.

But doesn’t Apple rigorously test those parts to ensure quality?

No. Are you curious as to what “Apple Authorized” means? One might assume this makes it a better part, but they’re the same parts we purchase. The iRepair difference is that we test parts the old fashioned way, by plugging them in before using them. The personal touch can’t be beat.

Don’t Apple certified techs better know how to take apart a machine?

No. We’ve heard “I used to work at Apple” many times. Apple certified technicians are not allowed to even solder on a motherboard when performing a repair. AASP’s methods & options to repair a laptop are incredibly limited, and you’ll experience the consequences of these limitations firsthand when you get your high bill.

What about workmanship? Doesn’t being certified by Apple mean my machine will be put back together properly?

One would think so! But, we often service machines that were previously repaired by Apple certified center and we see missing screws, scratched parts and components, internals, fans and heatsink not cleaned from dust… This is typical!

Being Apple certified means someone’s passed a test and can read a manual. It doesn’t mean they have years of experience servicing Apple products. We do.

So being an Apple authorized repair center doesn’t have anything to do with quality parts, but rather with Apple profiting from the fact that consumers prefer authorized shops?

Yes.

What about other non-Apple repair facilities?

There’s tons of bad parts out there. Big shops that try to do it all do not have the time or money to weed through all the different parts suppliers in order to save you money. It’s easier for them to charge a high price and buy the part at high markup from established re-sellers or have a low price and buy generic junk from China. Both approaches give you the short end of the stick.

It requires time consuming cherry picking and research to consistently find good parts at good prices. Leave that work to us. Often good parts can be had at lower prices than knockoffs, but you have to know where to look.

What about places that are Apple Authorized at a really low price?

If someone’s gives you a cheap price and they claim the repair is Apple authorized, it’s just not true. In order for that specific repair job they performed to be Apple authorized, it has to be done with their parts, and this costs will be much higher.

How will your repair affect my warranty?

Anyone who isn’t a fully Apple authorized warranty repair facility is technically voiding your warranty.

However, in reality, if Apple can’t tell the machine’s been opened or repaired,  there’s no problem.

If you have liquid damaged your laptop and are having us repair your logic board, sometimes repairing a corroded circuits leave a mark, but the repair is highly reliable and effective at the same time. It will be obvious that someone has worked on the machine in the past.

How is service this fast attainable?

We have a streamlined business structure. As soon as you become a customer, your machine is a priority until it is done. We do all repairs here, often getting started the moment you walk in.

Most parts necessary are stocked. We don’t have to order a part in order to perform your repair in many cases! The second you decide to utilize a service, we’re ready.

I’m going to use someone who says he can do it for much cheaper instead.

Best of luck to you. Most of these places aren’t real businesses, or are real businesses staffed by people who are inexperienced and learn from by practicing on your equipment, or learn off YouTube. It’s a great source of information, but watching YouTube doesn’t make one a tech. It makes them someone who knows how to follow the instructions given to them off a video.

I’ve called you to negotiate payment or emailed with concerns on price and you’ve hung up on me, and won’t take my calls, or won’t get back to me. How come?

There is only one circumstance where this ever occurs: when dealing with a low-baller. If you’ve called, received a price quote, and then claim that someone would do it for less, you’re not getting anything done here. Don’t bother calling back or trying to fix this after the fact.

Lastly, why should I use iRepair?

I learned how to service electronics the old fashioned way, starting with cassette players, TVs, VCRs, XBox, PS, laptops and so on. You can rest assured the part being put in your machine comes from a reputable supplier. We offer a very narrow scope of repair services in order to be able to offer the best turnaround time, best prices, best customer service. We never act with less than admiral integrity. It’s casual professionalism at its best, with basic admirable values trumping aggressive sales and shoddy workmanship.