To insure or not to insure…

I’ve always been the goto geek in my family and to my non-tech friends. The questions of what to buy, when to upgrade, how to fix this or that. Those are all easy questions to answer and I can always suggest a pretty solid reason as to why or why not. However, when it comes to insurance, it’s a challenging dilemma, as I personally have never needed it (knock on wood) for any of my devices, such as my iPhone or iPad.

So it’s not that I can give you a definitive answer here, but I’ll offer my point of view as a repair shop owner and with as little bias as possible. If you are someone who is prone to break your device more than once a year… then yes, insurance is probably worth investing in. If you are more like me, and have yet to break one, even though a few drops… then it would seem insurance is a waste of money.

So until this is a reality…

The real judgment here is understanding the true cost of the device you’re insuring and the true cost of the insurance. While you may think your iPhone 6 is worth $199 because that is what you paid, you’re in for a nasty wake up call when you try to buy a new one outright. The base 16 gig model will run you nearly $600. The repair for an iPhone 6 is currently $159 here at Mission Repair. You might pay $7-$10 per month for insurance and have a $50 deductible which is roughly $84 to $120 in premiums over the course of a year. Plus, $50 each time you break your phone. The worst part is the fact that you may never use the insurance, and over the years, forget you’ve been paying that monthly premium, especially if it’s autimatically paid on a credit card. Let’s just say that adds up to a lot of money over time… and you would still be required to pay a $50 deductible upon repair.

 

The bottom line is, insurance companies don’t build new office buildings because everyone is using the insurance. They make their money on the premiums that people are paying in over time and consumers not using the policy.  Sort of like casinos, they don’t build billion dollar resorts because the customer is winning more than the house! I would suggest buying a piggy bank, put in $10 per month and if the screen on your phone shatters… well time to crack open the piggy bank and come see us at Mission Repair!

Lastly, take a look at the fine print on your policy to see what is really covered and what is not. Water damage? Dropping your phone? Most likely neither of those are covered with a traditional cellular provider (AT&T, Verizon, Tmobile) insurance plan. That’s “extra” or you need to find a specialty insurance carrier that covers those specific types of damage.

I know that last part is a bit bias… buy hey, I need to earn my $10 to put in my piggy bank!

Have a great day!

Jeff

 

 

It was a busy day yesterday for sure, thank you for your business!

Hello friends,

It was an interesting day yesterday, we are all feeling the after-effects of a busy day here at Mission Repair in Olathe, Kansas. Periodically throughout the day, I’ll “check in” with my other locations just to make sure that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing and to make sure to be a good “backup” for them as they progress through their day.

I clicked on my Mission, Kansas location and pulled up the webcam over there at 1:30 and saw this:

A line of customers with a few waiting for their repairs to be completed. I then talked to the Store Manager Jake over there who was in the thick of it.

“You should see the lobby, we are packed!” There was a flow of customers from open to close, and there was a large demand for iPhone 6 screens that I can see.

From a business standpoint, I love seeing this; however I know that mad rushes can cause delays and a bottleneck in the tech department. So today I’m doing everything that I can to make sure this store has all of the support it needs, and we are transferring a huge batch of parts to them as we speak.

Thanks again to everyone that showed up yesterday, and we’re off to a great start today.

Need to contact my Mission, Kansas store? You can call them directly at 913-284-0994.

Take care, Ryan

Cracked screens on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus?

Hello friends-

It’s just happening every day now and it’s doesn’t seem to be letting up;

We are repairing a ton of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screens and my technicians really know the in’s and out’s of the iPhone 6 models like they were born with the gift.

Here’s a shot of one each removed, cracked screens…on the left is the mighty iPhone 6 Plus, and on the right is the iPhone 6. Both of which are totally smashed and useless to the customer. Once replaced, the customer is sent on their way and then we recycle the screens properly.

Just take a look at these parts though – some customers state that they are actually getting glass in their face and hands – we’ve had this complaint for many years on these types of phones, but the 6’s seems to be shattering even worse than the predecessors. The LCD is SO THIN and installation of the screen by untrained technicians is just not advisable. There’s glass everywhere.

Remember Mission Repair if you need an iPhone 6 repair; we’ll be here for ya. And we’ll bring the band aids.

Take care, Ryan

Mission Repair in the News again last night!

Good morning,

It was a long day yesterday of iPhone 6 “stuff”…we’ve now taken several orders from around the country to repair iPhone 6 and 6 Plus screens, PLUS channel 5 news came into our Mission Repair Express location to interview me on the iPhone 6 Plus “BENDING” issue that seems to have surfaced just days after it’s release.

I picked out my two favorite screen shots of me making the funniest faces. If you can’t laugh at yourself, life would be no fun!

Here’s a link to the actual spot that ran last night…it’s kind of fun and also has a glimpse of the work environment at our Mission Repair Express location. Jamie Oberg reported on the iPhone 6 Plus “bendy” issue and was a true professional. We had a great time with the segment and both learned a lot.

Until the next time I get myself ready for the camera, you can rest assured that I’ll be right here behind my keyboard and this blog. Talk to you again soon!

Ryan

iPhone 6 Plus Bending? Like a boomerang.

Hello blog readers-

There’s been a lot of press about the iPhone 6 Plus and the fact that it seems to be “bending” when left in your pocket for a while. Wait, what? BENDING? This seems improbable!

Maybe Apple should make a “bendy-straw-accordion” version of the iPhone 6 Plus. Or you might need to have it repaired. You can wrap it around your handlebars if you want to 😉

Bending an iPhone is not that improbable. We here at Mission Repair have seen every type of iPhone disaster imaginable. Bent phones, while rare, do happen. The iPhone 5 and 5S are perfect examples of a rugged phone. They have squared off edges with additional metal strengtheners along each edge. The iPhone 6 Plus has rounded edges and is made of aluminum and does not have the same strengtheners as it’s predecessor.

So then there’s a “heat” theory. An iPhone 6 Plus slips into your pocket, and then starts to heat up. This gets the metal hot and therefore logically will make it more pliable. There are a few stories on forums and blogs that are popping up with customer horror stories…but let’s not all panic yet. There’s a lot to be discovered about the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus that only time will tell.

Want some advice? Don’t put the iPhone 6 Plus into your back pocket and sit on it. Actually, don’t do this with any phone. These are small hand-held electronic devices, but they don’t have flexibility or the design to remain pocket bound. That’s your wallet’s job.

Let us know if you have any questions or if you’ve found that your iPhone 6 Plus is bent and you’re not sure why; we’d love to investigate!

Have a great day, Ryan