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

 

 

Time To Grill?

Hello M:R Nation –

It’s March 10th and I think its safe to say that winter is behind us… Looking at the forecast, all I see are temperatures well above freezing and a little rain. However, I am VERY cautious when approaching this subject as we are located in the midwest and if you have ever lived or visited here around this time year, you know exactly how bipolar our weather can be.

Throwing caution to the wind, yesterday I decided to test our fate as a region and turn on the grill for the first time this year. I know, what better way to jinx myself than prematurely taking part in Americas favorite pastime? Let me tell you, even if we do incur another 2 weeks of winter because of my decision yesterday, it was worth it. You never realize how depressing wirer was until you have had your first grilled steak of the season. Instantly, the cold and bitterness of winter leave your body and you can once again enjoy your life!

Your mouth is watering, isn’t it?

Now I’m not saying winter is all that bad, but you truly forget what the other 3 seasons have to offer when cooped up inside for 3 months. If you are still feeling winters funk, I implore you to give grilling a try. It just might be the medicine you are looking for!

How about a little contest? I want to see your grilling skills and if you just so happen to have a broken device, this contest will benefit you greatly!

For the next week, I will be accepting pictures of your “Spring awakening”. It can be a steak, eggplant or a shoe for that matter. That’s right, even vegetarians need some hope that winter is over. For every entry, I will be sending a 10% coupon to apply to your order. The person with the most mouth watering picture will receive an extra 20% off of their order in a form of a coupon code or refund on their account!

You read that right, up to 30% off your entire order for the winner! To place your entry, send your picture to coupons@missionrepair.com and receive your coupon code instantly. I will be emailing the winner of the additional 20% directly. So here is to happy grilling and saving some cash at the same time!

Cheers, Troy

 

 

Repair Or Replace?

Hello M:R Nation –

Repair or Replace? This question is something that you might be facing at this very moment. Let me set the stage…You just dropped your iPad Mini flat on it’s face. This drop, subsequently resulted in a cracked screen! The first thing you do is recoil with remorse and self-loathing, then you…

This is where it becomes a little gray. Your first action might be to call the place that you bought it from to see what they will do for you. You quickly find that if you didn’t purchase any kind of extended warranty for accidental damage, you are on your own. Oh yes, they offer you a replacement at full price, but is that your best option?

In steps Mission Repair! “We say no, replacing your entire device just because of a cracked screen does not make sense”! When you crack the screen on your car, you certainly don’t replace it? Of course, we understand the price difference between a new car and a new iPad Mini, but if you have a chance to save some cash, why not?

Also, did you know that when you choose Mission Repair as your repair center, you are choosing a green path? If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, you know that we are proponents of green living. We recycle items such as glass, aluminum, batteries and LCD screens that come out of the devices we repair. We have contracts with large recycling companies around the globe that are able to take these items and either rebuild new functioning parts, melt down and/or properly dispose of any unusable materials.

We do this because we want to. We are not regulated by Federal or State government to do so. We are not saying we are the greenest company in the world and we know there is a lot of work and improvement to be done, but these first steps we have taken have really shed some light on just how much we can keep out of the land fills if we just try…a little.

So with that being said, here are just a few ways you are helping the environment and yourself when using Mission Repair to repair your gadgets.

• Less E-Waste: When you take your old broken Smartphone, Tablet or Computer and throw it away, it is called E-Waste. E-Waste is a growing problem with an estimated 50 million tons of E-waste are produced each year.
• Piece of mind: That the battery coming out of your device is not ending up in the trash. Batteries of any kind are harmful.
• More Cash: When repairing your device (especially with Mission Repair), you are going to save money over buying a whole new device. We are talking a fraction of the cost here, people!
• Less Hassle: There is nothing more annoying and unnecessary to me than having to set up my device again. I have it perfect the way it is and I don’t want to change it! With repairing your device, what you send in, is what you receive back. You will not be receiving a refurbished device, you will receive YOUR device with your data still intact.
• Life-Time Friendship: When you chose Mission Repair as your repair center, you can not only count on having your repair done correctly, you can also bank on some of the best warranties in the industry! You can also keep our number on hand and consider us your “Techie” friend if you have any further questions on your devices!

Still want to replace that device? Give us a call and let us try to talk you out of it. We promise, you will not regret your decision!

Cheers, Troy

 

What separates Mission Repair from the rest? Let’s talk…

Hello everyone, I’m going to cut right to it. . .

We have a value-added benefit that was originated and invented right here at Mission Repair. It’s our GOT REPAIR limited warranty that no one else offers and it’s needs to be heard!

There’s no question that glass repair on iPhones, iPads, iPods and Laptops is our biggest selling service- we are replacing glass panels more than all of our other services combined. The issue is that our customers have accidents. This is really the bottom line and it’s typically when one drops their device on a hard surface like a parking lot. Normally this will cause the glass to shatter and sometimes render the touch-digitizer useless!

Of course, Mission Repair is THE SERVICE CENTER OF CHOICE, and we’ll get that glass replaced, tested and sent back to you within a day. A lot of our competition have adopted this very process as well, but there’s more than meets the eye.

What the competition isn’t doing is offering a LIFETIME REPLACEMENT BENEFIT if you use our service. Let’s dig a little deeper into the details:

1. Let’s say you crack your glass, you shop around, then then you decide that Mission Repair is the reputable, stable, best service provider you can find. Congratulations, you’re in good company. 100,000 customers can’t be wrong!

2. We’ll replace that cracked glass for you, with a brand new part in 24 hours and get it back to you at a fair up-front price. You’re in control of the repair at all times!

3. Now, you’ve got your device back and you’re happily moving along with your life and imagine what would happen if you had a second accident. SMASH! What to do? If you used another repair center, you’d have to once again pay full price to have your device repaired, even if the second accident happened within a day of the original repair! NOT AT MISSION REPAIR!

4. You’d immediately dial 866-638-8402 and tell one of our friendly sales reps that answers the phone “GOT REPAIR”!

5. The friendly representative will set up a “GOT REPAIR” order in our system and explain what to do next – the bottom line is that you’ll NEVER pay full price again, as many times as you need, FOREVER. This is an amazing peace of mind because as you know well enough – accidents can happen, and Mission Repair is here to help.

Want details on our GOT REPAIR program benefits? Click here! It’s the best iPhone insurance money can buy, and we don’t even charge you for it when your initial repair is made!!

OK folks, back to the telephones- they are blazing up today. I think it’s the impending holiday weekend that is approaching, everyone is scrambling to get their repair orders in and shipped back out.

Take care, Ryan

New Protection Plans offered for your iPhone, iPad or other electronics.

We are announcing brand new iPhone, iPad and other Protection Plans for your mobile electronics.

Customers can now simply purchase a Protection Plan which includes coverage for new and used electronic devices like the iPhone, MacBook, iPad and iPod. These Protection Plans specialize in accidental glass breakage for iPhones, iPads, tablets, MacBooks and other laptops, as well as loss/theft coverages for the iPhone and other smartphones – for a period of 2 years which goes above and beyond the iPhone AppleCare extended warranty available from the manufacturer.

ProtectMe™ Plans provide affordable protection plans as a better alternative to purchasing traditional and expensive iPhone insurance or iPad insurance from retailers or other providers.

We are thrilled to offer protection for various devices through our partners at ProtectMePlans.com. This program touts a “Pay Less and Protect More” mentality, and shares Mission Repair‘s commitment to providing excellent customer service and value. Check the competition. No other protection plan in the market can even come close to what’s offered in terms of coverage and price. Each plan is fully backed and underwritten by a licensed Administrator to give our customers even more confidence in the program.

These iPhone Protection Plan services include full coverage for devices like the iPhone and other smartphones, as well as cracked screens, liquid damage and other accidents for iPads, MacBooks and other Tablets and Laptops. You name it, and ProtectMe™ Plans probably has a plan for it. Customers that purchase the coverage also have the peace of mind that the skilled team of professionals at Mission Repair will make the necessary repairs onsite and it will not be outsourced to a different company.

For more information on pricing and the coverage included in the Mission Repair iPhone Protection Plan Program, please visit the website at Protectmeplans.com