Laptop Upgrade, Diagnosis & Repair

Mikinoz on 07/04/2010 - 16:42

Okay so i am looking at doing the above work in my spare time , i wanted input in regards to fair pricing and wether the services would be usefull.

I am not advertising my services here (yet) but would like to get anyones opinion on pricing or what they expect or experiences they have in regards to getting there laptop upgraded diagnosed or repaired?

Currently i am thinking of charging labour only as part prices vary depending on availability etc (details to be worked out ie travel etc)

50.00 flat fee for hardware diagnosis includes cleaning
50.00 for screen replacement
100.00 for motherboard replacement
20.00 cleaning (fans keyboard external casing and screen)
50.00 Windows upgade + data backup & restore
20.00 Hard drive and or memory upgrade or mini pci card (ie 3g)

Parts will be on top of the above prices or they can be sourced by the client

this is a start and there is more to come , but before i bite off more than i can chew i thought i would get the educated opinions of Ozbargainers

Thank you

General Discussion

Comments

  • Davo1111 on 07/04/2010 - 20:15

    It sounds alot better than charging for time, i hate it when they say $60/hr… we think it might take x long.,… but you never know

    • Davo1111 on 07/04/2010 - 20:15

      also, you may/may not need to be certified/have appropiate insurance

      • Mikinoz on 07/04/2010 - 20:58

        Ahh yes the insurance is something i hadnt thought about if i am doing it myself what sort of insurance do you think i would need ?

        I am certified for a few brands of laptop and an mcp & A+ any thing else you think that would be good to cover it?

        Thanks Davo some great tips there, i really dont like the idea of per hour either it should be able to be done with enough prior knowledge and some skill to define a certain outcome.

        • stumo on 07/04/2010 - 21:03

          You'd need professional indemnity insurance as a minimum.

          • Mikinoz on 08/04/2010 - 10:46

            @stumo: Thanks Stumo , looking into that now

  • stumo on 07/04/2010 - 20:56

    I think you might be biting off more than you can chew. Some of those labour prices seem too low to me.

    I have been fixing/putting together laptops as a hobby for a good few years now, and selling them on eBay for a fair profit, but mostly just to pay for my own laptop fetishes. I'm not doing it seriously, only about 10 laptops in the past 2 years. But I think that could be a better business proposition than what you are suggesting.

    I mean, you must know that nothing ever goes to plan with computers, and that is even worse with laptops. eg. $50 for a screen replacement is way too low. On the ones I've been building up lately (HP 8530w), that is about a 1 hour job to do properly - there are 8 separate wires that need to be very carefully routed, otherwise the casing won't close properly. If you are talking about replacing just the LCD panel, then you need to be extremely careful not to crack the plastic bezel, and they never seem to go back together as nicely as they were.

    And if laptops stop working after manufacturers warranty etc. they usually just get binned, or put in a drawer, or put on eBay as faulty. You must also know that every year laptops are getting cheaper and cheaper, so they are more of a consumable item.

    For a lot of people it would come down to…
    why pay $100+(say $250 parts) for a new mobo, when I could get a 5x faster laptop for $600 with 1 year warranty, plus I could sell the dead one on eBay for $100+.

    • Mikinoz on 07/04/2010 - 21:15

      Totally agree, i have been doing the laptop repair/fix thing on ebay for about 5 years or so and thought i would try and broaden the market.

      I have worked for the leading laptop manufacturers and understand the pricing for components and how hard it can be to source parts. Which is why i plan to offer a realistic prior check to see if parts can be sourced and the cost.

      True a lot doesnt ever go to plan which is why there is a diagnosis service, to be honest a screen replacement is quite easy generally the hardest bit being the bezel on the screen ie as you mention it is hard to get back, the wires being and lcd cable connecting to the screen and and another connecter for the invertor will make sure to look out for the model you are mentioning, Sounds like you know what you are doing.

      I have a lot of people that know me ie 6 degrees of separation that have kind of forced me to seriously think of doing this more, and laptops getting binned generally i find is because it is hard to find someone who could give you an idea or cheaply tell you whats wrong it and maybe even fix it or prepare it for sale to recoup some of the lost hard earned dollars

      Agree with the why pay hard earned v the repair which is why posts like yours really make me think twice :) really appreciate your honest feedback

      • stumo on 07/04/2010 - 22:11

        Yeah I hear ya, I'm the extended families/friends computer geek too. It never ceases to amaze me how little people know about computers, even though they have used them daily for 10+ years.

        Anyway, when you say…

        it is hard to find someone who could give you an idea or cheaply tell you whats wrong it and maybe even fix it or prepare it for sale to recoup some of the lost hard earned dollars

        I think you really have to look after number one (assuming it isn't for family/friends) and take the profit yourself. If people don't have the means to do this stuff themselves, then it is up to you to snap them up when they go on eBay and recoup their hard earned dollars yourself. I mean, its not like you don't have that happen to you for other things aay.

        But then maybe it might be a good way of getting hold of some easy fixes real cheap, without having to compete on eBay etc. Kind of like the car mechanic opening the bonnet and going hmmmm, tut tut tut tut, hmmmmm, before fleecing you for all you've got, and then some. I can just see you opening some poor old ladies laptop now. Sad isn't it, the society we live in.

        • Mikinoz on 08/04/2010 - 07:10

          Its not about getting easy fixes thats not what i am intending , good idea though i am sure. I get enough of those already trust me. I see you point though a lot of people have had that experience in the past with say the motor trade.

          Its more about being honest and helping people with lower skill\ knowledge as oppose to fleecing them.

          Thank you thats given me some great ideas as i dont want anyone going through that if possible.

  • Davo1111 on 08/04/2010 - 10:40

    best of luck mikinoz :)

    • Mikinoz on 08/04/2010 - 10:47

      Thanks Davo :)

  • Kranbone on 08/04/2010 - 15:43

    Quite a while ago I was in a similar boat. It's fairly competitive now but your prices aren't bad. I really suggest getting a certificate and becoming verified and authorised by the notebook manufacturers. It's a bit of an investment but it does pay off.

    Oh and pro tip, if you ever come across a really really laggy keyboard, try taking the battery out (long story).

    • Mikinoz on 08/04/2010 - 16:01

      Hi Kranbone, i have the certifications already from the main players (IBM Toshiba) and was thinking targeting those first. I worked for them about 6 years doing this , i really enjoy it :)

      Come on you have me intrigued laggy keyboard, which brand is that on ??

  • life is a little cr… on 10/04/2010 - 16:26

    I honestly think your prices are great and if you were in Melb I would certainly give you some business.

    In this day and age alot of non computer people go to a shop to get their unit repaired only to be told its not cost effective and buy a new one.

    Good luck with your business I am sure you will do well, advertising on forums, have a website, and look for cheap couriers then you can basically take work from where ever and offer a pick up and drop off service will certainly give you marketing advantage. I think its a great idea to pay a flat fee and allow the buyer to source hardware.

    • Mikinoz on 15/04/2010 - 09:23

      Thank you :) agreed it is hard to not recommend getting a new one especially with a good warranty. and i would like to help them get as much for the previous notebook if that is the case thereby making the new purchase not such a big cost.

      It is a tricky situation i will admit as i dont want to offend and seem like a new laptop sales guy :)

      Thank you for the advice the website is coming a long slowly, the couriers are a great idea, i plan to work in a small area at first and do the delivery pickup myself then leverage courier services and possibly move forward to a national model if viable.

      Trying to stay as firm as possible with the flat fee i feel this is the main point of difference, and this is actually how the vendors pay them warranty repairers

  • scotty on 11/04/2010 - 21:38

    Since you are in Sydney and your price is great — I would be seriously thinking about it (or at least having someone to refer to).

    Fixed a broken LCD screen hinge for my previous laptop (a Dell Latitude D600). Ordering parts from eBay in US + figuring out how to opening it up and putting it back again took me a whole evening to get it done (okay I am slow :) But I guess it's what I'm willing to pay $50 + parts for…

    • Mikinoz on 12/04/2010 - 15:32

      Thanks Scotty, Ah yes LCD hinges are a pain, comparable to the lcd cable on most tablets :)

      Something is to be said for slow and carefull though, glad to hear there wasnt any disasters at the end.

      Happy to do that sort of thing or just about anything Laptop related, maybe i need to get moving as i seem to have gained a lot of momentum both here and word of mouth.

      Will have some news and website information up soon !

  • stumo on 12/04/2010 - 15:37

    Just out curiosity…
    How are you planning on handling these customer supplied parts? eg. What will you do if a customer supplied "new" mobo doesn't work when you put it in?

    • Mikinoz on 12/04/2010 - 15:55

      Thats a great question, and something i have been losing sleep over :) i guess there is only one fair way to do it. Be honest about the cost up front, and the seller of the part holds the warranty.

      I want to be able to give a discount on the service (10-20%) if the parts are faulty or be able to advise on the best way to handle it from here.

      Great example the mobo, a faulty motherboard is actually more work than a working one ie put it in , perform updates then works (general example). This is generally the case if the part has been tested and the right part was sourced. If not then it is effectively a motherboard replacement twice ie putting the old board back in.

      i am still wondering this as i type, but thank you for helping me try and work out a solution. There has a to be a better way to handle it, more than happy to hear any :)

      • Davo1111 on 12/04/2010 - 16:05

        yeah, the other issue is the customer might get annoyed and request their money back. You will probably need to write a series of situations, or have an agreement written between you and the customer they have to agree before you work on it.

      • stumo on 12/04/2010 - 16:11

        I guess if people are using your services, they probably also won't be too hot at sourcing the right parts either. So…

        Maybe for major, labour intensive, fault prone parts like mobo's, you could source them yourself as part of the deal (for a fee of course). Then the customer can give you a price range (and obviously timescale) to aim for.

        Either that or have it clear right from the start that they are up for extra labour costs if it turns out the part needs to be removed/returned.

  • wonga on 14/04/2010 - 19:30

    I'm very interested in this as I've been tempted to purchase a broken laptop on ebay. Apparently, its only the graphics card that has died (he also pulled out the HDD). And I plan on purchasing it and getting someone to replace it so I can have a laptop for uni. Where in Sydney would I have to go? And how much would it cost to get a HDD installed along with a new graphics card?

    You have your first customer if I win this bid =]

    • Kranbone on 14/04/2010 - 19:53

      I used to have to repair notebooks as well. You will need to give Miki more information in regards to the notebook so he can source any parts that may be required.

      Generally speaking though (depending on model etc) graphics can not only be expensive to replace but also a pain.

    • stumo on 14/04/2010 - 20:05
      +1

      Yeah, give us the make/model. Only high end later model laptops have a replaceable GPU, otherwise you will be up for a whole new mobo. Either way though, a GPU on a high end laptop, or a mobo on a lower end one are about the same price anyway.

      • Mikinoz on 15/04/2010 - 08:53

        Thanks Guys , totally agree with the above

  • wonga on 14/04/2010 - 22:23

    It's a dell xps 1730. I'm guessing its a high end later model. How much would i be looking at for the part itself?

    • Mikinoz on 15/04/2010 - 09:15

      Had a brief scour of the net details below, although the xps models get a very warm/hot graphics card which is why the card goes. I have an xps 1330 i am using right now and its 67c(gpu temp) already and i have only opened web browser and outlook i am in cold air con office as well

      In saying this being a common problem the replacement part will be expensive & rare (which is why i dont plan to sell parts)

      This is a common problem for a lot of notebooks, in addition the parts can be used between models rarely.

      To clarify i am not selling parts just the labour and it is not something i have started yet but am getting inundated so it certainly seems viable

      Will check a few more places for the card to give you an idea offhand i would say

      70-150 for the card
      50 for an install of graphics card
      50 hdd install+ windows install .

      Min $170.00 would be the price i would charge

      Personally this would not make it viable for me

      By the time i finished writing this i found a couple of cards the worst being >300

      http://shop.ebay.com.au/i.html?_nkw=xps+vga+card&_sacat=0&_t…

      • Cripto on 24/10/2010 - 19:46

        cool service your providing, but 50 for hdd install + windows install is a bit expensive. your other prices seems quite cheap though

        • Mikinoz on 03/11/2010 - 12:12

          Actually thats cheap , do you know anyone who does it cheaper or how much you would do it for ?

          Think about it, get someone to your place to safely install a hdd and wait while windows loads for less than 50?? i would be recommending that service to all my friends instead of me doing it , if it were cheaper elsewhere.

  • wonga on 15/04/2010 - 14:45

    Fair enough. Thanks for the honest advice.
    Looks like i'll search for something else.

    • Mikinoz on 15/04/2010 - 14:48

      No worries , sorry to put you off, i do have a laptop for sale which i will put in the for sale section this evening.

  • wonga on 16/04/2010 - 00:09

    Sounds good. I'll keep an lookout for your post.

    • Mikinoz on 23/10/2010 - 12:11

      Hi Serkan, hey your right although couldnt help feeling it sounded like a bit of a hijack of my post to advertise your business as it was a direct copy from your website!

      • 1800computers on 23/10/2010 - 12:16
        -1

        Posting website link would be more hurtful. It doesn't hurt to see this information, as it is available for everyone to see on the Internet. You can copy and use the information for your business too.

  • tonyjzx on 30/10/2010 - 18:46

    where are you located?

    i could have some work for you

    • Mikinoz on 01/11/2010 - 11:06

      Hey Tony, sounds good im in North Ryde & Homebush

  • camelgrass on 30/10/2010 - 21:52

    How much do you charge to replace the RTC (CMOS) battery in a Dell Inspiron 1525?

    You need to take the laptop completely apart (including taking the screen and MB out) to get to the battery.

    • Mikinoz on 01/11/2010 - 11:19

      Would be minimum 150.00 with battery supplied

      • camelgrass on 01/11/2010 - 23:19

        Thanks for that Mikinoz, may not even be worth it, may look at a new laptop.

        On another note, when you source parts, do you put a mark-up on them like most shops or is it only cost + labour?

        Cheers.

        • Mikinoz on 03/11/2010 - 12:03

          I prefer to guide others to source parts, that way i dont have to give warranty on the parts, i prefer to do it that way as i like the idea of labour only as much as possible.

          New laptops are so cheap, seems hardly viable for me to offer repair as this post has proved :), since posting it from here i have sold an ex workmate's laptop and nothing else , on my own i have done more than 50 repairs etc

          Thanks Mate!

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