I wish there was a (-)star option, as Image does not merit even one star. Save yourself a great deal of frustration and money, and avoid this place like the plaque. I agree with Omar S.'s 9/17/2015 review: THIEVES and LIARS. Long story short: I broke my Golden Rule: If you try to go cheap, you'll pay 10x more in the end.
I needed to replace a cracked screen on my (5 month old) Iphone 5. An acquaintance suggested Image Wireless, because they will replace my screen for $50 (like they did with him). Apple wanted $150 to do the job, I didn't think twice. I called ahead (and spoke with Sean) , to confirm the $50 price to replace the screen (which Sean did). I asked if Image was an authorized Apple/iPhone repair shop. Sean said 'Yes! Absolutely, that's what we specialize in!" ( my bad for taking him at his word, because that's a lie)
When I came in to fix my phone, Sean was at the counter. After looking at the phone, he confirmed the $50 price,adding that he will give me a "student discount", so I only pay an ADDITIONAL $87 in "labor charges and taxes"., which = a "mere" $137.Something he conveniently omitted during our phone conversation., I specifically asked for the TOTAL PRICE of repair, not just the price of the screen. Sean apologized for the misunderstanding. And even though I found the "labor and tax" charge excessive, I let him fix my phone...Because I felt like an idiot for driving to Westwood from the West Valley, (where I live 3 blocks from the Apple store where, as it turns out , I would have paid $13 more to have my phone fixed...and saved a lot of future aggravation)..
Instead of the 30 minute repair I was quoted, it took Sean 2 1/2 hours, and he finally got the screen on on the 5th try! As I watched him work during those 2 1/2 hours, every time he would remove the screen, and start over, he would say "I'm just a perfectionist..." By the time he was done, I was beyond exhausted. I paid,just happy to have a working phone, and got out of there...
On the way home, when I used the phone, I noticed that there was a gray patch near the "home button"...Great..Even though it didn't interfere with the function of the phone, I knew I would have to go back. But I was about to start packing for a very complicated move....so driving to Westwood again would have to wait a bit.
Exactly 4 weeks later...I was texting when the letters on the screen started to fade. As I looked closer, I saw that it was because the screen has "lifted" and I could actually see inside the phone. I immediately drove to Apple, where I was told that my battery expanded, which happens when the screen is replaced incorrectly. I told the tech that, yes, I did have "an authorized repair shop" replace my screen.That's when I got the good news:1) no one other than Apple is "authorized" to fix iPhones 2) the moment Sean opened my phone, my warranty was null and void ( 6 month before it expired), therefore the battery was not going to be covered.
The next day I returned to Image. Sean, per the self proclaimed manager on site, was on vacation. When I explained what had happened, the manager LAUGHED IN MY FACE.,and said " well, it's obvious this happened because you dropped the phone,".I tried to remain as calm as possible, explaining that NO, I did not drop the phone...The manager then said that they only guarantee their work for 30 days anyway, so I'm out of luck. I produced my receipt, which proved that I was standing in front of this moron on day 30-warranty still good for 1 day. That's when he went back to "it is obvious that you dropped it, so we are not at fault" He then "graciously offered to fix my phone..for another $180...
So, not only did they lie about being "authorized to repair this phone" ( surely, Sean is aware that once he opened a phone that was purchased less than a year ago that phone would no longer be covered under a warranty. A businessman with ANY scruples would have asked the customer when the phone was purchased); they screw up the phone in the first place, for $137, refuse to honor their own guarantee, then try to extort more money to fix their poor workmanship...And what if I agreed, and a month later something else went wrong? Was I supposed to keep coming back with more money? After an hour of listening to accusations, and excuses I saw that any further conversation was futile. This was the first time in my life that a sales person literally drove me to tears. The reality was: I GOT SCREWED. That left 2 options: continue taking my chances with Image, or go to Verizon, pay nothing upfront, get a new phone with a new line, and pay $70 a month for 2 years. I chose the later, and my iPhone 5 is now just a very expensive paperweight. The kicker? You will never get your money back for botched repairs! Image makes sure of that by using one receipt for merch. and labor. And the receipt says "ALL SALES ARE FINAL" . I later called Sean, who SWORE to "take care of everything"-never heard back.. read more