TL;DR
- Broken screen fix for iPhone 6 Plus was around $150 without and around $170 with tax -- similar to the Genius Bar.
- Since they close on Sundays, don't bring in your device on a Friday in case the delivery man holds your phone hostage on Saturday. If you want same-day fix, make an appointment at the Genius bar and sit there 2-3 hours.
This is how my experience with them went:
Friday 12/30 12:10pm:
1. I walk into the store next to the Valero gas station. It has 5-6 car lots. There were two customers inquiring about their device, but I was greeted and addressed promptly. I had made an appointment online with Apple (seemed like it was not necessary). Before you pay you need to:
1. Back up data on your device (in case the calibration at Apple fails and you get a new device)
2. Turn off your Find My Device
3. Leave your name, e-mail, and number. Since my primary contact will be the device I leave with them, I left another number with the gentleman at the front desk for him to call at 11am the next day. The expectation was that Mobile Kangaroo takes your device, sends to Apple 4pm, and receives fixes at 11am.
Next day Saturday 11:00am: My phone was supposed to arrive. No e-mail, no phone call. I need to finish up some work, but that's fine. It can be late 1-2 hours.
12:38pm: No e-mail, no phone call. I visit the store. There is one customer reading on the couch and another being addressed. I'm promptly addressed (seriously +1 stars for in-person service): FedEx guy is late. ETA is 1-3pm. I'm given a Mobile Kangaroo name card with a number to call (must've been his intuition that the visit was unnecessary).
3:24pm: No e-mail, no phone call again. I call the store this time. The lad says:
1. Phone number I provided was wrong (he called the phone number for the device they had). I was confused because I had left another number to call.
2. He says FedEx man is late and is giving him varied ETAs. The delivery is not on its typical route and visited other stores in Berkeley and Palo Alto.
3. He says he was supposed to close at 2pm. Mobile Kangaroo closes at 6pm -- must be a NYE thing. He hints that I probably would not be able to pick up my phone today.
4. He says he has updates regarding my phone. He tells me that the phone had water damage and due to protocol, the broken screen had not been fixed. Why is my 3-week old phone waterlogged? When I come in to pick up my phone, he says that they can open the phone so I can verify the water damage. He says I can call Apple to complain. I hope Asurion can clarify for me, but shouldn't customers need to be aware of these protocols before the service?
5. He then offers me a loaner phone. Why did not not receive a temporary replacement at 12:10pm yesterday when I left? Unfortunately, I needed the device (specifically the SIM) because of work-related two-way authentications.
6. He apologizes and says I can pick it up later -- not the next day because they are closed on Sundays; I can pick it up Monday. I ask when they are open and he says 10am, a sad 47 hours after I was supposed to.
7. Hang up the telephone and consider chasing down the FedEx man myself.
8. Unintentionally flake on all my work and social plans for NYE and repent that my life had relied too much on technology.
My overall experience with them has been frustrating. Thankfully, I found that my phone was water damaged but unfortunately, my phone was taken for an unexpected length of time at an even more unfortunate timing. Anyways, wish me luck on Monday 10am so I can reunite with my phone. Ringing the new years on Yelp! Woohoo! read more
