**UPDATE: With the lifetime warranty, I was able to take my iPad back and let Screen Geeks fix the "rippled" display--free of charge. They were super courteous and basically had it fixed within a day. They replaced the other screen with an "original" screen from another iPad, which means it has some residual effects but I do not notice them at all. Even so, they offered me a screen protector free of charge as a compromise for the residual effects. Additionally, they offered me a $20 refund for the earlier mixup on the price. Most importantly though, the display looks good as new and it seems like my connectivity to WiFi has also improved. For their hard work and excellent attentiveness, I've upgraded my original three stars (review below) to five stars and I'd happily recommend them to anyone in need of an electronics repair.**
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The situation: Dropped my iPad (fourth generation) face first on concrete from about three feet up and the screen totally shattered. My mother had enjoyed doing business with Screen Geeks before so off I went. Here are my thoughts.
THE GOOD
- Cheaper than Apple
This was the ultimate deciding factor in my decision. It was going to cost more than $250 to get my screen repaired by Apple. Screen Geeks repaired it for only $162 total.
- Lifetime warranty
So my biggest concern about getting my iPad repaired somewhere that wasn't Apple is that I would no longer be able to take my iPad back to Apple afterwards. According to several websites, Apple essentially washes their hands of your business once you go to a third party business. This also means if you have any warranty with Apple, it's immediately voided.
Luckily though, Screen Geeks offers you a lifetime warranty, but on two conditions: if it's a repair job (i.e. you're not just purchasing a new iPhone case) and if you post a review about their business within 24 hours. It's still a gamble, but not a half bad deal for a lifetime warranty.
- Fast repair.
When I dropped it off on Friday, I was originally told it would take about a week for them to get a replacement screen. Turns out though, it only took them three days and I was able to pick it up on the following Monday.
- Friendly service and easy location
The front desk guy was quiet but cheerful enough. Also, parking is free and plenty, and this little cluster of stores is pretty easy to get to (but this is pretty much the standard in Lufkin, compared to larger cities).
THE MEH?
- The results
It's only been about 24 hours, but so far, everything seems to be working okay. There were a couple of settings (date, sounds) that were reset, but the screen itself is solid and I haven't had any issues with the touch screen. However, the digital display has a slight "rumpled" look to it. I'd compare it to a piece of paper whose edges got soggy and then dried. If you're nitpicky about appearances, this may bother you. It doesn't really bother me though (yet!). Honestly, the only place I'd expect absolute perfect repairs from is Apple.
I have been having one other issue though, but I don't want to connect it (yet) with the screen repair. It seems like now my iPad must be at least 20 feet closer (yes, I measured) to the WiFi before it will connect. It's possible though that this is entirely due to the impact my iPad took rather than the screen repair.
- Cheaper and lifetime warranty yes, but could be more forthright
The initial price estimate I received was $130 plus tax. With normal sales tax, I assumed the total would be about $145, so when they rang it up for $162, I was a bit surprised. There may have been another fee or the tax percentage might've been different (I'm an English professor, not a finance person), but the receipts I received didn't include that information. It just felt a little misleading, however I should also say that I have a slight hearing loss and it's entirely possible I misheard the first estimate.
As for the lifetime warranty, I had to ask what kind of warranties they had. There was a little sign behind the desk about how it was the customer's responsibility to report ASAP any issues with a repair, but other than that, I didn't see or hear any mention of warranties. My mother also wasn't informed she could've received a lifetime warranty when she went in a month ago. Maybe it was just this one time around someone forgot to mention the warranties, but I think it would be a huge selling point if they were consistently upfront about this particular perk. It was certainly a huge appeal to me knowing that I was fixing to be ostracized by Apple. read more