How To Choose The Right Xbox 360 Repair Facility
Sunday, October 30th, 2011Once you realize your Xbox is out of commission, you quickly consider your repair options. You can ship it off to Microsoft for repairs, but you’ll pay as much as $150 + shipping costs if your 3-year RROD warranty has expired. You’ll also wait a good six weeks before getting your precious Xbox 360 back, which is most likely out of the question for a true Xbox gamer. So what next? Well, go with what you know. You want the repair done fast, and you don’t want to pay and arm and a leg for it.
If sending your Xbox 360 to Microsoft for repairs presents too much of a wait or just costs more than you want to spend, consider a local and reliable repair shop as an alternative option. The problem comes down to selecting one that will fix your Xbox the right way for a fair price. The following points should help you choose a quality game console repair shop that will treat you right.
Finding an Xbox repair shop you can trust is your overall goal. It’s pointless to go cheap here as the fly-by-night shops are going to take less money for less work. Stories abound of gamers getting their Xbox 360 consoles back with second hand or missing parts, nicks and dings, or worse. Make the wrong repair shop selection and you’ll end up wasting your time and money. Remember, repairs to your Xbox 360 need to be done correctly if they’re going to last.
Finding a good repair shop isn’t impossible, it just takes some planning. Check out high traffic and trusted websites and discussion boards that talk about Xbox repair, or consult your local Google or Yahoo directories to see whether there is a reputable repair facility nearby. Don’t forget as you interview repair shops to ask how long each one has been in the business. Newer locations can pose additional risk over shops that have been doing repairs for some length of time.
Price is always a consideration. But remember that you’re balancing cost with getting a quick repair. Though you’ll probably find a deal that’s cheaper than the $150 Microsoft charges, you may still pay just under $100 or so. Check around to say, three different shops and choose the middle bid. That’s usually a good formula.
The local repair shop option is great for you when you need your Xbox fixed quickly. Since time is really one of the main reasons why you’re going this route, you’ll want to be sure the repair shop you choose does offer timely service. Don’t be shy about asking how long the repair will take, and push them for a faster turnaround.
Another very important thing to consider is the customer service offered by your local Xbox 360 repair shop. If they are going to take a week to fix your Xbox, perhaps they have a “loaner Xbox” they can lend you while yours is being fixed. At minimum, you want your repair technician to promptly correct any mistakes that occur as a result of their repair. Local game system repair shops live and die by word of mouth advertising. If they want to survive, they’re going to take good care of you and respond to your every need.