Anyone deal with 3rd party Apple repair facility?

[CuriousMike]

I'm looking for a recommendation.

My water spilled water on her Macbook and she took it to the Genius Bar - she was quoted $800 without even looking at it.

Anyone use any other repair service that they could recommend ?

 

[TheStu]

What model MacBook? How competent are you with a screwdriver? You might be able to get a replacement logic board for a fraction of the cost (depends a lot on age), and could replace it yourself.

 

[manly]

Fix that Mac in Berkeley, CA is pretty good from second-hand knowledge.

You can check Yelp for shops in your area.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Sure, I take most of my business to FirstTech. (They're been a lot quieter and a lot more eager to please since the Apple Store opened up a few blocks away... poor bastards.)

Anyway, water on a Macbook is pretty much a foregone conclusion - at the very least, you're looking at a logic board and a keyboard replacement. $800 is about the usual for new parts and labor.

I actually had the same issue (well, coffee) with mine last June. At least the indie place waived the bench fee out of pity.

I ended up finding a same-model machine with a smashed up screen on eBay for <$150. Pulled my RAM and HDD/SSD (which still worked) swapped the LCD onto the new machine, and declared victory.

I also added the skull sticker I usually only put on computers I build from scratch - I was already on my third keyboard, and the only original part of my laptop now is the screen. So I think it qualifies.

 

[CuriousMike]

It's a Macbook Pro from 2011

Thanks for the info guys; i'm close to Berkley so i'll check them out.

 

[umrigar]

if you deal with an Apple Authorized repair center, they get their parts from Apple. i work for one here in PA.

if you get a used logic board, it might be cheaper, but you probably won't get much (if any) warranty.

I'd look for a busted screen donor like Dave The Nerd said.

 

[Eug]

I went to a 3rd party shop for a screen issue. They were an authorized Apple service centre but were able to give me two prices: 1 more expensive with new Apple part, and 1 less expensive with a used part, with a shorter warranty. We went with the latter since it was a couple of hundred $ less IIRC.

That was about 5 years ago. It still works to this day.