Our Strip-down & Diagnostics Charge- Proper Service at a Fair Price

In the majority of cases, our repairs are successful- in part because we’re good at what we do, and also because we’re upfront with clients about the chance of success, and what can and can’t be fixed.

However, we can’t always tell if something is repairable simply by looking at it, and it does sometimes happen that some things are impossible, impractical (e.g. non-availability of replacement parts) or simply uneconomic to fix. (Particularly in the last case, the customer themselves might also decide not to proceed with the repair).

In such cases, you are asked for a check-in fee. This starts at R265* at the time of writing– typically a small fraction of the repair charge- and covers the technician’s time and overheads involved in diagnosing your device.

Note that:-

  • You won’t be charged for the quick check-over we give all tablets, smartphones, computers etc. before they’re booked in. It’s only if- and when- our technicians have them on the bench for further inspection, disassembly etc. that this applies.
  • This is only the diagnostics fee – i.e. authorizes us to inspect the device / confirm the fault and provide a written quote if it is fixable.
  • We’ll always keep you informed about charges including this one– if we need you to agree to anything, we’ll contact you first to confirm.

* This is subject to change, but you’ll always be kept informed of any possible charges for approval

Scenarios that require a fee upon booking a device in:

  • Damaged laptop or MacBook screen
  • Laptop or MacBook battery replacement
  • No power (all devices)
  • Intermittent issues (e.g. Xbox One S works fine for a while then freezes. Upon restart its okay. When you turn it on the next day it freezes again)
  • Video game console 'not reading discs' (or cartridges in the case of the Nintendo Switch)
  • Other problems - technical issues that do not have a straightforward solution at first glance
laptop-screen-replacement-requires-part-number
Laptop (or MacBook) screen replacement
Requires to be booked in with us so that it can be disassembled and the part number can be checked before we can get a price quote from the supplier. The model or series number of the device isn't enough!
laptop-internal-battery-replacement-requires-part-number
Laptop (or MacBook) battery replacement
Requires book-in with us so that it can be disassembled and the part number checked before we can get a price quote from the supplier. The model or series number of the device isn't enough!
diagnosing-a-MacBook-logic-board
No power or not turning on (all devices)
Not turning on is an open-ended fault which which requires in-depth troubleshooting to locate the fault (especially if it's caused by liquid damage). 
ps4-not-reading-disc-diagnostics
Other problems
For instance, a PS4 not reading discs. Could be a faulty Blu-Ray laser, sled motor or the disc drive's circuit board. It will require in-depth troubleshooting to locate the fault and give the client a repair quote.

Unsolicited device drop off policy:

If you send a driver to drop off a faulty device with a note or a courier delivery without a completed check-in form (with check-in fee proof of payment if applicable) - in the package then please note that this bypasses our device booking procedure.

A quote rejection fee will apply, which is higher than our standard check-in fee, if the device is fixable. If the device turns out to be beyond repair, then a bench fee will apply. Client is liable for this charge before the serviced equipment can be released. 

If no contact information is included in the package that the unsolicited device came in, it will be stored for a period of 30 days only. If no contact is made by the device owner within 30 days of the recorded date of drop-off, then Micro Fix has the right to dispose of the device / recycle it.