1. Get the device ready
- Back up anything important. Photos, documents, game saves. Most repairs don’t touch your files, but some problems (like a failing drive) can’t be fixed without losing data. We always ask before doing anything that would erase it.
- Take out what we don’t need: SIM cards, memory cards, USB sticks, game discs, and any cases or covers.
- Shut it down completely, not just sleep, so the battery doesn’t drain or heat up in the box.
- Don’t write passwords anywhere, not in the box and not in emails. If we need to sign in to test something, we’ll ask you how you’d like to handle it.
- Take a few photos of the device from all sides before packing. It’s a quick record of how it looked when it left you.
2. What to put in the box
- The device.
- The charger or power cable only if the problem is about power or charging (it won’t turn on, won’t charge, or shuts off). Otherwise keep it at home.
- A note with your name, your email and your repair reference (it starts with RPR-, and it’s in our emails).
- Please don’t send other accessories, cases, controllers or games unless we’ve asked for them. We return whatever arrives with your device, but extra items are easier to lose track of.
3. Pack it so it arrives safely
- Use a sturdy cardboard box, not a padded envelope. A box a few inches bigger than the device on every side is ideal.
- Wrap the device in bubble wrap or a soft towel inside a plastic bag. For a laptop, close the lid; for a phone or tablet, make sure the screen is covered.
- Fill every gap with packing paper, bubble wrap or air pillows, about 2 inches all round. Shake the box gently: nothing should move.
- Game consoles: the original box is great, placed inside a second, larger box with padding.
- Desktop PCs are heavy and the parts inside can come loose in transit. If you’re near Lansing, drop-off is often easier. If you ship one, use a strong box with plenty of padding, and don’t open it to remove anything.
- Tape all the seams and put the address label on the top only. Remove or cover old labels and barcodes.
4. Shipping it to us
- Use the address in our email (sent after the $29 is paid). We don’t publish it on the website.
- Choose a service with tracking, and add insurance for what the device is worth. Sending it to us is at your cost.
- Keep your receipt and tracking number, and reply to our email with the tracking number so we can watch for it.
- Returning it to you: insured return shipping is included in your repair quote, and we email you the tracking number when it’s on its way.
5. Battery safety: please read
Don’t mail a device whose battery is swollen, leaking, punctured or has been very hot. Signs include a lifting trackpad or keyboard, a screen being pushed up, a bulging back, or a bent case. Carriers don’t accept damaged lithium batteries, and they can be dangerous. Tell us in your request or by email instead, and we’ll arrange safe handling, usually a drop-off in Lansing.
6. Dropping off in Lansing
- By appointment only. After the $29 is paid, reply to our email with a few times that suit you. We confirm a time and send the address.
- Bring the device, your repair reference, and the charger if the problem is about power or charging.
- Get it ready the same way (back up, take out cards and discs, shut it down). No packing needed.
- When it’s ready, we email you to arrange a pickup time. There’s no return shipping to pay.
7. What happens next
- We email you when it arrives (or when you drop it off).
- We diagnose it and email you a quote: parts, labor and, for mail-in, insured return shipping, with your $29 already taken off.
- Nothing is repaired without your OK. Paying the quote approves the repair.
- We repair it and return it, with a 90-day warranty on the part replaced and the work done.
- Decide not to go ahead, or it can’t be repaired? You choose: we send it back (you pay the return shipping), you pick it up, or we recycle it for free.
Full terms are in our repair policy. Questions about packing? Reply to any of our emails, or write to support@pctechies.net before you send it.