Good morning, We were fortunate enough to get an article done about SmartPhone Medic ran in the business section of The State newspaper today. Ms. Rupon came to our new location, at 902 Harden Street, a couple of days ago and sat down with us to get some info about our business and how we help our customers. We would like to thank her and the photographer for taking the time out to do this. The entire article is posted below but if you would like to go directly to the article click here: http://bit.ly/bYVFXK Posted on Fri, Oct. 22, 2010 Do you really have to spend another $500 on a new one? Probably not. The chances are good SmartPhone Medic can fix it. The Columbia store has been fixing high-tech — and high-priced — Blackberries, iPhones and Droids for about a year out of a small office on Pickens Street. Last month, it moved into a storefront at 902 Harden St. in Five Points — across from the new Chick-fil-A — to become more visible, said Robby Reaser, who owns the business with Demetril O’Neal and Cubby Culbertson. A heads up: Don’t be thrown off when you walk in; it shares space with a furniture store. And if they can’t fix your phone, they won’t charge you, the owners said. As people have come to rely more heavily on phones for on-the-go Internet and e-mail access and constant communication, more repair stores have been popping up in recent years nationwide. “We cater to addicts,” said Culbertson, known for counseling Gov. Mark Sanford and his now ex-wife, Jenny. “People have to have their phones. We can usually fix it the same day.” Five years ago, only about 10 percent of cell phones in use were smart phones, said Kent Sutcliffe, one of two technicians employed by the company. Now, about 80 percent are, he said. The most common repair by far is replacing a cracked screen, Reaser said. Glass touch screens are delicate and can break easily if the phone is dropped, particularly if it drops face-down, he said. “That’s the death drop,” O’Neal said. But the store can replace cracked covers, usually in an hour, for from $84 to $175, he said. Customers are relieved when they get their phones back, O’Neal said, because the phone contains so much vital information – like, in one case, a girl’s phone number. Culbertson said one customer brought a phone in desperate to get it fixed so he could retrieve the number of a girl he met just before he dropped his phone in the water. The store fixed the phone, and the guy got the number. Water damage repair usually runs between $60 and $109. Saltwater damage often is fatal for a phone, but data can sometimes be retrieved. Another customer brought a phone in that had been run over by an 18-wheeler after it slipped out of his pocket. It was in a hard case, and the store fixed it for around $120. The store also was able to repair a phone that sat in the lake for nine months, Culbertson said. The owner found it when the water was drawn down for a pier repair. “It’s just incredible the things that can happen to a phone,” Culbertson said. The store also repairs iPods and iPads. Reaser, who started the store when he broke his own phone and couldn’t find anybody to fix it, said he eventually would like to expand the SmartPhone Medic brand throughout the state and the Southeast. He is now certified in cell phone repair. And he plans to start an e-commerce site that will allow customers to easily mail in their phones for repair. More openings • Welcome to Moe’s. Josh and Lindy Snyder opened their third Moe’s Southwest Grill on Thursday at 2217 Augusta Road in West Columbia. • Bring the kids. A new children’s playground will open this weekend inside Harbison’s Columbiana Centre. The grand opening is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday just outside JC Penney. Dora and cousin Diego will be there, along with a balloon artist and giveaways. • Baby bonanza. BuyBuy Baby last week opened a new 28,000-square-foot baby superstore near Harbison Boulevard.
SmartPhone Medic offers cure for high-tech ills
Kristy Eppley Rupon
So you just dropped your new iPhone in the toilet. Now what?
Hey everyone. We are pleased to announce that we have moved into our new location in Five Points. The official address is 902 Harden Street, Columbia, SC 29205. If you are a local customer come on by and check out our new location. We are right across the street from the Chick-fil-A so we are really easy to find. I will post some actual photos of the new location soon.
For all our mail in customers the mailing address will remain the same, 1226 Pickens Street, Suite 206, Columbia, SC 29201.
You can go directly to the page via this link http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12801008 By Hannah Horne – bio | email COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – Nearly one out of every two Americans has a smart phone, but we can do some really dumb things with them. We drop them, dunk them in water and cause damage that will cost you big bucks to repair. Some local phone docs can help with your phone fix. Donna Neese is like most of us who can’t function without our phones. “It’s part of my work day,” she said. “Doing without my phone for a couple of days would be very bad.” So when her new iPhone hit the driveway and shattered, Neese was left with few options. Buying a new one would cost $300 and she didn’t trust shipping it off to a repair service. One solution had a ring to it. “I came across Smart Phone Medic in Columbia,” she said. It’s a local cottage industry started by Robby Reaser to fix iPods, iPads and smart phones. “For the longest time, no one had an option to get your phone repaired from an iPhone, to Blackberry to LG to Samsung,” said Reaser. On any given day, 20 phones come in for repair at their office on Pickens Street in Columbia. “Glass first, water is a close second in the summer, physical damage other then the screen, might be dropped or internal,” said Reaser. Cell phone stores will offer to sell you a new phone or offer insurance that has a deductible. But every now and then, some will recommend the local repair shop. “We get good feedback from AT&T,” said Reaser. “They don’t hate us.” Neese says her bill was less than $100, and she saved time too. “I was there for 20 minutes, walked out, phone is fine and everything’s great,” she said. A low-cost option for when the high-tech gadget in your life gives you trouble. Smart Phone Medic is located at 1226 Pickens Street Suite 206 Columbia, SC 29201 803-354-3275 www.SmartPhoneMedic.com Copyright 2010 WIS. All rights reserved.
Hey everyone,
Check out the video we shot yesterday with Columbia’s very own local news station WLTX. They wanted to talk about cell phone repairs and also how consumers can trade in their old phones for cash. Thank you to Jennifer Bellamy for taking the time out to sit down and talk to us. Very good article. If you need help with your phone give us a call.
Below is the article from WLTX,
Columbia, SC (WLTX) — If you’ve ever broken your cell phone One business in Columbia The guys over at SmartPhone Medic won’t just help you get your phone running again. They’re also among the groups that can help you turn a profit when you’re ready to upgrade. From smashed screens to water damage, you name it SmartPhone Medic technicians will try to help you fix it. Technician Kent Sutcliffe says he’s seen everything from repeat phone droppers to tearful pleas for help.
you know the feeling of dread when you’re wondering if you’ve lost all of your pictures and contacts. can help save you in your time of distress.