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December 3, 2007 1:22 PM PST

iPod mail-in repair service

by Donald Bell
Photo of Blue Raven mail-in iPod repair kit.

Blue Raven's mail-in iPod repair kit. Is your dying iPod worth it?

(Credit: Blue Raven)

It's a rare sight to see a functioning first or second-generation iPod out in the wild these days. If your vintage iPod's battery hasn't lost its ability to hold a charge, then there's always the chance of a failed hard drive, a broken screen, or an intermittent headphone jack. Sure, the latest crop of iPods are thinner, cheaper, and longer lasting than your bulky heirloom iPod, but if you have a soft spot for the old guy, or just resent gadget obsolescence, there's a new repair option for you.

Blue Raven, a manufacturer of DIY iPod repair kits and iPod accessories, has announced a new mail-in repair service for all models of the Apple iPod and iPhone. The mail-in service kit is available at major retailers and offers free two-way shipping of your broken iPod, along with an impressive turnaround of three business days.

Blue Raven is offering the mail-in repair kit in three flavors: a $129 kit that will repair any dead iPod regardless of what the problem turns out to be (includes battery replacement); a $59 kit that replaces any iPod's failing battery; and a $129 cracked iPhone screen kit (available in January). Each of the kits includes the free two-way shipping and a 90-day guarantee on the repair.

The services seem fairly priced, especially when you consider the convenience of just dropping your iPod or iPhone in a mailbox. The real question is, how much is your old iPod worth to you? Is that iPod Mini an heirloom, or a brick that's holding you back from a better player?

Donald Bell is CNET Reviews' senior editor for MP3 players and portable audio, and one half of the MP3 Insider blog and weekly podcast. He also likes getting his hands dirty with digital audio tools for musicians and DJs.
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wow - didn't know that
by ninbro December 3, 2007 1:51 PM PST
wow thi sis great :D, thanks guys.





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Reply to this comment
Great Bargain
by cssProdigy December 4, 2007 6:57 AM PST
This is a big relief, i broke my 5th generation iPod and i don't want to pay $250 for a new one. $129 is a good bargain.. Great Post
Reply to this comment
Refurb'd 5.5 gen iPods from Apple
by Potto007 December 4, 2007 12:08 PM PST
Just FYI: You can buy the 5.5 (Late 2006 release) model iPod direct from Apple in their "refurb" section. I just ordered one for my mother-in-law last night for $159. That comes with a 1 year Apple warranty. I even think these might be unused iPods that were left over in inventory after the latest, not so greatest, "Classic" was introduced.

Hope that helps someone.
Which countries is this available?
by pepe smith December 4, 2007 10:29 PM PST
Does this service include outside US?
Reply to this comment
Replacing the Battery is simple too and
by ham954 December 9, 2007 11:22 AM PST
If you want to find the best deal for a new ipod battery then go to http://www.batteriesforipod.com/zencart/catalog

Compare the total prices including shipping and you will see that they are the most affordable online. Delivery and support are tops also.
Reply to this comment
Buy Factory Direct! Not from work at home sites
by JohnWhiteiii January 4, 2008 10:19 PM PST
If you want a reliable Long lasting Ipod replacement battery than I recommend www.longlast-battery.com , they have been in the battery Biz since 95 and are now selling to the public.
Your ipod deserves name brand and not cheap generic batteries.
Reply to this comment
ipod repairs
by ipodrefresh.com March 10, 2008 12:16 PM PDT
You can also visit our website which has the lowest ipod repair services on the internet.

www.ipodrefresh.com
Reply to this comment
by billthomas2008 October 30, 2008 5:02 PM PDT
Tried all the ipod repair places out there. Only one I have found to have the lowest prices and best service is www.irestoreteam.com. I had a cracked screen on my ipod video 5th gen and they fixed for $45. Total!
Reply to this comment
by bmn_1213 January 3, 2009 6:37 PM PST
I sent my 5th Generation iPod in for repair. Got a new LCD screen, battery, and rear chrome panel for $99.
The website was www.nftechservices.com. You can find coupon codes for them on Google, but the sales rep gave me an extra discount because I had the rear panel installed too. (service would have totalled $115, if I remember right.) I was really impressed with my experience and I can recommend them.
Reply to this comment
by ipod_repairs October 30, 2009 12:28 PM PDT
There are plenty of reasons to repair that broken iPod, iPhone, Zune or XBOX 360. While most of the newly released devices are becoming more difficult to repair parts on, there are still several affordable and economical reasons to try.
Apple is making modular replacement parts harder to come by, they are actually trying to wipe out several small repair businesses by cutting down on the serviceable parts inside a given device. There is still plenty of upgrading and customization you can do though. iPod LCD screens will always be a top replacement part as well as hard drive upgrades, and batteries.
We recently used http://www.rapidrepair.com as an undercover test to see how affordable it was to repair an iPod. We were impressed, the whole process took less than a week and the unit was back in my hands. We sent in an 80GB iPod video with a faulty screen. We shipped it out on a Tuesday and on Thursday we received a phone call from RapidRepair with a quote. $59.99 is all it cost to fix the screen, they also included a free extended life battery, a thinskin protective screen cover and a free pair of earbuds! This was exactly the kind of service I was expecting. I authorized for the repairs and I had a tracking number the same day. If you are thinking about throwing that broken iPod in the garbage, think again. Try Rapidrepair.com or plenty others online.
Reply to this comment
by ipod_repairs October 30, 2009 12:31 PM PDT
[url]http://www.rapidrepair.com[/url]
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