Assessment, cheap spares, tough competition make repair market a challenging place. Here's how?
Day 1: 23rd Dec
The screen of the mobile phone was broken. The impact must have been very high, I could see the inner layers(!). Since we were in Delhi, we headed to Nehru Place, known for handling exactly this kind of repair.
The first repairer we spoke to has a shop near the exit of the Nehru Enclave metro station. The shop is small-hardly 6’ wide by 5’ deep. But there is a narrow but steep ladder disappearing into the mezzanine above. That is his workspace. He is referred to by others as an Ustad. He trained many boys in this trade of mobile repair.
He advised our repairer to add some glue and fix our phone. In a few minutes, we have the phone back, but the screen is not lighting up by itself. We have to press near the top. The repairer says, let it be for 12 hours,once the glue hardens it will work just fine.
We left the shop a bit confused....
There is another repairer I know in Nehru Place. There are many good repairers here. This guy has a counter in one of the big shops on the first floor, rents for these shops touch 7 to 8 lakhs a month. At the shop, we are told this guy has taken a whole shop albeit in the basement. But it's an upgrade from the single counter.
He must be doing well(!).We find a narrow staircase next to a corner shop, off the main plaza. Steps are each 1foot high, once in the level below, it's a 12’ by 12’ space.
I asked when did they move in? ‘Just 2 days ago’, the answer came from a young repairer, who is managing while the main guy is not there.
He looked at the mobile carefully and said that the work was not done properly. Take it back to the same repairer, he said, tell him that he could keep the mobile for a day if needed, but fix the screen properly and return it.
Advice taken, we headed back to the repairer of the screen.
When we said he could keep it if needed but he has to open the whole screen and fit it back again. There was some hesitation. He said the copy screen might get damaged if opened. We responded anyway the screen is not working for us without the light.
He asked us to wait a while, we let him be. Today he had the advantage of the other more experienced repairer along with him… We had the phone back with us in half an hour. Now the screen light was visible. He said not to remove the rubber bands for a day atleast.
Post script:
Surprised that the repairer had actually entertained our request to open the screen again, risked damaging it, we wanted to know why he has done it?
My trusted repairer in the basement shop checked the phone and confirmed it was done properly now.
The screen of the mobile phone was broken. The impact must have been very high, I could see the inner layers(!). Since we were in Delhi, we headed to Nehru Place, known for handling exactly this kind of repair.
 |
| Street vendors and repair shops are concentrated around the central courtyard of Nehru Place, creating a dense, competitive marketplace ecosystem. |
The first repairer we spoke to has a shop near the exit of the Nehru Enclave metro station. The shop is small-hardly 6’ wide by 5’ deep. But there is a narrow but steep ladder disappearing into the mezzanine above. That is his workspace. He is referred to by others as an Ustad. He trained many boys in this trade of mobile repair.
He looks at the mobile, which is a Samsung J2 and atleast 7 to 8 years old. This model is obsolete if you took it to any other market in Delhi. He says it can be fixed for 1000/- INR.
We enquire if he can give us another phone in exchange for this old one… He says he doesn't do that, but there is a ‘Cashify’ shop in the market. He asks us to check with them.
The Cashify guys told us this phone is too old for any kind of exchange. In fact, one of the boys quips that we will not even find a replacement for the new screen… We told him we already have found a replacement- but we are looking for an exchange. He wanted to know what was the price for the replacement screen we found. We moved on as telling him the price would undermine our negotiation for an exchange.
We enquired at another shop in the line, he said to speak to Sikh gentleman in the shop across the plaza. He could exchange this for a button phone. Across the plaza, we found a Sikh sitting in front of a repair shop. It turned out he was just a customer, but the repairer offered to get a new screen for 800/-.
The shop was middle- sized-with about 6’ wide and 10’/12’ deep-looking onto the main plaza of Nehru Place market. The replacement screen would be golden and not black as the original. We said let's do it.
The Repair took about half an hour. He acquired the screen from another shop, while prying open and cleaning the screen and the components. He said the whole folder has to be replaced. He used a thin needle-like rotating device to take- out the remaining glue from the old screen. He used a black rubberised adhesive to stick the screen and used rubber bands to hold it in place till the glue hardened properly.
We left the shop and went back to the first repairer. He was like he could have adjusted the price and done it himself.
All done, we left for home with a gleaming golden screen, and the phone was looking new.
We enquire if he can give us another phone in exchange for this old one… He says he doesn't do that, but there is a ‘Cashify’ shop in the market. He asks us to check with them.
The Cashify guys told us this phone is too old for any kind of exchange. In fact, one of the boys quips that we will not even find a replacement for the new screen… We told him we already have found a replacement- but we are looking for an exchange. He wanted to know what was the price for the replacement screen we found. We moved on as telling him the price would undermine our negotiation for an exchange.
We enquired at another shop in the line, he said to speak to Sikh gentleman in the shop across the plaza. He could exchange this for a button phone. Across the plaza, we found a Sikh sitting in front of a repair shop. It turned out he was just a customer, but the repairer offered to get a new screen for 800/-.
The shop was middle- sized-with about 6’ wide and 10’/12’ deep-looking onto the main plaza of Nehru Place market. The replacement screen would be golden and not black as the original. We said let's do it.
 |
| Photo courtesy: Samsung — Samsung Galaxy J2 (launched September 2015). |
The Repair took about half an hour. He acquired the screen from another shop, while prying open and cleaning the screen and the components. He said the whole folder has to be replaced. He used a thin needle-like rotating device to take- out the remaining glue from the old screen. He used a black rubberised adhesive to stick the screen and used rubber bands to hold it in place till the glue hardened properly.
We left the shop and went back to the first repairer. He was like he could have adjusted the price and done it himself.
All done, we left for home with a gleaming golden screen, and the phone was looking new.
Day 2: 4th Jan
The phone screen was flickering. If we held it with a bit of pressure near the top, the screen lit up.
We were back at Nehru Place, tracing the same route.
First, the repairer who had offered 1000/- near the metro exit. The main repairer was not there, the guy at the counter looked at the phone and said it, looks fine. We moved on thinking how could he fix it if, he didn't think there was a problem.
The repairer who had fixed the screen realised there was a problem and fiddled with it. When he gave it back to us, the screen would not light up at all.
There is another repairer sitting at the counter today. He says this replacement is a ‘copy screen’. These are TFT screens as compared to the original LED screen. These are thicker than the original so they will be touching the light sensor which is behind. There might be a persistent problem with replacement screens. Oh!! we realized that, after all, the guy at Cashify was right!
The phone screen was flickering. If we held it with a bit of pressure near the top, the screen lit up.
We were back at Nehru Place, tracing the same route.
First, the repairer who had offered 1000/- near the metro exit. The main repairer was not there, the guy at the counter looked at the phone and said it, looks fine. We moved on thinking how could he fix it if, he didn't think there was a problem.
The repairer who had fixed the screen realised there was a problem and fiddled with it. When he gave it back to us, the screen would not light up at all.
There is another repairer sitting at the counter today. He says this replacement is a ‘copy screen’. These are TFT screens as compared to the original LED screen. These are thicker than the original so they will be touching the light sensor which is behind. There might be a persistent problem with replacement screens. Oh!! we realized that, after all, the guy at Cashify was right!
He advised our repairer to add some glue and fix our phone. In a few minutes, we have the phone back, but the screen is not lighting up by itself. We have to press near the top. The repairer says, let it be for 12 hours,once the glue hardens it will work just fine.
We left the shop a bit confused....
There is another repairer I know in Nehru Place. There are many good repairers here. This guy has a counter in one of the big shops on the first floor, rents for these shops touch 7 to 8 lakhs a month. At the shop, we are told this guy has taken a whole shop albeit in the basement. But it's an upgrade from the single counter.
He must be doing well(!).We find a narrow staircase next to a corner shop, off the main plaza. Steps are each 1foot high, once in the level below, it's a 12’ by 12’ space.
I asked when did they move in? ‘Just 2 days ago’, the answer came from a young repairer, who is managing while the main guy is not there.
He looked at the mobile carefully and said that the work was not done properly. Take it back to the same repairer, he said, tell him that he could keep the mobile for a day if needed, but fix the screen properly and return it.
Advice taken, we headed back to the repairer of the screen.
When we said he could keep it if needed but he has to open the whole screen and fit it back again. There was some hesitation. He said the copy screen might get damaged if opened. We responded anyway the screen is not working for us without the light.
He asked us to wait a while, we let him be. Today he had the advantage of the other more experienced repairer along with him… We had the phone back with us in half an hour. Now the screen light was visible. He said not to remove the rubber bands for a day atleast.
Post script:
Surprised that the repairer had actually entertained our request to open the screen again, risked damaging it, we wanted to know why he has done it?
My trusted repairer in the basement shop checked the phone and confirmed it was done properly now.
So was it not done properly earlier?...
We went back to the first repairer. He said that fitting copy screens is a hand skill. The adhesive which is used needs to be optimised as too much of it results in hardening unevenly and breakage…. Too little and the screen comes off, particularly in Samsung phones.
The repairer tries to put as less adhesive as possible but if it doesn't work more is used.
That's how cheap replacement copy screens work… one had to be careful with the phone, use a full cover. There is a risk of breaking the screen in case of an impact…
We hope it works now — keeping our fingers crossed...
We went back to the first repairer. He said that fitting copy screens is a hand skill. The adhesive which is used needs to be optimised as too much of it results in hardening unevenly and breakage…. Too little and the screen comes off, particularly in Samsung phones.
The repairer tries to put as less adhesive as possible but if it doesn't work more is used.
That's how cheap replacement copy screens work… one had to be careful with the phone, use a full cover. There is a risk of breaking the screen in case of an impact…
We hope it works now — keeping our fingers crossed...
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment