Rant: Saw a repair shop in Tampa charging $50 just to look at a phone

Adam Dixon · 2026-03-11T01:05:03.988426+00:00

Walked past a place on 7th Ave yesterday with a big sign saying 'free diagnostics' but a tiny note on the door said there was a $50 fee just to open the case. That's not free, it's a bait and switch. Do you guys think that kind of pricing hurts our whole trade's reputation?

patel.christopher6mo ago

Check the fine print, but that $50 is probably a deposit for the work. They just worded it badly.

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hayden_king6mo ago

That deposit is more than the actual bill.

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colethomas6mo ago

My old laptop shop in Clearwater used to do that, and they lost half their regulars in a year.

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grant_dixon6mo ago

Offered free checks, never lost a customer like @hayden_king said.

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