If you’ve ever been quoted a diagnostic assessment fee at a repair shop and wondered what you’re actually paying for — or weren’t sure whether it’s credited if you go ahead — these are fair questions, and they deserve straight answers.
What a device assessment actually involves
When a device won’t turn on, or is behaving unpredictably, an assessment isn’t a quick glance. It’s physical, hands-on work that begins before the fault is even visible.
Take a MacBook Pro. Just to get inside, we remove the pentalobe screws holding the base on — then carefully disconnect cables and remove shields or components where required to safely access the areas that need testing. Only then does the diagnosis begin: multimeter in hand, boardview schematics on screen, testing the relevant circuits and components on the logic board to identify, narrow down or rule out the possible causes of the fault.
Depending on the fault, that can involve substantial technician time and specialist knowledge. It’s the part customers don’t see, because by the time we hand back a quote, the hardest part — investigating the problem — is already done.
What the diagnostic assessment fee covers
The diagnostic assessment fee covers that hands-on work: the disassembly, the testing, and the technical expertise involved in investigating the reported fault and determining the appropriate next steps. It pays for the finding, not the fixing — the careful process that lets us give you an informed answer rather than a guess.
An assessment is intended to investigate the reported fault and work out your options. It doesn’t guarantee that every fault can be conclusively identified, that a device will be economically repairable, or that lost data can be recovered — some devices need staged testing or further approved work before the full picture is clear. But it’s the essential first step to knowing where you stand.
If you go ahead, it’s credited — not doubled
For most standard repairs, when you approve the quoted repair arising from the assessment, the diagnostic assessment fee is credited toward that repair total. You’re not paying it twice. (Any different arrangement for data recovery, insurance assessments or other specialist work is explained at intake.)
If you decide not to proceed
If you decide not to proceed with the repair, the diagnostic assessment fee still applies, because the assessment work has already been completed. The device has been checked in, inspected and tested, and technician time has been spent investigating the reported fault. That labour, and the expertise behind it, is real whether or not the repair is approved.
Charging a diagnostic assessment fee is what allows us to give every device a proper, careful assessment rather than a rushed guess. It’s the same principle a specialist or a mechanic works on: the assessment itself is a service.
No surprises — that’s the point
We tell you the diagnostic assessment fee upfront, before any work begins, and confirm it as part of booking a device in. You know what it costs, you know it’s credited against an approved repair, and you know it applies if you decide not to proceed. Being clear about all of that in advance is exactly how we’d want to be treated ourselves.
If you have a device that needs looking at and you’d like to understand the process first, get in touch — we’re always happy to explain before you commit. More common questions, including on the diagnostic assessment fee, are covered on our FAQ page.