Gadget Guru - Columbia

I had a phenomenal experience here today. Very friendly and kind folks offering fair, reasonable prices and prompt, responsive service. My nearly 5-year-old Phonesoap Pro UV sanitizer was not powering on after I dropped it a couple of days ago. Nothing seemed to bring it back to life, such as trying different plugs and outlets. The manufacturer told me that they don't service their products after their two-year warranty window. So I decided to try this place, as they list general electronics repair among their options on the website. When I brought over the unit, they quoted a $20 fee to evaluate the device. They called me an hour later. After opening the unit and inspecting the electronics, they saw no issues, and they closed the machine. For whatever reason it was working again for them. They told me they wouldn't charge me anything beyond the $20 fee, which was great. They saved me having to buy another unit (which the company offered me at a 25 percent discount, but would have come out to more than $80), and also prevented another electronic device from entering the e-waste stream. Highly recommended! Here is a picture of my device working again.

- Ben Stein

Gadget Guru was brought to my attention by a Navy Master Chief electronic communications specialist who would only bring his electronics there for repair. Accordingly, I took a buggy laptop there that wouldn’t run downloads and Paul took his personal time with me to make it right. I couldn’t be more impressed with the technical savvy and customer service this company brings. Repair options and pricing are fully discussed with you prior to starting any work. I highly recommend Gadget Guru for diagnosis and repair of your electronic devices.

- Dick

My Xbox controller had suffered from stick drift in the left analog stick and it was driving my nuts! Luckily, I stumbled upon Gadget Guru when surfing through the web and gave them a call to first see if they offered game controller repair services, which they did. Afterwards, I brought it into Gadget Guru within the same day to see what they could do about it. After 2-3 days of waiting, I able to retrieve my controller in full repair and for a very reasonable price! Even though I only had problems with only one of the analog sticks, I decided to ask them to replace both of them so I wouldn’t run into the issue of stick drift again. What really made this a unique and special experience was when I received a special discount in paying for 2 analog stick replacements for the price of 1! Most definitely would recommend this repair shop, the customer service is top-notch as everyone there is very polite and will help you with any questions or concerns you might have. However, I would advise calling them first to see if they offer the services you are looking for in getting whatever you need fixed.

- Niresh Silva

I have a Dell XPS laptop that needed repair due to a screen flickering issue. I initially took it to a nearby repair shop, Gadget Guru in Columbia. After a brief inspection, they suggested the screen might be faulty and would likely need replacement. They charged me $50 for a diagnostic test and promised to provide an estimate within 1–2 days. I dropped off my laptop and paid the $50 deposit. Since my laptop is only 4–5 years old, has never been physically damaged, and rarely leaves my house, I decided to do some research on flickering screen issues. I learned that a common diagnostic step is to connect the laptop to an external monitor—if the external display works, the problem is likely with the screen or its connection, not the GPU processor. Two days later, I stopped by the repair shop to check on their progress. The technician told me I’d need to replace the screen. When I asked what they had discovered from their diagnostic test, they simply repeated that the screen was faulty—something I already suspected. I then asked if they had tested the laptop with an external monitor. At that point, the technician attempted to connect it using an HDMI cable but struggled to get the laptop out of Safe Mode for over 15 minutes. Since Safe Mode disables the GPU processor and other hardware functions, it’s impossible to properly test the hardware or connect to an external monitor. After multiple failed attempts to exit Safe Mode, the technician asked a coworker for help but was still unable to proceed. This made it clear they hadn’t conducted a proper diagnostic test. When I asked about the specific diagnostics they had performed, they couldn’t provide a clear answer. I was simply told that my laptop had screen damage and needed a new screen. Frustrated and needing my laptop back, I decided to take it elsewhere. When I picked it up, the technician insisted I still had to pay the $50 diagnostic fee, despite the lack of a real diagnostic test. I expressed my dissatisfaction with their service and left. Afterward, I searched for another option and found a highly-rated technician online. I filled out a request form on his website and was able to drop off my laptop the next day. Within a few hours, he provided a detailed diagnosis of the issue along with a solution and an estimated cost. Unlike Gadget Guru, he didn’t charge a diagnostic fee and clearly stated, ‘No payment due until the laptop is picked up.’ His pricing was incredibly reasonable, especially given his expertise and thoroughness. Two days later, my laptop was repaired and running perfectly.

- Hokies_82

Very nice people. Spent $240, got refunded $170 back, they kept the 20 rush fee - fine keep that - they were very quick. The $50 diagnostic fee though, my control board is not fixed and it was never really even diagnosed. All I got was “it might be a chip or something gone bad”. I came here because the first tech I spoke to on the phone sounded so confident they could fix the control board for my pellet stove. The board is unfixed, I’m down and out $70 for 2 trips to their store and now I’m out even more because I’m buying a new pellet stove. Waste of time. If you have anything unique or out of the ordinary, don’t bring it here. Computers, games, stuff like that seems to be their specialty. *Update - in response to the company as seen, this is supposed to be a tech repair company that specializes in these kind of matters. Something happens to someone’s technology, they claim to fix it, instead of fixing it they hand it back and then try to place blame onto the customer for bringing something broken to them that they claim to fix. Will never do business here again. Poor handling of the situation on the company end. They don’t work for free but will make false claims and then try to blame you for bringing your broken stuff to them, how professional. Downgrade to 1 star.

- Matthew Jesse Mitchell