Don't Throw Out that Broken Piece of Crap Electronic

My neighbor's son has just had a fit. His PS2 just stopped working. After further prodding, come to find out, one of his little sisters tried to stick something in there that didn't belong. Well, no wonder then. Mom was getting ready to throw it out...wait, hold on there. With a purchase of $30, my other neighbor fixed it in all of two minutes, and it works as great as the first day they bought it. How did he do it? How did he know how to do it? How do you know when to trash, fix or sell something electronic? Here goes...

Gotta love the internet. I've bumped and tripped my way through getting things fixed (or deciding to trash them) a few times. My first step is always to google the problem...google the error message or what your device is doing. Eight times out of ten, I've solved the problem that way. You are never the first person with that problem...almost 99.9% of the time.

If that's not doing the trick, and you can't find the answers that way, check to see if your item is still under warranty. Always save sales receipts so you can prove when and where you purchased the item if need be. If you don't want to save old receipts, scan them and put them in a folder on your computer (be sure to back it up too).

Next, google the company and find their service or customer support webpage. Follow their procedure, whether it's by phone, email or message board on how to get help. I once emailed a small toy company, complaining about a remote controlled helicopter's rotors that broke the first few minutes we used it. I made sure to put my mailing address in my signature line. Before I knew it, I got a package of two new replacement rotors at no cost to me...no questions asked. I've also returned mp3 players....twice...and once got a repaired one back and the other time a brand new one...all within a two week timeframe. Always start with the company first.

If that goes nowhere, start googling message boards. You want to look for message boards for fans of your device...the more fanatical, the better. Some of the folks on there live and breathe for that device. You want to detail exactly what your device is doing and then follow their advice. Again, I have gotten many answers myself this way, knowing next to nothing about electronics other than where the plug and "on" buttons were. One thing to keep in mind though, if your item is still under warranty, some of the tinkering the "experts" recommend might void that warranty. So again, always start with the company first!

Still with a broken device? If someone told you, you need a such and such repair part, check eBay first and also google the repair part. The PS2 above needed a new lens. All we did was do a search for "lens repair kit" before we hit paydirt. A friend told me about Rapid Repair and if they absolutely can't repair it there and send it back (they specialize in iPods), then sell your broken stuff on eBay or Buy My Tronics and save the cash towards the purchase a new gadget.

Before closing, there's one more thing to try. If that all gets you nowhere and you're just not ready to give up yet, then just get out your local yellow pages. Remember those tv repair people...the guy who has a shop down in your local strip mall? They do more than tv repairs. Most repair almost anything electronic. I've even seen some who will warranty their own work! Bring in your item and get an estimate from them. If they can't do it, get their advice on what they would do with it. Your item may still be able to be saved!

What have you done with your broken electronics lately?