Anyone had a Kindle screen repaired?

majormantra

I took my Kindle out of my bag one day and the screen was buggered. Not sure how I did it, but presumably it suffered some sort of impact. I'm somewhat tempted to spring for the new Paperwhite but not sure I really want to. Another option is this site that offers repairs:

http://www.reotech.co.uk/repair-services/kindle/

Anyone used them? Or another repairer? This is literally the only one I've found, and it's not exactly cheap.

apreading

Contact Amazon - my wife did when her screen looked like the ink had leaked in it and half the screen stopped working - 18 hours later a new one arrived at the door and they collected the old one!

Its worth contacting them even if the warranty is finished - because I think they are extra helpful so as not to get a bad name for the device. Then again, this was a year or so back and the kindle may be so well established now that they dont try so hard, but worth asking.

apreading

http://www.amazon.co.uk/forum/kindle/Tx10AXR5GAF9P0G

Ring Kindle Customer Services on 0800 496 2449. They are open 24/7, in the evening you get the US but during the day you get the Irish Call Centre. IMO the Irish Call Centre staff are better. Hopefully they will just replace it for you, just tell them you have kept it safe and have no idea how it happened. You should be fine

pauldavid

There was a piece on watchdog earlier this year about screen failures of some sort on the kindle so it may not necessarily be your fault it has failed.

I would definately give them a ring first and see if you can get a replacement from amazon before paying for any repairs.

afx237vi

Yeah, seconding what everybody else said. The screens are rubbish and they know it... phone them up and they'll send you a new one.

fossyant

They won't send you a new one if out of Warranty. The screens are crap and I've tried to argue the point, but Amazon wouldn't have it.

Had ours replaced via ebay seller as we have the 3g keyboard. First replacement arrived, screen cracked in post (poor packaging) - but the guy was helpful and replaced it again. so far so good, and we've got a protective case.

capt_slog

I've had one for about 18months, the wifi version with the keyboard.

A case for it is a must as it gives a lot of protection. It slipped out of my hands the other day and bounced the whole way down the stairs. I feared the worst, but it survived. The only thing I don't like about the case is how it attaches to the kindle, I think if the case hadn't have been shut it would have wrenched off possibly causing more damage than no case at all.

The watchdog program seemed to blame large static charges for the dead screens and ink 'leaks'.

majormantra

Thanks for the replies. I gave Amazon a call (and got a lady with a lovely Irish accent) and the best they'd offer was a discount (£14ish) off the Kindle wifi, which I don't really want. I guess it's back to looking at a repair, or upgrade.

FWIW my Kindle never leaves it's protective case. I sure I'd dropped it in the past without consequence but I was obviously unlucky with whatever happened to it in my bag. Sigh.

majormantra

Hmmm, actually I just found a couple of ebay sellers doing replacement screens, e.g.:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amazon-Kindle ... 1036576660

I wonder how tricky the swap is...

majormantra

Doesn't look that bad. Just found this: http://youtu.be/6BhTqbslijc

B.M.R.

Contact Amazon first, my first Kindle suffered a huge problem after being partly bent after being stood on accidently, it wouldn't turn on. I phoned up (I'd had the Kindle 3 months by this point) and the chap said that the damage was basically "on the edge" of what was acceptable for replacement, but he'd send a new one out and a box to send the old one back, no charge. He did recommend buying an official Kindle binder/light thing for it though as these offer a good degree of protection, which I did.

majormantra

^^see above, no joy with Amazon.

rob churchill

Surprised you had no luck with Amazon, is it an old model?
I've had screens break during warranty - replaced without quibbles, but also a screen broken out of the warranty - Amazon repaired it for £30.

majormantra

rob churchill wrote:

Surprised you had no luck with Amazon, is it an old model?
I've had screens break during warranty - replaced without quibbles, but also a screen broken out of the warranty - Amazon repaired it for £30.

It's not a current model any more - the 3G keyboard one, so no like for like replacement is possible. I actually had it replaced when I first got it because the first one had a stuck pixel, but they weren't being particularly generous now it's out of warranty.

I've ordered a replacement screen from ebay for £40 and I'm going to fix it myself. Hope it works!

rob churchill

MajorMantra wrote:

rob churchill wrote:

Surprised you had no luck with Amazon, is it an old model?
I've had screens break during warranty - replaced without quibbles, but also a screen broken out of the warranty - Amazon repaired it for £30.

It's not a current model any more - the 3G keyboard one, so no like for like replacement is possible. I actually had it replaced when I first got it because the first one had a stuck pixel, but they weren't being particularly generous now it's out of warranty.

I've ordered a replacement screen from ebay for £40 and I'm going to fix it myself. Hope it works!

Good luck with that - you do understand that if you fail, you're going to have to change that avatar, right?

fossyant

£40 is good. Couldn't get a screen when ours went, so paid £60 for it to be done by someone else. Seems quite a simple swap, having replaced two screens on touchscreen phones before

majormantra

Before:



The back of the cracked screen:



The outcome:




I watched a couple of youtube tutorials showing how to get it apart. Fairly straightforward although mine was very slightly different inside as it's got the 3G bits. Levering the case apart is slightly traumatic but otherwise it's mainly a case of removing lots of tiny screws and disconnecting a few cables. Amazon has kindly (no pun) standardised on just two screw sizes which makes life easier.

For £40 and a bit of sweat I've got my Kindle back.

CanalRider

Is it warranty? My dog bounced off mine and completely knackered the screen. Amazon replaced it FOC even though I explained exactly how the damage was caused. Good PR really as we've bought another two since.

majormantra

Read above - I fixed it myself!