There’s a new electronics repair shop in Seymour, and its mission is as simple as its name.
At uBreakiFix, customers can bring in their cracked or water-damaged cellphones, inoperable tablets and computers and damaged game consoles to be fixed as good as new.
But that’s not all. Employees will work on iPods, Apple Watches, Blu-ray players, vacuum cleaners, medical equipment and really anything with a power switch, said franchise owner Michael York.
They even recently fixed a customer’s drone.
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In most cases, technicians are able to have devices repaired the same day they are brought in, York said. And it costs nothing to diagnose the problem. Also, if they can’t fix the problem or can only get it partially working, you don’t get charged.
"We don’t charge for anything we can’t fix," York said. "We find a way to fix anything with a power button."
The store, which opened May 20, is located at 310 Burkart Blvd., close to U.S. 50 and several wireless service businesses, including AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
To bring uBreakiFix to Seymour, York partnered with Brett Bevers, who has experience in business management from his years with Bevers Family Pharmacy, and Erick Foster. They also have hired store manager Eric Foster.
The idea to open the business was the result of a personal experience York had while trying to get his phone fixed.
"I went into a cellphone repair shop, and I thought to myself, ‘I can do this better,’" he said.
He has been working on opening the store for about a year.
York is no stranger to the technology business, as he spent around eight years managing the Verizon Wireless store in Seymour. He also has an interest in understanding how electronics work.
"I’ve been taking things apart since I was like 8 years old," he said. "My first memory of taking things apart was my clock radio. I just wanted to see how it worked."
He then moved on to repairing all of the electronics in his house.
"Things like the VCR, but no one is going to remember what that is," he said. "I remember I took apart our home telephone one time. Just all kinds of stuff."
So with his knowledge and experience, York started to look into franchise opportunities for electronics repair. That’s when he discovered uBreakiFix.
"This one was the best choice," he said. "The company itself was a really good fit. A guy about our same age started the company in 2009 out of his dorm room."
Company founder Justin Wetherell dropped his brand-new iPhone on concrete, and the screen shattered. He ordered the parts online to fix it himself but realized it was a bigger job than he first thought.
So he asked his college buddy, David Reiff, to help him fix it.
After realizing the need for high-quality smartphone repair services, the two picked up a few broken iPhones and taught themselves how to fix them. They started a store on eBay offering iPhone screen repairs at a flat rate of $79.99. As demand increased, they decided to expand.
In the summer of 2009, Wetherell and Reiff, with some help from their friend, Eddie Trujillo, opened their first uBreakiFix storefront in Orlando, Florida.
A decade later, there are more than 500 uBreakiFix stores in the United States, Canada and Caribbean.
"That’s what intrigued me most about this franchise," Bevers said. "This is an industry where there’s not really been a top-of-mind awareness. You think of getting your phone repaired, you don’t think of any major franchise, but uBreakiFix is really stepping up into that role."
Bevers said he feels like they are getting in on the ground floor of something he believes will become a household name across the nation.
Another important aspect of the business is being involved in and giving back to the community, York said.
One day, he said he would like to be able to help fund young entrepreneurs like himself.
The technology repair business also is good for the environment because it keeps people from throwing away electronics.
"It’s a very green concept to be repairing things instead of going out and buying a new one," Bevers said.
There’s also a sense of job security, York added.
"Whenever the economy takes a downturn, repairs go up because people don’t want to spend a lot of money on a new phone," he said.
Besides Seymour, York, Bevers and Foster plan to open two more locations, in Columbus and Bloomington, in the next couple of years. The three have an extensive background in customer service. Combined, they have around 60 years of experience.
York, who is from Vincennes, also managed Papa John’s Pizza in Seymour for nine years. That’s where he and Bevers met.
"Brett was like the first person I met when I came here," he said.
Besides repairing devices for individuals, uBreakiFix has contracts with national brands like Google.
"One thing that was exciting to hear was Google reached out to them to create a partnership to do the repairs for the Google phones," Bevers said. "It’s one thing for you to reach out, but when Google comes to you, you know you’re doing something right."
The company also has exclusive contracts for warranty repairs with Samsung and Asurion, a company that provides insurance for electronics, and with hospitals to fix MRI and X-ray machines.
Before the Seymour location opened, those customers would have to drive to Greenwood or Louisville.
"Part of what I’m going to do for the business is try to go out and get business relationships because every business in town is potentially a customer," Bevers said.
For example, Bevers works full time as a barber at Burnside Barbers in Seymour and said its hot lather machine broke. Because the machine has electronic components, uBreakiFix can make the needed repairs.
Bevers said the motto of uBreakiFix is customer centric.
"We really believe in the branding of the service that we can bring to the communities," York added.
Besides screen repairs, services include data recovery, hardware repairs and data recovery on software. They also specialize in fixing gaming consoles, including Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation.
"I’ve got my old Nintendo, my Sega Genesis, and I can’t wait to get them all fixed and working again," Bevers said.
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uBreakiFix
Owners: Michael York, Brett Bevers and Eric Foster
Where: 310 Burkart Blvd. Suite E, Seymour
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
Phone: 812-405-2661
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.uBreakiFix.com
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