Terms & Conditions of Service

1. Our Services

1.1 What we do

We provide diagnostic, repair, component replacement and related technical services for smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices that we agree to accept, including devices made by Apple, Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Motorola, Oppo and other manufacturers.

1.2 Independent repairer

FoneFix is an independent repair business. We are not Apple, Samsung, Google or any other manufacturer, and we are not an authorised service provider for any manufacturer unless we expressly say so. Brand and product names belong to their owners and are used only to identify compatible devices.

1.3 Right to decline or stop work

We may decline or stop work where we reasonably consider that:

• the repair cannot be done safely, for example because of a swollen, punctured or leaking battery, severe corrosion, structural damage or evidence of heat damage;
• the repair would create an unreasonable risk of further damage;
• suitable parts, tools or technical information are not available or are not available at a reasonable cost;
• the device is locked, restricted, reported lost or stolen, or subject to a security restriction we cannot lawfully or practicably work around;
• the work is outside the services we offer; or
• there is another legitimate business or safety reason.

If we decline or stop after accepting a device, we will tell you, return the device as soon as reasonably practicable, and charge only for work already properly carried out (such as an agreed diagnostic fee). We will make the device safe before returning it where we reasonably can.

1.4 Devices we do not repair

Unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing, we do not accept devices that are foldable, rollable or otherwise of non-standard construction, devices with removed or modified boards or batteries, and devices that have been repaired by a third party in a way that makes safe repair impractical.

2. Prices, Payment and Additional Work

2.1 Payment

Payment may be required in full or in part when booking, or on completion, depending on the repair and parts involved. Where you pay in full when booking, the price confirmed at checkout is the price payable for that repair unless you agree additional work.

2.2 Release of devices

We will normally release a device once all amounts properly due for the agreed work have been paid.

2.3 Quotations

Quotations are based on the information available and the apparent condition of the device when given. If further faults or materially different circumstances are found, we may give a revised quotation.

2.4 Additional work

We will not carry out additional or materially different chargeable work without your agreement. If you decline additional work we will, where possible, complete the original agreed repair or return the device and refund any part of the price for work we did not carry out.

2.5 Diagnostic / bench fee

A diagnostic or bench fee of £30 may apply to devices submitted for inspection or diagnosis. We will make this clear before diagnostic work begins. Once diagnostic work has started, the fee remains payable for the diagnostic carried out, including where:

• you decide not to proceed with a proposed repair;
• the device is beyond economical repair or no viable repair can be found;
• the reported fault cannot be reproduced; or
• repair is not possible because of the device’s condition or underlying faults.

The fee does not apply if we did not carry out the diagnostic with reasonable care and skill.

3. Timescales and Delays

3.1 Estimates

Unless we expressly agree a fixed completion date in writing, repair times and collection dates are estimates, not guaranteed deadlines.

3.2 Parts and supply delays

Many repairs depend on parts ordered from suppliers and delivered by couriers. Delays can occur because of parts availability, supplier or courier delays, additional faults found during repair, or manufacturer restrictions. We will take reasonable steps to complete the work promptly and to keep you informed of any significant delay.

3.3 Delays to ordered parts

Where a repair depends on an ordered part, a delay of up to [7] working days beyond the estimated completion date is a reasonable delay and does not by itself entitle you to cancel on the ground of delay or to a refund. We will keep you informed.

3.4 Reasonable time

We will complete the service within a reasonable time. If we have not completed the repair within a reasonable time (including beyond the period in 3.3), or the part supplied is faulty, incorrect or unavailable, you may have the right to cancel the repair and receive a refund of the price paid for work not carried out. We will not unreasonably refuse a refund in that situation. This section does not affect your separate right to cancel an online or distance booking within 14 days, which is dealt with in section 4.2.

4. Cancellation

4.1 Repairs booked in store

Repairs booked in person at our shop do not carry the statutory 14-day cancellation period for distance contracts. If you wish to cancel before we have begun work or ordered or allocated parts, we will not charge you for the repair, and will refund anything paid less any agreed diagnostic fee.

4.2 Repairs booked online or at a distance

If you book a repair online or by phone you will normally have a legal right to cancel within 14 days of booking. If you ask us (for example by choosing an appointment or drop-off date during that period) to begin the repair within the 14 days, you acknowledge that:

• if the repair is fully carried out within the 14 days, your right to cancel ends once it is complete; and
• if you cancel after asking us to begin but before completion, you must pay a proportionate amount for the work already done up to the time you tell us you are cancelling.

These rights concern the service and are separate from your rights if a part is faulty or the repair has not been carried out with reasonable care and skill.

4.3 Parts ordered for your repair

Where parts have been ordered or allocated specifically for your repair following your confirmed booking and you then cancel or materially change the repair, we may recover reasonable and unavoidable costs we have actually incurred that cannot reasonably be cancelled, returned to our supplier or used for another customer. We will take reasonable steps to reduce or avoid such costs, and any charge will not exceed what the law permits.

5. Your Legal Rights

5.1 Reasonable care and skill

We will perform all services with reasonable care and skill.

5.2 If something goes wrong

If a service is not performed with reasonable care and skill, or does not match what was agreed, you may be entitled to require us to repeat or put right the service free of charge, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience. If that is impossible or does not happen within a reasonable time, you may be entitled to a price reduction, up to the full price where appropriate.

5.3 Parts we supply

Parts we supply and fit must be of satisfactory quality, fit for their purpose and as described. Your legal rights in relation to them are in addition to our warranty in section 11.

5.4 Nothing removed

Nothing in these Terms limits any statutory right or remedy available to you. Where a provision of these Terms would conflict with a mandatory statutory right, your statutory right prevails.

6. Repair Risks: Screens, Glass and Bonded Parts

6.1 Why repairs carry risk

Modern phones and tablets are built from glass, adhesives, thin flex cables and delicate panels. Even when work is carried out correctly with specialist tools and proper technique, parts that are already weakened by age, heat, impact, liquid, corrosion, adhesive ageing or earlier repair can fail when they are removed, heated, separated or handled. Not all weaknesses are visible before work begins.

6.2 Removal of original displays

Some repairs (for example battery, charging port, speaker, microphone or camera replacement) require us to remove your device’s original display and refit it. Displays are bonded assemblies. Even with specialist tools and reasonable care, an OLED or AMOLED panel can separate from its frame or backing, a digitiser or flex cable can tear, and an LCD can delaminate or develop lines, spots, pressure marks, backlight faults or touch failure. The risk is higher with cracked, aged, previously repaired, heat-damaged, curved-edge or bent displays.

If this happens despite our reasonable care and skill, we will tell you promptly and offer a replacement display at [£X / our cost price + labour]. We are not otherwise liable for the cost of replacing a display that fails in this way. This section does not apply where damage is caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill.

6.3 Back glass, frames and other bonded parts

Removing glass back panels, camera lenses, frames, adhesive-retained batteries and similar parts may require heat, solvent or mechanical separation. Old, cracked, bent or previously repaired parts may crack, shatter, bend or fail during removal. Where additional replacement becomes necessary because of such a pre-existing weakness, we will explain and agree any extra charge with you before proceeding where practicable.

6.4 Cracked or damaged devices

A device that already has cracked glass, frame damage, bending or visible impact damage may have internal damage that cannot be seen. Impact can damage OLED panels, digitisers, flex cables, logic-board components and batteries even when the outer glass is intact. We cannot guarantee that a device with prior impact damage will work normally after repair, and further problems that originate in that damage are not caused by our work.

6.5 Previously repaired devices

Devices previously repaired by someone else may contain non-standard parts, incorrect adhesive, damaged connectors, missing shields or hidden board damage. We are not responsible for faults, damage or repair difficulty arising from earlier work by others.

6.6 Cosmetic effects

Because of a device’s age, construction or repair history, some repairs may leave minor cosmetic differences, adhesive residue, or visible signs of opening. This does not excuse damage caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill.

7. Device Condition, Hidden Faults and Liquid Damage

7.1 Existing and hidden faults

Electronic devices can have existing, intermittent, hidden or developing faults that cannot reasonably be found before disassembly or testing. A fault that becomes apparent during or after repair was not necessarily caused by the repair.

7.2 Higher-risk devices

Devices that have suffered impact, bending, liquid damage, corrosion, overheating, unauthorised modification or previous repair carry a higher risk during disassembly, testing and repair.

7.3 Liquid-damaged devices

Liquid damage is progressive. Corrosion may continue after repair and can cause failures in components that appeared to work when the device was returned. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any repair on a device that has been exposed to liquid, moisture or humidity, and our warranty does not cover liquid-related faults.

7.4 Battery safety

Swollen, punctured or damaged lithium batteries can be hazardous. We may stop work, make the device safe, decline the repair, and we may need to dispose of a dangerous battery without returning it.

7.5 Removed parts

Unless you ask us at drop-off to return them, parts removed from your device will be disposed of or recycled in accordance with the law.

7.6 Device condition records

We may record the condition of a device using photographs, notes and test results before, during and after repair, to document condition, assist diagnosis, manage warranty claims and resolve disputes. We handle these in line with our Privacy Policy.

7.7 Testing after repair

We test the device where circumstances permit, to the extent reasonably relevant to the work carried out. We are not responsible for an unrelated fault occurring or becoming apparent after repair unless it was caused by our work or a part we supplied.

8. Diagnostics and Fault Finding

8.1 Nature of diagnosis

A diagnosis reflects the device’s condition and behaviour and the information available when it is examined. It is not a guarantee that no other intermittent, concealed or unrelated fault exists.

8.2 Intermittent and sequential faults

Intermittent faults may not appear during testing. Some faults cannot be fully diagnosed until another fault has been repaired or a component replaced, so further faults may become apparent during or after repair.

8.3 Further work

If further chargeable work is needed we will explain it and ask for your agreement before proceeding.

8.4 Faults reported after repair

If you report a fault after repair we may inspect and test the device to find out whether it relates to our workmanship or a part we supplied. If it does not, further diagnosis or repair may be chargeable.

9. Parts, Compatibility and Manufacturer Restrictions

9.1 Types of replacement part

Depending on the repair option you choose, we may supply:

• genuine manufacturer parts;
• refurbished genuine components;
• premium compatible parts;
• standard compatible parts; or
• other components specifically described or agreed for the repair.

The type of part we fit will be as described or agreed for your repair. If you are unsure which type you have chosen, please ask before booking.

9.2 Compatible and non-genuine parts

Compatible, aftermarket, refurbished or other non-genuine parts can differ from the original in display technology (for example LCD instead of OLED), brightness, colour accuracy, viewing angle, touch response, refresh rate, power consumption, appearance, calibration, fingerprint-sensor performance and battery capacity or charging behaviour. These differences do not by themselves make a part defective where it performs as described for the repair option you bought.

9.3 Manufacturer features, messages and restrictions

Manufacturers use software to detect and in some cases restrict non-genuine, refurbished, unpaired or moved components. After any repair, including with high-quality parts, your device may:

• display messages or warnings, such as “Unknown Part” or “Important Battery Message” on Apple devices, or similar notices on other brands;
• not show battery health, capacity or cycle information;
• lose or restrict features that depend on manufacturer calibration, security or parts pairing, such as True Tone, Face ID, Touch ID, under-display fingerprint sensors, auto-brightness, proximity sensing, haptics, wireless charging, camera features, secure-element features or manufacturer diagnostics; and
• show repair-history or non-genuine part information in device software.

These effects are controlled by the manufacturer’s software and not by us, and they do not by themselves mean the part is faulty or that the repair has been done badly. Where we know of a significant limitation relevant to the repair option you chose we will take reasonable steps to tell you before work begins.

9.4 Biometric and security components

Face ID, Touch ID and similar biometric systems are paired to the device’s secure hardware. We do not guarantee that a biometric function will work after repairs involving the display, front camera assembly, sensor flex, home button or related parts, unless we have expressly agreed that we will restore it.

9.5 Future manufacturer updates

Manufacturers can add, remove or change software, security, calibration, authentication, parts-pairing or compatibility requirements at any time, including after your repair. We cannot guarantee that any compatible, refurbished, third-party or non-genuine part will remain fully compatible with future updates. Unless the problem is caused by a defective part we supplied or by our failure to use reasonable care and skill, we are not responsible for loss of functionality, warning messages or other effects caused by a later manufacturer change.

9.6 Water and dust resistance

Opening a device may reduce or remove its original water and dust resistance. Although we may fit replacement seals or adhesive, we do not guarantee that a repaired device will keep its original IP rating or any resistance to water, moisture or dust, and we do not carry out certification testing unless expressly agreed. Please do not rely on a repaired device being waterproof. Liquid damage to a repaired device is not covered by our warranty.

9.7 Batteries

Battery runtime depends on the age and condition of the device, software, installed apps, signal, usage, charging habits, temperature and other hardware. A new battery does not guarantee a particular runtime unless we expressly agree one. Battery-health figures shown by device software are estimates and may be affected by manufacturer calibration or pairing systems. A battery that is within its specification when fitted is not defective merely because the device’s own faults cause rapid drain.

9.8 Display characteristics

OLED and AMOLED displays can develop burn-in, image retention, colour shift, vertical or horizontal lines and dead or stuck pixels through age and use. Screen faults of this kind that were present before repair, or that arise from the device’s original condition, are not caused by a replacement part. Replacement display assemblies that meet their described specification are not defective because they differ slightly from the original.

9.9 Software, firmware and operating systems

Some repairs may require software or firmware updates, restores or resets. Software issues, boot loops, activation or account-lock problems that arise independently of a faulty part or our workmanship are not our responsibility. We are not responsible for loss of access to accounts, apps, subscriptions, eSIMs or authentication methods linked to your device.

10. Repair Selection, Requested Repairs and Information You Give Us

10.1 Online repair guidance

Our website may suggest a repair based on the information you give about your device and symptoms. This is guidance to help you choose a repair, not a technical diagnosis, and it does not guarantee that the suggested repair will fix every fault. Please check that the repair you select matches the fault or damage, and contact us before booking if you are unsure.

10.2 Repairs you ask for without diagnosis

You may ask us to carry out a particular repair or replace a specific component without a full diagnostic. In that case our agreement to do the work is not confirmation that the component is the only cause of your symptoms. Unless we expressly agree otherwise, we do not guarantee it will resolve symptoms caused by another or underlying fault.

10.3 Correctly completed repairs

Where the requested or selected repair has been correctly carried out and the part works as it should, continuing symptoms caused by a separate or underlying fault do not by themselves mean the repair was defective. If we think extra or different work is needed, we may pause and ask for your instructions.

10.4 Reliance on your confirmed selection

Where you confirm and pay for a particular repair, we may rely on that selection when ordering or allocating parts. If you later change or cancel, section 4.3 may apply.

10.5 Information you should tell us

Please tell us about anything you know that is relevant, such as significant previous damage, liquid exposure, earlier repairs or modification, overheating, swelling, intermittent faults or whether the device is under manufacturer warranty or insurance. You are not at fault for not knowing a device’s full history. However, we are not responsible for consequences arising solely from material information you knew but did not tell us, where we could not reasonably have discovered it before doing the agreed work.

11. Repair Warranty

11.1 Warranty periods

Unless we say otherwise when you buy the repair, our commercial warranty period runs from the date the repair is completed:

• Standard screens: 6 months
• Batteries: 6 months
• Other replacement parts: 12 months
• Premium screens: Lifetime Limited Warranty (see 11.7)

These periods describe our additional commercial warranty. They do not limit the time within which you can exercise your statutory rights.

11.2 What it covers

Our warranty covers defects in parts supplied and fitted by us, and faults caused by our workmanship, during the warranty period.

11.3 What it does not cover

The warranty does not cover faults or damage resulting from:

• accidental or physical damage, including impact, dropping, bending, crushing or pressure;
• liquid, moisture, humidity or corrosion damage;
• misuse, abnormal charging, use of non-approved chargers or cables, overheating, normal wear and tear, or battery ageing within what is normal for the part;
• malware or third-party software;
• software, firmware or compatibility changes made by the manufacturer or others after the repair that are not caused by a defective part or our workmanship;
• pre-existing, underlying or unrelated faults, or failure of another component;
• subsequent repair, modification, opening, tampering or removal of warranty or condition seals by anyone else which causes or contributes to the fault or prevents us determining its cause;
• manufacturer-controlled warnings, feature restrictions or pairing effects described in section 9; or
• any other cause not connected with the part supplied or work performed by us.

These exclusions do not apply where the fault was in fact caused by a defective part we supplied or by work not performed with reasonable care and skill.

11.4 Internal display damage

Impact or pressure can damage an OLED or LCD panel, digitiser or flex cable even when the outer glass is not cracked. Where inspection reasonably shows that a display fault was caused by physical damage rather than a defective part or our workmanship, it is not covered by our warranty.

11.5 Making a claim

Warranty claims are subject to reasonable inspection. We may ask you to return the device so we can reproduce and diagnose the problem. Intermittent faults may need extra testing. Please contact us promptly after you notice a problem. We may refuse a warranty claim where the device has been repaired, opened or tampered with by another person, or where we are denied reasonable access to inspect it.

11.6 Remedy

Where a warranty claim is valid, we will repair or replace the affected part or, if that is not reasonably possible, refund the cost of that part and its fitting. Our warranty does not extend to consequential loss.

11.7 Lifetime Limited Warranty

Where we advertise a Lifetime Limited Warranty, “lifetime” means for as long as the original customer owns and uses the repaired device and the covered part remains fitted to it. It is not transferable, does not guarantee the natural lifespan of the part, and remains subject to the exclusions in these Terms. We may replace the part with a part of equivalent or comparable specification if the original part is no longer available.

11.8 Statutory rights

Our warranty is additional to your statutory rights and does not replace, restrict or shorten them.

12. Data, Passcodes and Security

12.1 Backups

Please back up your data before submitting a device wherever possible. Repair and diagnostic work can occasionally cause data loss, corruption, reset or software restoration, and we cannot guarantee that data will be preserved.

12.2 Our care

We will take reasonable care of your device and data. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability for data loss caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill.

12.3 Access to data

We will only access device data where reasonably necessary for diagnosis, testing or repair, and in line with data-protection law and our Privacy Policy.

12.4 Passcodes and testing

You do not have to give us your passcode. However, full diagnosis and post-repair testing may need access to locked functions. Where access is restricted (for example by a passcode, account lock, Activation Lock, Find My, Google Factory Reset Protection or other manufacturer security feature), we cannot be expected to find or verify faults in functions we could not access, and limited testing does not by itself show that a repair or part is defective.

12.5 Security features

Where reasonably necessary we may ask you to remove or temporarily turn off a security feature. You decide whether to do so. Please also remove any SIM cards, memory cards, cases and screen protectors you wish to keep; we are not responsible for items left with the device.

12.6 Contact about your repair

You agree that we may contact you as reasonably necessary about your enquiry, quotation, booking, repair, collection or complaint.

13. No Fix, No Fee

13.1 Where offered

Where we expressly offer a repair on a No Fix, No Fee basis, the agreed repair charge will not normally be payable if we cannot complete the repair covered by that offer.

13.2 Exclusions

Unless we expressly agree otherwise, No Fix, No Fee does not apply to:

• liquid-damaged devices;
• intermittent faults;
• no-power or no-boot devices;
• data-recovery work;
• software corruption;
• previously repaired devices;
• diagnostic work subject to a diagnostic fee;
• component replacements you requested without diagnosis; or
• a repair we stop or decline for safety reasons, or because of damage already present.

We will explain any exclusion or diagnostic charge before work begins.

14. Other Warranties and Insurance

An independent repair may affect a manufacturer’s, retailer’s, network provider’s or insurer’s warranty, guarantee, support arrangement or policy, including AppleCare and Samsung Care+. Before instructing us you should consider any existing cover. We cannot guarantee that a third party will continue to provide cover following our repair, and we are not responsible if it declines to do so.

15. Ownership and Collection

15.1 Authority

By submitting a device you confirm that you own it or are authorised by its owner to have it inspected and repaired. You must not knowingly submit stolen property or a device you are not authorised to have repaired. We may ask for reasonable evidence of ownership or authority, and may refuse work, retain a device and report to the police or the device’s owner where we reasonably suspect it is lost or stolen.

15.2 Collection by another person

We may release a device to another person where you have authorised that collection and they can give appropriate collection or identification details. You are responsible for making sure anyone collecting on your behalf has your permission.

15.3 Uncollected devices and storage

We will make reasonable attempts to tell you when your device is ready or when we need instructions. Please collect it within a reasonable time after we notify you. Reasonable storage charges may apply where a device remains uncollected, provided we have told you the charge, or how it is calculated, in advance. Reasonable storage charges of £2 per week may apply if your device remains uncollected 14 days after we notify you that it is ready, provided the charge has been communicated to you.

15.4 Disposal and sale

If a device remains uncollected, we may exercise our rights under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977. This includes giving written notice requiring collection and, where the statutory requirements are met, notice of our intention to sell the device. We will not sell or dispose of a device without first following the notice procedure required by law. A device does not become our property merely because it is uncollected. Any sale proceeds will be dealt with as the law requires, after deducting only what the law permits.

16. Our Liability

16.1 What we do not exclude

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• our failure to perform services with reasonable care and skill; or
• anything else which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

16.2 Consumers

If you are a consumer, we are responsible for loss or damage that is a reasonably foreseeable result of our breach of contract or our failure to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for loss or damage we did not cause, including from:

• pre-existing, underlying or unrelated faults, including those that become apparent during or after repair;
• the risks described in sections 6, 7 and 9 which can occur even where reasonable care and skill are used;
• misuse, or physical or liquid damage not caused by us;
• circumstances you knew about but did not disclose, which we could not reasonably have identified; or
• events outside our reasonable control (section 17).

Where a device is lost or damaged by us in a way that breaches these Terms, our liability is limited to the reasonable cost of repairing or replacing the device with one of equivalent age and condition, up to its market value immediately before it was handed to us.

16.3 Business customers

If you are not a consumer, we are not liable for loss of profit, revenue, business, goodwill or data, or for indirect or consequential loss. Our total liability for any claim relating to a repair is limited to the price you paid for that repair.

17. Events Outside Our Reasonable Control

We are not responsible for delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control, such as severe weather, power or communications failure, widespread transport or supply-chain disruption, or other events we could not reasonably prevent. Ordinary supplier or courier delays are dealt with in section 3. This section does not remove any right you have to cancel or obtain a remedy where a delay becomes unreasonable.

18. Complaints

18.1 Reporting a problem

If you believe there is a problem with a repair, part or service, please contact us as soon as reasonably practicable and give us a reasonable opportunity to inspect the device and investigate. We may ask you to return the device so we can reproduce and diagnose the problem.

18.2 Remedies

Where the problem falls within our warranty or our legal obligations, we will provide the remedy required or otherwise appropriate in the circumstances.

18.3 If we cannot agree

If we cannot resolve your complaint, you may contact the Citizens Advice consumer service for guidance. We are not currently a member of an alternative dispute resolution scheme and do not agree to use one, but we will tell you if that changes.

19. General

19.1 Governing law

These Terms and any contract with you are governed by the laws of England and Wales. If you are a consumer, you keep the protection of the mandatory laws of the part of the UK where you live and may bring proceedings in the courts available to you.

19.2 Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The version in force when you book or sign in your device applies to that repair.

19.3 Severability and waiver

If any provision is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, the rest will continue to apply. If we do not immediately enforce a right, we may still enforce it later.

19.4 Changes to an agreed repair

A material change to an agreed repair or price requires your agreement.

20. Contact Details

Questions about these Terms, a repair or a complaint can be directed to: