Help - How much to charge for laptop repair work - specific weird job

[hfxmike]

I've been doing light repairs and computer work on the side for over 5 years with excellent results. I've been able to speed up/fix everything....until now.

Guy gave me two laptops:

1) spilled milk on a $700 HP. No boot. I told him it is probably fried, but would take a look, and do data recovery if possible.

Outcome: after opening it up and cleaning residue off the motherboard, it still doesn't boot. It powers on, and fan spins up, but black screen. I've pulled the hard drive and am about to burn 4 dvds worth of photos. What should I charge? If it had booted. I would have charged $120.

2) $400 HP with busted hinges, no boot due to busted fan, and flaky display due to hinge fraying the display cable. (The guy didn't mention the display part)

Outcome: installed replacement fan ($10 - ebay) and it boots/works fine. I haven't given him options on the hinge/display cable. If it was me, I'd just drill through and bolt the hinges down, and replace the display cable. If I did this, how much should I charge? This one was a pain because the fan/heatsink had to removed, cleaned, fan swap, new thermal paste, etc.

I'm really conflicted about how to charge. "no fix, no charge"? I don't think so, but I've never handed someone a dead laptop and asked for money. (Although I DID tell him that there was a good chance that it was DOA).

Any advice extremely appreciated!
Mike

 

[boosted1g]

Your time is not free and the owner of the laptop has to understand that. You still performed data recovery on the laptop so you provided him with a service, it is not in any way your liability because he spilt milk on it.
I would charge 1 hour labor on it, plus something for my time to make the DVDs (and materials).

In regards to second laptop: is the casing broken or just the hinge?
If hinge is only broken then can likely get replacement on ebay.
If casing is busted then no repair is worth the vaule of laptop so can explain this to client and tell him you can bolt through the case (try putting tape or hot glue or something over the screw head) or can just wrap tape around cable to prevent it from fraying and still have the hinge problem.
This is at least 2 hours worth of labor for a repair and explain you had to do a complete dissasembly to replace the fan.

 

[R_1]

Data recovery: hourly fee X time spent
Diagnostic fee: does not guarantee a fix and ensure you get paid for your time
this is how I operate

 

[hfxmike]

thanks!
2 extra things - the casing is busted, so there's nothing to screw the hinges into except the case.
also - the display cable is already frayed and I can only get a picture if I apply pressure to the cable at a certain point. VGA out is fine.

I guess it's his call if he wants me to replace the cable and hinge. I should stop feeling bad about charging him for 2 dead laptops. First time for this. Fan and labor are already at $100. New cable and hinge bolt down would double that. I'll let him know. Sound good?