DUSTIN COLTHORP, OWNER of iCare Repair in Battle Ground, works on a shattered iPhone. Instead of doing a “glass only” repair, Colthorp prefers to replace a smartphone’s glass layer and LCD screen, using original parts from an approved manufacturer, making for a much sturdier device and saving customers money in the long run.
DUSTIN AND CHELSEA Colthorp recently opened iCare Repair at 1808 SW 9th Ave., Suite 102, in Battle Ground. The new shop specializes in repairing broken smartphones and tablets, but also buys and sells used cell phones, tablets and other electronic devices.
THE NEWLY OPENED iCare Repair shop is located at 1808 SW 9th Ave., Suite 102, Battle Ground, near the Battle Ground Cinema. The owners, Dustin and Chelsea Colthorp, will host a grand opening celebration from 5 to 8 p.m., Fri., May 8. For more information, call (360) 666-3488.
It happens to the best of us. One minute, you’re staring into the mesmerizing blue light of your sleek, shiny new iPad; the next minute, you’re watching it fall to the ground and shatter.
Before you flip out – we’re talking about a slippery little device that may have cost you upwards of $700, after all – take a deep breath and remember that there are people who know how to fix that shattered screen.
Dustin Colthorp is one such person. Colthorp and his wife, Chelsea, recently opened the iCare Repair store in Battle Ground. The shop specializes in repairing smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices like iPods and game consoles. The business also buys and sells used smartphones and tablets.
“The repair end comes naturally to me,” Colthorp says. “And my wife has her MBA, so we make a good team.”
A military veteran and engineer, Colthorp is a stickler for great customer service and quality repair work.
“A lot of people think we’re doing glass-only repairs, but we’re not,” Colthorp says, taking a shattered iPhone out of the store’s repair room to demonstrate the difference between a glass-only repair and a higher quality repair.
The top layer of a smartphone or tablet is often called the “glass,” but the real name is digitizer.
“This is what interprets your fingerprint and sends the information to the device,” Colthorp explains.
Underneath the digitizer is the device’s LCD screen. “That’s the image you see,” Colthorp says, pointing to the thin LCD portion of the battered iPhone he’s holding.
Often, even if the digitizer is smashed, the LCD screen is OK, and can be reused. Many repair shops will replace just the “glass,” or digitizer, connecting the front piece to the LCD screen with glue.
This type of “glass-only” repair is usually cheaper, but can cost you in the end, Colthorp says.
“With glass-only, the quality isn’t as good,” Colthorp says, explaining that the adhesive used to hold the digitizer to the LCD tends to wear down over time, making your smartphone or tablet more susceptible to breaks in the future.
At iCare Repair, if your phone or tablet has a shattered screen, Colthorp will use an original part from the manufacturer to replace the digitizer and LCD, giving you a product that is nearly identical to a brand new device. The Battle Ground business stands behind its repair work, offering a 90-day warranty that is three times longer than the average repair shop.
“We want to provide the best customer service we can,” Colthorp says. “That 90-day warranty is a soft 90 days. If someone comes in with a problem on day 100, I’m not going to turn them away; I’m going to see what I can do to help them.”
The idea for iCare Repair started in the Colthorps’ home state of Michigan, after one of Dustin’s longtime friends opened the first iCare Repair as a kiosk in a mall. The idea caught on and the friend opened a total of four iCare Repair shops. Then another longtime friend opened a few more. Eventually, the friends convinced Dustin that he could make a go of it in his new home, Battle Ground. Although the store is not part of a franchise, the separate iCare Repair owners can pool their resources to market the business and get the best prices from suppliers.
The Colthorps moved to Battle Ground a little more than two years ago for Dustin’s engineering career. They immediately fell in love with the area and, when they’re not working at iCare Repair, are busy exploring the region’s hiking trails, campgrounds and dog-friendly parks with their two boxer dogs, Annabelle and Monty.
“We love it out here,” Dustin says. “The community is wonderful and the economy is better … and we’re big outdoors people, so we love all of the hiking and camping in this area.”
The Colthorps also love to support programs and charities that benefit active military members and veterans. Wondering where to recycle your old, defunct flip-style cell phone? Bring it to iCare Repair and the Colthorps will recycle it for you, donating all proceeds Operation Gratitude, a program that sends care packages to active-duty soldiers.
The couple’s iCare Repair shop is located at 1808 SW 9th Ave., Suite 102, in the same business complex that houses the Battle Ground Cinema. The Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce will host a grand opening celebration at the shop from 5 to 8 p.m., Fri., May 8.
Area residents can tour the store, enjoy appetizers and enter to win raffle prizes from local businesses. For each person who visits iCare Repair during the grand opening – or who likes the shop on Facebook that day – the Colthorps will donate $1 to Northwest Battle Buddies. Proceeds from the raffle also benefit the Battle Buddies group, which provides service dogs to combat veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
To learn more about iCare Repair, visit www.icarerepair.com, visit the store at 1808 SW 9th Ave., Suite 102, Battle Ground, email battleground@icarerepair.com or call (360) 666-3488.
