On November 9, 2008 at 12:32 PM PST I placed an order for water damage repair of my new iPhone totaling $104.95 ($85.00 for water damage and $19.95 for return FedEx Shipping), Google Order #549981132819776. The phone was delivered to NorthBay Electronics on November 15, 2008 at 10:42 am.
I contacted NorthBay Electronics to inquiry about the status of my phone on several occasions. Each time I spoke to Wayne Carlos Reavis and each time Mr. Reavis told me that he doesn’t know when my phone will be fixed. It should be noted, that before I mailed my phone to them, I spoke to Mr. Reavis 3 times and he told me that I can expect to receive my phone back in 3-5 business days. I called again on December 4, 2008, insisting on a more definitive answer, Mr. Reavis told me that he doesn’t have to fix the phone if he doesn’t want to he doesn’t have to fix it or return it to me. Immediately after the phone call, I received an e-mail from Tyler Toler telling me that after further testing on my phone it needed a new battery for additional $75. I started reading reviews about the company online and came across many instances where the individuals were told the same thing by the company to get more money out of them. However, when the individuals who paid for the new battery insisted that the old battery be returned with the phone they never received it, making them and me believe that it was a scam. So, I responded to Tyler, telling him that I didn’t want to get the battery replaced. Following that, I almost immediately received an automated e-mail with the tracking number (790630706118) informing me that the phone was shipped back to me. I responded to the e-mail, thanking for the tracking number and asking to make sure that the water sensor was fixed. I have never received an answer regarding the water sensor being fixed. I then checked the FedEx website; the data package was transmitted to FedEx that same day on 12/4/08, however, to this date I still have not received the package. I have been calling Mr. Reavis on regular basis and each time he had told me that the phone is out of their hands and with FedEx. I contacted FedEx and spoke to them twice, and they told me that they never had possession of the package and that the package data was only transmitted by NorthBay Electronics online (label was created); however pickup of the package was never scheduled nor was the package ever dropped off at FedEx. I tried to reason with Mr. Reavis but he insists on lying and refuses to return my phone. The phone was purchased on 9/22/08 for a total of $319.93 with a discount of $200.00 because I signed a 2 year contract. I have not been able to use my phone since November 2008 nor cancel my contract.
Furthermore, since 12/4/2008 I read the reviews on NorthBay Electronics and realized that many individuals are reporting same issues starting around the same time, November 2008. The company NorthBay Electronics appears to be run by two individuals, Wayne Carlos Reavis and Tyler Toler out of their home in California.
The company is fraud, and the two individuals appear to be running an internet scam with iPhone’s, taking people’s phone’s and never returning them back. At this point, I consider my phone stolen property and Mr. Reavis and Mr. Toler are in possession of it. Additionally, I researched the secretary of state records, and was unable to find any records for this company, which in turn confirms my suspicion.
** Disclaimer: This post was written by a guest author. We at bustathief.com can not be held responsible for what was posted in this article. The information contained in this article should not be taken as a fact, but only as an indicator. The story represents the authors individual experience with the subject in question. As such it can be true or misrepresented and in some cases even purely fictional in an attempt to harm the company or individual in question. You are advised to use your own judgment to realize the truth behind the story.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:32 am
I have some concerns now that I sent my Iphone on Dec. 22nd. I went UPS and the tracking info reflexs that they got it on December 29th, I call to confirm that they have it and sent several emails. I have not yet heard back from them yet. each phone number has a message machine. I live close to the area na d maybe i will go buy there and seee what going on. Has anyone sent there phone and got it back ???
January 6th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
North bay electrons and a bunch of scammers and Wayne and Ty are the worst.
I sent my iPhone from Australia last April and have been dogged around with … “OK, it’s ready” so I send the money and then nothing!
They won’t answer emails and when friends in the US phone they make up rubbish and fob me off with some lame excuse.
I contacted Google Checkout and they got my $195 back, but not the iPhone.
They should be shut down.
Bryan, when you go and see them could you ask what and were is Warren Voyce’s iPhone they have, just tell them it’s the bloke that abused them from Australia.
Bryan, did you get the run around about being lost UPS and someone stole it and they are going through court???
Bunch of thieves
January 12th, 2009 at 10:55 am
I’m also waiting for my iPhone to be returned by NorthBay Electronics. Until I read all of your experiences, I was convinced that Wayne(my only contact so far) is legit and (at least he sounded) honest. Most unfortunately, back in November, before I sent my iPone to them, I did quck scan of the company and did not find any complains!?
Since, for nearly one month I’ve been getting irregular responses from Wayne, first claiming that my iPhone fix will require further testing, and ultimately, he came up with much higher estimated to fix the phone. I did OK the fix, but he never called back. It has been nearly 2 months now and my phone was probably sold to someone else or it’s being used for spare parts.
Can we smoke these guys out? My uncle Guido could help!!!
Any other suggestions?
-mile
January 13th, 2009 at 12:20 am
MESSAGE FROM NORTHBAY ELECTRONICS:
Zeljka Budimir sent his phone in for water damage repair on November 15, 2008 due to the nature of water damage their is no set amount of time we can estimate on repair NorthBay Electronics is a very small company and we got way behind over the holidays if you check the tracking numbers we have finished up most of the phones that came in over the holidays.
Tracking number (790630706118)
Zeljka is just a scam artist trying to get his phone repaired for free.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Well I’m not a scammer!! my screen was the only thing that didn’t work! You said you had a friend in Apple that could get in fixed under warranty!!
I have been waiting since April last year and you haven’t got the balls to answer any of my emails since October.
Be honest Wayne/Ty and send my iPhone back to me in Australia.
Warren Voyce
January 13th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Folks go here to file a complaint against NORTHBAY ELECTRONICS!
http://www.ic3.gov this is THE FBI FRAUD / COMPLAINT DEPT.
Thanks – Eric Mantel
January 13th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
FOLKS I specialize in FRAUD scams and I’ve seen it all! I sent my iPhone and a broken digital camera in and had the same exact experience everyone else has.
I did this as a STING TYPE OPERATION to see if all the complaints ON-LINE were
true and they are!
Everyone needs to contact the Ronhert Park Police Dept. in CA and file a Police / Incident Report for FRAUD and THEFT. This can be done over the phone.
Here’s the phone # (707) 584-2600
You can also go to the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU = http://www.bbb.org/ and put in the zip code 94928 you can file a complaint there as well.
ALOT MORE TO COME!!!
If anyone has any questions please feel free to e-mail at
ericmantel@sbcglobal,net
Don’t let NORTHBAY ELECTRONICS get away with FRAUD and THEFT.
These guys are a bunch of bully’s who do not care about you and only
want your money and to rip you off! More than likely all your iPhones
were already sold on ebay or used for parts. Sorry to tell you this,
They are supposedly sending my iPhone and digital camera back, which
I do not expect to get back but that’s OK because I am going after them
BIG TIME!!! They will not know what hit them!
Don’t worry folks, we have the power, not them!
Also don’t beileve in their lies and excuses because that’s
all they do iie and make up excuses. Again folks they don’t care.
Eric Mantel
January 13th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I have known the owner Wayne Reavis of NorthBay Electronics,for about 5 years now.These people that say he is a thief ,are very wrong.The time I have known Mr.Reavis he has been honest,respectful to needs,and caring for other people needs.It might take him a little time to get things done but he does them in a timely manner.I know it takes him time to take a phone apart and put them back together ,but what do expect when you drop your phone or throw them in water it takes time.Your Iphone people tell you it a loosing cause, but that is not true.You can get it fixed but at a cost.Me personally I would have my phone fixed because it is stressful to put all my info. back into a phone.So Here Is my good comment about Wayne Reavis .And to the other people that left nasty comments about him sounds like your the one that is a thief,lier,and a cheats……..
January 14th, 2009 at 2:27 am
Hey Donnie.
You said:
*.It might take him a little time to get things done but he does them in a timely manner.I know it takes him time to take a phone apart and put them back together ,but what do expect when you drop your phone or throw them in water it takes time.*
Do you think 9 months is a reasonable time to wait????
PS: I did get a sorry today and he says he will send it! I’ll let you know when it arrives
January 14th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Hey Donnie,
YOU DON’T EXSIST! Nice Try Though! If you do exsist why don’t you leave
us your phone number so everyone on here can talk with you. Also when I spoke with Reavis on the phone he said it would only take a few days to fix, it’s now 40 days later!!! That’s totally UNPROFESSIONAL!!!!!!!!!
Everyone is having the SAME exact same problem! Always remember the CONUMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT! I have spoken with over 20 people who all had the same problem, my e-mail account has been flooded with complaints from NORTHBAY ELECTRONICS. Many people never eve got theie iPhones back, etc. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS DONNIE!!!
There’s an old saying a Thousand Chinaman can’t be wrong. If everyone is having the same exact problem – then there is a REAL problem. Also
all these defensive positive comments that are being POSTED in behalf of NORTH BAY ELECTRONICS on this FORUM is all bullshit and self generated form NORTH BAY ELECTRONICS themselves. They do this for DAMAGE CONTROL.
Folks I specialize in scam operations and have brought down many SCAM COMPANIES over the years. The bottom line is NORTHBAY ELECTRONICS is
very UNPROFESSIONAL with how the handle their business PERIOD. I have spoken with other companies that FIX WATER DAMAGED iPhones and it
only takes them 1 day to fix an iPhone, not even that. I have been
waiting 40 days for my iPhone. Not once did they call me to give me the
status on my phone, not once. They also never returned my calls. The list goes on and on and on, etc.
NORTH BAY ELECTRONICS try and twist everything around here like we’re the ones to BLAME, we’re the scammers, we’re the ones at fault, etc. Folks this is called SOCIAPATHIC behavior and is the true sign of a criminal mind. A SOCIAPATHIC person doesn’t have a concious and doesn’t care about anyone, only themselves. Let’s put it this way if we never contacted NORTH BAY ELECTRONICS about the status of our iPhones, they would never have contacted us back, they would have kept our money and our legal property forever. They have no intention on fixing anything, only to keep your money and your legal propert so they can turn around and sell your iPhone on eBay or use if for parts, etc.
People keep sending in those e-mails!
I am here to help everyone! Don’t let these guys BULLY you around with
there excuses and lies.
All the best!
Eric Mantel
January 14th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Folks go here to file a complaint against NORTHBAY ELECTRONICS!
http://www.ic3.gov this is THE FBI FRAUD / COMPLAINT DEPT.
Once several complaints have been listed on this website, the
FBI will in fact investigate NORTHBAY ELECTRONICS. It only
takes 3 complaints folks and the FBI will be on there ass.
Also file complaints with the Better Business Bureau and also
contact APPLE corp.
Thanks – Eric Mantel
January 14th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Eric please spell consumers right haven’t your English teacher taught you anything.Also I am def. real.FOR YOUR 411….I am just backing up a friend like you would your friend’s.
January 14th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Donnie,
Well tell your friend to start running a REAL PROFESSIONAL business. How does he expect everyone to react when no one is getting what was
promised to them, LET’s get real here. I have a friend who literally
lives 2 miles from NORTHBAY ELECTRONICS in Rohnert Park which BTW happens to be a very small apartment. Just go to google earth and put in there address and then click on STREET VIEW! You can see exactly were NORTHBAY electronics is.
WAKE UP!!!!!!!
Everyone is getting screwed here!!! It’s not right!
How does Reavis expect everyone to react! He knows exactly what
he’s doing, he’s not fooling anyone here!
Eric
January 14th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Eric Mantel we have shipped your phone back to you (fedex tracking 790150294850)
Thank you for your concern…
in our quotes we say “Estimated time is 3-5 days….But could be longer depending on how much corrosion”
We realize that it’s hard to go without your phone
We work very hard at making sure we get the phone back in working order and sometimes this takes longer because we would rather continue testing and making sure it’s working fine instead of sending a customer a phone that is still faulty
and yes we are a very small company and we operate in an office upstairs
we have refunded your money and sent you phone back to you unrepaired
thanks
wayne
northbay electronics
January 14th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
just because we get behind and get overwhelmed with people damaging their phone does not mean fraud…it just means we are very busy
thanks
wayne
January 15th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Wayne, have you posted mine back to Australia yet!!!
January 15th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Wayne,
Please let’s get REAL!!! It’s one thing to get behind and I can totally understand this but you should be e-mailing or calling your customers up and explain to them why there’s such a long delay. Wayne I am going to put you in touch with a company that is also a 2 to 3 man operation that fixes water damaged iPhones, etc. They guarantee their work and get your iPhone back within 7 to 10 business days, if not sooner, These guys are way busier than you. I will personally e-mail there info to you later. Wayne, you act like we’re all stupid here, we know what you are doing and what’s going on. No one should have to wait over 40+ days to get their iPhone fix, there is no excuse for this, no matter how busy you are. Come on now, it’s my job to smoke out scam operations, it’s what I do for a living. This whole thing about testing out iPhones out and holding onto them for several weeks to make sure they work or months, is also complete BS, I acutally spoke with APPLE CORP. in California and they said that what you are saying is total BS. This is actually becoming comical now. The best thing for you to do is just send everyone’s iPhones back and give everyone a full a refund. Also stop making people payup for services that aren’t even completed yet. You make people pay you upfront which makes 0 sense, it also raises a red flag.
Making people pay you upfront through PAYPAL is bad business! Ask for payment when the iPhone is actually fixed and then provide a tracking number and also insure iPhone.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
eric
if you recall you sent a camera with your order…we had to order your lcd for the camera which actually come in today…. that’s why your phone and camera was here longer than normal…
January 15th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
warren
your brand new iPhone is on its way (FedEx International Priority Tracking # 790642400906) i got it replaced under warranty
Wayne
January 15th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Mile and Bryan
if you will send me your info i will check and see whats going on with your order
repairs@northbayelectronics.com
wayne
January 18th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Well I must say I’m surprised!
My iPhone arrived this morning (Monday 11.30)from Wayne.
Thanks a lot even if it has been 9 months
Warren
January 19th, 2009 at 9:57 am
I got my phone back too, only because I filled complains with the FBI, bust-a-thief, small claims court (they issued a subpoena on 1/2/2009 for Wayne to appear in court on 1/13/2009) and left tons of negative reviews. Only after the subpoena was issued that’s when I started getting correspondence from NorthBay/Wayne. My phone arrived 3 business days short of the court date. By the way, I never asked for my phone to be repaired for free, I just wanted my phone back, which Wayne refused to send back to me telling me that FedEx lost it. Unbelievable!!!!! Wayne is such a scam artist!!!!!!!!!!!! He is just trying to recover from all the negative feedback by lying and making excuses, which seems to suit him best.
If you already fell for this scam, the ONLY way to get your phone back is to file all these complains. If you did not, do NOT do business with this company!
January 19th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Wayne,
That was not our agreement, you told me you would call me to let me know if it
was even worth fixing and how much it would cost. I never gave you the go
ahead to fix the camera. You never called me back to let me know about it’s
status, I never told you to order any parts for the camera. You were supposed
to call me to let me know how much it would cost first.
The bottom line is that your communication skills are horrible.
On a good note thanks for getting my iPhone and camera back, ! I appreciate this!
Wayne you need to start running your business more professionally! You need to
stay in contact with you customers and give them updates!
Eric
January 28th, 2009 at 9:50 am
For business ethics of this company and its owner see below the e-mail that was sent to me on 1/27/2006:
from NorthBay Electronics
to Zeljka Budimir
date Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 7:20 PM
subject comment
Why do you keep posting the same comments over and over?
You sound like a broken record…..
If I see 1 more negative comment from you we will contact our attorney
Thanks
Wayne
January 29th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I realize that it’s hard to go without your phone
I work very hard at making sure we get the phone back in working order and sometimes this takes longer because we would rather continue testing and making sure it’s working fine instead of sending a customer a phone that is still faulty
I try to answer any phones calls the next morning when we come in….
I have been the only one working..
Thanks
wayne
February 9th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
This still HAPPENS today!!!I regret that I didn’t googled their name before I mailed my iPhone. Mine was water-damaged too. And exactly the same thing happen to me. No one answers the phone call. No one is calling me back!!! I don’t mind to report this fraud. If anybody is with me, plz send me an email:eb1127@163.com. LET’S DO THIS!
February 12th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Does it actually help to file a complaint with http://www.ic3.gov?
I just filed one on Northbay electronics. What further steps can I take to get my phone back.
February 16th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
It helps! File a complaint with the BBB, ic3 and go to your local court and file a small claims. It’s about $20. That’s the only way to get your phone back.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
BEWARE! I looked up reviews for NorthBay Electronics at yelp.com two weeks ago and there were at least 20 reviews of which most were negative. NorthBay appears to have gotten all the negative reviews removed and added “fake” positive reviews written by friends and the business owner/helpers.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
if you will send me your info i will check and see whats going on with your order
repairs@northbayelectronics.com
February 18th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
I’m done with Northbay Electronics. I’ve called them thousand of times. They replied my email at first. But there are no response now. THEY ARE JUST A BUNCH OF LIERS!!!I’ll do what ever it takes to get my phone back!!! DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THAT!!!
February 18th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
After I sent them an email asking about my iPhone. They cashed my check today!!!I doubt if they have fixed my iPhone or not. Because they never give me any feedback. If they just take my money and my phone. This is not just fraud. It’s crime!!! I will go after you.
February 21st, 2009 at 12:30 am
I too sent in my iphone to Northbay. I sent it certified mail on Dec. 19th and have only ever recieved 2 emails from Wayne after I sent several to him wondering what was taking so long. He has not yet responded to my last email and it has been over 2 months since I mailed it and have received nothing back. I had water damage to my phone and it was only 3 days old when it happened. I will pursue the FBI and BBB thing.
Rick
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Add me to the list. I sent my iphone in to Wayne over a month and a half ago only to leave email after email with no response. I have put in several calls, not once receiving an answer. Oh wait, he answered the first time because my number was new and told me to send the phone in. From there on out, nothing. I have contacted the BBB and will be filing a lawsuit against Mr. Reavis.
JD
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I am in the same boat. I sent my phone in mid-December and have only heard from them once after multiple messages. I was still giving them the benefit of the doubt but after all these messages I’m starting to get worried.
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I am floored that there are so many similiar stories to mine. Mine is such a joke as well. I sent my iphone to Wayne late November. After myriad of emails (most of which were never acknowledged) the ones that were returned told me “almost done” “sending out this week” and I didnt get the phone back until mid January. Of course, when I got the phone back IT DIDNT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!! Wayne had the phone for 6 weeks and when he returned it to me it didnt work. When I finally got in touch with him he knew right away it was probably the battery and agreed to have me send it back and he would replace the battery. That took almost a month. Supposedly he had to order a new battery and he was waiting for it to arrive. Obviously it was coming on a slow boat from China. This is all only to find that he sent it back to me via FEDEX and it never arrived to my house (or it did and it disappeared) He told me today he wasnt sure there was anything he can do because it arrived. What idiot would send a 400 dollar phone without getting a signature on the recieving end? So I am now out a 400 dollar phone and 100+ dollars to send it to him to “fix” and two and a half months from the start of this fiasco I have nothing to show for it.
What is it that we can all band together to do? People like this have no right to be in business.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I sent my phone to NorthBay Electronics over two weeks ago with only one response to my emails and phone calls. This Wayne guy replied in his email that he would have an answer for me after the weekend, I called and sent an email since and have not received anything. I hope for his sake he will get back to me I am a Federal Agent and know quite a bit of lawyers who would love to get a hold of this, especially if the FBI were to get involved. For your sake Wayne I hope you get back to me, I sent an email out to you today.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Wow I guess shame on me for not doing my homework. I sent my phone via FEDEX 2/18 and it arrive 2/19. I was told via email prior to sending that it would take 7-10 days to repair. I sent 4 emails prior to shipping and all were answered quickly. Now that my phone is in his possession no email answers and no answering of the phone or return calls. I hate to jump the gun but based on everything here I am filing complaints immediately. All of this is preventable if expectations are properly set and communications are maintained with customers. It’s a shame but I guess we all must do what we have to do. For me it is starting the complaint process.
March 2nd, 2009 at 8:28 pm
CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE THERE SHOP IS LOCATED ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I sent my i phone in after i dropped it in the water its been 5 months now. Ive called and talked to them twice they said 2 weeks never heard from them again. now i call and its this stupid answer machine does anyone know where there store is??? i am planning a trip with some acquaintances in a month. So if someone can tell me where it is please . Ill just say when i get there i am walking out with my phone and other things i cant say in this message. I don’t know if anyone here stand up for themselves I don’t let anyone mess with my money. sometimes people don’t know what they are getting themselves into by stealing phones. So basically they stole 400 dollars from me. I honestly gave them a chance but now things are different. I feel sorry for them if they wanna step into the game of theft they better be prepared for the consequences. i need the address asap
March 4th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Hey, I saw more posters here…I was in the same boat with you guys a month ago. I sent my water-damaged iphone in the end of January along with my check. I tried to call them but they never got back to me. Maybe they were lousy about the customer services. However, I got my phone back last week. It worked!!!(Although they forgot to send the usb line and adapter to me, they shipped them to me again this week.) So I have to say, Wayne is doing his job. He might be slow. He might not answer your phone calls or emails. Afterall I got my good-to-go iphone back. That is what matters to me. Good luck to you all~~~
March 6th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Nice to hear that bout your phone Ying Wang, they have had my phone for almost 4 weeks now, I am trying to give Wayne the benefit of the doubt. Mr. Reavis if you read these and are not answering my emails but still working on my phone I have no problems with that. Just as long as I get it back. I don’t want to go the legal route as some of the people who have posted have said they would do. Please fix it soon, Mr. Wangs post just gave me new hope I just want my phone back in working order, thank you.
Joe R. from New Mexico
March 14th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Does anybody know of another place to have my iphone fixed that wont take forever? Im having problems and need it fixed.
March 15th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I sent my phone to Wayne and Paul the new co owner and it was water damaged. They fixed it for 100.00 and Att wanted 430.00
Then my daughter jumped on it ok the be and buttons would not workob top Wayne and Paul fixed it for free while I waited!
I font know about anyone else but they were great to me. Maybe new guy Paul helps. I trust them and recommend them to anybody. Email me at abbiewilliams@Att. Net
Thanks
March 27th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Northbay electronics is a total rip-and a fraudulent company. They received my phone on Jan 2nd and didnt reply to many of my emails. Then in the begining of March they said my phone was done but they needed an extra $45 to fix the backlight. In desperation to get my phone back; I paid the money (when they called me) and they said it would go out FED EX that day. That was back on March 11th and it is now the 27th. I do not think I will get my phone back so here is a list of things I am going to do. Call the FBI, the Better Business Bureau, Ronhert Park Police Dept, and Im going to try to file a claim at the small claims court. These are things I know to do if any else has any suggestions let me know. My e-mail is airassaultscout@yahoo.com I have all my receipts and emails from Northbay so lets see what I can get done. Good luck people and lets get our phones back!
Ray J.
March 28th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I have been working for NorthBay Electronics for over a year and its sad to see these comments i know that since Apple and AT&T dropped the prices on the iPhone everyone has one …
that’s about when we started getting overwhelmed with broken iPhones …apple customers were never told that the phone they bought for $199 would be $400 if you had to replace it
I realize that it’s hard to go without your phone
I work very hard at making sure we get the phone back in working order and sometimes this takes longer because we would rather continue testing and making sure it’s working fine instead of sending a customer a phone that is still faulty
I have been the only one working.. up until recently and the new owners have hired more people to help us out
thanks
NorthBay Electronics
Employee
April 2nd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
NorthBay Electronics received my water damaged iPhone on January 24th. My phone fell to the bottom of a nine foot deep swimming pool and was submerged for close to five minutes. After much devastation and research, I found NorthBay. There were almost no other choices, especially not in the western United States. Even though I had read many of the reviews, I figured I really had nothing to lose, so I sent my phone.
Today I am holding my fully functioning iPhone in my hands. I truly cannot believe it. I am so incredibly grateful that I was able to save so much money by just being patient. Wayne did what he said he would do, even if it did take significantly longer than I was originally told. These guys can fix your phone. The downside is, the timeline. If you are willing to be without your phone for possibly two months or more, then send it in to them. If not, don’t send it. Their communication definitely can be improved and their time estimates are not great at all. Had they told me up front that it would take two plus months, I would have still sent my phone. It would, however, have saved me the trouble of buying and then returning a temporary replacement phone within AT&T’s 30 day time frame. It would also have saved me and NorthBay the wasted time of follow-up phone calls and emails. All that aside, though, my phone is fixed and fully functioning. To me, that is the ultimate bottom line.
Will I recommend these guys? Absolutely. Will I forewarn people of the potential time and frustration? Certainly.
If you want your phone fixed for an incredibly reasonable price, then settle in, wait it out and give these guys a chance. If you don’t want to wait possibly a couple of months or more, then dish out the $500 or $600 to AT&T or Apple to replace your iPhone at full price. Hopefully their move to a larger facility will help. In the mean time, good luck with your phone. I, for one, am ultimately a happy camper!!!
April 6th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I am having the same issues as many of you. I dropped my iphone in the sink while it was full of water and it acquired water damage. I did some research and found North Bay Electronics, I was excited that I could repair my phone for a reasonable cost. I contacted them and asked some questions, I was promptly replied to and was told they could fix it and recover my data and it would take 7 to 10 days. I sent my iPhone in and they received it on Jan 14th, 2009 with my payment for repair. I have gotten a few emails but with no avail. First was saying he would give me a status of repair which was in the beginning of Feb and they would know more after the weekend then nothing. I sent more requests and finally at the end of the month Wayne said the repair was done and they were just doing final checking/testing of the phone. It is now April and they have had my phone for almost three months and I have yet to hear from him since and I have explained to him that I will pursue legal action. I gave him chance after chance to repair my phone and return it or just refund me and return the phone un-repaired. I am at my final point. I am still with out my phone and doubt I will ever see it again at this point. I have given Wayne (my only contact) many chances but am now pursing legal action and have contacted the proper authorities. Do not fall for this scam there are other businesses that will be more respectful to there customers and actually do what they say they will do. I hate to bad mouth people/business but they brought it on them self this time, I did what I could to give him the benefit of the doubt but I am no longer and I hope this will prevent others from falling for this poor service/ rip off. No one should be treated like this.
May 2nd, 2009 at 3:22 am
Well tonight I dropped my 2 week old iPhone 3G in the toilet and was pissed and started looking online to see how I can get it fixed. Well I came across NorthBay Electronics and I was set on getting my phone fixed through them but after seeing all the reviews and feedback I’ve changed my mind and continued my researched.
I finally came across another repair shop seems to be more reliable and has great feedback ratings on eBay. I’m a huge believer in the feedback system eBay uses.
You guys may want to check out these guys for repairs:
http://cupertinoiphone.com/Cupertino_iPhone_Repair/Water_Damage_Repair.html
They seem to have a pretty quick turn around time. 2-3 days for diagnostics, repair and testing, not including shipping time. I would have more peace of mind taking it to them.
Just felt like I should add my 2 cents and thank those for the feedback to stay away.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I have the exact same problem with a lot of the people on this website after reading all this. These guys are thieves and should be lock up. I got my iphone water damaged riding four-wheelers so I called them. They told me it would be repair in a week and three days to ship back. Its been almost 4 weeks and they won’t even pick up their phones to let me know anything about it. If anyone know what I should do then let me know
May 11th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Hello I sent my I phone in about 6 months ago and i havent heard any info on the status it should not take this long. I would like my phone back asap. please let me know whats going on at JustinScheurer86@gmail.com. they said they would check on it and let me know but they never have. I have been getting very impatient thinking about going out to san fransisco soon if they keep ignoring me
May 14th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
The Water Repair can be done at:
http://cupertinoiphone.com/Cupertino_iPhone_Repair/Water_Repair.html
They have all 5 start reviews on yelp & 100% 300+ feedback on ebay.
May 21st, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Well I sent my phone Jan 2nd and I had some contact because they stated after the water damage was repaired I needed a new LCD Light for an $145. Until I said WAIT A MINUTE I just paid $100 and some change for the water damage the phone only cost $199 and change theys aid no the difference.
Well since then I have contacted them twice spoke with someone who said they just started working there (mind you I spoke to him twice in 2 – 3 mos) who have never called me back I have sent 6 emails and at this point NO MORE MISS NICE LADY! I have since gone to Sprint because I don’t have a freaking phone and I was paying for all of those services that have skyrocketed my bill to where I can not immediately pay for it. NOT to mention I get HEATED when I see people with their iphones like they are the shyt!
Some things gotta give! Or gotta go to take these people to COURT! I am TRYING TO AVOID THAT!!!!
May 24th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Anyone who has dropped their iPhone into a pool of water (a/k/a the toilet) knows that NOTHING works to fix it yourself!!! So, I was SOOO relieved when the guys at NorthBay were able to fix my phone. At first, there were some issues with lack of communication, but after just one complaint, they always returned my calls and emails. They have even hired new/more staff to keep up with their popularity and to better communicate with their customers. When my phone was first returned to me, everything worked except I couldn’t hear anything when making a phone call. I returned it to NorthBay and they fixed it and returned it to me all the way back to NJ in only 4 days AND for NO CHARGE!!!! NOW THAT IS “CLASS A” SERVICE!!! They may have had some “customer care issues” a while ago, but I think they have learned from that and definitely do NOT deserve to be called scammers!! Thanks for working so hard guys!! p.s. Abbie ROCKS!!!
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:03 pm
So I’ve been reading all there terrible post after i sent my iphone to these guys and started to worry that my phone was long gone. My phone was away for 2 weeks already and they did tell me that it like 2-3 business days and it’ll be sent back to me within that time frame. I called them a couple of times and couldn’t get in touch with these guys then i got a call from them and they told me that it was sent back to me already and the next day i got my phone back. I was so relieved and for other people that are having problems with these guys i think they got things straightened out because i got my iphone back. Anybody can email me at jongrillon@gmail.com if you like. I live in Hawaii and really happy that my phone is back to me in working order.
Mario R.
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Mario R.
Why not post the Fedex tracking history for the return phone shipment just so that we will know you’re not a shill for NBE.
August 25th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I am in the same boat as everyone else. Its been 2 months and 3 emails have came from north bay. I have asked is my phone fixable and they never answer the question.
I have opened 3 cases…
1.) http://www.bbb.org
2.) https://complaint.ic3.gov/ctf.aspx
3.) https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
After I leave work I am contacting their local Sheriff’s office to file a crime. I say crime because I have asked for them to return my phone (NOT REPAIRED) since they have taken this long. The agreement was for the company to look at my phone and to see if it was fixable if it was they would contact me and let me know how much it would be.
This never happened. Let me assure you that I have emailed and called over 50 times and still nothing. Wayne if you see this I would like to answer your pre-emptive advice about emailing you at repairs@nortbayelectronics.com with this statement.
“I HAVE EMAILED YOU! you do not reply to my emails nor my questions. You do not answer your phones. I have called from 9am – 5pm EST today and not once have you picked up.”
So lets drop this little act of the “concerned owner”. I also just like to state that I am not looking for a free fix. At this point of horrible service I want my phone back fixed or not. I at no time whatsoever stated that I wanted my phone to be fixed without any regards to cost or price. You were SUPPOSED to call me with the cost and details which never happened.
To everyone who got your phones back after 100’s of emails and whining on this website. SO what.. That’s great but you should not have to threaten / open cases with the bbb etc to get what would seem like an normal legitimate customer service.
Wayne I emailed you today my phone number: Call me since you don’t read your emails from me. I want my phone and I want it now.
Sarah Porter
September 5th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
yep i am agree with all this guys,got be a carefull, i send them yesterday and and i call them later and they told me something is wrong with it which i can’t remember and they were gona charge me extra more money “oh god. don’t send them your iphone careeeeeeeeeefulllllll so i am waiting for my iphone
October 16th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Beware of the positive posts, these are all posted by employees and friends of Wayne!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!