Apple Watch with a cracked screen: repair or sell?

Bunt4aTriple

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Jul 15, 2005
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My wife dropped her apple watch on the tile floor and it cracked. It's a series 4 cellular. If you can find one in stock, it retails for around $450. Apple charges $350 to replace the screen. I called an independent shop and they said Apple is likely the cheapest option.

For $350, I'd almost rather try and get what I can in trade and upgrade her to a 5, but I'm not sure if there's a market for a fully functioning watch with a cracked screen. Anyone have any experience or advice?
 

Saints Rest

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Similar question for a 7th gen iPod Touch that my son broke. Google tells me that the DIY approach is very hard due to the micro-sizes of much of the electronics, but that the parts are cheap. But I can't seem to find a local place that might do it.
 

InstaFace

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I've seen so many signs walking around in NYC for "$60 cracked screen repair" that I gotta imagine a little googling or craigslist can find a semi-reputable place that'll give it a crack try for well under that tree-fiddy. Even if you have to mail it.
 

24JoshuaPoint

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Looks like on Ebay you can probably get about a hundo to a hundo fifty for it based on recent 'completed auctions'.

I'd try to do it myself. I've replaced a galaxy screen before and watching the youtube on replacing this one it seems as tho it can be done if you are careful and crafty.
 

Bunt4aTriple

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Looks like on Ebay you can probably get about a hundo to a hundo fifty for it based on recent 'completed auctions'.

I'd try to do it myself. I've replaced a galaxy screen before and watching the youtube on replacing this one it seems as tho it can be done if you are careful and crafty.
Alas, I am neither.

What's the chance I can sell something on ebay if I have never sold anything before? I think the last time I bought on ebay was Buffalo tickets for Bledsoe's first start against the Pats.
 

24JoshuaPoint

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Alas, I am neither.

What's the chance I can sell something on ebay if I have never sold anything before? I think the last time I bought on ebay was Buffalo tickets for Bledsoe's first start against the Pats.
Lol. I wonder if i can post it for you and then you can drop ship it? I have a 100% rating. I've been slowly selling off a friends passed fathers estate stuff so i've probably sold 50 auctions in the last year. What state are you in?

It's not terribly hard to sell something with no rating although you might miss someone bidding higher for it whose leary. Do you know if those watches need to be somehow 'unlocked'? I know phones typically do but i know nothing of watches.
 

Marceline

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You can also get a series 4 in almost-new condition for around $250, so you could essentially swap for a new-ish one for around $150 or so out of pocket (assuming you net $100 or so for the cracked one).

I bought my wife a series 4 for Christmas last year off ebay, it was used but looked new and complete with all original packaging for $250.
 

Bunt4aTriple

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Lol. I wonder if i can post it for you and then you can drop ship it? I have a 100% rating. I've been slowly selling off a friends passed fathers estate stuff so i've probably sold 50 auctions in the last year. What state are you in?

It's not terribly hard to sell something with no rating although you might miss someone bidding higher for it whose leary. Do you know if those watches need to be somehow 'unlocked'? I know phones typically do but i know nothing of watches.
That's an incredible offer. I'm in Maine. Looks like it's just a few steps. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208855
 

24JoshuaPoint

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That's an incredible offer. I'm in Maine. Looks like it's just a few steps. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208855
Sweet i'd be down. (i currently have no job so i continue to add things to my to do list). See if you can get it unlocked and take a few nice pics of it and i'll shoot you my email address.

Here's my stuff currently up for auction if you want to check out my profile and rating.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/jmoneyct/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
 

InstaFace

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Sep 27, 2016
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I'll just say that aside from eBay, I've bought all my phones and family's phones the last few years from Swappa. They're laser-focused on the resale market for personal electronics and have clarity of listings, price-discovery and protections that eBay just doesn't. For the Series 4, here's their page for the 40mm and 44mm versions.

I'd at least check them out to help you understand the market, if you're thinking of selling rather than buying. Devices have to be at least Fair condition there - only fully-functional devices allowed - but maybe you're a buyer there rather than a seller. Either way, I've just had good experiences there and wanted to testify.
 

Seven Costanza

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Apr 11, 2007
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The watch you're probably SOL on- I can't imagine replacing it yourself is easy and the cost to repair may not make feasible sense.

@Saints Rest as for the iPod touch, iFixit is your friend. Screen repair for iPhones/iPod touches, depending on how handy you are and how much you want to rescue the device, is doable on your own. Instructions here
 
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gtmtnbiker

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They're laser-focused on the resale market for personal electronics and have clarity of listings, price-discovery and protections that eBay just doesn't.
Ebay has suitable protection for buyers that it didn’t have in the 90s/00s. If you get an item that “it’s not as described”, you initiate a return process that is at no cost to you. So there is plenty of protection for the buyer.