In June of this year, Apple announced a partnership with Best Buy to authorize repair services for Apple devices at all locations of the retail giant across the U.S. Today, Apple is expanding its repair program yet again to allow independent repair shops to fix devices that are beyond their warranty period.
As part of the new program, Apple will supply genuine parts, training, and resources to small repair centers. These repair parts and manuals are similar to what the Cupertino tech giant already ships to its authorized service providers.
Regarding today's announcement, Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, said:
“To better meet our customers’ needs, we’re making it easier for independent providers across the US to tap into the same resources as our Apple Authorized Service Provider network. When a repair is needed, a customer should have confidence the repair is done right. We believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested.”
The program launches in the U.S. first and is also set to roll out to more countries in the future. It's free to join the program, though participating shops are required to have an Apple-certified technician, among other requirements, to qualify.
Apple said it tested the initiative with 20 independent repair centers across North America, Europe, and Asia last year. Those businesses are now providing genuine repair parts.
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