Geeky Hacks

I’ll start with «Hey, I don’t have to spend $ 140 to send it to Sony and then wait a month for it to return totally wiped!» Now, now, all the Geeky Hacks haters calm down and let me further explain my reasons for showin love for Joann and Mark… Aside from my first comment, they also have a warranty just like Sony, I think 3 months, so if it breaks within the time, they will fix it for free. With Sony, I got it fixed from them and it broke again shortly after the warranty for the repair expired. I would of had to shell out another $ 140 or take it to Geeky Hacks. My PS3 was the old fatty backwards compatible model (80gb), so we all know they are prone to the YLOD. I actually had to get it fixed by Sony once and Geeky hacks 3 times in total; I only paid $ 70 for Geeky Hacks, the other 2 fixes were complimentary. This is minus the huge wait time too. The longest was a couple weeks but I can’t complain since they also save your stuff so it’s not wiped when you get it back like Sony like to do. You can’t really hate on a local shop that helps out the local community by not ripping you off by the same repair service Sony gives, if not more on the topic of non-​returned-​to-​factory-​default-​condition. The reason they sometimes have some troubles getting back to you is that they have a huge number of work orders since their service special was released via word of mouth. Everyone in the bay has heard of them. Plus they have regular lives too working and gaming on the side… I no longer live in the bay area but still recommend them to my friends. No complaints after you get the real info on comparisons.

I have been calling this place for the last 5 days. No one picks up. The message is outdated, as it states that «Mark» is unavailable until after Thanksgiving. It’ll be Christmas in 6 days, so thanksgiving is long gone.
And I’ve tried calling multiple times per day, just in case I had happen to call during their breakfast/​lunch/​snack/​dinner/​or nap time. They are just not there. In the future I suggest updating your voicemail if you are on vacation. Unless I am mistaken and it was meant that Mark was going to return after Thanksgiving NEXT YEAR.
Extremely lacking in customer skills, I will not be coming here to get my PS3 fixed at all.

More disappointing than seeing Rhianna on the Victoria’s Secret special this year. Yes, she was a worse choice than Bieber.
How the mighty have fallen — as many other reviewers suggested, these folks are not easy to get in touch with. I have been trying for weeks to get a call back for a PS3 repair for a friend from NM. I have had his machine for two weeks and really hoped to get it repaired before I went home for X-​mas.
I called once before Thanksgiving and got a message stating that Mark was using his computer equipment to cook the family turkey and he wouldn’t be available until after the holiday. Fine, I like turkey, and I also like creative ways to cook them. I cooked a ham sandwich once in a light-​bulb modified shoebox. So I appreciate creativity. But here we are three weeks after turkey day and still no call back. I have called several times since, and still no call back. Even the message is the same. What’s so challenging about a simple call back to say the turkey gizzard shorted out the Zephytronics Motherboard Cooker and I’ll need to find an alternative?
Maybe Joanne meant Thanksgiving 2014?! Alas, I’ll be taking the PS3 to KT Electronics in San Jose for a 2 day turnaround. I had a great initial experience with Geeky Hacks the first go round (in 2010,) but perhaps they no longer take this side-​business as seriously as they once did. You either run a business, or you don’t. There is no in between. Leaving your customers lost within your own undecided plan on a business model is not good practice.

I had my PS3 dying on me while playing a game around April or May. Not wanting to send my PS3 in to Sony for a replacement and the loss of a game disc, I looked up if there were any PS3 repairs in the city and this was the one with the highest reviews.
–1 Star for two things: Seems like sometimes you have to call them a few times to get a hold of them to make an appointment. They said it would take approximately two weeks to fix, and that’s understandable after looking at all the PS3s lined up on his shelves plus this is just his side job. The second issue was about three weeks later wondering if my PS3 was fixed or not (I didn’t get a message for two weeks) — after a quick email, I was able to pick it up two days later.
The console was fixed, worked fine, and you are able to check if it works at the workshop. It’s now September and I haven’t gotten that YLOD again… though I do know it might come back one day. :(

These guys are good. The wife usually handles the clients and appointments and the husband handles the repairs.
It’s a side job for them but they are very diligent and have high craftsmanship.
I did have the YLOD for my PS3. Found these guys via Unilocal.They unfortunately weren’t able to fix the issue and said it was extremely rare to have this occur. Mike recovered my game and refunded my money. It was an «FML» moment for me but they were helpful and provided some good alternatives (parting it out, using hard drive, recommending the different types of slim models and why).
I would have no issues going back to them. They’ve earned my trust.

I’m going to keep this review simple.
What everyone else is saying about the Kruegers is true — they are legit and some of the nicest people I’ve ever met… err…well, I never met Mark but he definitely did a great job fixing my PS3. But I would have to say that the 5 stars was definitely earned by Joanne. Not only did she explain everything but she was amazing at telling me the risks of fixing versus buying a new one. She truly had my best interests in mind.
Also, it was fun trying to help her pick out the new paint colors for her house.
As for my PS3, it works like new and I’m still under their 3-​month warranty which I hope I won’t have to use.
Mark, great job BUT most of my thanks goes to Joanne and her amazing customer service!

This review is coming a bit late but better late than never! Mark and his wife Joanne (hope I’m spelling that right) are incredibly helpful and really nice about setting up appointments and getting the system fixed.
Both of them know how to handle the systems and mine came back in perfect condition working fine allowing me to transfer everything to my new PS3 after it yellow lighted.
I happened to go when Mark was feeling under the weather so I met Joanne instead and was surprised to see she was just as knowledgeable as Mark was said to be.
I think what I appreciated the most was that despite them having to go to day jobs and taking care of their kid, they still manage to fit appointments in between their daily lives. Worth every penny if you want to keep all your data on your PS3!

Nice professional setup in a residential Garage. Great phone service, very flexible scheduling appointments.
My PS3 did the YLOD and they fixed it within hours.
* It’s important to understand that the YLOD is a design flaw made worse by poor ventilation or other environmental factors. Once your system gets to that point it is permanently damaged.
The process performed here is perfect for reviving a ps3 so you can de-​authorize it, get the data off and then have the logic board replaced by sony or buying a new ps3. It will never fix the PS3 to brand new condition, and if you take it home and shove it between the cable box and the wall, it will eventually fail again.
They did a great job, and I was able to transfer my data off the PS3 and transfer it to a new slim model.
They also fix other problems such as BluRay drive failures.
Give them a call!

PS3 stopped reading discs. Dropped unit off at 9AM on a Saturday; picked up at 6PM on Saturday. $ 90 and works like a champ.
Plus, they have a ridiculous name and work out of their house. I’d give them 2 extra stars for that. 7 stars.

EDIT… Originally 5 stars but now. I am with Blaise P.
They are a nice small shop and I love helping out a small business as the next guy, but I am not happy with the outcome. After paying them the $, I got my PS3 back within the week. I have the original 40g backwards compatible and got raped by the YLOD. After about a month it died on me again and I got the YLOD.again.I contacted Geeky Hacks and they serviced it free of charge (cool on that, sucks on the drive), within another month-​ish I got the YLOD again (3^rd time). I contacted him again about it… never heard from him again. Now my original PS3 is growing cobwebs in my closet.
If you’re the lucky ones and this helps fixes it then by far do it, but as for the few people like myself… it was not the greatest. I put a lot of faith, but to no avail did it deliver. It was a risk and I took it, but wasn’t the best solution.
If you’re in need of a quick fix. this is the place and maybe it may fix your ps3 forever… but for a few of us. it was only for a month
Why the 1 star rating… well at least for the 3^rd time I got the YLOD, after I emailed him, he could have at least emailed me back saying he cannot fix it instead of leaving me hanging. I emailed him a few weeks b4 Thanksgiving.

Send it to Sony.
My 80 gb backwards compatible PS3 got the YLOD in Sepember. I was angry that I was going to have to send it to Sony and wait several weeks for it to be repaired so I started to looking at other options. I was skeptical to use an independent repair service, but from the flawless reviews it was kind of hard to pass up Geeky Hacks. I decided to contact them. Geeky Hacks got me in right away and in a matter of hours I left with my PS3 working again.
First visit: 5 stars!
Not even two months later my PS3 starts to show symptoms of the YLOD again. It would turn on, but was consistently freezing every time I went to use it for something. I contacted Geeky Hacks again and I was told I could drop it off on the weekend, but it would take up to 1 week for the repairs to be done. 8 days later I left with my PS3 working again (no charge).
Here’s why I’m encouraging everyone to stay away. When I dropped my PS3 off the second time I was told that the problem may be persistent. The first time it wasn’t mentioned that this may be a recurring problem. I understood it to be a one time fix. However, on the last visit I was encouraged by Geeky Hacks to start looking for a replacement PS3 and backing up my data. That’s not really standing behind your work in my opinion.
Had I just sent my PS3 to Sony and paid the $ 120, I would have had a new or certified repaired PS3 in a few weeks. It would have cost me a few dollars more, but it would have saved me some hassle. Now I feel like I wasted $ 70 at Geeky Hacks that I could have used towards an authorized repair or the slim 160 gb PS3 that I just bought last weekend.
The people at Geeky Hacks are really nice and I’d like to see a small family run business succeed, but I honestly feel like they’ve take on more than they can chew with these PS3 repairs. The long turn around time makes me wonder if they’re taking on new customers or just fixing the same PS3s over and over again.
Lesson learned: Send it to Sony.

FRACK! It happen again. PS3 Yellow Light of Death. And with my new COD Black Ops. Damn you Zombies. But I think it was my fault. I didnt let the ps3 cool down enough last time I played. I just called Mark and left a message and will update accordingly.
Marks Wife helped me out. SHE ROCKS! I did pay Half cause i kinda felt i should have. Its all fixed and I was able to get my game out. Now my First Gen ps3 is my Blue ray /​media player in another room. I bought a new PS3 for my games. The newer ones dont have the overheat problem. YAY for Geeky HAcks.

Came here with a friend to get his PS3 fixed. It’s your typical small DIY workshop from a garage, however, this place never gave me a shady vibe like other places have given. The wife handles the appointments and logistics, while Mark is the actual repair guy.
From my experiences from dealing with DIY repair guys, Mark is probably the best one I have seen. While others have gained experience from trial and error, Mark actually has a background with this kind of stuff. That alone can tell you he’s legit! He allowed us to stay while he diagnosed the problem, and was friendly throughout. We were probably there for a little more than an hour, but it went by so quickly due to the interesting stories that he told.
Once my friend’s PS3 was fixed, we were told about the warranty, which is a definite plus. If you need to have your PS3 fixed, definitely come here to Geeky Hacks and get it fixed the right away. It’ll definitely be worth it!

I, like others, was plagued with the unfortunate yellow light of death for my ps3. I made an appointment and dropped it off the same day. The lady who I assume handles the business-​y stuff told me that they wouldn’t be able to get to it until the weekend. They had an awesome DIY shop set up in their garage and you can tell that the dude is legit.
I got called back earlier than expected and I picked up my machine the next day– but not without an appropriate system test. Everything worked out great and she even said that is for some reason the symptoms came back, they would rework my machine again.
A+ work. These guys saved me from spending too much on a replacement from Sony.

If your in SF and you send your PS3 to SONY, you’re either an idiot or someone who hasn’t heard of Geeky Hacks.
Sending it to SONY:
$ 170
Loose your data and wait three-​four weeks to get it back.
Taking it to Geeky Hacks:
$ 70
Save your data and wait 1.5−3hours to get it back.
Mark is very friendly and very reliable. I once played RDR free roam w/​him and his clan and our avatar and mount set up was identical lol. Mark is a kind soul and I hope his business does well.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MARK KRUEGER!

Great service and great knowledge of what he’s doing. gave me a guarantee if the soldering failed he would fix it no problem.
i strongly recommend him.

YLOD! We were on the verge of selling our PS3 for parts and letting go of our precious games cuz a $ 150 fix seemed a bit to much. Luckily I found Mark and Geeky Hacks to fix it for half that price!
Mark was awesome! Incredibly knowledgable and an all around super nice guy! had my ps3 up and running in 1.5 hours as promised.
I strongly recommend Geeky Hacks for anyone with PS3 issues!

So my PS3 gives out on me. I’m in the middle of enjoying a match of SSF4 and it just plain dies on me. I’m devastated but not as much as I should be.
This is now the 2^nd time that my PS3 has died on me, the first time due to a disc read error and I was able to send it in and fixed or replaced I should say under warranty.
My first instinct was to call Sony and so I did and had it all set up and ready to seemingly be sent out for a total of $ 180 to have it fixed/​shipped.
I mention it to a couple of friends that it broke on me yet again and one suggest Geeky Hacks. I’m very hesitant at first but check out the Unilocal page and see all of the glowing 5 star reviews and consider it. The price is right, the guy seems legit but I second guess myself.
I decide paying over $ 100 less and being able to keep my saves is worth the risk. I arrive when Mark asks me to and am greeted, he shows me his workshop explains the problem and tells me it’ll be done in about 90 minutes.
It was done in about 70 – 80 minutes and I arrived back and we discussed it. He let me test it out just to make sure that it worked.
All I can say about Mark is that he’s extremely nice, very professional, talented at what he does and I recommend him to anyone who has a problem with their PS3. I also mentioned that I stripped the screws on my hard drive bay and he said that he’d be able to help me with that too. The guy is a life saver as well as a money saver.

Thanks for fixing my PS3!
I was playing COD the other night and my PS3 just turned off. I got the blinking red light and the YLOD. The system wouldn’t spit out the disc either. I was so sad and dreaded the thought of having to send my PS3 to Sony for a refurbished system. Luckily, my boyfriend found Geeky Hacks and coincidentally we were going to be in the area for a party (We live near Sacramento), so we decided to drop it off before we went to the party. We got a call in about 2 hours as it’s stated on here. When we picked it up, he let us try it out. The great part about it was that he let us try it before paying. He really has a great setup and who knew someone could have that in their home. lol. He was a really nice guy and I am really happy he got my PS3 fixed. Thanks again! =)

My PS3 stopped reading all discs a couple days ago and after doing a little research I found that it was probably the blu-​ray diode went bad. Apparently this is the second most common problem next to the yellow light of death.
I had a couple of options,
Send it back to Sony wait around 3 weeks and pay around $ 170 to get a refurbished PS3 in return and lose all my saves and data.
Buy a new (inferior to the PS3 fat) PS3 slim for $ 300 and lose all my saves and data.
Have the part replaced and keep my PS3 and saves and data.
After some research I found Geeky Hacks ad on craigslist. I contacted Mark and was impressed with his quick reply and how knowledgeable he was on the subject. He was able to schedule an appointment the next day.
He was very professional and explained the entire process, he tested my PS3 and confirmed it was a bad blu-​ray diode, opened up the PS3 cleaned all the dust out, removed and replaced the entire drive not just the bad part. Tested the PS3 and confirmed it worked w/​all types of discs. The entire process took less than 20 mins and for a fraction of the cost of what Sony would, and most importantly all my data was in tact.
I have read stories of some shady people who claim to repair game systems but return the system damaged, still broken, or with someone else’s system. Mark has worked with electronics for over 20 years and his equipment and work shop shows. He’s also and avid game and understands how important your system is and makes sure things are done correctly.