Web help for repair help

Dear PropellerHeads: I'm new to the area. Apparently my laptop must have been dropped during my move, as it will no longer boot. Do you have a suggestion for a good computer repair shop?

A: I'm shocked! You didn't have your laptop wrapped in five layers of bubble wrap and then carefully secured in the backseat with the lap belt pulled tight? Obviously not or you wouldn't be hitting up the PropellerHeads for advice!

Let's start with a resource almost everyone has heard of, your local Better Business Bureau. Go to the BBB website at www.bbb.org; your new city and state or just your new ZIP code. You can search for "computer repair" and will hopefully have some businesses listed to choose from.

I will tell you I tried that search using my ZIP code and there were no computer repair shops listed anywhere near me. That could be because there truly aren't any, but the more likely reason is that none of the computer repair shops in my area have bothered to register their business and pay a fee to be on the BBB site. Companies can pay an additional fee to be listed as an accredited business. However, they must also follow the BBB Code of Business Practices to become and stay accredited.

I'm glad the Better Business Bureau is around because it is also a resource for lodging complaints against businesses. But I am personally a bit leery of using a reference site when the business has paid to be listed; the Yellow Pages would work for that. So maybe Angie's List is an option for you.

Angie's List, www.angieslist.com, is a consumer-driven site that is supported with membership fees. Businesses can't pay to be listed. Rather, a consumer pays to be a member and can then post reviews of their service providers.

Consumer assessments on Angie's List can be positive or negative. Businesses may register with Angie's List, and may respond to a bad review, but they are prevented from rating themselves in an attempt to ensure that the ratings found on the site are unbiased.

I personally am a bit too cheap to pay for a membership to get a business review, so I tried Yelp, www.yelp.com. Yelp markets itself as an urban city guide for places to eat and shop, and as a way to find service providers. Members review their experiences and talk about what's great and what's not.

I made the same search on Yelp's site as I had at the Better Business Bureau site, looking for a computer repair shop in my area. Yelp returned numerous computer repair shops. Several had reviews from folks who had used the shop's service. Others had no reviews, just their business listing. Yelp also provided a map showing the location of the businesses it returned.

Yelp's model allows businesses to list their services for free on the site, and customers may review any business also for free. Businesses may choose to pay for advertising deals on the site, but that's the only cost associated with using Yelp.

I'm lucky I don't need a computer repair shop; my son provides that service for me. The next time you move, remember the bubble wrap! And fasten your laptop securely in the back seat. Your only excuse for not doing so is that you have a child or two back there. Let's hope they're not just tossed in the back seat to fend for themselves!

When the PropellerHeads at Data Directions aren't busy with their IT projects, they love to answer questions on business or consumer technology. Email them to [email protected] or contact us at Data Directions Inc., 8510 Bell Creek Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23116. Visit our website at www.askthepropellerheads.com.