This article was written on May 17, 2008 by CyberNet.
Weekend Website
We’ve mentioned Yahoo Answers a few times on CyberNet because it’s a great source to turn to when you have a question that you want answered. Today we’re going to take a look at what we like to think of as the “Yahoo Answers” of technical product support, FixYa! They aggregate support information from all over the web into one location so that it’s easy to find, but users can also contribute and answer questions. If you have a question about a gadget or consumer product, you’ll probably find an answer there.
What is FixYa?
Fix Ya is all about helping consumers troubleshoot the problems they encounter with their gadgets and devices. In their words, they say they provide “free tech support and technical help for gadgets, electronics equipment and consumer products.”
Just a few weeks ago it was announced that Best Buy and Geek Squad would be partnering up with FixYa. Instead of bringing your computer in to Best Buy to get it fixed, you may be able to ask your question on FixYa and have it answered for free.
Who Answers Your Questions?
If you’re wondering who it is that provides expert advice for the devices you own, it’s a team about about 30,000 different contributors. These contributors are average people like you who happen to know a little something about gadgets. Anybody can can suggest a solution for a problem that someone has posted, and then the community of FixYa rates the solution given as either “inappropriate,” “thanks for trying,” “helpful,” or “FixYa!” which is the best.
Topics covered…
You’re not going to find answers to your question about which brand of ketchup you should buy or what the best place to eat in San Francisco is. What you will find though is a huge list of different manufactures who make gadgets, electronics, and consumer products like Acer, Compaq, Epson, IBM, Insignia, Motorola, Panasonic, and more. In all, there are over 800,000 different consumer products covered.
Signing up for an account
FixYa is free, unless you want “Premium Assistance” in which case it will cost. But then you’ll be guaranteed to get an answer via a post or Live Chat.
Features
Other features at FixYa include:
- WikiManuals – product guides written and edited by FixYa users
- Experts Lounge- where FixYa experts meet to share what’s on their minds
- Repair Directory – for locating a repair service near you
- Manufacturer directory – for finding a specific manual and/or products
Becoming an expert:
Anybody can become an expert by filling out a form found here, and you can even get paid. Of course not everybody is an expert in every field, so you just let them know which areas you’re an “expert” in.
Searching for Answers
Searching for answers for your products is simple because everything is broken down into brands and then products. On their homepage on the bottom right you’ll see a list of brands broken down in alphabetical order. I clicked on Garmin, then I was able to browse through the list of different Garmin products to find the unit I own, the Garmin Nuvi 660. Once I found it, I could click on and then do the following:
- search the Garmin Nuvi 660 GPS receiver knowledgebase
- view problems/questions that have solutions
- view problems/questions that don’t have a solution yet
- post a new problem
- subscribe to the product page via RSS
- view tips and tricks (one tip in particular which explained how to do a full reset to original factory status was helpful)
- view the WikiManual (if available)
- See manuals and guides (if available)
- View product specifications
- View contact information
On the Homepage
The FixYa homepage has a lot of helpful information on it. You can search for a product, or find a solution for one. You can view the top experts within the last 30 days and see what kinds of solutions they’ve contributed. You can also view recent solutions and recent problems. If you’re in need or a repairman for something, you can enter in your zip code to find one near you.
Downside…
The only downside that we could think of is that there is no guarantee that someone will be able to answer your question unless you pay for “Premium Assistance”. On the bright side though, there is a large community of people who are willing to help. Chances are, there will at least be someone who can help or at the minimum, guide you in the right direction no matter what your problem is, for free.
Wrapping it up
If you’ve had something stop working before, you know that it can be difficult to find the answer that you need to get it working again. With the help of FixYa, you should be able to get your questions answered fairly fast, and for free.
Check it out… www.fixya.com
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