NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Higher prices, longer waits, and fewer options are becoming the new reality for Nashville's tech repair shops as they face mounting challenges from recent tariffs.
"I think the shock of it all is the biggest thing right now," said Daniel Cid, co-owner of Computer House on Jefferson Street.
President Trump announced a new tariff that doubles the price of imported computer chips, adding pressure to an already strained supply chain.
Cid noticed a significant price increase for parts months before the latest tariff announcement.
"I went to go order some parts that were left in the cart and I'm looking at the price and I thought he was getting 5 or 6 screens or something but this is two," said Cid.
Computer House serves many students going back to school, professionals, and members of the minority community in North Nashville.
"We are still trying desperately to keep our prices the way that they are but shopping online and trying to find the best place to get parts is the biggest thing we are having a problem with," said Cid.
To help customers manage rising costs, the shop offers third-party payment plans that allow customers to split charges into multiple payments.
"You may have $40 and the service may be $100. Isn't that great to know that you can break that up into 4 payments," said Cid. "Think about how we can stretch out the lifespan of some of these objects because computers really aren't designed to just break down in a year two years."
With uncertainty looming over future price increases, Cid remains concerned about sustainability.
"The biggest thing now is we don't know what the stable final price," said Cid.
Despite these challenges, Cid continues working closely with the community he serves, finding ways to help where possible.
Have you experienced rising costs for tech repairs? Share your story with our reporter and learn more about how these tariffs might affect your next device repair by emailing kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
This story was reported by Kim Rafferty and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Kim and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
