What is the United We Repair Coalition?

The United We Repair Coalition is a powerful industry initiative led by the Tech Care Association to unite tech repair businesses in fighting Google ad restrictions, tariff barriers, parts availability issues, and advancing right-to-repair legislation.

How much does it cost to join the coalition?

Repair businesses can join for as little as $10/month ($120/year), with higher levels available. Industry partners start at $100/month ($1,200/year). All fees are business tax deductible.

What benefits do founding champions receive?

Founding champions receive permanent recognition on the coalition website, VIP status at industry events, direct access to coalition leadership, first access to all victories, and historical legacy as industry uniters.

Why is the Tech Care Association leading this coalition?

TCA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit with 5 years of established relationships with Google, Apple, Samsung, and government officials. Our Washington DC location and non-profit status provide maximum credibility and fund utilization for advocacy efforts.

All Tech Repair People Are Welcome Here

The TCA Welcomes Former Members of the Now Defunct ACRBO

While the ACRBO website is still live it appears as if they have stopped all operations sometime in the last 3-4 years. The site was last copyrighted in 2014, but the last blog post was in 2019. We reached out to all of the ACRBO board members and only got a response from two of them. One said he knew for sure they shut down and the other said they had not heard anything in years.

For those of you who are not familiar with the ACRBO, it stands for the Association of Computer Repair Business Owners and was founded in 2009. The site states, that “the Association was formed by Daniel Hand owner of Computer Medics of Northern Virginia LLC after realizing that there were no professional Associations for the smaller computer business owner to become part of. With the increase in membership the Association created a “Leadership” team to help maintain the site and promote the industry.” At one point serving more than 2,000 members.

By all accounts ACRBO was successful in its efforts to help its members during it’s time in operation. We would like to thank Daniel Hand and the other folks at ACRBO who moved the industry forward and welcome any former members to join the TCA to help us carry on the legacy of the ACRBO.

WHO SHOULD JOIN THE TCA?

The Tech Care Association (TCA) is non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 2020 by Rob Link that is designed for professionals in the tech care industry. Tech Care is defined as any one who “takes care” of tech after it’s sold or people who repair, support, refurbish, and recycle tech. “Tech” is loosely defined as any consumer electronics with a (mother) board and a (power) cord — the tip of the spear here are phones, tablets and computers. It is our belief that more consumer electronics need to be taken care of to reduce and eliminate e-waste in the world.

TCA members are made up of small businesses across the country that help take care of tech in their communities. These small business people are on the frontlines of the industry and, although small in size (mainly mom & pop type shops), they number in the tens of thousands across the country. Making them our largest and most important resource for tech care.

What was once considered the cell phone and computer repair industry is now the Tech Repair Industry, which falls under the larger Tech Care Industry. The TCA seeks to serve any business interested in furthering the industry to moving it forward for greater success for all. The TCA welcomes any and all companies that operate in this space into its body of members.

WHY CALL IT TECH?

In our modern society all things are becoming tech. More and more of the products we buy each and every day are becoming infused with technology. From IOT connected appliances and personal electronics (toothbrushes & sex toys) to furniture and electric vehicles. Everything is becoming TECH!

Those that learned to take care of cell phones and computers are leading the way in this new and vital industry of tech care. These community based helpers are changing the way we look at the world and the products we buy. They help keep this massive wave of new products in the market longer, which again reduces the amount of waste that enters our ecosystem.

Tech Repair People have learned — in most cases — how to service and repair tech without the help of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), as the Right to Repair Movement has pointed out for more than ten years now. These are brilliant people who have learned to reverse engineer tech and even fix it on a board level — a process called micro-soldering.

WHY IS TECH CARE SO IMPORTANT?

As our society relies more and more on tech these community based tech care people become even more important to our world. Our world only has so many resources to make new tech and if and when supply chains are disrupted they will be relied upon even more so.

The other main reason to support and use tech care professionals is the looming e-waste disaster that our planet is facing. An ecological nightmare is looming form all of the electronic waste our world is producing. In 2024 the United Nations declared e-waste to be a world wide crisis.

Consumer electronics make up most of this waste. E-waste can leak harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, and cadmium into the soil, which then contaminate ground and surface water. This contamination can lead to serious ecological problems, affecting not only land but also nearby water sources.