Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you guys so cheap?

A better question might be, why are the other guys so expensive??? But seriously, we have built Kokopelli Music on the principles of low overhead, high volume, and great service. We don't spend a lot of money on packaging and other frills - our products are shipped in basic white cardboard envelopes and boxes. But we excel where it counts - high quality products, clear simple directions, and great support if you run into trouble. We have thousands of happy customers, and are one of the fastest growing businesses on the Internet.

I've seen the same battery cheaper on another website. What's up with that?

It's certainly not the same battery, and it's probably not cheaper either. Our batteries are made to our specs and are of the highest quality. Regarding pricing, make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Some websites charge extra for shipping and handling - we only charge about $2.50 to ship via USPS First Class, or $8.50 via Priority Mail. And some vendors charge extra for a warranty that's longer than 30 days - we provide the industry's only lifetime warranty included at no additional charge.

What happens if I purchase a battery or LCD and run into trouble?

As long as you don't do any serious damage to the iPod, you're fine. Just send us the iPod, the parts you ordered, and a check or money order for $35, and we'll finish the job for you. If it turns out that your iPod is broken and cannot be fixed, we will send it back to you, or offer to purchase the iPod and use it for parts.

Do you do general iPod repairs?

No, we only do install the items that we sell -- batteries, LCD screens, and other parts.

I've had my iPod over a year now, and my batteries right now only last me up to an hour. Should I replace them or wait until it doesn't take a charge anymore?

Well there's no harm in letting your battery run down all the way - it won't leak or damage your iPod. But if it were our iPod, we'd replace it, as an hour isn't much time to listen to music.

What happens if I replace my LCD screen with a Kokopelli LCD, and sometime in the future I drop it, my dog eats it, or I run over it with my car?

The limited warranty is still good, so you can get a new LCD screen from us for only $20 (plus a nominal shipping fee, and installation services if any). Keep in mind, though, that the warrantly only covers your LCD screen, so if the iPod is severely damaged, we probably won't be able to fix it.

What forms of payment do you accept?

For online orders we accept Paypal, Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

We also accept checks and money orders. To do this, place your order online, and at the last page, where we ask you for your credit card, just print out the page and mail it to us with a check or money order. We'll wait for your check to clear, then ship your order.

How much do you charge for shipping?

We charge a flat fee of $8.50 to ship orders within the US, including Puerto Rico and APO addresses. We ship via USPS Priority Mail which generally arrives in 2 days.

We also offer a low cost First Class Mail service which runs between $2.00 and $3.00 depending on weight. Insurance is not included with this, so we do not recommend it for shipping iPods or other expensive items.

Shipments to Canada and other countries are generally less than $10.00 (depending on weight). To determine your exact shipping costs, put the items you want in your shopping cart, click "Check Out", tell us where you live, and then our system will tell you exactly what your shipping charges will be.

How do you ship to...

United States: USPS First Class (3 to 4 days), Priority Mail with Insurance (2 to 3 days) or Express mail with Insurance (overnight).

All Other Countries: we ship via USPS International Express. It's very inexpensive and reliable. You should get your order within a week or two.

How do I track my order?

On the day we ship your order, we will send you an email with a delivery confirmation number. You can go to the US Postal Service website and check to see if it's been delivered yet.

US Postal Service packages are NOT scanned at the place where they are mailed, only at the place where they are delivered; this means that the US Postal Service cannot tell you about the progress of your package, only whether it's been delivered.

All our Priority and Express shipments are fully insured, so if the package doesn't show up, you're covered.

What do you mean by "Lifetime Warranty"? Will you replace the battery or LCD after 20 years of use? How do you determine if the battery or LCD needs to be replaced under the warranty?

It's simple: the Kokopelli Music warranty is good for as long as you own your iPod. Period. So if the battery or LCD ever wears out or displeases you, at any time, for any reason, just fill out this form and mail it back to us and we'll mail you a new one. Replacement batteries are free (plus shipping/handling). Replacement LCDs are $20 (plus shipping/handling). It's up to you to determine if the battery or LCD is worn out or damaged - we'll replace it anytime you send it back.

How much is the "nominal shipping/handling charge" for a free warranty replacement?

Six dollars in the U.S. That covers our cost for packaging and shipping the replacement item with delivery confirmation.

How, exactly, do I take advantage of your lifetime warranty?

Just print this form, send the old battery or LCD back to us along with the shipping fee, and we'll replace it.

I am unable to get the blue tool into the slot to open up the case. The fit is too tight. What do I do?

Sometimes the fit is very tight, especially if the iPod has been dropped or warped a bit. Don't use a metal screwdriver, as you will scratch and possibly damage the frame. Keep trying - we have never found an iPod that we couldn't open! Try running the edge of the tool around the iPod until you find a spot where you can slip it in. Some people have found that a medium-weight nylon guitar pick works well too.

If you really can't get it open, we can do the replacement for you. Just send us your iPod, the parts, and a check or money order for $35, and we'll finish the job for you.

How you really know if I have a bad battery, and not some other problem?

You probably have a bad battery if ALL of the following three things are true:

1. When you plug the iPod into a charger, the charging symbol shows in the upper right corner of the screen.
2. The iPod works fine when it's connected to a charger.
3. When you disconnect it from the charger, it fails, sometimes with a battery symbol.

If any of these is not true, you probably have some other kind of problem with the iPod. Also, if you see a picture of a folder or a frowny face iPod, then you have some other kind of problem, possibly a bad hard drive.

I installed the battery using your instructions. The battery installed perfectly and charged without a problem. It shows "fully charged" when I plug in the charger. However, I can not switch off the "Hold" button. Therefore, I can't use any of the controls. Any suggestions?

It sounds like you closed up the iPod with the Hold button in the wrong position. It has to match up with the other part (see instructions that we sent you). Try taking it apart, look carefully at the Hold button and the other part, and match them before reassembling the iPod.

I am very interested in your service but am worried that I will lose my songs I have on my iPod. I was told that when the battery or LCD is replaced it erases your iPod. If this is so is there a way to back it up so i wont lose my songs?

No problem, we will not erase any of the songs on your iPod! Removing the battery and/or LCD will not affect your songs, because the songs are on a hard drive or in flash memory. Even if the worst would happen - say, the iPod is damaged or lost in shipping - you're still ok. The songs on your iPod are also on your computer (PC or Mac) in a program called iTunes. So you can always just re-download the sons from iTunes to your iPod.

I followed your instructions for replacing my iPod's LCD screen, but now there are some problems with the display. What can I do?

We've found that some iPods will act a bit strangely after an LCD replacement, probably as a result of all the disconnecting and reconnecting that you just did.  So if you notice anything unusual (say, odd characters on the screen, or an error message, or a dim or flickering screen), just turn the iPod off, fully charge the battery, and turn it back on. If that doesn't work, reset it.  This will generally clear any unusual behavior.

If that doesn't work, check the connections.  The most common cause for LCD screen problems, especially a blank (white) screen or a dead (black) screen, is that you have not fully attached all the wires and ribbon cables and the screen is not getting a good signal from the iPod.  You can fix this by opening up the iPod, checking all the connections, and making sure that all the wires and ribbon cables are fully inserted and all locking tabs are locked in place. Refer back to the directions you followed when doing the install.

If you're still having problems, we can do the replacement for you. Just send us your iPod, the parts, and a check or money order for $35, and we'll finish the job for you.

Do you buy broken iPods?

Yes, we generally pay $20 to $30 for an iPod, as long as it's a reasonably late model (4th gen, Video, Nano or Mini) and is in reasonably good condition (it hasn't been crushed). Email us and tell us what you've got, and we'll let you know what we're willing to pay.

Who are you guys anyway?

Kokopelli Music is a family run business in Shaler PA, near Pittsburgh. It's run by Pete and Regina Lehotay with help from Regina's sister Rita.

Pete has a background in computer science and electrical engineering and writes software for a local company using voice technology in the warehouse when he's not repairing iPods, managing the website, and trying to keep up with the taxes and inventory. Regina is a software trainer and also designs online courses for a large bank in the area. In addition to trying to keep our 2 1/2 year old Alex from eating all of the complimentary chocolate and doing nose dives into the packing peanuts box, she takes care of ordering our office supplies and generally filling in where needed. Rita keeps the office running and answers most of the email and phone calls that we receive.

The business was started by Kris Pepper in mid 2005, while he was in high school. When Kris went to college, he decided to sell the business so he could focus on school. We've known the Peppers for several years, and decided to buy the business from them.

You can also Google us by typing "kokopelli music" ipod and see what some of our customers have posted on their blogs and websites.

How can I get in touch with you?

We much prefer to stay in touch with our customers via email - it's quicker, and it's easier for us. We'll generally get back to you within one business day.

We've found that nearly all questions and issues can be resolved via email. However, if you want to contact us by phone, call (412) 532-6622 - best time to call is weekdays between 10am and 2pm ET.

Got a question you don't see here? Contact us!