MICRO CENTER

I took my computer in for a new battery. After a week or more they finally called me and said my computer needed more work. I agreed to this and they asked if I wanted to back up my files. I said no need as I wanted a clean computer. After I finally got it home after two weeks I learned they had wiped out my entire operating systems (Windows). I called and they said it was my fault because I didn't want to pay for a backup. They would be happy to reinstall it at a considerable additional cost. On top of that, now that I need that computer again, the battery they installed doesn't work.

Very well. They charged $85 flat fee to take the tower and examine it, run tests to figure out what the problem was. The only additional charge is if any parts are needed for the repair. They quickly determined that it was in deed infected. They made hard copies of all of the programs, then wiped out the entire hard drive, completely cleaning out the computer. Then when I got the computer back I put all of the software back on the computer. The computer worked better after that. They were very professional and explained everything that they did or were going to do.

THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW HARD DRIVE AND A NEW AC ADAPTER. HE SAID HE'D HAVE TO ORDER THE AC ADAPTER, IT WOULD TAKE 5-7 DAYS TO GET THERE. I WAS SKEPTICAL THAT I NEEDED A NEW HARD DRIVE. I PAID MICROCENTER $90 FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND ORDERED THE NEW AC ADAPTER MYSELF FOR $75. IT CAME IN ONE DAY AND THE COMPUTER WORKED. THE TECHNICIAN HAD LEFT HIS DIAGNOSTIC CD IN MY LAPTOP SO I RAN THE PROGRAM MYSELF AND FOUND NO HARD DRIVE PROBLEMS. AFTER A MONTH OF RUNNING FINE WITH THE NEW AC ADAPTER, THE LAPTOP WOULDN'T START UP AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT PLACE WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY WAS CAUSING THE LAPTOP TO SHORT OUT. THE GUY TOOK THE BATTERY OUT AND IT STARTED UP FINE. MICROCENTER'S TECHS WEREN'T AWARE OF THIS KNOWN ISSUE, THEY TRIED TO RIP ME OFF FOR A NEW HARD DRIVE, AND THEY CAUSED ME TO REPLACE MY AC ADAPTER WHEN I PROBABLY DIDN'T NEED TO. THE ONLY GOOD THING I CAN SAY IS THEY GOT BACK TO ME WITH THEIR BOGUS DIAGNOSIS WITHIN A FEW HOURS.

DROPPING OFF THE EQUIPMENT INITIALLY WAS FAIRLY SIMPLE. THERE IS AN $85 SERVICE FEE TO START, AND THAT WAS SEPARATE FOR EACH PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. I HAD DIFFERENT TECHNICIANS FOR EACH PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND THAT MADE IT A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO CALL AND WHEN I FIRST GOT THE COMPUTER HOME, IT DID WORK BETTER THAN BEFORE, BUT OVER A FEW DAYS & THEN A COUPLE WEEKS THE PROBLEM RETURNED (I.E. THE COMPUTER WOULD FREEZE). I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE STORE MULTIPLE TIMES (5 TOTAL), BUT AFTER EACH TIME THE PROBLEM REMAINED. EVEN THE SUPERVISOR (MARK) LOOKED AT IT HIMSELF BUT STILL IT WAS NEVER REPAIRED. (EVENTUALLY I BOUGHT A NEW COMPUTER FROM ANOTHER COMPANY.) I FOUND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO REACH THE TECHNICIANS OR THE SUPERVISOR BY PHONE; SOMETIMES I WAS ON HOLD SO LONG I WOULD JUST HANG UP. I INTENDED TO ASK FOR MY MONEY BACK (AT LEAST FOR THE $60 FOR THE HARD DRIVE) BUT I AM SO FRUSTRATED THAT I DON'T EVEN CARE TO WALK BACK IN THE STORE AGAIN. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THEIR REPAIR SERVICE.