Apple Palace, trust worthy?

[thegeist]

After almost getting sucked into the Gainsaver epic I came across this site:

applepalace.com

Anyone have an opinion on them?

[velocityg4]

I could not find any online reviews about them. However, there prices seem extraordinarily exorbitant:eek::eek::eek::eek:.

[thegeist]

Yeah, me either on the online reviews...which is odd for a company that has been around since 1993.

Their warranty page is blank. Not a good sign.

I was looking at the macbook pro intel core duo 2 with 1 gig for $1249.

Is that high?

[garfield2002]

Interestingly Google maps street-view shows a computer store at the address listed on their website. There is an Apple logo in the window. :) The Macbook Pro listings are saying Core Duo, not Core 2 Duo. This is why the price is low, so these machines could be refurbs. I would hesitate ordering a computer from a website that provides so little technical information.

[yanike]

They are real. You can actually walk in their store and look around. The warranty is 60 days. After that you're on your own. You can send your Mac product back to them and get it repaired.

By the way, if you drop your Mac product and break it, that is not in the 60 day warranty. Pretty much only inside failure is warranted.

Before I saw this posting, I talked with Apple and ApplePalace about it. One thing I will mention is that ApplePalace is not one of Apple's Resellers. I did find a review. It wasn't bad nor great. Still, I think I will buy my iMac G5 from them :)

Great Reseller Site
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/ApplePalace <- the review

[Eric Lewis]

After almost getting sucked into the Gainsaver epic I came across this site:

applepalace.com

Anyone have an opinion on them?

its a scam trust me

[0sync0]

its a scam trust me
I'm new to the Mac world and noticed that Low End Mac says Apple Palace has some hot prices. If Palace is a scam I guess that means Low End Mac is not to be trusted?

[a104375]

i wouldnt trust them since there not an apple reseller

[Cassie]

http://applepalace.com
(http://applepalace.com)
I found a really good deal on an iBook G4 here. (At least I think I did) I sent them an email asking how long their warrenty was, but they never responded, which makes me question there legitability. (Is that a word?)

They're a sponser at LEM, but I don't know if I should risk giving these people nearly $700 without at least knowing some past buyers experiences.

If anyone has ever bought from here, could you answer a few questions please?

Thanks in advance.

Cassie

[CanadaRAM]

Here's your basic research:

Registrant: Domain Name: APPLEPALACE.COM
COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND NETWORKING
2335 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
US

Administrative Contact :
COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND NETWORKING
farhoudb1@YAHOO.COM
2335 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
US
Phone: (310) 441-4771
Fax: 999 999 9999

Record expires on 29-Nov-2009
Record created on 29-Nov-2004
Database last updated on 13-Oct-2006

http://www.cgnusa.com

http://local.yahoo.com/details?id=26635787

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/ApplePalace

Apple authorized
http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/index.html?q=90064

[forrestmc4]

CanadaRAM is a superhero.

[iToaster]

So I was looking at their store as well, but I'm guessing applepalace.com isn't legit from what you showed me. Would I be correct to say so?

[rdowns]

I'd run away from these guys. Using a BBB logo (cgnusa.com) and linking to their site instead of your membership page is always the sign of a bad company. What legit business doesn't have a toll free number?

[CanadaRAM]

So I was looking at their store as well, but I'm guessing applepalace.com isn't legit from what you showed me. Would I be correct to say so?

I would not necessarily draw that conclusion from the data I have posted -- Their parent company is an Apple authorized dealer, the domain has been in existence for 3.5 years. Their ratings on local and resellerratings reviews are mixed, some good, some p!$$-d off. There's no obvious markers of a scam operation, although there are some questionable features.

The BBB thing is worrying - I don't see the BBB logo on the Applepalace site, but on the cgnusa site both the BBBand the Verisign logos link to generic pages, and Computer Graphics and Networking has no record at the BBB - thats a strike against them for improperly using those logos.

The other point of my post is that all of this information is available with 10 minutes on a Web connection.


Check WHOIS on the domain(s) - one WHOIS interface is at www.samspade.org
See if the addresses match and if there is another company name registered along with the domain or another domain name in the email address - this often can give a clue to ownership. Check out related companies and domains.
Check that the domain wasn't created only a short time ago
Do a reverse address and phone lookup on 411.com - do the addresses and phone numbers match up as expected? Note: a business that uses a mobile phone number as their main business number is a big red flag. Pay as you go cell phones are a scammer's best friend - use 'em then throw them away.
Check resellerratings.com on the store name and related company names
Check that the certificates and trusted site logo links actually go to the verification pages at the provider organization
Check Apple.com "Where to Buy: Find a Reseller" to see if they are authorized
Google for the company names and URLs to see links, reviews, ratings, and forum posts. Google the address to see if other companies have operated out of the same address, and whether there are complaints with those companies.
Look up the company and URL on BBB.org
Check to see if they accept Visa and Mastercard directly (not through PayPal). You have a lot more protection using a charge card than PayPal. Anyone can set up PayPal with phony info and a mail drop, but it is more difficult to set up a merchant Visa and Mastercard account. A 'business' that takes PayPal only, or Paypal plus wire transfers or Western Union only is a big danger signal. You have almost no protection with wire transfers and Western Union transfers.


Anyone can do this, and it should be standard issue procedure if you are thinking of dealing with a company online, whether buying or selling.

[CRAZYBUBBA]

fantastic advice from CanadaRAM. A true credit to MR. I'll be sure to make use of this post when purchasing in the future.

[CanadaRAM]

I have made a Guide page for this

Buying Online - Is This Company Legitimate (http://guides.macrumors.com/Buying_Online_-_Is_This_Company_Legitimate%3F)

[Tallest Skil]

Hi Guys,

I saw this post and wanted to save the skin of my deadbeat "company" that not only does not sell Macs at all, but will take and sell your identity free of charge!

Fixed, one-poster. Your address is for a completely different company.

It's Psystar all over again, but even less legit.

[tingly]

Their address is for the same company. Please research harder before you slam a company next time.

[CanadaRAM]

its a scam trust me

If you have experience or evidence, please offer it.

[garfield2002]

While I'm sure that the MacRumors community appreciates you taking the time to answer some of our questions about your company, our posts should serve as some indication as to what consumers are looking for when addressing the legitimacy of a web-based company.

That being said, I have been back to your website and have noticed very little substantive change in the way you represent your products. Stating the your machines are Core Duo (not Core 2 Duo) is a promising start, however, many of the most glaring and suspicious deficiencies still remain:

1) No where is the term "refurbished" mentioned on any of the product description, even in the return policy. You appear to be comfortable stating this here, why not just say this upfront on your website?

These are clearly not Apple certified refurbished machines, However, 2) You state that a defective Apple machine cannot be returned to your company. Do you honestly expect Apple to replace this machine for your customers? You also charge a 20% restocking for opening the package and the customer is still responsible for return shipping. Your return policies are frankly horrid. In my opinion there are other companies with much more open and customer friendly policies.

3) Your Warranty FAQ is still blank.

Your business may be legitimate, however the impression that your web presence is sending is not consistent with this.

[Tallest Skil]

Their address is for the same company. Please research harder before you slam a company next time.

http://www.yellowbot.com/mac-step-los-angeles-ca-1.html

I don't know... Isn't it a bad idea to have the same company go by two names?

And neither of them show up in Yellowbook.com

[thinkband]

scam. If you have not heard of the place, do not spend your money there.

It is funny to me that every week someone asks "Anyone heard of thecomputerspecialplace.com." If it isn't named Amazon or Newegg (or other similar placeS), why put your money there? You cannot find a price difference of more than $100 from respectable dealers, so stop looking.

[mikes63737]

This is clearly a scam. If you read the privacy policy, they just copied and pasted another site's privacy policy and replaced the company's info with Applepalace.com, probably using a program's "Replace All" command.

Here's an example - note the "Applepalace.com.com" e-mail addresses.

If you would like additional information regarding our Privacy Policy, please contact us as follows:

Our postal address is: Applepalace.com, 2333 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064
Our e-mail address for general information is: info@Applepalace.com.com
Our e-mail address for removal of e-mail names is: remove@Applepalace.com.com
(Please place your exact e-mail address in the body text of your e-mail.)
Our telephone number is 310-441-4769
Access to Your Information


And here's another one. Note the capitalization of everything but the company's name - especially the bolded section.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NEGLIGENCE, SHALL Applepalace.com BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF DATA OR PROFIT, ARISING OUT OF THE USE, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, THE MATERIALS ON THIS SITE, EVEN IF Applepalace.com OR AN Applepalace.com'S AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES


A legit company wouldn't be so careless.

[Tallest Skil]

scam. If you have not heard of the place, do not spend your money there.

It is funny to me that every week someone asks "Anyone heard of thecomputerspecialplace.com." If it isn't named Amazon or Newegg (or other similar placeS), why put your money there? You cannot find a price difference of more than $100 from respectable dealers, so stop looking.

Ehhh... I have to caution you there. Yes, 95% of the time it is a scam. But NowDirect.com... isn't. I could have sworn that it was because of the radically lower prices until I came here and got a response from TEG, whom I respect. I went ahead and was sent the LG Blu-ray burner/HD DVD reader that I had ordered for over $120 less than NewEgg one day after ordering, and I had not even requested expedited shipping.

[ucfgrad93]

applepalace.com

Anyone have an opinion on them?

I don't know. There have been enough red flags pointed out here that I would be cautious about doing business with them. In fact, I would find someplace else.

[0sync0]

If it isn't named Amazon or Newegg (or other similar placeS), why put your money there?
How about because those places don't sell models which are no longer in production?

[Tallest Skil]

I have seen lots of scam but none of them invited people giving an address or phone number or a real name.


Ever heard of Psystar, Kaya?

[WildCowboy]

Ever heard of Psystar, Kaya?

At least these guys exist at the address they give:

113015

[0sync0]

If they are scammers then they are doing a really good job of scamming. The Wayback Machine shows their web site has been up since 2005.

That means they've been scamming people for three years and yet they managed to keep all the people who were scammed from posting here.

[Tallest Skil]

Are they there? I then concede the point and offer a formal apology. Seems as though we've found another trustworthy seller.

I said myself that it's only a scam 95% of the time. :p

I've stayed out of the whole Psystar nonsense until now; here's how I see it...

Apple's behind it. Apple created them as a scam to make cloners seem untrustworthy (as if they already weren't with the shoddy drivers...) and to reaffirm loyalties before the Mini redesign.

Apple won't ship the clones, but they won't charge people's cards, either (or they could and if no one traces the scam to them they'd wind up pocketing more, but even His Jobsness isn't that evil).

Watch and see how right I am.

[iToaster]

So, based on the information provided here, would it be advisable to buy a Mac Pro heat sink from Applepalace.com (they are pretty much the only company that has them... which sounds a little fishy to me, but what do I know)?

[Tallest Skil]

(they are pretty much the only company that has them... which sounds a little fishy to me, but what do I know)?

Macmall.com (http://www.macmall.com), maybe?

[thinkband]

Okay how about this. Where on your website can the consumer find out that "all your computers are refurbs?"

I call this scam and I would surely like someone to try this website out. It just seems so suspicious that this place has been around for so long, without ratings, without an ebay connection, and without notice. A store like this with a website (pretty much unknown) would surely get themselves on Amazon and Ebay as those are great ways to start a business. Their website looks pretty legit, but anyone can pay $1000 to a teenager to create their website.

Why not just buy refurbs from the Apple refurb store? They are basically brand new, and Apple backs them up if you have any problems.

For a few posters who commented on my post about scam websites. 95% of the time, places like this are scams. There are many places to buy used/refurbished Apple computers who have a proven record for selling quality products. I was just pointing out that when you are going to put so much money into a computer, it is best to get it right and buy from places on the same calibur as Amazon and Newegg, not necessarily from those two places.

[thinkband]

I think that "refurbished item" term is kind of confusing for many people. Let me explain what kind of computers we sell.

We get used computers , most of them are in running condition but lets say all of them have a different problem. Computers are checked by technicians, any part with the problem are being replaced with the new ones. Last step, we do a new operating system installation.

All machines are sold with 2 months warranty whatever you call them refurbished or used. They are NOT APPLE CERTIFIED machines, that means you cannot go to an Apple Store for service; 2 months warranty is given by our company.

Exactly... wth does that mean? You think refurbished is a confusing term? Not really. I am reading your website and it sure looks like everything is new to me. Refurbished or used, I should see it easily on your website. Your normal online customers (if they exist) will go to your website thinking they are buying a new computer, and that in itself is a scam. You may think it is 'obvious' that your computers are used/refurbished but you need to be honest with your 'customers.'

Scam or not, you sir are running a shady business.

[Mactroddy]

Last week I ordered a german keyboard for MacBook Pro at Apple Palace. This part can be bought from ebay about 30 $ cheaper, but then, the ebay sellers could not tell me if their keyboard were ok for my macbook model. In fact, the ebay sellers did not even know which model they were selling so I took my chance and called apple palace.

On the ApplePalace website, I got an recommendation for a keyboard with the model number D922-7908. The person on the phone entered my Mac serial number in a database and found out that I needed a different keyboard: D922-8035. So while the website was misleading, I found these guys to be very helpful. Shipping was fast, I had my item after a few days (via fedex).

Still, it was a bit more pricy than ebay, and had I ordered the part from the website, it would have been the wrong part. But I am glad that I go the correct keyboard in the end, so I can confirm this company exists, has not always the most accurate information on its website, but is helpful on the phone and has access to the apple database to find out which part you need exactly.

[amactec]

I have been an apple tech for over ten years, both at an ASP and at my own shop. I have bought apple parts from all kinds of vendors, including from Apple.
When I recently needed an LVDS cable, I googled for the part. I found it at many places, but the cheapest I found was $39 plus S&H, for a used cable.
When I found Apple Palace, I googled them and found this thread. I thought, from the posts here, that they might be scammers, but they had the part for $19 plus S&H. I decided to risk my money and ordered the part. I called the phone number listed on their site the next day to check on my order. I spoke with someone named Kaya. He said the part had not shipped because he had found a new one some where and was going to ship that instead of the used cable.
I began to think I had wasted my money when 3 days later a brand new, still in sealed Apple packing, cable arrived. My customer is happy because the part didn't cost them an arm and a leg, or two, and I'm happy because I've found a quality supplier of Apple parts.
So just because a site doesn't have a glitzy web page (not every one can afford a full time web master) or pages of rave reviews when googled, don't automatically assume they are scammers.
As I work on a lot of mac's, Apple Palace will no doubt be getting a lot of business from me in the future.
I know that one transaction doesn't mean much, but they went out of their way to get me a new part when what I ordered from their web site was a used part.
That makes them OK in my book.

[iceblade]

Ok guys, tomorrow I ll check all the computer products on the website and I ll place a "USED COMPUTER" attribute to them if they dont have it. Most of the people call the store for more informaion about a product and we also tell them it is a used computer if they dont know it. We never got a complaint about selling a used product as showing it brand new.



Selling a used product, but showing it brand new, is a problem, no matter where you are. I'm surprised you haven't, if you are a legit business. You must be selling to computer 'illiterate' people.

A lot of people keep mentioning newegg and amazon. Those guys had to start sometime, and they would never get started if no one bought from them. You can't just buy from the big guys, or the little guys will never have a chance to become a big guy.

That being said, the majority of support for this brand has come from multiple first time posters. No offense if you guys are legit, but that looks shady. Thats just something you'll have to deal with.

The whole thread is about other positives and negatives though. I won't go into those, because it would just be repeating the thread except in one post.

All in all? I wouldn't buy from them. There seem to be more legit sellers. But I'm also not in the market for buying a computer for a while, let alone a used one.

[dilbert4life]

Well, I just ordered a power supply for my iMac G5 Rev. A (No iSight) 20" from applepalace.com. Fingers crossed, hoping that I will receive it within a couple-few days. I will post back with my experience.

applepalace.com didn't have the cheapest price for them though, I found a better deal on applecomponents.com. But their website just screams SCAM!!! They post alot of stuff on craigslist around the nation. I am not sure if they are legit or not.

What are your thoughts on applecomponents.com? Have any of you dealt with them personally?

[dilbert4life]

Sure enough, my power supply came in the mail today. FedEx did a good job. Had it installed 5 minutes after opening the box, and it works great.

I will definitely be working with and ordering from applepalace.com again.:apple:

[kungfu]

Well, I just ordered a power supply for my iMac G5 Rev. A (No iSight) 20" from applepalace.com. Fingers crossed, hoping that I will receive it within a couple-few days. I will post back with my experience.

applepalace.com didn't have the cheapest price for them though, I found a better deal on applecomponents.com. But their website just screams SCAM!!! They post alot of stuff on craigslist around the nation. I am not sure if they are legit or not.

What are your thoughts on applecomponents.com? Have any of you dealt with them personally?

hey-- I program the applecomponents.com site! so many 922s and 661s in my head. I don't do the design (just implement it), but ... what makes it look like such a scam? it's a shame, too, because we have a bunch of reviews on Google Checkout, but no real way to display or link to them. I'm still working to get them to display next to our items on Google Base.

[alphaod]

Okay slushy n00b with one post: NO.

[dilbert4life]

hey-- I program the applecomponents.com site! so many 922s and 661s in my head. I don't do the design (just implement it), but ... what makes it look like such a scam? it's a shame, too, because we have a bunch of reviews on Google Checkout, but no real way to display or link to them. I'm still working to get them to display next to our items on Google Base.

It seems so simply designed, kind of like it was thrown together. It is also difficult to navigate, with hard to find contact information. Plus, (this doesn't have anything to do with the site specifically) there are advertisements on craigslist for the site (not that that is a bad thing) but come'on, all around the nation? Plus, I searched and searched and didn't find any reputable positive reviews about applecomponents.com.

As for displaying/linking to the reviews, you can take a screenshot of your desktop displaying the reviews, and post that screenshot here. (Not necessarily HERE, but you know what I mean.)

Okay slushy n00b with one post: NO.

I hope you weren't referring to me. (I doubt it, because I have had more than just 1 post.) Just because I haven't been on MacRumors long doesn't mean I am a n00b as you so cleverly put it.

I haven't learned how to multiquote yet, so I will just triple post.

Are they there? I then concede the point and offer a formal apology. Seems as though we've found another trustworthy seller.

I said myself that it's only a scam 95% of the time. :p

I've stayed out of the whole Psystar nonsense until now; here's how I see it...

Apple's behind it. Apple created them as a scam to make cloners seem untrustworthy (as if they already weren't with the shoddy drivers...) and to reaffirm loyalties before the Mini redesign.

Apple won't ship the clones, but they won't charge people's cards, either (or they could and if no one traces the scam to them they'd wind up pocketing more, but even His Jobsness isn't that evil).

Watch and see how right I am.

It seems that you are wrong, since Apple just filed a lawsuit against them for selling illegal Mac Clones.

But it's ok to be wrong, I have been once or twice before.:apple:

[WinterMute]

The Slushy188 membership is a shill for talking up the shop, same IP, both getting the big stick.

Please keep reporting your experiences people, the shill and advert posts from the company nonwithstanding, they still might be legitimate....

[kungfu]

The Slushy188 membership is a shill for talking up the shop, same IP, both getting the big stick.

Please keep reporting your experiences people, the shill and advert posts from the company nonwithstanding, they still might be legitimate....

Did the post being referenced get deleted or something? I find no mention of slushy.

So there's no confusion, I definitely work for applecomponents.com.

It seems so simply designed, kind of like it was thrown together. It is also difficult to navigate, with hard to find contact information. Plus, (this doesn't have anything to do with the site specifically) there are advertisements on craigslist for the site (not that that is a bad thing) but come'on, all around the nation? Plus, I searched and searched and didn't find any reputable positive reviews about applecomponents.com.

As for displaying/linking to the reviews, you can take a screenshot of your desktop displaying the reviews, and post that screenshot here. (Not necessarily HERE, but you know what I mean.)

Thanks for the feedback, it's really appreciated. I would say the core part of the site, and the part I encourage people to check out most, is the "select your computer" select box on the home page. Once you select a family, all of the other junk on the home page clears away, and you can compare the models within that family (each named according to how they are in the Apple service manuals). From there it's one click to compare the entire part list for that computer with our inventory.

That, and I like my "AJAX" category browser.

With the google checkout reviews, I don't think they'll have much of any legitimacy until I can actually link to them on a Google hosted page. I would definitely send a screencap at someone's request of how they appear on the Checkout backend, but posting that on our site might make it look even less legit! we also have some 900 odd reviews on ebay (although I'm not sure how much that helps our legitimacy either!).

[Tallest Skil]

IIt seems that you are wrong, since Apple just filed a lawsuit against them for selling illegal Mac Clones.

But it's ok to be wrong, I have been once or twice before.:apple:

High and mighty you might be, but you can't see a joke from ME?!

I totally forgot about this thread...

[Professor D]

I wish I had read this forum before I ordered a couple iMacs. What a horrible experience.

I run a Mac lab and was instructed to purchase two white iMacs to match the ones we had in the lab. Turn-around time on this project was critical. I had about two weeks to obtain the computers. I found AP through a search for used/refurb macs. Unlucky me.

It took over a month! to receive the 2 iMacs. And when they finally arrived there were major problems: 1, they came with Macally mice and keyboards (not worst thing, but not the Mac keyboards and mice I expected), 2, one of the iMacs was broken. The screen had a huge scratch they displayed no image when turned on. Note: this was not from shipping! They sent it to me broken!!!

So, I returned it to have it replaced. One month later, nothing. I call them and they say they never received it. I call back the next day with a tracking number showing they had received the iMac 4 days after I shipped it. When given this information they told me they would ship one the next day.

So that's where I stand—hoping I will receive my iMac in 5-7 business days.

I have had the most horrible experience with AP. Yes they are a real business, but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE!!!

[jwarren]

The Better Business Bureau lists ApplePalace.com with an AA rating (which is very good!). It would be VERY helpful for those who had any problems with AP, to file complaints with BBB.

I ran into some seeming inconsistencies when I first checked BBB for AP:
On 12/17/08, bbb.org didn't have any listing at all of them.
But the Apple Palace website has a BBB-approved logo, and clicking on it went to an labbb.org listing, that gave them the AA rating.
However, that BBB link from AP's web-page was to a www.labbb.org web-page (cited below) ... NOT to www.la.bbb.org.

That created a second-level personal paranoia: labbb.org and la.bbb.org APPEARED to both be official BBB sites ... but one listed a good report on ApplePalace.com, while the other said it had no information at all about 'em!

So I sent a query to the webmasters at BOTH the national bbb.org and the la.bbb.org web-sites, asking:
Is http://www.labbb.org/ also a BBB website, or some kind of scam using BBB's logos, name, etc.? Stumbled onto it when ApplePalace.com's website presented a BBB logo that linked to a favorable report at the above web-site ... while at the same time, bbb.org's search system didn't find ANY BBB listing at all, for ApplePalace.com or www.applepalace.com. Caveat Emptor!

Somewhat to my surprise (given how most such queries are treated by most webmasters), I received a prompt, personalized and substantive response:
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:12:43 -0800
From: "BBB Webmaster" <webmaster@labbb.org>
To: "Better Business Bureau" <jwarren@well.com>
Hello Jim,
The websites www.labbb.org and www.la.bbb.org are both administered by the Better Business Bureau of the Southland. We recently transitioned from www.labbb.org to www.la.bbb.org and left the old site up for businesses that are still using old links on their websites.
ApplePalace’s BBB logo is legit, but the link was pointing the report on our old website. We have updated their link since your last email.
The direct link to their report can be found at http://www.labbb.org/BusinessReport.aspx?CompanyID=13026728
There was a technical issue on our end that did not allow the company to appear in search results. I have corrected the issue and they can now be found on our website at *http://www.la.bbb.org/BusinessFind.aspx.
We do not administer the national website, http://us.bbb.org, you will not be able to find this company until we upload our data to the Council of Better Business Bureaus. You should be able to find them on the national site by tomorrow.
Apologies for any inconveniences. Please let me know if I can further assist you.
Robert Peng | Network Administrator
Tel: 909.835.6064
Email: rpeng@labbb.org
www.labbb.org | Start With Trust
Better Business Bureau of the Southland
315 North La Cadena Drive
Colton, CA 92324

And jus' as a final double-check, I confirmed via the InterNIC/WhoIs that both labbb.org and la.bbb.org ARE owned by the Los Angeles Better Business Bureau.

Sooo ... if ya had problems with AP, and are less than enchanted with the BBB's double-A rating, file a snarl! :-)

--jim

[WillowWizard]

I ordered an I-Mac G5 from these people (Apple Palace) and they sent me a Computer with a crack in the monitor screen:eek:, and discolored pixels around the crack! There was no way they could not have seen that before they sent it out. They probably thought they were sending it to some unsuspecting dummy that wouldn't have a clue as to what they were looking at. Then they made me pay out of pocket for the return shipping on a computer they should of NEVER sent to anyone in the first place!! Watch out ordering anything "Refurbished" sight unseen, especially computers.
I was not at all impressed with ApplePalace.:mad:

[kastenbrust]

Theyre selling well out of date equipment

[WillowWizard]

Theyre selling well out of date equipment

In this day and age a computer 1 year old is "Out Dated":eek:!

[mrweems]

I'm new here. I love my MBP and i want an imac.

Is this comany legit or what? I have noticed some of the links on their site don't work. As well as i clicked the "checkout" thing to view their payment methods. Yeah didn't work, and Firefox told me to exit out of the window. Due to it not being safe.

[Aintawerd02]

Apple Palace is a certified and verified store with the Better Business Bureau. It's also rated a A- store so it must do pretty well. I think it's pretty safe to buy with them, just make sure you use Paypal :D

[old-wiz]

Better business bureau ratings have to be taken with a grain of salt. NO LEGIT website lacks a telephone number! The website also has no page for return policies. If you want to lose your money that's your business. And don't count on PayPal to help you a great deal.

[Aintawerd02]

I don't see why they wouldnt be legit if they are through the BBB AND are accredited, especially with all the info they have provided.

Firefox told me to exit out of the window. Due to it not being safe.


My firefox didn't do that.

CanadaRAM is a superhero.

Apple Palace is ran by that computer store you pulled up on Google Maps. If you look at it the store's name is "Computer Graphics and Networking"

Well if you go to the official apple website for seller of apple products:

http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/index.html?q=90064

you see right down on the list, "Computer Graphics and Networking" is an Authorized seller by Apple. They MUST be legit.

They even have another website, they have a link to Apple Palace as well. Here it is. :D

http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/index.html?q=90064

[Sun Baked]

Better business bureau ratings have to be taken with a grain of salt. NO LEGIT website lacks a telephone number! The website also has no page for return policies. If you want to lose your money that's your business. And don't count on PayPal to help you a great deal.

Must have missed those digits on the left of the graphic

http://www.applepalace.com/PageImages/apple-palace-menum.png

If you go to

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://applepalace.com

They are years old, and used to have a shared phone number with the Computer Graphics establishment listed earlier in the thread.

When I checked last year, for another poster who went to the store personally, seems they had just redone the website and posted a new phone number which made it hard to trace in 09/2008.

And the phone numbers I've seen

(310)441-4769 current Applepalace #
(310)441-4770 Fax
(310)441-4771 Old 2005 Applepalace # shared with Computer Graphics see archive.org 2005 contact info (http://web.archive.org/web/20050323090619/applepalace.com/scripts/contactus.asp)

etc. are similar enough to have been picked up as a block from the phone company.

[Aintawerd02]

Yeah i think they are a real business and all, but i think i might buy my mac from Mac Of All Trades because it's not too much of a price difference.

And Apple Palace doesnt have a large inventory, so no telling if I could get the mac i want. :confused:

[jcoukos]

I found AP on the web while looking for a refurbed iMac 24" for $1000 vs $1,850 plus tax in the Apple store. They took my order, processed it efficiently, answered my questions and delivery was a snap.

iMac was set up with no problems, everything in the box as described.

Net net, they are a good small business providing a valuable service and employing people.

Isn't that the American way? Just because they aren't on the NASDAQ doesn't mean they are bad guys.

Thanks

John Coukos

[ItzelliaArt]

I actually did hesitate buying a mac from an online site other than Apple.
However, a friend of mine convinced me to do it since he had experience already.
I order a white Macbook 120 GB Harddrive Core Duo for just 800.

It took 2 weeks of delivery. Works great :D

Of course, all of their Macs are refurbished, but they are still in good condition.

[zwilliams07]

Stumbled upon this thread in my own pursuit of information about the seller. So far things look legitimate, however I do find 'jcoukos' post and status rather suspicious. Such high praise, almost to a level of [self] parody. But notice how the account was created, used to post one message, and then never logged onto again.

Suspicious to say the least.

[Ab Ovo]

Hi -- Just joined, having the thread sent me by a friend knowing I wanted a white 24" Mac desktop. I had asked after Apple Palace. Thought the site too good to be true, then worried when I couldn't reach them by phone. Three times the answering machine took my message; never was the question-call returned.

The Web site of gainsaver.com offers white units also, but cannot do the memory I want.

I've tried other sites for used Macs, but these seem not to bother much with white units.

Anyone have suggestions for a used white Mac seller that can be depended upon? I'm of a mind, still, to try Apple Palace (the store front looks as I expected ... seeing it was a big help. Too, once Kaya messaged me to put my specs on their form and submit but did not send me a number "where I can talk with you". I stopped trying to talk with them via e-mail since.), for this thread about it seems fair ... and maybe they will come through.

Still, any ideas on other sellers?

Thanks.

[bishopcq]

DO NOT i repeat DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR MAC THROUGH APPLE PALACE!!!

they have THE worst customer service! as i was ordering, i tried to explain to the rep ("Kaya", who claimed to be the owner) that the address on my direct deposit card i recieved from my employer is through an old address, but the rep insisted that the mailing address must be the same as the address on my year old pay card. as i was trying to go through other payment options the rep continued to yell over me stating "Well you dont HAVE to purchase through us, what dont you understand about this?". it was THE worst ive ever been talked to by a business "professional." my suggestion is to save up the extra 200 or so dollars and get yourself a brand spankin new mac (which is what i did) and save yourself the trouble of dealing with one of these ass holes and risking getting a sub par, inferior mac which probably is about 2 or 3 years old (and the $100 extended warranty covers only a fraction of what could go wrong with the mac. and if its a software problem then forget about it!). trust me, its not worth the risk or the treatment.

[Kappasig5]

I bought a 2.0 macbook pro from them a few weeks back and was having some issues with a kernel panic. I brought it back and waited only a few minutes before some guy named jack said he'd take a look at it. After a colorful scene between some guy behind the counter and some lady having a screaming match, jack handed the computer back to me and said it was the ram. I was surprised by the quick repair and went on my marry way. I bumped into that lady outside the store and apparently she had a Hinge problem with her screen and they tried to fix it with a HAMMER. I should've taken that as a sign. Two days later during a PreCal exam, the kernal panic came back!!!. I was pretty P.Od but luckily i studied the night before and didnt need my files, if i hadn't, i wouldve set the laptop on fire and hoped for the fire alarm to come on so i could retake the test.

Long story short, ive been in and out of that place 3 times before i decided to return the piece of sh$t, pay the restocking fee and pick up a laptop off of amazon. After i did the math, i paid 800 for the laptop, got 650 back after restocking fee, and bought another 2.0 for 700. I was out 200$ 3 weeks of headaches and the self loathing feeling as to not have found this site sooner.

In my opinion, 50/50 chance you'll get a perfectly working computer at a great price.

[CoolMorgan]

I went crazy looking for a 24" imac. Found apple palace. Gave me a KILLER deal and I'm still using my comp. This happened a year ago. I had a dad go to the actual store and they kicked the tax AND another 200 bucks when he paid CASH.

So YES, go for it. They also gave me a brand new keyboard and mouse.

Why not.

I am a trusted source.

[al2o3cr]

I went crazy looking for a 24" imac. Found apple palace. Gave me a KILLER deal and I'm still using my comp. This happened a year ago. I had a dad go to the actual store and they kicked the tax AND another 200 bucks when he paid CASH.

So they're also scamming the state out of sales tax. Good to know.


So YES, go for it. They also gave me a brand new keyboard and mouse.

Why not.

I am a trusted source.

...says the account that just registered to make this post. Yep, not a shill AT ALL...

[alphaod]

I went crazy looking for a 24" imac. Found apple palace. Gave me a KILLER deal and I'm still using my comp. This happened a year ago. I had a dad go to the actual store and they kicked the tax AND another 200 bucks when he paid CASH.

So YES, go for it. They also gave me a brand new keyboard and mouse.

Why not.

I am a trusted source.

Next time it helps when you don't tell people you're a trusted source… or maybe you should post out the blue. I don't know which is more sound. :rolleyes:

[racketeer71]

I'd suggest a MOD took at look at this topic.

From my perspective, it's quite obvious that all the "newbies" praising Apple Palace are bogus accounts (look at the join date + post date + number of posts).

A casual google user might wind up at this page, and not notice the previous discussion and just see a handful of praising posts.

[gnasher729]

I found AP on the web while looking for a refurbed iMac 24" for $1000 vs $1,850 plus tax in the Apple store. They took my order, processed it efficiently, answered my questions and delivery was a snap.

iMac was set up with no problems, everything in the box as described.

Net net, they are a good small business providing a valuable service and employing people.

Isn't that the American way? Just because they aren't on the NASDAQ doesn't mean they are bad guys.

Thanks

John Coukos

That was John Coukos one and only post on MacRumors.

I actually did hesitate buying a mac from an online site other than Apple.
However, a friend of mine convinced me to do it since he had experience already.
I order a white Macbook 120 GB Harddrive Core Duo for just 800.

It took 2 weeks of delivery. Works great :D

Of course, all of their Macs are refurbished, but they are still in good condition.

That was "ItzelliaArt"s one and only post on MacRumors.

I went crazy looking for a 24" imac. Found apple palace. Gave me a KILLER deal and I'm still using my comp. This happened a year ago. I had a dad go to the actual store and they kicked the tax AND another 200 bucks when he paid CASH.

So YES, go for it. They also gave me a brand new keyboard and mouse.

Why not.

I am a trusted source.

That was CoolMorgan's one and only post on MacRumors.

I conclude that Apple Palace really must be an impressive store. Three customers who are so happy that they have to create an account on MacRumors just to tell us all about it. Very impressive.

[garycurtis]

This is my first day on this Forum. The Apple Palace is located about 1 mile from my house. About a mile South of UCLA in the Westwood area of Los Angeles.

I need to pick up some USB cables, so I'll drop by there tomorrow and ask a bunch of questions. Although my CIA spy license expired and the investigative skills are rusty, I might learn something.

I'll ask about return and refund policies. And warranty. There are a lot of Mac users in this town because of the heavy film and music presence. Though I've used Macs since 1987, I never heard of these guys. Everyone goes for repairs to Mac Enthusiasts (just around the corner) , so I'll ask them if they know anything.

Because there so many users in the area, prices on Craigslist are pretty encouraging.

Gary Curtis

[WildCowboy]

Just throwing out some thoughts here, but MacRumors forum threads figure prominently in Google search results (this thread is the #1 result for "Apple Palace"), so it is understandable that people may stumble across them and sign up to post, so a first-post newbie isn't necessarily a shill.

That said, there have been shills in this thread (and many others), and when we have evidence that we believe is strong enough to "convict", we do take action against the posters. So yes, we are watching, and while some shills may make it through, we're keeping on eye on these sorts of threads.

[garycurtis]

Give me some questions to throw at them. Aside from the obvious ones I suggested in my post.

Gary Curtis

[garycurtis]

I just now returned from a visit to the Apple Palace. The name didn't job my memory, but now that I've seen the storefront, the place has been there for a dozen years. They are new to me.

There is no red Apple logo sticker on the door or the windows. They have stacked empty boxes from MacPros covering most of the front of the store. A rather cheesey glass display case holds some laptops. Two people sit at desks, and way off in the back I could see about 4 others in what appears to be their repair or shipping dept.

I spoke with Randy, a rather nice fellow. He knew more than I do about Macs, which isn't saying much. Randy told me their website only lists contact information, but no products for sale. They offer a 90-day warranty on their used and refurbished products. I asked who does the repair, and he said they have certified technicians. I asked, "Certified by who?" By Apple, he said.

So that you can assess my evaluation, I should tell you something about the neighborhood. There are more than a dozen little storefronts all doing the same thing as Apple Palace. And some of them even have the red Apple logo.

Business doesn't look good, from the appearance of Apple Palace. There is a Best Buy less than one mile away. MacMall is 3 miles away. Fry's is about 8 miles away. In my dealings with some similar competitors in the neighborhood — mostly small stuff like cables, keyboards — I was satisfied but wary. The prices wavered, depending on how they sized you up visually.

I mentioned a few times that I don't know much. But here is something I do know, because I've been looking at Craigslist for 6 weeks at possibly getting a G-5 tower. Compared to the local market (as judged by Craigslist), these guys aren't competitive. Computer Palace sells a used G-5 for $550 that I could buy in an instant for $450, and possibly for $350 if I waited awhile.

And if I bought an item on Craigslist, I would of course be able to try the operation of the equipment. Because of my age and experience, I would look for a dealer with more credentials.

Gary

[garycurtis]

My brain is a little rusty, or I would have thought to mention this. Try www.a1acomputing.com also in Westwood. A big retailer of refurbished Macs. I have gotten 4 repair jobs and a few memory upgrades in laptops over the years. They are an official Apple dealer.

Most people I know who are trading up sell their stuff to them.

Always a line of customers at the door. I'm not sure about prices.

Gary

[h4lp m3]

Sadly, ApplePalace.com is offline. :(

Say what you want, but those guys were my favorite place to shop for cheap mac parts... They probably closed because of you buffoons screaming "SCAM! SCAM!" even though you never ordered anything from them,

I hope they come back. They were the best. :(

[CylonGlitch]

Sadly, ApplePalace.com is offline. :(

You do know that the people talking about ApplePalace.com is a thread from 2008; and that there hasn't been a post to this thread in a year.