Never Buying a Mac From CompUSA Again

[Abstract]

If you're going to buy an Apple product from a chain store like CompUSA, make sure the sales people don't get commission because they said, "Hi".

Make sure you know more about Macs than they do. I always test my salesmen out first by asking a rookie question and listening to the accuracy of the response.

At Futureshop (largest electronics retailer in Canada, and bought by Best Buy a few years ago 🙄 ), one guy tried to sell me a 14" iBook even though I wanted the 12". I was set on a 12" iBook or PB. I knew more than him, and knew the screen size wasn't a problem. He said that I should buy the 14" model because the price difference was only $400 Cdn. He also said that the 14" model (possibly the G3 900MHz model?) was as fast as a P4 3GHz (fastest PC at the time). Then he got the box and walked towards the cashier, as if I told him I was going to buy it. All I asked was whether they had a 12", and the guy is already asking me for my credit card with a 14" iBook in his hand. 'tard. 🙄

 

[stillwater]

I went in to CompUSA last week looking for a USB2 hub. They had a Belkin model in the Apple section that had the Apple style packaging priced at $70.

I the looked in the PC section and found the same exact piece in what I guess is their standard packaging priced at $60.

That still seemed steep for hub, so I went to the Apple Store and found it priced at $50.

I had wrongly assumed that the Apple store would be more expensive.

From now on I'll not bother shopping at CompUSA, at least not for mac stuff.

 

[t300]

I go to CompUSA to LOOK at Mac stuff, never really buy from there, because as I say, you cannot get ANYTHING cheaper on the internet. Keep this is mind...They must be doing something right if Apple is still letting them sell their products.

On a lighter note, I actually had a little thing with them about 2 months ago and am now sitting on $400 of giftcards to CompUSA.

 

[JaisHTX]

I go to CompUSA to LOOK at Mac stuff, never really buy from there, because as I say, you cannot get ANYTHING cheaper on the internet. Keep this is mind...They must be doing something right if Apple is still letting them sell their products.

On a lighter note, I actually had a little thing with them about 2 months ago and am now sitting on $400 of giftcards to CompUSA.

I couldn't even go look properly. I was stuck between a 15" and 17" PB, CompUSA is 30 mins away, and the Apple store is 1.75 hours away. So I go to CompUSA, thinking, like all their PC Laptops, you could play around on them, turn them on, pick them up, see how the weight is on them, see if there is a lot of flex. But NO!! These things have the batteries removes, no power cord going to them, and are almost bolted down to the display. I am thinking, "how in the hell do they think they will sell a lot of Macs, then they have them basically in a prison." So, then I go FIND a sales person, and ask him, but he knows nothing, and tries to take me over the the 17" HP laptop. So I ask to speak to the sales manager. Instead, he sends out the Apple rep for the store, Mr. Ware. I am happy, because I wrongly think, that this guy will be more helpful. But he gives me some lecture about how too many people just play on the Macs for them to be able to power them up, and that he doesn't have the keys to unbolt them. So then, I am furious, but I ask him some questions, for fun. Told him I wanted one with 128 MB Vid. memory, and he had the nerve to tell me that apple doesn't make it with that, so I told him he needs to go back to Apple Training, and that I will file a complaint about him (which I never did), and I leave. So, I drive on 1.25 hours more and hit the apple store, and get all the info I need, and go home and order the 17" with 128 video mem.

CompUSA truly does suck, wasted 40 mins. there for nothing!!!! 😡

 

[rueyeet]

The Apple Rep at my local compUSA (South Town plaza, rochester NY) is excellent, probably because he works for Apple. He has always been able to find anything that I need. Where is yours?

An Apple Rep doesn't always make for a good experience. I remember my last visit to a CompUSA to look at Apple gear: There was a guy asking for buying advice (the classic "Powerbook now, or wait?" question) I happened to mention that the rumormill expected Aluminum Powerbooks in a few months. Which, at the time, was true. And the Apple Rep looked at me like I was the biggest idiot on the planet and in a tone dripping with the sarcasm of those who must tread among the unwashed intellectual masses, scathingly informed me that there was no such thing as an Aluminum Powerbook.

Well, no kidding, Sherlock, I did mention that it was a "rumor".

I don't have an issue with the guy trying to stamp out a rumor that might influence his customer's purchasing decision, but I DO have an issue with his unprofessional tone, and at being treated like an idiot.

I'd actually never go to CompUSA to buy either a PC or a Mac. The salespeople are too often teenage ignoramuses, ignorant gits, or snotty tech snobs.

 

[virividox]

i know when rumors are brought up sales people get annoyed because they are trying to sell based on hard facts, while the rumors may be true later on, its kind hard to tell a customer to wait based on rumors

imnot defending him; i mean if he was disrepsectful he was disrespectful; but you gotta see that a salesperson shouldnt be relying on rumors

 

[gear02]

I never ask employees at bestbuy and compusa for information or advice, other than where is this exact product (i've been lucky since the stores I've been to know where the item is kept).

The times I buy stuff from compusa are the times when i need it nowish (computer died, etc.) Those places don't have training, so do some research yourself, and only use the store to buy, not to get information.

 

[t300]

How many of you really need a sales associate? I'd say most members here are pretty much in the know about computers, and everyone is just crazed. When I go in, I know what does what, etc. I never rely on the sales guys simply (and I don't want to sound full of myself, but's true) because I know that I know a lot more than them.

It is fun to sometimes quiz them on difficult questions that they cannot answer, though. 😀

 

[edesignuk]

http://maddox.xmission.com/c.cgi?u=compusa_sucks
🙄 🙄

Damn you! I was just about to post that! Good job I had a quick skip through the thread first! 😀

 

[slooksterPSV]

Well my family isn't going to deal with CompUSA ever again. We go in and my brother buys an iPod (the first Apple product in our house(and I thought it was awesome)) and it just all of the sudden stopped working. Well, the next day they took it back and it just started working again. Well, the store charged my brother 15% stocking fee and made him spend $20 so he could get $250 back out of like 329.99 or that.

 

[Macmaniac]

The CompUSA in my area is ok, they keep things up to date and there is usually a knowledgeable mac guy around. Although when it comes to repairs I would not touch CompUSA with a 50 foot pole 😱

 

[jenniff]

Well, the next day they took it back and it just started working again. Well, the store charged my brother 15% stocking fee and made him spend $20 so he could get $250 back out of like 329.99 or that.

Hehe. I used to work there. What's even worse, is that since it works, they'll take it into the warehouse and re-shrinkwrap it. I've done it myself. Then it goes back on the floor or in the lockup rom to be sold again, as though it had never been purchased at all.

An employee once purchased a 5 disc DVD player. When he took it home, he found PapaJohn's coupons and this really weird brochure discussing Bush written in an Asian language inside of the box. Good thing a customer didn't purchase that!

CompUSA has never catered to Mac customers. Really, (as mentioned earlier), what retail store has? None of those retail chains train their employees sufficiently. CompUSA had "CyberScholar" every month, which was basically a series of online tests designed to educate you on new products. Everyone was forced to do it, but you retook it until you got a hundred percent. Skip the reading and guess until you get them all right.

In truth, stores like that cannot afford to give decent training due to the high turnover rate of retail. Spend $$$ training a 19 year old kid how to sell and what the product is, and then he turns around and gets a "real" job. Can't blame them for not wanting to waste their money.

I agree with the others in this thread: don't buy anything in a store. The benefits of online purchases far outweigh dealing with sales or management. I remember once, a customer of mine refused to buy AppleCare on the 12" PB that he was purchasing. In the back office, as the manager was handing me the PB, he tossed the box on the ground, embittered because the customer wouldn't buy AppleCare. I'm sure the PB was fine, but do you really want to shop at a store where stuff like that is going on behind closed doors? I think not.

 

[jenniff]

The CompUSA in my area is ok, they keep things up to date and there is usually a knowledgeable mac guy around. Although when it comes to repairs I would not touch CompUSA with a 50 foot pole 😱

That's not an understatement to say the least. Tech in CompUSA can be so incredibly incompetent. Pretty much anyone with A+ can get in.

Think about taking your PB to CompUSA to get repaired. You trust that the tech will take care of it, know how to fix it, etc. When I was working, after the customer left, an unhealthy portion of time I was called back to tech to help with repairs. So, customer thinks that a certified tech is repairing his machine, when in reality it's the sales on the floor who technically shouldn't even be in the tech area.

Despite this, it totally depends on where you are located. Sure, maybe my store was lame, but another one 200 miles away could be better than the local Apple store. Unlikely, as who would choose to work in CompUSA over an Apple store. However, it's all about the individuals in management and in tech.