Mac-O-Rama

This "business" had me pay for a bunch of parts and labor that my computer didn't need, computer still didn't work properly and owner blamed me.Theses swindlers had me pay for a new hard drive, brackets, RAM and DDR cable when they absolutely knew the logic board was bad and the computer was not fixable. Took them 3 weeks to get my computer back to me and it still didn't work, I brought the computer back and the owner said I "Must've put a powerful magnet over the computer" and blamed me for the computer not working. They took it back in and told me they needed to replace the RAM so I agreed. When I show up to get my computer, they try to charge me for the RAM even though my computer still does not work. Owner tried to shuffle me out the door but I wanted to make sure computer worked before leaving again. The computer still did not work, a technician came out of the back room, looked at the computer for 5 seconds and said "the logic board is obviously bad"... They obviously knew this from the start and were just having me dump money replacing the hard drive, brackets, DDR cable and upgrading the RAM. I said "well I need the logic board replaced then" to which the owner replied "we are not going to do that, it's not worth it" I demanded my money back and then the owner kicked me out of the store. Complete SCAM. I couldn't believe it, owner was just milking me the whole time, having me dump money into a computer that was obviously not worth repairing.Desired SettlementI want my money back. Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted], CEOContact Phone: [redacted]Contact Email: [redacted]In April 2015 when we tested the client's Mac, the hard drive was failing and he agreed to have it replaced. He checked in the computer on April 7, 2015 and picked up the computer on April 15, 2015.We rigorously test and document our repairs for quality assurance and after we replaced the drive 5 months ago, the system passed all tests. We also noted the that the Mac was running Mac OS 10.6. At that time, we offered the client RAM but we believe he declined because we never installed RAM or charged him for it.At that time (April 2015) the charges were as follows:Hard drive $79.00Bracket, with IR / Sleep / HD Cable $35.00Laptop or Desktop Repair Labor $100.00------------------------------------------------TOTAL $214.00 plus taxHe came in yesterday, claiming that the computer never worked. He was belligerent with the customer service staff, however, since the drive is under warranty we agreed to perform diagnostics. They also told the client that he did not have enough RAM, so he might be having additional problems for that reason.The computer was not booting so we ran diagnostics. The hard drive was in perfect operating condition, but the operating system and data had all been erased and there was an incompatible operating system installation disk in the computer.This made us suspicious that the client did have some problem (perhaps another part was failing). However the computer is rendered completely inoperable by the fact that his hard drive has been erased, but he denies doing this. We know that the drive had an operating system when we finished the repair in April because we ran a toolkit that displays the OS. Also we noted that the client had trouble logging in to the computer and we reset his password. We could not have done so if the drive was blank.Yesterday, many months after the initial repair, our technician observed that the display of the Mac exhibited some video artifacts. This is usually indicative of there being a problem with the video card / logic board. WE DID NOT ADVISE THE CLIENT TO PUT ANY MONEY INTO THE SYSTEM AFTER OBSERVING THIS PROBLEM.We did not advise the client to replace any parts or pay any money whatsoever or try to install or charge him for RAM (we performed diagnostics this week at no charge). I can assure you that we discourage clients from putting any money into an older machine that is exhibiting signs of a major component failure. Had we observed that issue previously, we would have encouraged the client to move onto a new Mac.At any rate, we have a satisfaction guarantee. We have already issued a refund via check, which will be sent to the client at his PO Box in Reno NV 89507 for the service fee ($100) we charged to replace the hard drive back in April. We did not refund the price of the hard drive or cable because it has been 5 months since the repair and the drive is still working normally and is in client's possession. The hard drive does carry a 2 year warranty with Western Digital company. Client can contact them if he has any future concerns, although as we previously noted, the hard drive tested fine.

Fraudulent service charges, I brought my mac in for a factory recalled hard drive replacement, the owner of Mac-O-Rama which is a factory authorized repair business, told me that as long as there were no software issues the replacement would be covered by [redacted] and I would not be charged. When I went to pick up my computer they charged me $149.00 for labor and [redacted] pays them for the labor. In order to get my computer back I paid the $149.00. The owner said she needed to change me that since they used my external hard drive which I had backed up through time machine to put it back on the new hard drive, I told her that if I had known that I would have done it myself, I have done it in the past and it is very easy and quick to start the process. Of actually time involved it probably took them less than 5 minutes to plug in the hard drive and start time machine, the computer does the rest.Desired SettlementSince they did not submit the charge to me of $149.00 to apple in the notes for their payment from apple for the labor and when I dropped off the computer they said that apple would pay for the labor and that I would not be charged unless there was a software problem which there was not I would like the $149.00 reversed on my credit card.Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted], OwnerContact Phone: [redacted]Contact Email: [redacted]First, I'd like to say that we do have a 100% satisfaction guarantee already issued a refund to the clients credit card yesterday.Further details: We do not ever charge clients for warranty repair. However, we do clearly state on our service ticket, which the client signed upon checking his equipment in for service that [redacted] warranty does not cover any data related services. This is also clearly stated in [redacted] warranty statement.[redacted] will compensate us for replacing the drive (the hardware portion of the service. We charged the customer to transfer data to the new hard drive. We spoke with the client several times during the process and thought that it was clear what the charge would be for transferring several Gigabytes of data. Apparently, we did not communicate clearly enough, or he did not understand because he did balk at paying for service after we had already performed the service when he was in our shop to pick up the equipment. He did pay for the service though, and left our shop.Then the client spent the last 24 hours slandering our company on the Internet and has accused us of fraud on a number of websites. We understand that there may have been a miscommunication, but his behavior is unnecessary. We have a right to charge for our services, and the charge was listed on our service ticket and discussed in follow-up phone calls with the client.We've been serving clients for almost 20 years with mostly happy outcomes. Hopefully the refund will resolve the issue. Please let me know if there are further concerns.

I took my laptop on Monday to have the top case replaced. I was told by the store that they would need to do a "diagnostic" on the laptop too--a $60 charge--and that I'd get a call back in 24-48 hours.
I had to call on Thursday morning since I still had no word. The store people didn't have an answer for me when I called about its status, but later that day a woman let me know that the top case needed replacing and that they would need to order it.
I was upset that I had wasted $60 to be told what I had already known--that the top case needed replacing and that Macorama didn't have the laptop part yet and that this would mean more days of my waiting for a completed repair even though I had stated several days prior to this what needed fixing. Macrorama tells me the cost for the top case repair will be $300.
The main Apple store in town apologized for sending me over to Macorama for the repair in the first place when they themselves (the Apple store) could have done the repair, and especially because I had to pay $60 to Macorama for an unnecessary "diagnostic" that told me the same information as what the Apple store had already told me. The Apple store subsequently informed me that they can, in fact, fix the top case and will offer me a discounted rate because of what has happened.
when I arrive at Macorama I have to wait for what seems longer than expected to get my laptop returned. They tell me they have to case it up. Also, when they gave me back my portable drive, which they had wanted when I turned in my laptop, I say, "This drive isn't mine." The portable drive they handed me was dusty and had scuff marks on it, and mine was a new one since the Apple store had recently suggested that I purchase one before doing the top case repair.
In the Macorama paperwork, they make no record/documentation of the serial number of my portable drive that I gave them, so there hasn't been a way for me to verify if what they gave back to me was mine. Even if the portable drive were mine, why were they giving it back to me looking the way it did? They told me to wait while they went in the back room to clean it up.
They send out another woman from the back room, whom I tell in a straightforward manner of my dissatisfaction. She also matter-of-factly states that she'll credit me a $60 refund, much to my surprise.
When I take my laptop over to Apple store for the repair, the laptop no longer powers on. Apple store techs try fixing it at the Genius bar and then in their back room, but still nothing happens. In Macorama's paperwork, their final note is that the "top case needs to be replaced" and that the system was "tested and passed all other testing." So what happened somewhere along the way at Macorama? I never had this power-on issue before, and the computer was on when I turned it in to them, when they took it in to their back room. And why did they ask me while I was waiting to pick up the laptop if I had spilled something on my laptop?
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Excerpts from my second letter to store owner:
I wanted to let Macorama know that I was very upset that they had given me back my laptop with this new power-on problem while failing to mention that to me or failing to put that in writing in their final paperwork.
So if the lack of power is a new laptop malfunction, why does the Alicia [store owner] state in her latest letter to me that when they called me, she says "they wanted to let [me] know that we could get the Mac to power back on in case you wanted back up your data." So then why didn't they inform me of this over the phone or leave me a message about it if they really wanted to let me know? But, importantly, Alicia's statement also contradicts what they're saying as there being a power-on problem with the laptop from the get-go.
As for my portable drive and my concern if what was turned back to me was mine in spite of what Alicia claims is retrievable information, no--there is no serial number on the Apple purchase receipt, and the Apple store cannot retrieve this information for me either. So Macorama's simply putting a sticker on the drive with my name on it does not necessarily ensure its proper identity.
Alicia says it was a "little smudge of dust" on the portable drive. If that had been the case, why would they have gone in the back room then to so-called fix it? And yes, there are small new scratches on the drive and it does look slightly more worn to me than before.
If Macorama is going to enforce that customers pay $60 for what can be an unnecessary "diagnostic" on a computer, then they need to explain verbally and in writing to customers what that diagnostic entails.
Final paperwork of Macorama reconfirms that I need a top case, as first told to me by the Apple store. The Apple store, however, after I took my laptop back to them for fixing (after Macorama had it), also had to replace my laptop's logic board in the end.
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