A-1 Vacuum & Sewing

Very sad. Bought my Miele last year from here and needed a repair, so took it in today, 5÷28÷2016, and there was a new couple running the place, said they were the owners and the man that was there before was an employee but he retired. I asked if they still do in-​house repairs and they said they do. However, when I presented my vacuum cleaner and showed the man what the problem was, I could tell he was totally unfamiliar with the vacuum cleaner and how to fix it. So I didn’t leave it; I can guess how to fix it just like he would have done, and it won’t cost anything! I’m going to reach out to Miele to find a new qualified repair shop for Miele.

Avoid this place! First off the place is a mess, it smells like cigarette smoke. The front door doesn’t work properly (watch your fingers) and someone is sleeping on the couch by the TV, ON THE SHOWROOM FLOOR. why would you run a business with a couch and a wad of bedding in the showroom is beyond me. With all these red flags I still choose to do business with A-​1, that was a mistake. I asked to see a «workhorse» of a vacuum for the local business I manage. they showed me a Royal Vacuum. It looked good so I went with it. The vacuum guy asked for $ 300.00 and a trade in on our old vacuum. Great, I’m in. So bought some vacuum bags to go along with my new vacuum and all is well… nope. The owner had sold me the wrong bags so that was the first trip back to the store. While I was there I told the guy that the rubber grip on the handle popped off. He said to bring it in because he stands behind everything he sells. Great! shortly after that the collar, the part that holds the handle to the motor, cracked and broke off. So Second trip down the the store. The Owner won’t replace it because he said our staff was too hard on it. Great, $ 60.00 to fix it and he didn’t fix the rubber grip on the handle. He was to call me when it was fixed, a week later I called him to find out what going on with the vacuum. He never ordered the part, hadn’t fix it. Great, lets go ahead and fix the the vacuum. A week later I drive to the store again to get it back. wonderful! 3 days later the handle came off, seems it doesn’t fit with the new color they put on. So back to the store yet again, now the vacuum guy is telling me that my staff people are too hard on the unite, they must be jiggling the handle too much. WHAT!!! So now I waiting to see how much they charge me to fix it this time. The heck with that, I’m buying a new vacuum from Costco.

I went into A-​1 Vacuum on a whim driving by. The guy was real nice and showed me the features of some different vacuums. He also informed me which models were about to have new issues and so were sold at reduced pricing. I found this family bussiness pleasant to deal with and bought my vacuum there and am very happy with the service and price.

Brought my Miele UniQ in because I started having problems with the vacuum powering on and off. Depending on how the electric hose from the vacuum to the telescopic wand was angled, the vacuum would power on or off so I knew it was a problem with the hose. This unit was bought from A-​1 and was less than a year old, in fact I have bought my last 3 Miele’s from this store when it was back on Park St. Unfortunately Mark didn’t know the Miele warranty very well when I came in… he said the motor was 10 years, and everything else 3 months… warranty on accessories and parts is 5 years for this model. In any case he said he would do the right thing and call Miele to see if he could get it replaced. Mark said he would call me the next day once he got a hold of Miele and he indeed called me back and said it would take about a week. Well a week later Mark called and I received a brand new electric hose from Miele, no charges. Things were a little sketchy when I walked in but in the end everything worked out beautifully.

About 6 months ago, after much research & debate, my wife and I decided to purchase a Miele vacuum from this store — even though they’re fairly expensive (even compared to the dyson that just broke on us). The nice gentleman really took time to explain the advantages/​disadvantages, etc.
Well, all was great with the vacuum — and still is, thanks to the commitment of this store to go above and beyond when necessary to honor repairs. Our nice new vacuum handle broke off when I was picking it up, moving in from hardwood floor to our carpet. When I brought the unit into this shop, Mark (another gentlemen at the store) spoke with me. He was surprised that the handle broke off, and explained that miele doesn’t cover that under warranty. He also explained that happens if you drop the vacuum on its handle, and that’s not covered under warranty. Well, since that is not what happened in our case, at this point, it wasn’t headed in a positive direction for me, which I explained to Mark. He apologized, and said he would try to get the manufacturer to pay for the parts (even though its not covered), and he would not charge anything for his own labor to fix it — which Mark explained was a very involved process (disconnecting all the internal wires, removing the motors, several other parts, etc.). It was going to take quite a lot of effort on his part, but he would not charge us for it — since he cared about how we felt in this situation.
I just picked up the vacuum today, all works well — just as before! We were charged nothing for parts because Mark convinced Miele that it was the right thing to do for a long-​time resident of Alameda (me) who tries to keep his purchases in Alameda, and spent a lot of money for this vacuum.
I highly recommend this shop for its commitment to true customer service — A1 Vacuum & Sewing (Mark) did the right thing, even though the huge manufacturer’s «rules» were against us!!!

I am a customer of the above mentioned business. I have one of many HORROR stories about doing business with this company. I started the process of taking legal action if money was not refunded or equipment repaired, and I was ignored. When I went back to the store, it was gone. Nothing was there. I have recently found out that the Alameda location moved from Park to another location in Alameda. i placed a call and the manager is the same man that ripped me off to the tune of $ 6,000 and had left me with a broken machine. I recently looked at the Unilocal reviews and most are horrible. The management has not changed and the same people are still overcharging and completely lieing to the customers. This place was a place I had gone to when it was owed by different people, but Mark is not at all honest and will not make good on this product and repair work. I would hate to see any more people be subjected to POOR BUSINESS PRACTICE AND OVER CHARGING CUSTOMERS. MARK outright lied to me about the machine I purchased from him and had me thinking that the manufacturer will work with him because he has a good relationship with them. When I called other sew and vac centers, I was told that no such part would ever be able to fit the machine he sold you. Maam, you were RIPPED OFF! Mark has no soul. BEWARE!!! No stars!

Great customer service. Very friendly. Was helped right away. They tell me they under new management =)

Yes — this store is under NEW MANAGEMENT! Mark, the new guy, is great! He was very quick to help me find a part for a vintage sewing machine (which he had in-​store — that was awesome!) and he was very knowledgable about my vintage Singer. I feel bad for all the bad experiences that everyone had before — but these aren’t the same people… and it’s not even in the same location. If you need sewing advice or help — go see Mark here!

Just came in to get a part for our vacuum, the people were very nice and got exactly what we needed, they are under new management and it was a very welcoming experience

I understand this store is now under new management. I was happy with prior repairs and returned recently In need of advice and repairs to our home cleaning equipment. I discovered the establishment recently moved from its original site to 2327 Blanding Avenue in Alameda.
(510) 523 6175 (if you need this).
I was helped with my needs and repairs were done in a way I would like to see in other businesses. Most importantly the gentleman also was willing to advise me on various items I thought about buying later. Judging by the quality of my equipment repairs I trust his advice. He is not selling these items but was willing to share his exerience in repairing them.
One needs such support when one’s own judgement and expereince is insufficient. he was kind enough to offer it. I will certainly reeturn when andif I need more help.

«Bring in your machine.» This guys says. Took in my machine, «fill this out, I’ll give you an estimate.» While I’m shaking my head thinking. The day before You sell me an open box part, off the floor, without a second glance, tell me it’s the right part and will work on my serger, then without a doubt keeps saying it would work. Well, it doesn’t work on the machine. I know what the problem is. I just want a new peddle. He says, «well I don’t know what’s wrong with the machine.» My machine is fine!
Scratching my head, can I get a refund on the peddle you sold me. It doesn’t work with this machine. «No refunds, that’s why I wanted to see what’s wrong with machine.» Wow! Really! Time to call AMEX, to get my $ 100 back for a random peddle you pulled from another machine, and find someone who is not a crook.
PISSED, wasting my time, and day, and now money! Why are businesses like this still in business. Honesty is the best police and this no refund stuff. Nonsense. I demand that this guy is charged with being a crook.

I read the reviews but live in Alameda and like to shop locally. Glad I did. I haven’t sewn in a while and they were so helpful in helping me figure out what kind of machine to purchase and whether to trade my old one in. I spent the weekend sewing and LOVIN IT! I did not get the very pricey machine, but rather got good advice about which machine would suit my purposes and which was overkill within my budget.
I am super happy and have used this store many times for vacuum repair and purchase. I love this shop and would highly recommend it! Have not had a bad experience yet.

Wow. I was looking for a bobbin screw for a 60s Singer. He didn’t have it but offered to sell me a whole bobbin case for $ 50 ($ 20 over the online retail price for the item).

UPDATE: I didnt’ have time to pick up the still-​broken vac last weekend, so it sat there for another full week. I called twice during the week to check on its’ repair status, hoping for a miracle, but no dice – the mystery parts had still not arrived! Must be ultra-​rare parts, right? Perhaps my vacuum cleaner is so expensive because its’ interior is entirely made out of whittled unicorn horn? The staff who regularly deal with poor, pitiful, hairy, lint-​covered me on the phone are always surly and dismissive. Clearly these are men who give not two shits whether their clients live in clean houses and recommend them for their quality service, or die choking on fleas, dustbunnies and cat hair, cursing their names. They act extremely put out by my regular (and honestly, fairly polite) attempts to discover the fate of my vacuum cleaner and it’s parts. Anyway, it’s now been FIVE WEEKS. My husband finally cleared his afternoon, picked it up today, and took it to the Vacuum repair shop over on Grand in Oakland. He tells me that when he picked it up, it looked untouched, covered in dust, and there was nothing written on the trouble ticket. He brought it to the other Sew & Vac place on Grand and they cracked it open then and there, et voila! What’s that you say? Not a missing unicorn horn after all, just a simple problem with the belt? YOU CAN FIX IT IN 20 MINUTES, you say? OH MY GOD NOTHING COULD MAKE ME WANT TO THROTTLE THE STAFF AT A-​1 IN ALAMEDA MORE THAN I WANT TO THROTTLE THEM AT THIS MOMENT. However: thanks to the dedicated staff at the actually functional repair shop in Oakland, I now have a working vacuum cleaner again, so that does put a smile on my face. Now to go write a review on THEIR Unilocal entry. Note: my husband says it took the other shop less time to diagnose and fix the vac than it took him to find parking.
Summary: We, and our entire extended families, will never, ever, Ever, EVER go to A-​1 Vacuum & Sewing in Alameda again.

Well, I really should have paid attention to the bad reviews I read before taking my Singer Featherweight there today for repair. The only reason I went to him was that the place in Walnut Creek had a 2 week wait. I got burned. Took the machine in because the thread kept pulling out of the needle and it would not stitch. The owner asked me to re-​thread the machine which I did WITH HIM LOOKING. He then tried to sew and announced that it needed a timing adjustment. Said I could get it in 2 hours for $ 40.
When I picked up the machine I asked if it was timing and he said «I did a few adjustments, but you were threading the needle backwards». WTF!!! He WATCHED me thread the needle and never said that I was doing it backwards!!! He also said that the needle was not properly seated into its holder.
An HONEST business person would have told me that I was threading the needle backwards when he watched me do it!!! He would also have adjusted the needle and let me try to sew a second time. I BET IT WOULD HAVE WORKED PERFECTLY!!! Instead, he charged me $ 40 for nothing. NOTHING! I rarely use this machine, so it is no surprise that I forgot which direction to thread the needle.
I believe in karma. What you give is what you get. If he had been honest and just helped me solve a simple problem, I would have sent everyone his way. Because he did not take the time to help me with the simple fix I am now on Unilocal telling everyone to STAY AWAY!
STAY AWAY! I hate to say this about an Alameda business, because I have always found Alameda business people to be old school fair and affordable. Not this guy!

Good luck getting a warranty repair here. I called them ahead of time about my vacuum problem, which was covered under warranty. The vacuum company had them listed as a warranty repair place, which is why I called. They said, no problem, just bring it in. I brought in my vacuum. One guy was really nice to me, then the other ran up from the back, saw the vacuum cleaner in my hand, laughed at my problem and said I had to send it to the company because they didn’t have the part. My response — why couldn’t this part be ordered and the vacuum repaired or replaced? Isn’t that the point? He just insisted that the part was unavailable, and that I had to send it to the company, and sent me on my way.
I called the vacuum repair place on Grand in Oakland, they were prompt and very helpful on the phone. The guy wanted to know why I would think they wouldn’t repair it since my vacuum was under warranty, he was a little puzzled. When I told him what had happened he was shocked that A1 turned me away, affirming my feeling that yes, in fact, the part could be ordered and the vacuum could be repaired or replaced, with not much effort on either my part or their part. He also said that I was not the first person to get this treatment by A1.
When I told a local friend about this, she said they’d repaired her sewing machine a few years back, and she hoped to never work with them again because of the lousy customer service and overpricing.
There’s a reason they don’t have a great name for themselves on Unilocal.I hate to say this about a local shop, because I do try to keep most of my business on the island (and that one guy was nice to me even though the other one was very unhelpful), but: shop around, call and try other places first, be sure to get quotes from other shops before going to this place.

I should have the option of leaving no stars. If anyone continues to go to this shop then why do you bother checking on Unilocal.The owner is a thief. He took good/​new parts off my machine and replaced them with old ones. He denies it all. Unbelievable criminal.

I would say shop around before making a decision to do business with A-​1 vacuum & sewing.
I live locally in Alameda & want to support my community small businesses.
I brought in my Viking sewing machine to repair. Proprietor showed me part to be replaced. $ 275.00 was the cost. I thought rather high but trusted his judgment since always seeing him at his store and seemed very kind and knew what he was talking about.
After comments other people who own sewing machines and calling other repair shops they said I was ripped off. One shop repair said at most to repair a machine would be $ 125.00 tops. I felt let down by A1 due to recommending his business to others.
My Viking sewing machine was repaired at least. They said they would clean and oil any parts that needed attention. I should have let machine for cleaning cause didn’t notice any cleaning of exterior of machine or outside case.

I really wanted to support a local business so I brought my dyson there to be repaired. It took a looong time and when I finally got it it turned on but the spinner on the bottom did not spin. I was told that it doesn’t need to it will still pick up dirt. Not true. If I didn’t watch my father fix vacuums my whole life I may have believed that. As a busy mom of a toddler and working full time I missed my window to bring it back. When I finally did I was turned away. My vacuum is still not picking up dirt. It has taken me a while to get this review up because of my lack of free time but since my vacuum is still not picking up dirt I came back to Unilocal to see other reviews and decided it was time for others to know. Now I will have to spend more $$ to get it repaired. This time I will have to go to Oakland. Hope this saves you time and $$

DO NOT TAKE YOUR SEWING MACHINE HERE TO BE REPAIRED.
I can’t speak to the selection of new and used sewing machines and vacuums. What I can say is that the owner of this shop is dishonest, deceitful, and took three months to «repair» our machine. We called weekly and he said it was «almost done», or that he’d have to check with the repair guy. Or that the part was on order. This was for _​three_​months!
Our Bernina broke after 5 minutes of using it back home. A loud «pop» from inside the machine. I will now always go to the dealer to get our sewing machine fixed, and I recommend you do the same.