CompUSA

i won’t miss this place.

I actually really don’t like Emeryville. Well, ok, I do like some of Emeryville. I hate driving through most of Emeryville because it is a glorified messy freeway interchange in which you can never turn left or make a U-​Turn. I am also convinced that a large percentage of the Oakland/​Emerville drivers don’t know how to drive. Anyone who spends a considerable amount of time up and down San Pablo Ave. will agree with me. My equivalent of Hell is to spend eternity driving through Emeryville with a clown in my passenger seat who smells like curried mustard. Yep; that is what hell is like to me. And this Comp USA location exemplifies why driving through Emeryville might be Hell.
However, I was driving down San Pablo and saw a guy with a «Store Closing» sign on the side of the street… I therefore make my first available turn around and about face into the parking lot (with two attempts mind you because this lot is retarded with unknown one-​way parts) to this store. I also spent a considerable amount of this time banging on my steering wheel screaming, «Why doesn’t anyone in Oakland %$#@ing know how to drive!!!»…then remembered I was in E-​ville. But seriously though… this place is in an obnoxious location and that may be part of its demise.
So, as I said, this store is actually closing down now. Why am I wasting my time reviewing a store that is closing? Because I want you all to know that you can get Apple stuff for hella cheap from here right now. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for that is Apple-​related, be sure to ask someone because it just might be hidden in the back. Be patient though; it is close to impossible to find someone to help you. But hurry; stuff is sure to leave quickly.

The evil corporate policy makers at the soon-​to-​be out of business Comp USA should be tarred and feathered.
I had to return about $ 200 worth of cabling for my office — which had been ordered online and paid for with our company credit card. I showed up to find that the actual store location was going out of business. So, despite the fact that I had all of the cabling in its original (unopened) packaging — the issue was compatibility; we never opened it — plus the e-​receipt, in hard copy format and the credit card receipt to boot, I was only offered a «store credit»… for a place that was going out of business.
I said that I needed the funds restored to the credit card, which I did not have on me at the time. This was during the holiday/​Storm of 2008 blitz, and the last thing I wanted to do was return some cabling, looking like a wet rat, during the holiday/​sale/​going out of business rush.
After returning to the office for the aforementioned credit card, I went BACK to Comp USA… and presented all of the documentation. But at this point, they were not doing ANY exchanges/​refunds/​returns… only purchases, and not accepting checks.
I was directed to use the reference number on the e-​receipt and call the 800 number of Comp USA… so that the credit could be issued on the card, as they were unable to do so at the store. Fine.
But when I called the Corporate number, they said that since they’re being bought out by another company, they couldn’t do the return AT ALL.
Thanks, Comp USA, for rendering me absolutely zero service or satisfaction in 3 on-​site visits. No wonder you’re folding! I felt like I was living Catch 22 — and absolutely disgusted with the cavalier attitude. You guys suck righteous ass — and not in a good way! Whomever buys you out isn’t going to get any of my bidness, either!
Shady… so shady!

The people that work here treat their customers like adversaries that need to be vanquished rather than actual customers.
I have had so many bad experiences with their sales staff, customer service and management I have sworn to myself that may God strike me down dead and kill my firstborn if I ever shop there again. My tribulations are too numerous to list here but they range from genuine bait-​and-​switch scams, flat out refusal to even talk to me about Vista incompatibilities with software I just purchased and unintelligible, rude staff that brush my questions aside like I was invisible.
This is how bad CompUSA is: The customer service at Fry’s Electronics is like Nordstrom’s compared to CompUSA. That’s really bad!!!

CONFESSION: In my past, I have dated quite a few computer nerds. My first celebrity crush was on Egon from the Ghostbusters because he was the nerdiest of the four. And I wanted to be like Donatello from TMNT because he «did machines.» Something about glasses and knowing one’s way around a computer has ALWAYS been hot to me.
CompUSA is kinda like my own personal fantasy. Other reviewers seem to be drinking the haterade, because whenever I’ve gone in to this location, I’ve always gotten EXCELLENT help.
Help with new adapter/​charger? Check.
Having to return said adapter/​charger when I learned that it wasn’t the adapter but my shitty computer? Check.
Going to the tech desk and getting a FREE diagnostic on my laptop? Check.
Having to buy a new external hard drive so that when the laptop finally crashes for good, I’ll be ready? Check.
The prices are good and the people have always been very eager to help. I always go here with computer tech issues. Or when I want to reminisce about the loves of my former life.
DISCLAIMER: I may not know my way around computers personally, but I do know how to handle the nerds that obsess over them. I honestly can’t say if that particular brand of flirting has helped me in getting better service. So make of this review what you will.

I’d rather eat live spiders than to shop here. You know why? I value customer service.
This Compusa has NONE. They utterly SUCK.
9/​13, Update: I wonder … why «live» spiders? I mean, I guess that’s more scary?
UPDATE, January 1 2008: Compusa, going out of business. This actually makes me sad for a variety of reasons … maybe if chains like this or even the High Fidelity-​esque records shops could have sincere customer service, we’d still have more of them to choose from. Why? I don’t want to buy my stuff over the internet. I’ve been doing that and I’ve had my credit card information stolen twice, and a bank account emptied once. (Secure servers are great, but there are always people on the other end.)
I want to go over the specs of a computer in detail, asking questions of someone standing before me that I can hold accountable or write a note/​put in a positive call to the store manager. Yes, I do those things. I don’t want to download from itunes. I never have, can’t see myself doing it except for my old age. By then, there will be competition galore, thank you Radiohead, etc.
Instead we have more empty storefronts in The Bay Area, along the streets where we live. Less entry level jobs for the youngsters. Less of many many things in our communities. Like the sales tax stuff, where it goes back to the town you live in.
Even Best Buy may be rocking out in their arrogance right now, but what about in 8 months? Maybe they should impress upon their young and older staff that customer service is fucking important and then if a customer is an asshole or whatever, deal with that like a fellow human being and stand by your employee (that you treat with respect) with grace, firmness and civility.
Meh.

Not really a review, hence a neutral 3 stars; just thought I’d save someone the headache of calling the number above and having to be redirected (although hopefully by the time you read this the proper number will be displayed). 510−450−9500, and just press ‘3’ right away and wait through a couple of announcements that try and get you to press another number so that the phone tree can cheerfully hang up on you. This is one of those labyrinths you can’t bypass by pressing ‘O’.
If you’re reading this and contemplating shopping here, I’m guessing it’s because it’s the weekend and online shopping wouldn’t get you the equipment you need in time, right? That’s really the only reason anyone should ever shop CompUSA, or Best Buy, for that matter.

This is the first and only business I’ve EVER given one star to on Unilocal,and I had to go out of my way to find the Emeryville CompUSA page to write this review. Apparently… I wasn’t the only one. Service here is terrible, and their electronics – the laptop accessories I looked at – were way freakin’ overpriced. There were only two people ahead of me when I started waiting in line. When it got to my turn, there were five people behind me, and the lady directly in back of me was soo pissed at waiting for 20 minutes with just three people in front of her that she threw her merchanidse on the ground and took off. The cashier didn’t even flinch. And you thought Best Buy had appalling service.

wow — not one decent review so far.
well, add me to the list of people who thinks that this particular CompUSA sucks.
The employees are slack-​asses all around, lazy and uninformed.
However, there is one department that is run efficiently — and that’s security. There’s no way I’m going to steal anything from that store.
Feels a bit like entering a prison. If only they could invest as much effort in helping customers as they do in securing their merchandise.
One star for carrying a graphics tablet. Also they’re near Taco Bell, but that’s not really about compusa, so never mind.

Disclaimer: before you read on, I *used to* work here for Apple.
I put a neutral 3-​star review here so as not to bias things, but just wanted to let people know that there are a few guys here who know Apple — ask for someone who knows their stuff.

This about sums it up.
My biggest complaint is when they have big bold price that does not mention a mail in rebate. Total assholes.

Everything you hate about being alive all in one place.
Don’t shop here, not even when you are desperate.
The staff is rude, they hide when customers come into the store, when you do talk to them they are the sort of computer people who pretend to have some secret knowledge that isn’t freely available to you via the internet or the library.
If you want great service, great prices and knowledgeable staff… shop online at
The Emeryville CompUSA store is the worst one I’ve ever been in, and that’s saying something. Their merchandise is overpriced, they don’t have most of what you need and again, good luck finding someone to help you or even ring you up.
ugh.
they get one star for actually selling Macs.

Ok, I used to go to a compusa in newark like 10 years ago because they were a service center on my laptop warranty. The people were great.
Butt…
They closed that location down so since I was a dedicateds customer, I took my laptop in to pleasanton. Big Mistake. They didn’t know how to handle my warranty and when I explained how the Newark CompUSA did it, they got all rude about it. Even my bf was getting a little frustrated and the big bald fatso called the cops… pleasanton PD showed up right away. Stupid HAOLE town!!!
So I never shopped their again. NEVER… Ok, that was like 10 years ago.
Well, I decided to put my feelings aside cause they had a bluetooth headset for sale for a really good price. So I go in and purchase the item. Feeling good cause i got a good price. Well, I come home and open the box. The contents are clearly used. This must be a returned item, and sure enough it was since their was a sticker on the box… if you need to return something, they put a sticker on the item when you go to the store. Well, since it was such a good deal, they didn’t have any more items. not only did I not get what I wanted, but I wasted more precious weekend time to travel back to this stupid store. I told the clerk that «why don’t you guys check these things before putting it on sale, it’s clearly been used and clearly been returned for some reason.» My bf told me to let it go and the clerks don’t know much. whatevers, not a big deal.
So I give them another chance… I need to set up a wireless network at home and bought a router (works great so far) and also got a free printer network thing to go with it. The package was sealed BUT when I opened it, the seals on the little plastic baggies were all broken. CompUSA, you can’t just reseal the box (e.g. plastic wrap it) and think you can sell it for new again.
I’M NEVER GOING BACK… well, unless there’s soemthing really inexpensive that you are selling… like under 10 bucks… wait, i’m never going back period. you guys are idiots. I will spend my money at Costco or something… much better products… Hahaha. YOU LOST A CUSTOMER.

I wish you could give less than one star to a place like the Emeryville CompUSA. I bought a laptop on sale at the CompUSA in Concord, but you can use the store warantee at any location, and unfortunately, these guys are a lot closer to me, so I took my laptop here for repair.
The 15 year old kids running the tech support counter were the least helpful people I’ve ever met.
Not only did they keep my laptop for three weeks, but they returned it to me, saying it was perfectly repaired. I got home, only to discover than NONE of the repairs had been made– those problems being significant issues like the fan not working at all and the computer overheating, and the power cord not charging the computer at all and the battery going completely dead. Also, the clicker button falling off the touch pad. And the worst part is that they charged me 50 bucks to back up my data. I tried to explain that I would do it myself, only my computer keeps overheating, so I can’t burn CD’s. Finally, I paid the 50 bucks, even though the paper you sign says they aren’t responsible if they lose your data or break your computer anyways.
AND the counter dude told me they probably can’t fix the button that is falling off the mouse pad because the warantee doesn’t cover «cosmetic repairs.» Are they serious?
Now my computer is BACK AT COMP USA for round two of attempting to be fixed. Which apparently means they have to ship it to Texas for summer vacation, as they can’t fix a power cord in the store. CAN THESE GUYS DO ANYTHING? I doubt it. Also, if they lose my computer, I have to pay 70 MORE BUCKS for some DVD copies of my data that they backed up, because even though they back it up, they can’t give me back my own data for free. EVEN if they break the fucking computer. Are we in America?
Did you know these guys charge old people like 80 bucks to install software on thier computers, over a hundred bucks if they have to drive out to your house to do it? Imagine your grandma buying that family tree –making software and being charged more than your inheritance for some punk kid to take five minutes to install it for her at the store. Isn’t that what customer service should be all about? This shit should be free.
If I had any money, I’d take my laptop to a real computer repair shop. These guys suck. real bad.
COMP USA IS THE DEVIL.
Separate note– RB, no need to get racist all up in your review now.
**UPDATE: I got my computer back from the devil COMPUSA. Somehow while fixing the fan, they managed to crash the entire harddrive and took the liberty of replacing it with a brand new one and getting rid of the old one. So now I have none of my old files from the past two years, which is awesome because I basically work entirely from my laptop. And I can’t take my old hard drive to my geek friends for fixing because COMPUSA won’t give it back to me– its in a refurbishing center in Los Angeles now. The worst part is that it took me over 1 hour arguing with the store manager to get my repair money back. I don’t pay people to break my stuff. It helps if you pretend you’re from the Chronicle and threaten to write an expose about the customer service!
On the plus side, I was such a loud bitch at the counter, the woman behind me got a complete refund too, without much of a fight. ***

Now I remember why I shop online for electronics.
I was on some deals site and they said CompUSA had a 1GB MP3 player for ten bucks! Oh man was I excited, I was gonna get to listen to tons of music and not have to be one of those iPod wielding hipster scumbags that you see on Bart all the time.
Well let me tell you that CompUSA crushed my hopes and dreams. I asked one of the guys for help, but he was showing off some high priced hard disk or something, and when he heard 10 dollar MP3 player, he knew I wasn’t the kind of guy that was gonna buy one of those extended warantees.
Anyway after about 15 minutes of waiting some korean bitch somehow jumps to the front of the queue in front of me. She said «i been waiting here for whole houa.» Which was clearly bullshit since I just saw her walk in the door.
I got pissed off and left. No MP3 player, and a lot of rage.
I contemplated shooting that woman, but decided I didn’t want to go to pound me in the ass prison.

This place, or rather the staff, sucks. Granted they’re all still in high school, but they’re totally lazy. They’d rather be chatting amongst themselves then helping the 10 or so customers in the store.