MelroseMac

I originally came to Melrose Mac — way back — when Mac Pro’s were G4’s. Anyway, I bought a bit of a lemon of a G4, so Apple’s Sales & Marketing person at the time, Kirk Paulsen, literally bent over backwards to make things right. One of the things he did was send me to Melrose Mac. So, I figured, if Melrose Mac was good enough for Apple to bother picking up the tab on — it was certainly good enough for me!
Well — that was a long time ago. Joel Kimme was the tech — that you actually got to see & speak to & they had a parking lot.
Fast forward to present day: The new location is bright, white, shiny brand new — as are 99% of the employees you see up front. Angelique & Josh are both sweethearts — but it stops there.
I am a video editor. I own about 6 computers & devices — only 1 is a Mac Pro that I use only for video editing & its related uses. In other words — documents, spreadsheets, even website — all done on PC’s.
In late July my Mac Pro died just before I went on vacation, so I took it to the Burbank store where they replaced the hard drive. I got it back before I left, but did not put my system back together. My mother died while we were on vacation, so I didn’t actually get around to putting it back together till almost November. Upon opening up Final Cut, I could see that my plug-​ins were missing, so I took it back to Burbank. This time the store manager, Stason, learns I’m from Pasadena, tells me he worked at Dino’s Computers for years & reassures me that he will do the work himself — not much of a reassurance for me, though, because I always avoided Dino’s like the plague — however, I let him continue. When I get it back — he tells me there is no charge — as if he’s doing me a great favor. Of course there is no charge — you are just finishing up on the same job!
Get through holidays — which is lost time — & I get back to work. Now I’m in the middle of a client project & notice my split screen plug-​in is missing, computer still behaves as if I am disturbing it & at the most inopportune moments — tells me I am out of memory. That’s only sometimes — before I took it in in July — this Mac Pro behaved perfectly all the time. I looked at my RAM — status all say ok — but I do have 2 empty slots. So I take it back in — this time to the Hollywood location. They tell me they’ve run the diagnostic & there is nothing wrong with it but they added the RAM so that should clear up the «out of memory» issue. They actually tried to charge me the diagnostic price again — but, fortunately, Josh has common sense & realized that this was still part of the same job.
2 days ago — while a client was here — I got the same «out of memory» nasty gram. I called up again, this time asking for the manager of all three stores, Justin. I got a call later from Stason who was calling at Justin’s direction. So today, when I call again for Justin — I can just tell him to read my Unilocal review.
The problem is — Melrose Mac is now run like a factory. You never get to speak with the actual techs — so you rely on very uninterested intake counter help to hopefully transcribe into written word what you are explaining to them. Everybody tells you something different & when you remind them of what they told you — they’ll say they never said that.
Please forgive what I am about to say — but being a writer, my imagination runs away sometimes. I see this opulent exterior presented to the public — but behind that door I can imagine depressing little cubicles populated with underpaid Latino workers (I’ve seen some of them) & some slave driver who barely allows them time for lunch. All in the name of quantity — not quality.
Here’s a thought: If you were to allow the tech to communicate with the customer — at least when requested — you may find that the number of return repairs will diminish. When you rely on 3 or 4 layers of communication — obviously something is going to be lost in the translation — I’m speaking of relaying of information, not language.
I’ve even tried to email the tech directly — email address is right on the invoice — but got no response. Of course, it could just be that I am not a young woman, so they just think I’m not worth listening to.

I have been coming here for years buying items and recently my computer just had a virus. I called in advance and dropped it off. A few days later my computer was ready. They charged me a minimal amount of money but the experience was awesome. I HATE THE APPLE STORE! This place makes it enjoyable to buy and repair your electronic devices. George took care of me. If you have any need to purchase or repair your mac this is your place!

Two great experiences at Melrose Mac on Melrose over the last month. After I was taken by a scam, the service guys were able to quickly undo a major software installation that would have allowed access to all my personal information.
This week, they performed a full data transfer to a new computer. Very friendly staff. See Josh. He’s great.

EDIT: Fernando called me and gave me a refund on what I was charged for the repairs and apologized. It was a good gesture considering the below.
Read this review carefully. While it’s apparent from reading Unilocal that most people have a good experience here, there are PLENTY of other reviews right on par with this one. With that being said, you could very easily be the next person writing a review like this.
I brought in my laptop to be repaired on December 27^th. That will be day one.
Day 1: Dropped off computer, told it would take two business days to assess the problem (already seems excessive, but ok)
Day 3: I was told that the hard drive cable needed to be replaced. Easy fix. They had the part in stock. I approved the repair and asked when I could expect to get it back. They said definitely by the latest Saturday (January 2^nd).
Day 8: (Monday January 4^th): I called Melrose Mac to check on my laptop. I gave them the benefit of the doubt that they had trouble getting it done over the holiday. Nobody answered so I left a voicemail. Hours later I never got a call back. I sent an email. Hours later I got no response so I went into the store. They told me that they were closed on Saturday and hadn’t started my repairs yet. They had no answer to why they told me I could have it no later than Saturday. Josh looked me in the eye, shook my hand, apologized, and said he would be sure it would be done first thing the next day. I spoke to the manager Fernando and told him that I hadn’t received very good customer service so far, and wanted him to be aware of it.
Day 9: Sure enough, no one called me that my computer was done, so at 12:30 I called them and they told me they hadn’t started on it yet and that it wouldn’t be ready until the next day. I asked to speak with the manager again. He told me that he wouldn’t charge me for the labor and that he would hand it to a repair technician immediately. The rest of the day went by and I received no phone call that the computer was done.
Day 10: I hadn’t received a phone call yet that the repairs had been completed so I went into the store set on asking for my computer back regardless of whether the repairs had been done or not and take it to where I should have taken it in the first place– the Apple Store. Turns out that they had finished it, but never bothered to call me. To top it off, they couldn’t figure out how to ring me up for the part, so I waited for 10 minutes to pay.
I used to live in the Middle East where customer service was literally «Oh, if God is willing then the job will be done tomorrow.» The customer service at Melrose Mac was RIGHT on par with that. Tell the customer what they want to hear, and then do whatever you feel like doing anyway.
TL;DR Version: DON’T BOTHER GOING HERE. GO TO THE APPLE STORE. TERRIBLE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Aaron and Ted were so PATIENT! I was amazed at the time they spent teaching me what I needed to know so I could get something off to a potential employer in time. They did not let me get frustrated. I left with real knowledge. The best customer service.

No. Just… NO. NO NO NO NO NO. (see below)
Day 1: Drop off not-​powering-​up MacBook. Told I would have a diagnosis within 2 days.
Day 4: Received no call so I follow up. Told my battery is dead, I give authorization to buy and install the part (for $ 130). Told it will take 4 to 5 days.
Day 9: Received no call, so I follow up. Told they haven’t ordered part yet, blamed on a «shortage at Apple» (for a MacBook battery, perhaps the single most common part there is). Told it will be sped up, and be done in three days.
Day 12: Received no call, so I follow up. Told the battery isn’t the issue, through they installed a new one (for $ 130), and that I need a new logic board, and they’ll have to ship it to Apple ($ 300 flat fee for all repairs). Even though I agree to the $ 300 flat fee, which would cover the battery, they try to charge me the $ 130 for the new one they misdiagnosed. I tell them to put the «dead» battery back in, take back laptop.
Day 13: Bring to the Apple store directly. Told it’s probably a $ 50 part.
Day 16: Pick up from the Apple store, turned out it was an OS issue, they’ve reinstalled it. Total charge: $ 0.
Let’s recap:
Melrose Mac: 12 days without a laptop, attempted charge: $ 430
Apple Store directly: 3 days, total charge $ 0
Did I mention NO?
Go directly to the Apple store. Don’t even THINK about anything else, especially them.

I just had my MacBook Pro serviced at Melrose Mac. It was without question the best computer technical assistance I’ve ever received. Forget about the «Genius» bar. Josh and Jorge, in the service department, were attentive to my every need and extremely personable all at the same time. Look no further folks, Melrose Mac is it!

This was the worst experience dealing with a service provider!!!
I took my powerbook in to have them upgrade my RAM and the SSD to a TB. Turned the computer in Thursday afternoon and was told it would be ready in two business days. Just left the store with my computer Monday evening and none of the work was done and they said they could not guarantee it would be ready until next Monday. I was told one lie after the other. They should not be trusted!!!

Amazing teamwork needed some IT work at my company. They sent out tech which took care of the problem. They also offered a solution to a problem for my company. Will be continuing services with Melrose Mac any day of the week have use all the locations thank you guys

My 2011 macbook pro was recalled for faulty video cards/​logic board so I took it here to get a backup before sending it to Apple. They backed it up and sent it for me. All good.
Then the issue happened again (Apple’s fault) and I had to send it back. Josh from service was super helpful and got it handled in a timely manner. Professional and helpful.

Great service! I really recommend this place. Josh is the best :)

Be aware that company is extremely unprofessional and disorganized.
I ordered a few computers before from them and today I needed another iMac for one of my employee.
I spoke with one of their sales rep and she took my order and assured me that everything was good to go for a pickup same day.
First they charged my card and then emailed me to tell me my order couldn’t be completed ! They didn’t even bother making a call!
They couldn’t compete the order because they didn’t have the RAM at that location so they asked ME to go pickup the computer at one location and bring it to another to complete the order.
When I asked if anyone could drive there to drop off the ram and complete the order they accepted and charged me for … They said no.
I strongly recommend NOT using this business. Horrible customer service.

Excellent customer service!
I went in to get new ram installed in my macbook pro. I brought in a product from a third party distributor, Phil took care of me and installed it; no problem! Phil also took the time to help check my laptop for any other issues (no charge). He fixed a few issues and taught me a few tricks to make my Macbook pro run smoother.
Phil made a few recommendations to install a new hard drive and even helped me find a third party distributor that was cheaper then what they sold in stores. So he saved me money!
Overall The staff was very kind and inviting. Phil was very attentive and patient; he took the time to answer all the random questions I had and offer solutions. They have my business for all my future apple product affairs.

This store is the best!
Long story short, an online scam company installed spyware onto my computer, then tried to con me out of $ 300.
Took the computer into MelroseMac, and was helped by JOSH who managed to uncover the problem AND fix it in under 10 minutes, was very personable, didn’t make me feel stupid AND most notably DIDNT CHARGE ME A DIME, not even for his time.
This is my second experience with them, and both times they’ve been a lifesaver.
Thanks again JOSH– you’re the best!

I work for @midnight and have to look up REAL weird shit all day: porn, 4chan threads, deep Internet shenanigans — you name it. As such, I downloaded MacKeeper because I wanted an extra guard against evil web garbage. Little did I know, IT FUCKS UP YOUR MAC. But this isn’t a review about how much I loathe that evil, thieving software, it’s about how much I love Tomas and Josh (and even you, Jorge!). If I wasn’t gay and in a relationship, I’d straight-​marry all three of those dudes in a beautiful and loving ceremony.
MelroseMac saved my life from the evils of MacKeeper. I couldn’t launch any applications and my computer kept shutting down, but after ten minutes (TEN MINUTES!!!) — right before closing, nonetheless — these three saviors fixed my computer and sent me on my way. (Am I allowed to say publicly that they didn’t charge me? To their boss: don’t be mad if that’s against the rules. I’ll give you all my money, I swear. But in exchange, they all get raises. Raises for all!)
Genius Bar who? THIS is the best place you can take your Mac, period.

Tomas is the man. He helped me with so many little annoying things on my 6 year old laptop. He was patient and knowledgeable. He didn’t try to sell me anything I didn’t need. This made me want to buy things from this store. When I need a new computer I will purchase it from melrose Mac. The store is beautiful loaded with great merchandise. It’s clean and all of the staff is friendly. Parking was a breeze. I used the bathroom no problem. I left with a free pen and a bottle of water. I felt like it was too good to be true. I usually dread any kind of computer errand. Now I don’t feel this way thanks to melrose Mac and Tomas.
PS. No appointment needed. I walked in unbelievably convenient.

Bless their little cotton socks. These passionate dudes are just minutes from my door and on more than one occasion, have saved my stress levels from leaving the stratosphere.
Last call to them was because I was stupid enough to engage with the latest pop up alert scammers, telling me I had malware, things weren’t in good shape, and so ‘why don’t you let me fix it remotely from here’. When I put the said scammer on hold and checked them out on my phone and discovered (surprise!), they were indeed said scammers, I hung up and rocked in to Melrose Mac as fast as my horse could carry me. And that’s where JORGE came in. Not only did he wring the last of the scammer stench out of my Mac, but he added a bunch more security on to make it even better than before.
Thanks to Jorge, all my Mac security troubles disappeared. Great attitude, huge knowledge and competency in the face of grave danger (ok, so that’s my spin), and all for no cost. If Steve Jobs was still around, I’d write him a letter of thanks.
But in this case, I’ll leave a Unilocal review for Jorge and just say, ‘good on ya mate, you’re a top bloke’.

I am so heavily upset, disturbed and still DISGUSTED with the lack of integrity, coupled with poor communication skills demonstrated to me on Monday, Feb 16, 2015.
Wednesday, Feb 11^th, A friend and I were referred to you by The great Teddy Riley (who happens to also be her father). He suggested we bring my 17 inch Macbook Pro (a computer used mainly for FB and internet browsing and NEVER DROPPED) there to have the internal hard drive removed, a new one installed and then have all of that data transferred to another external hard drive and/​or new computer. We paid for the services of removing the 17 inch’s hard drive and installing a new one that day, along with Business Critical/​RUSH to have the comp available for pickup Thursday.
I was informed that the internal hard drive was going to be «given back to me.» So there I was, sitting for almost 30 minutes with my child in arms, waiting, before me asking the service associate how long it takes to remove the hard drive. He then informed me that the hard drive wasn’t going to be ready for pickup till the following day and apologized for any miscommunication and misunderstanding after assuming I was just sitting there hanging out. I informed the associate to please hold onto the hard drive that will be removed because I will come back and just have the data transferred when it is available. He said okay.
Thursday, I was informed by my friend that she had picked up the computer and has my hard drive and when I get my new computer we will go back to Melrose Mac to have it installed and/​or transferred.
Monday we met at Melrose Mac to have everything transferred over. We paid for $ 100 rush along with $ 75 data transfer. They asked me for my password to the internal hard drive & I wrote it down.
I received a few phone calls later the main issue being That I have a failing hard drive with sector damage and that it is $ 150 dollars to transfer.
I questioned them extensively how a working hard drive that worked absolutely fine and I was able to access ALL of my data, is all of a sudden failing and needs what you say data recovery and repair. The associate on the phone told me a story about a road having pot holes to help me understand. When I arrived at the store I had them go through it with me again. However prior to walking into that store I spoke with 3 trusted individuals who work with and on computers very well and was informed that I was being played and that none of that makes any sense.
I spoke with Darlington. He looks at the notes and says «hold on, let me talk to my manager.» Comes back a few minutes later and says that my manager says its absolutely data recovery and repair but because its on the low end of failing it is only $ 150 as opposed to it being more.
Now as I stood there to make a decision, a gentlemen next to me starts getting loud and arguing that he was told $ 75 dollars but now all of sudden is being told he needs to pay $ 150. The manager says to the customer that he was told by 2 associates that they told this customer $ 150. He said that’s bullshit and was getting highly upset yet stood his ground; Using words such as shady, absurd. For over 10 minutes this went down and I watched the whole thing. The manager even said, I can do it for $ 100 and that’s it. The customer was in complete disbelief. Then ALL OF A SUDDEN, the manager appears to scroll down the computer screen and says oh I’m sorry here it is right here $ 75 and then goes into this bogus story that made no sense about how someone put $ 50 then wrote something else and how it was already applied.
Needless to say, I decided to trust my friends, regardless of the fact that I was scared and didn’t trust my tech abilities, to take my hard drive back and buy a dock and see for myself that nothing was wrong with my hard drive. So I did just that.
After placing the hard drive into the dock and successfully accessing, dragging & dropping all of the data onto another external hard drive, with no data repair or recovery needed, I INFURIATED! It was clear that the associates at Melrose Mac attempted to take advantage of me, by not only taking my non refundable $ 100 for rush but then trying to get me to give them double that for a problem that didn’t even exist; a bold face lie.
Sadly enough they did it either or inclusively because I am a young woman with a baby on my back which possibly appeared to them as naïve and easily able to get over on, that the account was under Teddy Riley and therefore they figured «well there’s money to throw away here» or that this complete establishment functions unethically, immorally, without integrity.
I for sure now know it to be the latter. I was completely cheated of my money, time and trust with this company and Teddy Riley feels the same way as he was one of the individuals that said to bring my hard drive back home and see for yourself. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE MELROSE MAC!

The service here is VERY good. I came here for a mini hdmi cable for my camera. I came here after samys recommended this place and i was very happy to come.
I did purchase a cable which they made for me on the spot. Yes they made it on the spot.
Unfortunately it had the wrong connector so i went back the next day. When i walked in they remembered me and said hi and asked me how the cable worked out for me. When i told them it had the wrong connector on one end they did not argue they refunded my money and after looking at the cable that was broken that i was trying to replace they took that cable and fixed it for me free of charge.
Good Customer service is hard to come by and this place was one of the best i have every experienced.
I would recommend this place to anyone

Great first visit to MELROSE MAC!
I was greeted when I walked in to the door and asked exactly what I needed and was directed which way to go and an employee was directed to assist me.
I picked up my items and then went for a walk around the store. Truly a beautiful and well laid out store. It’s a more hardcore alternative than your friendly neighborhood Apple store.
I will be back!