The Mac Store

Full disclosure — My review is for what happened five months ago, things may have improved.
I went to the Mac store to purchase my daughter a new laptop. First the salesman tried to talk me into purchasing my daughter an older model instead of the current model, which would be the same price with the student discount. The only possible reason I can think of doing that is to make the life of the salesman easier.
Then I asked a different salesman if they offer a student discount on Office software. I specifically asked if they can match the price at UO bookstore. They said yes and I purchased a copy. I screwed up and let my daughter install it before checking things out. I purchased the «home and student edition» which I could purchase for $ 20 less elsewhere, but would have been about $ 70 cheaper at the student bookstore. I made the mistake of assuming it was the full version of Office which costs a lot more, not a stripped down version.

Holy hell. I should have read the reviews first. Serious disappointment with a supposed Apple store.
My iPod decided to give up the ghost. So sad. But I wanted to see if it could be salvaged, so I took it down to the store. I went to the guy behind the counter, who was not busy. I explained the problem, he nodded, and handed me a card for another business and said, «You have to talk to these guys.»
I have no idea who this other business is… just a business card. I look at him and say, «Seriously?»
He says, «Yea.»
So I said, «Well, I may end up just getting a new iPod then.»
He says, «Okay.»
That was the last interaction I had with any of the store’s six or seven employees. I wandered around the place four or five times, obviously looking for something, since I didn’t actually stop at anything and look. Many employees saw me. None said anything to me, including the… hold on, I’m excising derogatory language here… young man who I initially encountered and to whom I said I MIGHT WANT TO PURCHASE A PRODUCT THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SELL.
…
I walked out and figured I could get better service from the machine at Macy’s, that vends out iPods.
True story.

Its a non– Apple owned store. I yes enjoy that I can get apple products from them but the look and feel is not like an Apple store. I do not like the staff that talk down to PC users. I over herd one of the staff bad mouthing PC. The selection they had in stock was great I would have given 5 stars if they staff was impartial and informed like at apple.

Seldom am I prompted to post a review so quickly after my visit. But this place had seriously poor service. Repair guy had a significant attitude and didn’t provide any possible solutions– at all. Seriously, dude you’re working at the freakin’ Lancaster Mall… you haven’t earned an attitude. In fact, I don’t know what’ll die quicker your earning potential or this mall.
Then… after I walk out, I come back in to purchase something (I don’t know why either…) I overhear that repair loser talking about me to his co-​workers. Really? REALLY?
What was my repair, you ask? Replacing my «O» key, which fell off.
They could really benefit from a good customer service class. AVOID. And before you think I just like to bitch… as of this writing, I’ve scripted 126 Unilocal reviews and this is only my 7^th one star rating.

Unfortunately, I’d have to agree with Jane S.
As much as I love the mac store, it really digressed with the new location. I really miss some of the other employees, who I’ve seen now working at Best Buy and Shutterbug.
Nothing against the current crop, but I wish they were a bit more well versed with Pro Apps for guys like me.
I shop for most of my mac stuff at Power Mac Pac in Portland. I really do want to shop locally, but the store makes me go elsewhere.

Horrible store, horrible repairs and horrible service… a theme?
I brought my Macbook here for repair for a dead hard drive. Its «Apple authorized» how bad could it be? It took almost 2 weeks to replace the hard drive, they assured me several times it was an authentic drive, 100% covered by my AppleCare in the future. I had to pay for it so I could get my hard drive back and try and recover info. $ 100. It has never worked right. It was slow and had problems downloading our programs.
Now, just 4 months later it crashed again. I took it to Apple. They said it is the crappiest, 3^rd party hard drive they have ever seen. It is not covered under my AppleCare. I called to talk to someone about my problem and was told, Nope no one is available by phone. you must make an appointment to come in inperson. I told them my Macbook is up in Portland at the Apple store, I just had a question about a refund. Nope. No human available, must make appointment.
I am going to do everything I can to avoid going back to this store for this problem or ever again in my lifetime.

Over the past ten years the Mac Store went from a large, friendly store space downtown to a cramped but still cheerful location on Lancaster Drive to a badly-​designed, pseudo-​official-​Apple Store hole in the middle of a dying mall. Despite a thin Appley veneer of brushed metal and glass paneling, the Mac Store is a dimly lit cavern where overpriced products are placed on low bookshelves that do not invite browsing. The only reason to visit the Mac Store (and this unfortunately extends into the only reason to visit Lancaster Mall at all) is for their repair services, which are reasonably speedy so long as your computer issues don’t require shipment to AppleCare in California. Which is almost always. Much as I would like to champion a locally-​owned computer store, we Salem Apple fans are better off shopping for our hardware and software online.