Lakeside Computers Sales & Service

Good for mailing through USPS and maybe for Windows PCs and maybe for home service calls, but forget leaving your computer there for service, especially if it’s a Mac.
Took my 2009 Macbook (still a supported machine by Apple) for an inverter (what allows the backlights behind the screen to light) replacement. Not a big job, but the price quoted kept me from doing it and they assured me that Justin could do it. The other tech apparently only handles Windows machines. I had to call every week, after the first two weeks that it was there. The first inverter they got was apparently bad. No problem. It happens. They got another. Don’t know when, but I could have gotten many in two days, so their excuses about it takes time to ship to them were unwarranted. Got the impression that my job was on the back burner since Justin makes more for home service calls. I still believe that after his final words to me. Justin didn’t even realize the power light was not working.
Never got call backs from him about the status of my machine. I had to initiate all calls until the last one after I picked up my now fixed inverter, but scratched up beyond belief top and now non-​working keyboard. More excuses for that. «Must have been all the plugging and unplugging he had to do.» Well, if he’d had his inverter tester available, maybe he’d not have had to do all the plugging and unplugging. Not professional in a service that uses testers. After telling him I may buy one online, he found his the next day or so. They closed part of the large store, recently, and blamed that on the missing tester. It can happen, but in this business you ought to have another or know where the original is.
Called again last week and Justin told me that the screen was working, but… now the keyboard & trackpad were not. Really. No offer to fix it. He said it would work with a USB keyboard. Really. A laptop with an external keyboard. Where is the pocket in my ballistic nylon carry case for that? So I told him I’d pick it up the next day, but then I couldn’t and called back to let him know it would be Monday. I thanked him (out of habit) and he replied «No problem». Not for him, maybe, but a big problem for me as I now have a laptop without a working keyboard and trackpad. And a scratched up top as well. When I picked it up, I told the attendant that I had a case with it. He found it and brought it out. I looked at the Macbook and saw all these finger prints and scratches all over the top. Opened it and saw a small cake of dust on the screen, thinking how much dust is inside now. Wiped part of the screen off only to find more fingerprints all around the edges of the screen and black smudges on the back of the hinge. What a mess and these people allow their work to go out like this? Pride seems to missing here.
Can’t sell it now, I thought. No apologies. No problem. I have a parts Macbook with another, same model, Macbook with an inverter needed. Two parts machines. Less money for me. That they didn’t charge me for lengthy repair of the inverter was no big plus for me as I wouldn’t have paid full price for a 2 month job that could have been done in two weeks at the most. And the machine was damaged more, so I will now have to take it to Simply Mac in Macon or Microcenter, where I’ve taken all my Macs, and have them tell me what Justin did or didn’t do and how much it will cost me if I decide to repair it.
I went back with Macbook, after gathering my thoughts, talking to representation that knows more about this type of service blunder than do I and cooling off a bit. Justin wasn’t there. Didn’t expect him to be there. I just wanted the owner of the store to see what was allowed to go out, representing her store and Justin’s work. She told me, very nicely, that I’d have to talk to him. Really. She apparently doesn’t stand behind his work quality or lack thereof. The Windows girl came out from the back, defending Justin’s work by talking about the age of the machine, when I reminded her the machine was still an Apple supported machine.
They told me he’d be back soon. I waited around 20 minutes and had a small job I had to finish so I said I’d have to leave. They told me he’d call me the next day since I’d be home after they close. I told them, I doubt he’d call since no one ever has but me. He did call in the morning and gave no apology and I mentioned the scratched up top and he said that «it had been on the table and probably got moved around a bit» and still no apology. I mentioned all the dust and fingerprints on the outside and screen and told him I was surprised he allowed his work to leave the shop that way. He told me that he was «just pretty sick of that computer» and I told him that’s all I needed to hear and hung up.
Would not mail a letter from this USPS/​Radio Shack/​Computer joint, let alone buy anything from them or Heaven forbid, leave any computer equipment for repair!
Absolute worst computer service ever.