Ben’s Computer Outlet

I had a bad experience at Ben’s Computers today.
I’m in town on vacation and, noticed my laptop was broken upon arrival. My computer screen told me the fan was broken and then would shut down to prevent damage. I went into Bens yesterday and spoke with John. I told him what the computer screen said. He fired it up and saw the same screen. He told me the fan would be $ 39 plus 1 hour labor at 65 bucks an hour. I said ok go for it.
Today when I picked up my phone, I saw that the store had called me. So I called them back. When I called back, I reached John. He said he couldn’t talk to me on that phone, that I was supposed to listen to my voicemail, write down that number that he left for me, and call me back on that number. Ridiculous.
He called back later and he said it would be 2 hours of labor instead, and the total bill was $ 161. I said no thanks, and went down to pick up my machine. It was taken apart on their desk. I waited a few minutes while they put it back together.
2 hour job, my ass! It’s clear that John was trying to gouge me.
I don’t know or care if John is the owner, he is inept.
He communicated very poorly in two conversations, and he lost my business when I lost confidence in him.
I’m happy I did not give them my business.
John then insisted that I pay $ 39 for a «diagnosis fee» when all he did is read the same screen that I did.
I won’t be wasting anymore of my time at Ben’s computers.

I thought I had a problem with my laptop. I Took it to Ben’s. A quick inspection by John, he said there was nothing wrong with my laptop but a Windows 10 issue. He took time to explain why it was acting the way it was. I was not charged and I went on my way. When I need a computer or service in the future I will not hesitate to go to Ben’s! Thanks Jeri

Workers were knowledgable. There is 20 percent restocking fee if you return something. I purchased an LG dvd rom for $ 39 and could have gotten it for $ 13 on Amazon with free two day shipping. Best Buy didn’t carry it and I didn’t want to wait to get the part in. I would like to support this local business again but it’s far cheaper to go to Best Buy or online.

First time there, friendly service fast turnaround. Although they could not fix my tablet they tried and at no charge. Thanks Ben.

If you are anywhere on the Central Coast its worth the drive to Ben’s! His professionalism and knowledge are why everyone trusts his work and ability. His customer service is outstanding and why I would continue to rely on Ben! He has true compassion for his customer and will not over charge on any project. My laptop stopped working so I took it in to Ben. The diagnosis was not good. I went to purchase a replacement computer… I bring this new purchase to Ben to transfer all my info. Well this computer was just terrible … I know very little about computers! I take this dud back and picked out a new «better» option. I get this home and there is a dead pixel. During this whole process I call Ben who gives me endless encouragement and advice on finding the best computer for my needs. What to stay away from and what to look for. Third times a charm … I bring this final laptop to Ben who by this point has, I’m sure, spent hours of his time (not charged for) diagnosing transferring data and helping give me direction. It’s hard to find business’s that I can trust … at Ben’s Computer Repair I not only trust his capabilities I highly recommend him for his patience and compassion!

I don’t like to post negative stuff but in this case I have no choice. I took my system to Bens a few weeks back. I had two simple issues which were for the most part taken care of. Yes, he charged $ 39 but let me tell you, you get what you pay for. When I got the computer back, he had forgotton to tighen up the back panels. There was also software on my system which I didn’t put on there and the internet didn’t work when I got it back. I will not use this person again.

I forgot to mention. Ben does not charge 3 hours for $ 195.00 as one reviewer (Karen G.) states. Ben charges $ 39.00 for an estimate if you do not know what you want done. If you know what has to be done there is no estimate charge. That estimate fee is waived if Ben makes the repairs. He quotes parts and labor separately and has a flat rate no hourly charges. Me thinks Karen G. is shilling for a competitor.

We have been to Ben’s several times and have always found them to be helpful and professional. We will be back :)

BUYER BEWARE !! Anything you need done to your computer, he will charge you 3 hours labor whether it takes that long or not. $ 195. I will not be back to Bens.

If you’re on the Central Coast in California and need your computer repaired, take it to Ben’s Computer. This man is the real deal in his professionalism, workmanship and follow-​through. I’ve had to take several computers to Ben and I have never been disappointed in his knowledge, price and turn around time. Don’t go anywhere else because you’ll eventually end up having to go to Ben’s Computer to help you out. I like Ben. He’s genuine and I know my computer is safe with him. Thanks, Ben! Another job well done. J. Mello

BEN’S IS A FIVE STAR HOME RUN! First off, Ben is a super nice super friendly guy that I liked instantly. He listened to my problem, a touch pad on my HP laptop that I couldn’t disable after Norton removed what seemed to be a pesky little virus. He said he’d look at my laptop within half an hour, quoted me the basic look-​see rate, and said he’d call me if it was more than a simple fix. He called me within minutes. Turns out the virus wasn’t little or pesky. Turns out when Norton removed the virus, the virus took chunks of Windows with it. Since I always use an external mouse, Ben permanently disabled the touch pad for just a few dollars more than the look-​see price, and my laptop works just the way I want it to work. All this took less than an hour. More … Ben said I could bring my laptop back and leave it with him if I wanted him to spend serious time repairing and/​or reinstalling Windows. I thought what a good guy. He could have said you have a big problem, fixed the big problem, and charged me a big price, all so that a touch pad I never use worked. Don’t you wish everyone was this nice, this friendly, this good at his job, and this honest? I live 2−½ hours away but I’m in Grover Beach almost every 6 weeks so when I need a computer fix again, I’m coming back to Ben’s! Thank you thank you thank you!

Great service, friendly and knowledgeable staff. I’ve taken my laptop here 2 – 3 times for different problems/​reasons each time, and I have always received back my laptop in a timely manner, and with the problem resolved! What more could I ask for? They don’t try to «steal» my money, they’re just honest people doing their job. They get straight to the point. They also offer good advice on computers and software. Also, they offer computer recycling. You just take your old computer to them and they will recycle.

I know almost nothing about my laptop but rely on it for almost everything, so when it started to be «glitchy» and perform excruciatingly slowly, I knew I needed help but didn’t know where to bring my baby. I kept passing by Ben’s in my neighborhood, but I also kept thinking that a costly repair was not in my budget, and also that I could not survive a day without my computer. A quick call allayed my fears — the owner quoted me $ 39.99 for a diagnostic, and also said that if the machine needed repairs, this fee would be applied towards labor. He also told me that he performs same-​day service, but I was calling only two hours before close-​of-​business. I brought my machine in and Ben was able to speedily diagnose and address the (thankfully!) straightforward issue. As he worked, he explained to me in layperson terms what he was doing and why. He was patient with all of my questions and gave me easy-​to-​follow advice for upkeep so that I can keep my machine running well. Clearly, he runs his business with the goal of really serving customers so that we will be pleased and return. I was out the door in about 25 minutes for $ 39.99, and, while I hope I don’t have to for a while, I would definitely go back!

While my experience with Ben’s Computers started out well, it did not end up on a good note. Ben’s worked on 2 of my computers: a 4 month old Dell (hard drive crash) and a 6 year old HP (diagnostic & virus cleanup). After spending $ 200, my new Dell is being shipped to the Dell Depot & the HP is up & running slowly. I’m not sure about the competence of the work performed, but the attitude of Ben & the young man who rang up my services was rude & unprofessional. I wish I could write a more positive review because I really prefer to frequent local businesses. Good luck with your computer needs.

Unless this place recently had a magical change take place in their staff all of a sudden, I actually wouldn’t even bother with this place and go to a more reputable place for repair ^^. My desktop wouldn’t work any more all of a sudden. When powered up I couldn’t get windows loaded completely etc. Took it in and was told by a tech there that after he had inspected everything, he was able to find out my mother board was fried and needed a new one and began tossing prices out to me for replacements.
I ended up just taking my desktop home with out paying for anything except the 35 dollar fee for inspection … ^^. I took my comp to a friend who knew computers also as his schedule opened up and it took him all of 5 minutes to simply hit a reset switch that had tripped on the mother board and walla… all was fine…0.0…has been emailing, videoing and gaming just fine now… I’ll never ever go back to this place and always recommend against it. Good luck if you go here…^^

We have used Ben’s several times in the past few years and he/​they have been really good to us — straight talk and prompt service. Last week, we had a computer hard drive crash that literally crippled us. Ben’s was able to recover all of our data, which was amazing enough, but also all of the software and settings. This of course saved us many hours of frustrating installation and set up time. Grateful as I was that they got us back on line in just two and a half days, I thought the bill was going to be 10 times the cost of a new machine (considering all of the time they put into it). Not to fear! They treated us very well and were most fair on the fee. Ben’s is our ultimate «back-​up»! Thanks Ben’s!
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