My laptop just stoped working (like it wouldn't turn on even after I tried every recommendation on google) the day before I had two exams and a presentation due. I heard about the shop that morning and brought my laptop in. They fixed it within a few hours and kept the shop open late for me because I had a class at the same time they close. They were nothing but kind and I really appreciate everything they did for me! read more

I paid $150 for a hinge repair and a charging connector repair, itemized as $75 each. The hinge was fixed. The connector was not; he made me visit the store 3 separate times, wasting my time, only to eventually claim it was a battery issue (a battery he himself had sold and installed in an earlier repair, for $250). When I asked for the $75 refund for the unfinished connector repair, he refused and instead offered to "compensate" with free future fixes for me and my friends, not an actual refund. He also advertises free diagnosis in his own Google reviews, yet I still paid for a diagnosis that led nowhere. When I politely pushed back and asked again for my refund, he got furious, called me a "greedy bastard," used profanity, and hung up on me. This is not how a customer asking for money owed to them should ever be treated. While waiting during my visits, I met other customers with the exact same complaint: repeated visits, no resolution, and eventually giving up on getting their money back. I'm considering filing a formal complaint. I expect he'll reply here claiming diagnosis is free. If you do go here, do not pay upfront and always ask for a proper itemized receipt for any work done. read more

I feel compelled to share the unfair treatment my son experienced at this computer repair shop because customer reviews are important and help others make informed decisions. In summary, my son's laptop had a broken LCD, so he took it to this computer repair shop. After inspecting the LCD specifications to order LCD replacement, the laptop continued to display only a black screen. Before investigating LCD specification, although the display was cracked, the image was clearly visible, and it was not a black screen. However, Friendly Computer Service did not investigate the cause of the black screen and instead repeatedly assured him that everything would work properly once the new LCD was installed. Trusting their assessment, he went through multiple LCD replacements, but the problem was never resolved. Eventually, he took the laptop to another repair shop for a proper diagnosis. That shop determined that a mainboard fuse had failed. After replacing the fuse, the laptop display came back exactly as it had been originally -- with the damaged LCD visible but no black screen issue. My son then asked Friendly Computer Service to compensate him, at least partially, for the $472 he had to spend on the mainboard fuse repair. However, they denied any responsibility, repeatedly claiming that the failure was simply bad luck or the result of my son's misuse of the laptop. They neglected his concerns entirely, often responding with insulting and degrading remarks rather than addressing his request professionally. During the entire LCD repair process, my son was unable to use his laptop. When the black screen issue occurred, the shop suggested that he simply connect the laptop to an external monitor. Unfortunately, he did not own an external monitor, the laptop remained untouched. He repeatedly explained that he could not have caused the damage through misuse, because he had not used the laptop at all while the LCD was being repaired. He also repeatedly asked Friendly Computer Service to explain why they believed they were not responsible and to provide objective evidence or data supporting their position. However, they completely ignored his requests and continued to insist that they bore no responsibility. As a result, they refused to compensate him for the mainboard fuse repair, not even by a single dollar. My son unfairly lost $472. Feeling that he had been treated unjustly, he pursued legal action and obtained a court judgment confirming his right to recover the money. However, despite this legal victory, he has still been unable to collect the judgment. The shop owner appears either to have emptied the bank account that my son knew about or moved the funds elsewhere, making it extremely difficult for him to recover the money he is legally owed. I am leaving this review because I strongly feel that this business operates by concealing its own mistakes--for example, warning customers not to discuss their experiences online--while prominently promoting only the customers who leave positive reviews. As a result, I believe it is important to share my experience here. read more

[MUST Read] I am leaving my story here because I hope no one else will ever go through what I experienced. Please read my story to the end and make a wise decision. First of all, I am a financially struggling student at the University of Maryland (UMD). Last fall, my laptop LCD screen was broken. I chose to repair my laptop at Friendly Computer Service, just because it was cheaper out of two stores that were recommended by the university IT Center. I visited the shop for LCD repairs and asked whether my laptop could be fixed. The technician at Friendly Computer Service confidently told me that it could be repaired. At the time I submitted my laptop for repair, the laptop would power on and display a visibly cracked image on the screen. . The technician took my laptop to bring the specification of LCD panel installed in my laptop to order the LCD replacement. When I got the laptop back, however, the situation had become worse. Instead of displaying the cracked image as before, the screen was now completely black. I asked why the screen was black. The technician connected the laptop to an external monitor using an HDMI cable and said that it worked fine through HDMI. they assured me that once the ordered LCD was installed, everything would function normally again. And they recommended to use it that way for the time being. The broken laptop left untouched until the new LCD was installed. When the ordered LCD arrived, the technician replaced my broken LCD with the new one, but the screen was still completely black. I asked what was happening, and he told me that the LCD they had ordered was not compatible with my laptop and that they would order another one. This process repeated several times. Despite multiple attempts, my LCD was never repaired. The screen remained black throughout. At that point, I had a strong feeling that something was seriously wrong. I visited another repair shop for my inspection. The inspection revealed that the mainboard fuse had failed and needed to be replaced with a new one. The replacement of the mainboard fuse cost approximately $472. I asked Friendly Computer Service Shop to provide at least partial compensation for this expense. However, they refused, claiming that the mainboard fuse failure was simply the result of my bad luck and my improper use of the laptop. They insisted that the entire situation was my responsibility and therefore that they had no obligation to reimburse me for any portion of the repair cost. As a result, I pursued legal action. The judge ruled that I was entitled to recover the money and granted me the right to seek reimbursement. However, despite obtaining that judgment, I have been unable to recover the funds in practice because the bank information available to me has not allowed me to collect the payment. This has left me in a situation where I incurred significant expenses due to a problem that arose during the repair process, obtained a favorable court ruling, yet still have no practical way to receive the compensation that the court recognized I am entitled to receive. Friendly Computer Service Shop continues to insist that the mainboard fuse failure was entirely my fault. However, I firmly believe that I was not responsible for the damage, and I have therefore been pursuing various legal avenues to seek compensation. I made numerous attempts to resolve this matter through discussion and negotiation. Unfortunately, instead of receiving a constructive response, I was repeatedly met with rude text messages and insulting remarks, along with constant claims that I should blame myself for what happened. As a result, I have decided to end further communication with them and focus on exploring other legal options. That is my story. read more

this was the worst place i have ever used..john appears to be on drugs he was very pressed about getting money way before the job was even found the problem..when i went to pick it up the screen was so dirty with finger print and then he started nodding never again read more

Had a broken key on my laptop. I took it to a couple other shops nearby, none could fix it. I took it to Friendly, and while it was a bit of a trip for me, they took it in and discovered the keyboard was welded in, so they couldn't replace the whole thing as I'd hoped, but they were able to transplant the keys. They charged much less as a result, and had said before they started that if they couldn't, they would charge nothing. So strong points for honest and fair pricing. They easily could have taken advantage. My one complaint, for which I ding them one star, is that they're not great with phone stuff. They never called me. When I called them I did so three times, leaving two messages and never got a call back. My third call I got them and was told everything was done, for less money, yada yada. So really, my one complaint is that they need to be better communicators. read more

Neat little store. Good used selection of towers and laptops. My senior dad want a computer to buy for the first time. Staff was knowledgeable and fun so we purchased a laptop and pc tower Works like quality. read more

To start, I did NOT have service there (so, stop reading if you want...also, they're not paying me to write this either). I have a laptop with a smashed screen that I'm looking to get repaired, brought it in for a free estimate, got quoted on what the job would cost. I felt the tech (gonna say...John?) was honest an upfront about the cost and why it would be that way, not pushy at all, very forthcoming, very reasonable. I'd probably go back there. read more

I bought a Dell laptop computer here at a great price! My old computer hard drive crashed but they were able to retrieve all my data. Doing business with Friendly Computer Services was refreshing, e.g., friendly, fair, and honest. I'm still using the machine. I'll be back soon to purchase again. Cheers! read more

Wonderful experience. Mike was super nicevto deal with and he was able to get my data and photos off crashed computer onto my external drive at very reasonable price. read more

I will always take my computers to Friendly. They are really knowledgeable, effiecient and indeed friendly. I had a replacement screen for my laptop and in less than 24 hours he fixed it and offered to replace the keyboard which fried from spilled rum. The price was right. read more

Very nice and honest people here; I'm definitely coming back if I ever have any computer issues. I spilled water on my laptop which fried the motherboard. Friendly Computer Services tried everything and truly went above and beyond to revive my laptop. Though my laptop was beyond repair, they were very honest about it and didn't try to sell me anything I didn't need or twist my arm like other places tried to. It's a tiny shop that's easy to miss, but it's right next to the Proteus bike shop on route 1 (big green building). read more

I arrived before 10:30 a.m., the opening time, and the shop was closed. I waited until 10:45 and left. I came back in the afternoon in a steady rain, and took my rather large desktop out of the car. A tech watched me through the window, but did not get up to hold the door open, even though I was a customer with a big desktop in my arms. I managed to get in without putting the computer down in a puddle and then explained about the wait and received neither an explanation nor an apology. The diagnostic price for the desktop was $29, which could be applied to a repair, which would be $99/hour plus parts. There seemed little clarity about how long a repair could take or whether it might be worth it. It's great to call yourself friendly, but these people definitely weren't today. read more

I run a business in the area and need someone to come look at our computers. The guy that answered the phone asked, what I needed, I said an anti-virus and maintenance plan for my business's computers. He said, we don't do that... you'd have to bring them in. Huh? I said, I have to bring 7 computers in to you? He said yea... What kind of computer place is this??? I, politely, hung-up. read more

My computer went blank a few months ago and I had no idea what was going on. I went online and googled a few computer repair shops in the area and ran across this one. i tried it out because it was close and had so many good reviews. The customer service was awesome! They did a diagnostic on my computer and gave me as many options as possible to get me a working computer ASAP. They gave me a good deal on just purchasing a new computer since actually fixing my problem was going to probably cost me more and wasn't worth it. Until this day any issue I have with my computer, I know I can take it to Friendly and it will be taken care of. read more

$30 to diagnose a computer, even if they don't find the problem? Never a good sign. I brought my laptop in for repair since it hadn't been booting up. After about 5 days working on it, the repair guy said that my motherboard was faulty and I should just buy a new laptop. I thought this sounded fishy, so I opened up the laptop myself to take a look. Turns out the Ram card had partially come out of its slot, and popping it back in solved the problem. That's not a joke. I honestly wonder if they even bothered inspecting it, or just left the it lying there for 5 days. DO NOT COME HERE FOR REPAIRS read more

Overall creepy vibe.you just sense it from my visit or knowledge. Worker seems to be dazed off into space but the second they hear a $ opportunity the atmosphere changes. I am by no means tech illiterate and wanted to see how far they would go. I was done when they offered to take my newer alienware with "problems" (i7 6th gen,16gb ram,500gb ssd and add cash for a 2nd gen i7) do your homework before blindly following any advice from here.. thats a pretty low tactic. I said i didnt have much mobey to blow.. not that i didnt have much sense. read more

They examined my computer free of charge and were helpful in telling me what the problem was. When i tried to fix it myself i messed up. I ended uo taking it back to them and they fixed up right. Pretty decent friendly guys. Definitely cheaper than geek squad. read more

Purchased cisco switch online, buyer refused to accept return. Filed Paypal claim for "Item was not as described", Paypal asked for a third party statement to support my claim. Got a fair statement from friendly computer service, returned the cisco switch, got a full refund from Paypal. Happy with the service that I received from friendly computer service, will visit them again when I need help. read more

I walked in after work last week and walked out a happy customer after 15 minutes! My problem? My USB (thumb drive) was causing my laptop to short circuit every time I put it in the port so I needed to get all my work files saved onto a DVD ASAP before my USB or laptop totally crashed! The cost? Lower than a nearby competitor. I will definitely go back with my next computer issue. read more

We had a great experience with the guys at Friendly. They repaired one lap top and sold me something I could use as a replacement while I waited for the repair. The one I purchased was a bit of an older model but perfect for what I need it for. They were flexible with changes to the repairs and some changes I wanted to the one I purchased. They kept me informed as the work progressed and parts were received. They were very friendly and took their time answering questions. They didn't treat me like I'm stupid although I know almost nothing about computers, and am much older and a bit out-of-touch. I really appreciated that. read more

I took my laptop in to be fixed because it would not power on. I thought there was an issue with the power jack. John, the store manager, plugged a different power cord into my laptop and it turned on immediately. He couldn't sell me the cable I needed because he didn't have any, but he let me take a picture of the right cable and referred me to a place where I could buy one inexpensively. I did and my laptop is like new again! John was very friendly and helpful and I'd definitely recommend Friendly Computer Services to anyone needing help with their machines. read more

Unfortunately, Friendly Computer Services was lacked the ability to do anything to assist me. I cracked my laptop screen and touchscreen bezel (which enables me to use the touchscreen). Firstly, they did not know that touchscreen laptops even had a bezel, yet touchscreen laptops have been popular for the better part of a year, at least. It required another piece, which they presumed to cost $30, yet it did not seem they were going to tell me my price had gone up, had it not been for the fact that I called multiple times to see the progress of my laptop. They later told me that they had ordered the wrong bezel and it did not fit on my laptop, and that the correct bezel would cost almost $200. This is now a total cost of $400 ($100 for the original screen, $100 for labor, and $200 for the bezel) after 2 weeks of them having my laptop. I went by the store, and was told by the owner that I could just buy my own bezel, bring it back to them and they would give me a "discount" of $50 for labor; however I do not see it as a discount if I'm doing the labor for them. In the end, I took my laptop back without any repairs done to it, and to my surprise found that the original cracks on the screen were even larger. Of course, I have no proof of this, so there was nothing to be done about it. I'm extremely dissatisfied with the quality of work that this business does. They had my laptop for more than 3 weeks, increased the cost more than once, and in the end could not fix it because of incompetency. Perhaps others will be more fortunate doing business with them, however I do not recommend Friendly Computer Services at all. read more

I've used Friendly Computer Services three times now and would highly recommend them. Once they managed to salvage all the files from my husband's crashed and virus-laden laptop. Once they helped me with a laptop that wouldn't start up properly. Most recently they replaced a wireless adapter for me in less time than estimated and for exactly the amount promised. I couldn't be happier. read more

broke my computer then blamed me for it when i called 5 mins after finding out it was broke then tried to charge me to fix it but its ok my lawyer on the case. read more