Gone are the days of independant computer maintenance and tech support.
Where one can find great electronic goods and accessories for pennies, why would anyone pay a premium for these products at a store that doesn't offer any sort of warranty or protection beyond what Apple offers.
I recently cracked my phone screen, and while Apple can repair the screen in an hour, in-store, Mac Outpost claims that it takes a minimum of 3 weeks, as they don't do it in store. They have to ship to Apple just to have them *assess* whether the repair can be done. Then once they have your permission, they make the repair. In the Apple Store, the repair costs $130. What would I have paid Mac outpost with all that extra shipping and labour?
The biggest eyebrow raise for me was that they would charge $65 to have my phone backed up. I'm no technician, but I know enough about how backups and data work to know when I'm being taken.
The store is nice, and has some great displays. Some products and accessories here and there that are a little harder to find elsewhere. I think the one advantage to this place is that they provide support for older devices, that by today's standards are almost obsolete. So if you're hanging on to older iPhones or macs, this is the place to go for tech support.
I can't get past the pricing though. The Apple Store charged $150 to replace the battery in my MacBook Pro, and Mac outpost was going to charge over $300.
The problem here is that their prices are just not competitive in any way.
These guys used to be the go to Mac guys in London, but they're quickly falling behind the competition. read more
