Cex is an interesting shop the idea behind them is that they buy your used…read moreconsoles/games/dvds/other electricals off you and give you a voucher to buy items from their store OR they give you a discounted cash amount. However in my experience whenever I have taken items to sell to them, they always say that they have run out of cash or that they are not buying items from people. Therefore I usually end up taking my items home with me rather than accepting a credit note. Their prices for second hand games are often a lot higher than what you can buy the items for brand new. I will say that the cash prices they offer you for games is quite decent, so perhaps this is why they charge customers so much to buy their second hand goods?! Anyway I have had a few damaged items such as jumpy dvds from Cex, so have stopped using them as I do not think that their quality checking of preowned items is very good. Still if you have items to sell and need cash quickly, it is worth taking a trip to Cex very early in the morning and just hope and pray that they have the cash to buy your stuff!

CEX in Newcastle has changed a fair bit since I started patronising it in 2006. Their game…read moreselection has understandably shifted very heavily towards newer consoles, and there's been a change in focus towards more of a marketplace-type environment of game and electronics buying/selling. In essence, CEX, seems to have become a bit of a pawn shop for these types of items, so isn't as pleasant to browse in as the nearby GAME and Gamestation stores, which also offer similar items. One feature, however, which I highly recommend about this CEX is the arcade-game console running the classic Marvel Vs Capcom fighter game in the rear of the store. With 3 plays running at only 50p, it's a great value and very fun way to spend a bit of time either alone or with a mate if stuck for something to do in Newcastle for a half hour or so.

This Samsung store is one of the only stores of its' kind I've seen from the Samsung brand, and it…read moreis quite a large, amazing store because of it. This is called a Samsung Experience store, due to the amount of different Samsung products they have on offer, through some sort of chair to TV's and smart phones and their flagship Samsung Galaxy phones. I really liked this store, having very little interaction with Samsung products in the past and the whole concept of this store is excellent and quite rare to find in other Samsung stores, who based on past experience often have much poorer and smaller stores, as is the case in my hometown of Manchester. Despite being a huge Apple fan, I did like the new S8+ model, and liked how they made the demo model easier to see the key features such as a rather innovative and niche iris scanner. The staff around the store, of course, seemed friendly, and of course, the overall vibe was good, they also seemed to be a satisfactory yet not excellent selection of accessories, however the accessories selection as a whole, didn't compare to the selection, choice and quantity which one would find in an Apple Store. For the Samsung brand, this store is impressive, but overall it is just a very good store, and despite some flaws such as the overall building not standing out in terms of being modern, like most of the tech here, and other factors, perhaps a slight lack of information on some factors and not a range of accessories of which I'd call fantastic, I feel this store isn't perfect yet still has done enough to earn a four-star rating.

I have never had such a good service in Newcastle. She was…read morevery persevering in serving me. She was very nice indeed thanks Alisha. She definitely deserves such good comment.

As an O2 customer, I called in this store in the intu Metrocentre in Gateshead while passing…read morethrough mainly to have a look at the range of accessories. This store is small and nowhere near as impresive in terms of store than the nearby branch in Newcastle city centre. This store still is a decent size however I still was really frustrated and dissapointed mainly down to the service. Unlike at many O2 stores I wasn't greeted, I was able to wait at the front of the store for a few minutes and roam around without a hello, or acknowlegement. The range of accessories was also poorer than most other O2 stores I have visited such as Manchester Arndale, Manchester Market Street and Newcastle Eldon Square. Poor service which lets the O2 brand down Slightly poor selection Overall, sadly a poor store hence warranting a single one star rating.

I have a mixed view of this establishment as I have shopped here twice. The first time was a…read morefantastic experience. I wanted a Pay Monthly mobile for myself with a low monthly fee and mainly free texts. The gentleman that helped me this first time was brilliant and, although I know they're on commission, I felt that he really did get me the best deal. As I don't use many minutes per month, I was over the moon not to be pressured into getting a completely unsuitable package, so many thanks to that salesperson. The second experience, this Christmas, was diabolical. I went in to buy a Pay as You Go phone for my nephew and was jumped on almost immediately by a most annoying salesman. I indicated that I was just looking, but he continued to loiter behind me. Without asking, he returned after a few moments to attempt to persuade me to look at contract phones. I explained that I was after PAYG and he looked at me like something he had trodden in and sloped off. Needless to say, I did not purchase from this outlet but went instead to Asda! Unfortunately, they lost my business and I would be wary of visiting again after this experience.

Carphone warehouse has consistently won my business in the last 4 years. It offers good value…read moremobile phone and call tariff. It has good value landline and broadband as well, which called Talktalk. The good thing about its mobile division is I don't have to pay the call cost if I want to ring their customer services as long as I ring them through my mobile. They have good network branch as well. The problem with its mobile division is its redemption procedure to claim chequeback. It has to be claimed manually (I have to remember to send my bill statement to redemption department by post) and it takes couple weeks at least for the cheque to arrive.