MacSpecialist Inc.

I brought my Macbook in after it had completely died. I was told there would be a $150ish diagnostic fee and that would apply to any repair work I decided to complete. I could live with that. About $150 would tell me what it would cost and I could make a decision from there. About a week later I received a call from Mac Specialist who informed me the logic board was damaged and would need to be replaced. The repair would be about $800 and somehow that $150 diagnostic had turned into over $350. So now instead of deciding to lose $150 and buy a new laptop, I was already over $350 in with no working computer. I decided to go ahead with the repair.

A couple weeks later the work was complete and I picked it up. It worked alright for about a week before the screen died. After searching the internet I found that everything is connected to the logic board and the monitor wire was a common issue with logic board replacements. I brought it back to MS at their request to send it back to the “depot”. In this exchange I asked if they used new or refurbished parts for repairs. Refurbished. I wish I would have known this prior to agreeing. John at Mac Specialist called a few days later to tell me the depot said screen dying was not associated with the previous repair someone must have opened the case and damaged the wire. Instead of advocating for the customer with the depot who was obviously not interested in standing behind their work, I was accused of lying. Why would I, after spending over $800 to repair it, take apart a perfectly functioning laptop? After some heated back and forth, he agreed to cover the cost of the screen repair.

I received it back about a week later, supposedly repaired. A few days later I plugged in some headphones and shockingly, they didn’t work. The logic board was not even registering they were plugged in. I brought it back at John’s (owner) request so he could send it off again. When I arrived, he already had an attitude like I was bothering him. He requested headphones to test with. I did not have them with me because I never would imagine a computer repair shop would not have minimum equipment to test computer problems. 2 days later I brought it back, with 2 pair of headphones. He called 10 minutes later saying the headphones worked perfecting and to come back and get the laptop. When I returned, he had them plugged in and sound was coming out, although horribly. He told me my previously working headphones were the problem. I asked what would cause them to not work previously. He sniped that I hadn’t set it up correctly. Then proceeded to tell me in order to use headphones, I need to pause what I’m listening to, plug in the headphones, open up sound control and plug the headphones in and out until it registered. Obviously, this is ridiculous. The laptop had never worked like that previously, not this one or any others. He scoffed and said I don’t know what you want me to do. It’s working perfectly mechanically. Unbelievable, truly. I grabbed my laptop and left. In no circumstances would I trust him to repair this laptop or any other.

Now I have a laptop with an obviously faulty, used logic board that I paid $800 for. Just waiting for the next shoe to drop. Save yourself the money and trouble and take it directly to the Apple store.

TLDR: Repair cost me over $800 and 3 trips. Laptop still not right. Completely unsatisfied.

If interested in the full, lengthy story:

I brought my Macbook in after it had completely died. I was told there would be a $150ish diagnostic fee and that would apply to any repair work I decided to complete. I could live with that. About $150 would tell me what it would cost and I could make a decision from there. About a week later I received a call from Mac Specialist who informed me the logic board was damaged and would need to be replaced. The repair would be about $800 and somehow that $150 diagnostic had turned into over $350. So now instead of deciding to lose $150 and buy a new laptop, I was already over $350 in with no working computer. I decided to go ahead with the repair.

A couple weeks later the work was complete and I picked it up. It worked alright for about a week before the screen died. After searching the internet I found that everything is connected to the logic board and the monitor wire was a common issue with logic board replacements. I brought it back to MS at their request to send it back to the “depot”. In this exchange I asked if they used new or refurbished parts for repairs. Refurbished. I wish I would have known this prior to agreeing. John at Mac Specialist called a few days later to tell me the depot said screen dying was not associated with the previous repair someone must have opened the case and damaged the wire. Instead of advocating for the customer with the depot who was obviously not interested in standing behind their work, I was accused of lying. Why would I, after spending over $800 to repair it, take apart a perfectly functioning laptop? After some heated back and forth, he agreed to cover the cost of the screen repair.

I received it back about a week later, supposedly repaired. A few days later I plugged in some headphones and shockingly, they didn’t work. The logic board was not even registering they were plugged in. I brought it back at John’s (owner) request so he could send it off again. When I arrived, he already had an attitude like I was bothering him. He requested headphones to test with. I did not have them with me because I never would imagine a computer repair shop would not have minimum equipment to test computer problems. 2 days later I brought it back, with 2 pair of headphones. He called 10 minutes later saying the headphones worked perfecting and to come back and get the laptop. When I returned, he had them plugged in and sound was coming out, although horribly. He told me my previously working headphones were the problem. I asked what would cause them to not work previously. He sniped that I hadn’t set it up correctly. Then proceeded to tell me in order to use headphones, I need to pause what I’m listening to, plug in the headphones, open up sound control and plug the headphones in and out until it registered. Obviously, this is ridiculous. The laptop had never worked like that previously, not this one or any others. He scoffed and said I don’t know what you want me to do. It’s working perfectly mechanically. Unbelievable, truly. I grabbed my laptop and left. In no circumstances would I trust him to repair this laptop or any other. Now I have a laptop with an obviously faulty, used logic board that I paid $800 for. Just waiting for the next shoe to drop. Save yourself the money and trouble and take it directly to the Apple store.

A Great Mac/Apple Technician, who is Extremely Knowledgeable. Apple trained, with thirty years experience. I've gotten great service from him, and trust him implicitly! Dr. Ron Rosenthal aka Dr. Snore