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Micro Center
Categories: Shopping Computers Shopping Electronics Computers, Electronics [Edit]
730 Memorial DrCambridge, MA 02139
(617) 234-6400
- Nearest Transit:
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Magazine St @ Riverside Rd (47)
Granite St @ Pearl St (47)
Magazine St @ Chestnut St (47)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 9 pm
Sun 11 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
121 reviews for Micro Center
Review Highlights
"Huge selection of Geek books."
(in 14 reviews)
"Looking for great customer service."
(in 3 reviews)
"They have pretty competitive prices, as far as I can see."
(in 5 reviews)
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121 reviews in English
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Review from Mike B.
Waltham, MA
2/7/2012
When you're in a rush and can't wait for NewEgg or others,
I can usually find what I need here. If you know what you're
looking for, you can save a lot of time by using the store scanner
to find the location.
You can find some good deals on storage
media and parts, but I've never bought a complete computer from
them, however, did see some refurbs that could easily be upgraded
to make a fast & smooth running machine. -
Review from Christopher M.
ALLSTON, MA
1/26/2012
When I bought my entry-level laptop, the salesman tried to make me ashamed for not buying a more expensive computer. I kept telling him "I know what you're doing man. I was a waiter for ten years. Stop trying to upsell." He kept responding "I'm a nice guy" and continued to upsell. Finally, looking seriously distraught, he lowered his voice and whispered "I'm sorry sir, there are microphones everywhere."
Someone who used to work at that Microcenter a few years ago told me they had once been awesome, and then fallen off hard, and very quickly--they'd taken a completely awful turn in their management tone. He seemed sad.
And now I've been on hold for, lessee... 8 minutes and 21 seconds, waiting for someone to pick up the phone on my initial phone call. No human contact. At 11:15 on a Thursday morning. And I'm sitting here reading the other Yelp reviews for this place.
Fuck MicroCenter. -
Review from Laurel D.
Manchester, NH
1/7/2012
They definitely have a lot of stuff...
I've had a few bad experiences there; I've had a few good experiences there. I'll keep stopping by because it's close to Trader Joe's and because my husband has an obsession with buying pricey electronics. (See: the three flat screen televisions in our house. We only use one and that rarely.) The prices are decent. On some things, I haven't been able to find better.
The protection plan, much like the ones at Best Buy, is ridiculously overpriced. It's a kind of insurance, I guess, but I just don't see spending another almost $400 when I'm already spending $1100 on a laptop. Really, Microcenter? Really? $200, I could understand. I get that you need to cover your business in case someone brings something home that breaks. But is something that costs $1100 new so likely to break and require an expensive fix that you have to charge customers that much for insurance?
I'd rather just pay to have it fixed when it breaks.
The parking is TERRIBLE.
The restocking fee annoys me too. 15 percent seems a little excessive.
The big reason I'm giving it two stars is that I've had two salesmen outright lie to my husband about two items. It's incredibly frustrating because after that, I don't even want them pointing out basic features on products that cost $1,000 and up. I certainly don't want them to earn a commission off of us. Lying to sell a product isn't cool. Lying because you don't know the answer? Not cool. Also not useful. I don't mind waiting while you look it up.
One of those two salesmen was outright rude, too. For no reason that I could see.
Another salesman we worked with was knowledgeable, personable, and a great person to work with. I guess it just depends on who's free when you get there. Overall, not my favorite place, but I suppose there's no harm in looking around and spending a few dollars--especially on less pricey products and anything other than assembled electronics. -
Review from Tim P.
Boston, MA
Updated - 11/30/2011
After writing my original review, I was contacted by (who I assume to be) the store manager for this location. Things did not improve. In fact, he presented the same image / lack of service I saw at the store. Instead of describing it though, how about you read it word for word:
************************************************** ************************************
Arsen A., Manager: Thank you for this feedback. As we are looking into the specifics of this and what happened on those days, could you please let me know the specific brand/model that you were interested in? Thank You.
Me: It was a 46" flat screen - a Toshiba I believe. It was on sale for $599 until 11/13/2011. It was in the rear of the flat screen displays, right near the sales rep station.
Arsen A., Manager: Thank you for a quick response. I do have one more question, however. I just checked on this TV and it shows that we were sold out of this item by the end of day on Saturday 11/05/2011. I just wanted to check on the timeline that you mentioned in the review. Did the site show these TVs available in Cambridge location as of Monday? And did you call the local store or the 800 number to confirm availability?
Once again, thank you for helping us figure this out. We always make effort to have ample supply of items that are on sale but are not always able to predict specific demand on the product.The on-line inventory on Monday should have been showing none available as they were all sold out by Satruday night and that is perplexing, so your help is greatly appreciated.
Me: We did call on Monday. I'm not sure if they looked up the wrong model or what happened, but someone confirmed at that time that you had stock of the item. We wouldn't have reserved the car otherwise. We called the local store to confirm. Additionally, the website showed an availability of five according to my friend (he checked that - I'm the one who made the phone call).
And honestly, I would have been fine with your store being out of stock - I just wish I'd been informed about it before I made such extensive arrangements. Even barring that, I understand mistakes happen and people get busy at retail stores and sometimes can give mistaken information. What made me the angriest was the actual in-store interactions both times I was there.
On Tuesday night, when the sales person said they were out of stock, I tried my best to secure one at that same price, whether through ordering one at that price at that moment and paying or receiving a rain check. He wouldn't do either, and only tried to sell me more expensive models. He wasn't listening to us, refused to work with us, and created a very uncomfortable shopping experience - almost worse than the near-hour we spent trying to flag down anyone to help us on Friday (when we were ALSO prepared to purchase it, even if it meant calling someone to help us transport it).
************************************************** ************************************
He did thank me several times for providing feedback, so I will grant him that. While I appreciate he wants to prevent this from happening in the future, I still feel like he didn't see what was wrong in the first place. Also note I never received so much as an apology from him for the experience, either. This interaction took place over two weeks ago, and I have yet to hear back from them after my last reply. I waited as long as I could before posting this to give him ample time to formulate a response, but I never heard back.
***Edit to add: I just received a follow up based on this review, including an apology. At this point that's really all I wanted since we ended up purchasing elsewhere and would no longer be able to do anything else purchase-wise with Micro Center.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/9/2011
I stopped into the Cambridge, MA location on Friday, November 4, 2011 to shop for a new flat screen… Read more »
Comment from Arsen A. of Micro Center 11/30/2011
I do apologize for the poor experience that you had at the… More » -
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Review from Rocky H.
Boston, MA
11/29/2011
I red the other reviews but have been shopping here and the one in NJ for several years.
I have always been happy with my shopping here and have bought no less than 5 laptops, several desktops, hard drives, etc.
They have been great.
The place gets busy and sometimes you have to wait a little while for service but the staff is very knowledgeable and willing to help.
The staff works on commission so they are always eager to help and tag the items that you are purchasing so they can get credit. -
Review from Mallory M.
Somerville, MA
10/26/2011
TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I bought a laptop and printer a few weeks ago. All of the sales associates told me that I was eligible for a rebate on my purchase. No one gave me any information on how to apply for this rebate though. I checked on the Rebate Center on their website, and it said that the rebate offer had expired 2 weeks prior to my purchase.
I called Microcenter several times to get information, on different days and at different times, but they NEVER answer their phone. I sent an email through their website, which promised to respond in 3 business days, and never got a reply.
The customer service is absolutely terrible, and I will not be going through the hassle of purchasing from them in the future. -
Review from Caitlin C.
Boston, MA
12/23/2011
Sure, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I got here, but thankfully I had a friend with me who is super computer savvy! Lots of selection here, but I knew what I wanted going in, so we didn't really look around too much. Ended up buying a refurbished Mac for a really good price and couldn't be any happier!
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Review from Leo F.
Brooklyn, NY
10/17/2011
This is probably the only remaining big box store in the region where one can purchase a full set of computer components to build a computer. Afterall, CompUSA has gone out of business, Best Buy focuses on entertainment electronics such as TV, and Staples is office supply. The prices here were competitive and the salesperson that we met yesterday was professional (pays attention but not pushy).
The only issue I have with this particular place is the parking. With an adjacent Trader Joe's, Starbucks, and other stores, this shopping center's parking area seems inadequate to handle the loads of customers. -
Review from April D.
Somerville, MA
9/11/2011
I got a laptop from here. Six days later the screen started flickering. I thought I was screwed because I threw the box away and the receipt clearly says that you have to keep your original packaging for an exchange or return. I went back anyway, because I figured I could at least whine enough to get it fixed.
I got a new laptop, no questions asked. They didn't even ask what was wrong with it. I am a happy camper. -
Review from Scott M.
7/24/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Perfect visit. I went to an associate, Lorenzo, in a department different than the one I needed my part in. The component itself was a little bit more on the obscure side. He left what he was doing, took me straight the the item on the shelf. He double checked to be sure it was what I needed and directed me to the checkout area. I was in and out of the store in just a few minutes. The cashier was pleasant and I was on my way.
They have a private parking area which is handy as well.Comment from Arsen A. of Micro Center 7/25/2011
Thank you for your business and your feedback. More » -
Review from Justin C.
Boston, MA
4/26/2011
This place looks like a 1980s electronics store, which is kind of amazing. They have a commissioned based sales force on the floor, which Best Buy does not, and while another reviewer criticized their customer service, I think it's better than what you'd get at Best Buy. That said, my sales associate was really not all that helpful with the product I was looking for and still asked to put a sticker on my item to get the commission for it.
They have pretty competitive prices, as far as I can see. On the whole, it is certainly a more pleasant shopping experience than Best Buy. -
Review from Anthony E.
East Watertown, MA
10/13/2011
Like walking into http://www.newegg.com or http://www.tigerdirect... . THE place to go for your technological needs by far if you want to physically see before you buy. Just know what you need because they staff the place with like 3 people...total.
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Review from Greg S.
Cambridge, MA
2/19/2011
Great convenience, often offering Newegg or Amazon-level prices (and no waiting!) Keep an eye on the refurbished/OEM merch, scored some great stuff like cheap hard drives and RAM.
Store is a little disorganized and crazy, hence -1 star. -
Review from Allison C.
Jamaica Plain, MA
7/14/2011
My understanding is that MicroCenter excels at sales - low prices, actual customer service, quality equipment. Just stop there.
Never NEVER bring your computer to MicroCenter to repair. I don't care about the 3 year extended warranty that is on my machine. It's not worth the headache and shear idiocy that ensues.
A computer that was purchased for me by my employer two months ago suddenly started acting up and interrupting my work flow 3-4 times a day. Knowing that my employer also bought the (expensive) 3 year warranty for MicroCenter, I took the machine to them. I waited behind 3 other people in line, which took 45 minutes. I explained to the person at the counter the problem I was having with the machine; he seemed uninterested, and didn't bother the copy down the full error message that was coming on the screen.
I got a call, on time, two days later saying that their diagnostics said that there wasn't a hardware problem, so they needed to "reimage" the machine (wipe it clean and reload the operating system). Oh yeah, that three year warranty only covers hardware issues. So, the reimage is $100. Great, glad my employer spent over $200 on a warranty. My employer is paying for the repair, so we go for the reimage. When they call two more days later to say it's ready, I ask for the total charge, since I will be paying by business check. When I go to pick up the machine (after waiting over an hour in line with only 2 people in front of me), business check written out and signed by my boss, they hand me a summary of work with a different (more expensive total). I wait another 35 minutes to talk to a manager who "okay"s lowering the price, but doesn't know how to do it himself. So, the cashier runs around, asking three other employees, before coming up with a feasible way to charge me what they quoted me.
I bring the machine home, turn it on, and not an hour later have the same error message I had to start with.
Insert another 45 minute wait in the repair line. Insert another inept cashier - who STILL doesn't take the transcription of the full error message from me. I get a call later that day from the technician saying, "I'm not getting any error message." "Well TRY HARDER." What else am I supposed to say? Did you even turn the machine on? It is not difficult to get this error message. You don't even need to be running any programs.
So I wait, another five days, no follow up call from MicroCenter. Finally I call them. I'm told that the technician will be in at 11am. It's 11:15. He finally calls me back at 3pm and tells me that he was never able to duplicate my error message (mind you, he doesn't even know what the error message is because no one wrote it down). So, he decided to replace the hard drive.
What kind of computer technician is this? You haven't spent five minutes with this computer to find out the real issue, but you go straight to reinstalling the operating system, and when that doesn't work, you just replace the hard drive.
If these technicians repaired cars, they would replace an engine when your tail light went out. I still don't know what the real issue with the machine was (is?). I do know, that I probably know more about the issue from just google-ing the text of the error message. Too bad I can interpret the tech-talk in the google results!
Wasn't charged a penny the second time. Am considering trying to get our money back for the first time. I'm not hopeful given their obviously low customer service standards. I now have to reinstall Office and other programs, set up all my e-mails, and import all of my data all over again. All MicroCenter managed to do with my machine, after 3 weeks of back and forth, is land me with 8 hours of computer set up to do.Comment from Arsen A. of Micro Center 7/21/2011
Dear Allison C. Sorry that you had a problem with the… More » -
Review from Erinire A.
Revere, MA
11/29/2010
I pretty much reviewed Microcenter on my blog tonight. Thought I'd share.
It's not often you get to witness the total evisceration of another human being while waiting in line for a merchandise exchange. But today, it happened. At Microcenter.
I have a real love-hate relationship with this particular retailer. The array of computer products makes me positively giddy, but, each time I go, the staff sets new standards for complete ineptitude. I once bought a scanner from a man who could barely speak English, and this other time the salesman talked my boyfriend into buying a 15 case for a 13 laptop. Waiting in line takes about as long as getting a cavity filled, and yes, you can bet, it's just as painful. If you need somebody to help you there's nobody around, but if you're set on your own they swarm to you like flies, and (I swear!) they will only let women ring register. I've never seen a girl on their salesfloor. Walking in there is like playing roulette with close-range paintballs. You've gotta brace yourself for the worst.
Given all this, it gave me a sick kind of pleasure today to listen as this bespectacled middle-aged woman gave the manager hell. She was also unhappy with the level of customer service we were being provided, but, unlike me, she wasn't about to take it lying down. "What is your MANAGEMENT STRATEGY to deal with this?" She howled, referring to the extra-long queue at the drop-off counter. "Why don't you just HIRE MORE PEOPLE?"
"Ma'am, we're trying to do your best for people, we have strict tests-"
"Don't give me EXCUSES!" She shrieked. Her voice quavered, as though she were on the edge of hysteria.
"- we have strict tests to ensure that our associates are qualified. We get over a hundred applications a week, but people can't pass the tests!"
Tests? TESTS? They TEST these people? Like, the one guy couldn't even do basic MATH - there is NO WAY a 13 MacBook Pro is going to fit in a 15 case - and, while listening to the argument, I watched another salesclerk count $1,200 (in twenties) at least seven times. I mean, fuck, they don't even answer the PHONE half the time when you call! What kind of tests could they possibly be GIVING, and who are these "unqualified applicants"? AMOEBAS?? I mean, seriously!
Eventually, the manager turned tail and fled, and, eventually, I made it to the counter to exchange my laptop sleeve for a spindle of CD-Rs. "Maybe you should apply for a job at Microcenter," I suggested to B! on the way out the door. He said he didn't know. I mean, we hear they have this really hard test. -
Review from David M.
1/10/2011
A great selection of computer needs at very reasonable prices. You can find somethings cheaper with some internet searching, but very few things were priced at the 'rip off' levels of some other big name electronics places.
I got a great deal on an Acer Computer, an extra discount was thrown in for anti virus software for being a repeat customer (it was my first time there).
Is MicroCenter perfect? Hell no. You will want to scream at how slow customer service takes to get to you. The 'dedicated' sales associate who helps you, makes you feel like you're at a used car lot. But in the end, they're knowledgeable, helpful and you walk out with some pretty good deals. Just make sure you're not in a rush when you come here. -
Review from Yelpie G.
Boston, MA
8/19/2010
Unfortunately, I went to Micro Center to buy a camera as a birthday gift for my niece who is just taking up photography.
So I chose the camera, buy it, wrap it up and gave it to her on her birthday. She's thrilled with it, opens the box in front of everyone and wants to immediately take pictures. It's a cute little pink Nikon - just what she wanted.
So she presses the button and nothing happens. The lense freezes in place and on the little screen there is an error message. Embarrassing. So we all gather around to look at this piece of sh*t camera from Microcenter and notice it won't turn off or on. Nothing works. I die.
I take the camera back from her, apologize and bring it to the local techie in a big box store who confirms for me that the camera is defective. A few days later, I bring it back to Microcenter and tell the useless "returns" guy about the situation and that I want my money back as the camera they sold me is defective.
He looks bored. He says that the item is being returned too late for a store refund. I tell him the item was a gift and that is is defective.
He gave me the same dull story about returns being allowed only by a specific date and said that my issue wasn't with Microcenter, it was now with the manufacturer and that I need to contact them to discuss it.
I got a store credit from Microcenter. Will I ever shop there again after using the store credit? Oh hell now. Heed my advice - go to any other store and get 100% better service. Microcenter sucks the big one. -
Review from mary s.
Somerville, MA
9/3/2011
I went to Micro Center not expecting a lot and was actually pleasantly surprised.
My computer broke down this weekend - motherboard was dead, wouldn't turn on. I decided to make the switch from PC to Mac and figured I'd head to the Apple store, but first I needed to put my PC hard drive in an enclosure so the Apple store could transfer my files over.
So, I went to Micro Center to buy the enclosure. Little did I know that I would be walking out with a MacBook Pro for $200 less than the Apple store price.
Mike Stanley was the sales associate that I spoke with initially. He answered all of my questions and provided me with a lot of helpful information about making the switch from PC to Mac. I was skeptical about buying a Pro from Micro Center, and Mike didn't give me any dirty looks when I grilled him on how Micro Center could offer the Pro for $200 cheaper than the Apple store. Simply put, Micro Center doesn't spend the money to create the ambiance of the Apple store - and with the savings, they are able to offer competitive prices.
Mike really went above and beyond and I'm glad that I was able to speak with him about my purchase. I would highly recommend that you go see Mike Stanley if you're in the mood for a Mac.
So... the reason for the four star review? Mike passed me off to a colleague in another department for the hard drive enclosures. His coworker sold me two, one for each hard drive. One was wrong. Thankfully, both hard drives fit in one of the enclosures so I was only out $6 at the end of the day. Considering I saved $200 on the laptop, it's not that big a deal.
Moral of the story - shop here before going to the Apple store... You'll be glad you did!Comment from Arsen A. of Micro Center 9/6/2011
Thank you for the feedback. The enclosure that was not… More » -
Review from Joseph C.
Watertown, MA
11/19/2011
Terrible terrible terrible customer service. This place made me wait 35 min to see someone. I asked an individual to help me and so did an assistant manager. The guy ignored me helping new customers for 30 minutes. Finally the gen manager stepped in and had an assistan manager help me get a pack of colored paper from in the back. Over an hour spent in the store waiting for someone to finally tell me all there is is white paper. Terrible. Go to Staples, pay $3 more bucks for your product and get some service. Visited 11/19/2011 between 10:00am and 11:00am.
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Review from Michelle L.
Boston, MA
8/19/2010
Micro Center is a big beige building, with dark beige signage, filled with beige computer supplies, standard black electronics "wearables" and peripherals (in beige, black AND gray!) I always find what I need, assuming I've planned ahead using their website. You have to know exactly what you're looking for in order to avoid a second trip. Finding things in the store can be challenging due to the end-of-isle sale specials. Yes, as if finding the section containing a dual link DVI cable isn't hard enough, you have to ask an employee to locate sale items, which are not with the full-priced items. Way to push product! But that's okay because there is a plethora of staff there to help you. An insane amount of clocked-in staff, actually. Standing around waiting to help...
Or not. This Office Space-esque environment is punctuated by the employees. Never have I seen so many employees standing around. If you ask where you can find something, they point. You have to run to the next sales person in that general "point" direction and wait for another point. I felt like I was hunting for my downed quail using only my trusted dog pack for guidance.
Standing in line to make my exchange (second trip, after all) I had plenty of time to take photographs of staff standing around, kicking dust, or chatting in the very male "TakingToMyFriendButCheckingOutTheLadies" no eye contact required open line formation. (Oh come on. You know what I'm taking about. The Ladies socialize in circles while Young Men stand in lines.) Anyhow. I was dumbfounded, but entertained myself with a silent-mode photo shoot to back my review and a quick game of solitaire.
Yet as I stood with my nose pressed to the very-delayed automatic glass door, I knew I'd be back. After all, where else can a girl go to replace a random wire, component or widget? -
Review from Khan A.
Newton, MA
5/23/2011
Excellent store.Great prices. Huge selection. very good customer service. This is perfect place to go if you need to buy anything from electronic but you don't have a lot of money. This store has everything what you possibly need. i believe this is the best computer department store in Boston. I was surprise that the employees there are always able to answer any question i might have without even going to check any information on computers. I'm honestly in love with this store
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Review from Nan A.
Acton, MA
7/27/2011
Huge selection of Geek books. The only place to go in town when you are looking for a specific book on PHP/My SQL or Patents for Inventors. Some amazing deals on laptops too.
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Review from Eric S.
Boston, MA
8/16/2010
This place has better prices than Best Buy. They also offer a lot of generic brands which are cheaper than name brands but work just as well.
Contrary to what people have been saying here, every time I go to Micro Center, I can never find someone to ask for help when I need it, and occasionally I get asked if I needed help when I didn't need it.
However, I do agree that checkout can be a bit of a pain. -
Review from Ian W.
Somerville, MA
6/22/2010
I took my laptop in to have the fan repaired. It cost me $140.
Firstly, I immediately took the customer survey they send out, but I had to enter a date from 3 years ago to complete this survey because there must have been some sort of glitch. When I tried to enter the date I actually picked up my "repaired" computer, the prompt said I could not enter a date in the future although it was clearly a date in the past.
Secondly, I took my computer in to have the fan repaired. When I brought my computer home, I discovered that my wireless LAN had been disabled. I thought that was weird since it was working fine before I brought my computer in. I've had this same experience with crooked and/or incompetent mechanics. You know, where you a bring a car in to have it repaired and the mechanic breaks something else so he can shake you down.
I returned with the computer to discuss what Microcenter broke, but the customer service rep didn't seem very interested and was obviously not going to have Microcenter take reponsibility for the issue. Then he said it was a software issue and I had to re-install my operating system. Fortunately for me, I was skeptical, tried a few things and re-enabled my wireless. Although, it's still not quite right.
Thirdly, my computer has been on for a while now and I haven't heard the fan come on once. Which is also strange since this is what I paid $140 to have fixed. Perhaps, it was fixed so well that it is so quiet now that I can't hear it. Time will tell.
I very unhappy with the repairs that have not been done and the damage that I had to repair. Don't take your computer here, don't buy your computer here. I will be spreading bad word of mouth every chance I get and these should get your act together. -
Review from Documentarian C.
Cambridge, MA
6/12/2009
Unbelievable selection, but the customer service is well under par. It's like a war zone trying to get assistance. Management can be helpful, if you can find them.
Again, the selection and specials are hard to beat.
Pro: One stop shopping
Con: Customer Service is horrible. -
Review from Tom E.
2/6/2007
Great for a post- or pre-Trader Joes game on the Wii.
I've been in here several times now and love the range of nerdy things I can buy but somehow I never buy any. Instead the lovely staff hand me the Wiimote and I head over and waste at least 30 mins a time in front of the Nintendo. Nothing better than swinging around manically in the middle of the store hoping to get my character to the next level
I'm hoping I'll waste so much of the staff's time there that they'll give me a Wii to get rid of me. But as for now the arrangement works nicely - I can't afford one, they have one, they're kind enough to let me 'demonstrate' it! Yay for Micro Center.Listed in: BABOON
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Review from Jeremy K.
Updated - 1/10/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Open letter to the cashier who rang me up just minutes ago:
Hey buddy I know that working at Micro Center isn't glorious and you probably want out of retail but please know that I do not need your attitude about my Yankees hat, especially after I've been waiting in line for over 20 minutes to pay for my $5 pack of batteries that I needed urgently.
How about you stop trying to give me a speech about the NYY hat I'm wearing, how the Yankees suck and instead grab the credit card that I've been extending towards you for the past 2 minutes while trying to ignore your not-so-original comments. You know... focus on getting me out of your crappy store and out that door so other people can actually pay for their items?
And also please don't tap on your co-workers shoulder and try to tag-mock me about how you both think that I should buy a Red Sox hat. Like that would ever happen. I hope you do realize that a fraction of my purchase pays for your hourly comision-based salary and after all I am a customer. Had I not been in a hurry I probably would have talked to a manager to get you in trouble for making me wait this long for this sale but I actually feel sorry for you. Honestly.
And guess what? Even if I desperately needed batteries and you were the last store opened in Massachusetts you have convinced me that I'd drive out of state to get anything I need than go to your store. And the drive out of state and back would probably still be quicker than your checkout line.
Now go back to cheering your baseball team and keep it classy, you twit and open your eyes to the fact that not all of your customers are from Massachusetts and not all of them are Red Sox fans. I certainly am not.Listed in: Chain Alert!, Thanks... but no thanks
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/11/2008
Oh Micro Center how I hate you so much. I've been there multiple times because I needed a few things… Read more »
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Review from Jocelyn C.
Jamaica Plain, MA
1/6/2009
I can take this place or leave it.
For purchasing things like video games and smaller electronics, it's fine. I go in, find what I need, I get out.
For bigger things, like my macbook, they try so hard to oversell a bunch of crap no one needs, because the employees obviously work on commission, which sucks all around. Sucks for them if you're an informed customer (like me) who goes in and knows exactly what they need and can't be bothered. Sucks for the customer because who likes being pressured into paying for stuff you don't need or won't ever use?
Plus, I find that if you do go in there with not much of a clue of what you need, the people working there usually can't help anyway. They're just there to make you spend as much of your hard-earned money as possible, and who wants that? -
Review from Orly M.
Somerville, MA
4/1/2008
I got my laptop here because, well, I needed a computer. The first time I went it was to see what model of the laptop I wanted they had in stock, and then to go online and research it. The second time, I was itching to buy the mofo. So I waited. And waited. And waited. 45 minutes later a salesperson was available to help me. And oh did he want to help. I told him I wanted the laptop and that was it. He kept trying to get me to buy a printer. Dude, i HAVE a printer! Why would i buy another printer? I had to tell him to just stop because he kept harping on the stupid printer. Then he tried to sell me every accessory in the store. I was ready to kick him. I'm in sales, you really shouldn't be so blatant about TRYING to sell things, i was not appreciating the hard sell. But I needed the laptop.
So, i finally lose the annoying sales guy, spend another 30 minutes ina line to pick up and pay for my laptop, and blow that joint.
I will give them that this place was better for my needs than Circuit City where the salespeople were all high school aged guys who couldnt answer my questions. -
Review from Rebecca G.
New York, NY
11/2/2010
I had a great experience here building my first gaming rig. I was originally going to buy all of the parts online off of NewEgg or TigerDirect. I did some price checking online and found out that they offered components at around the same price, if not CHEAPER than NewEgg. I got my Intel Quad-Core i7 3.06 processor for $50 cheaper!
The staff was relatively helpful. If you are looking for someone who knows their stuff about PC's talk to Ed, he was a great help suggesting parts. He took his time to make sure I had everything that I needed, and it definitely made me glad that I had found the mecca of computer components/parts!
Other staff members were sort of bored and uninterested *cough* Monitors and Desktop department. They did at least politely ask if I needed help but they weren't too helpful.
I was able to build a gaming PC for around $1200 minus any extra things I might have thrown in there like Starcraft 2 and a monitor. I also got $70 in mail-in/online rebates which is pretty sweet.
Here are the specs/parts if anyone is interested:
-Intel quad-core i7 processor 3.06ghz
-6GB RAM
-1TB 7200rpm Seagate harddrive
-Gigabyte x58a-ud3r motherboard
-EVGA nVidia gtx465 1GB graphics card
-Multicard reader
-Standard DVD burner/reader w/LiteScribe internal
-Logitech webcam 10MP camera 1080p
-LG 19" monitor 1,000,000:1 contrast HDMI 1080p
-Wireless 802.11g adapter internal
-CoolerMaster Mid-Tower Case
-CoolerMaster 750w power supply
This place has a great selection of computer peripherals, not so much mouses (if you're looking for a gaming mouse---I recommend Razer), but lots of good speakers, tons of webcams, a decent selection of monitors and keyboards (not necessarily gaming keyboards) and lots of components to choose from.
If possible I would recommend going here rather than BestBuy to save yourself some $$$ especially if you're buying computer components or even just a powerstip. The pricing here is much better.
Overall a great experience and I will definitely be returning! -
Review from Julie S.
Boston, MA
6/7/2006
This place will give you nerd-envy! You'll WISH you were a nerd just to understand all the cool toys they have here. The nicest plasma screen TV I have ever seen, projector's that will make you want to break down all the walls in your house just to make a huge movie theatre and computer packages that have all the gadgets you didn't knnow you needed all included.
For everyday computing adventures, away from salivating over the hiigh end stuff, they have good prices and a great selection on the ho-hum stuff like paper, CDs and ink. Check out the clearance section for all those "I didn't know I needed until I saw it so cheap" stuff (like a techie's mini Christmas tree shop).
Plus, Trader Joe's is right there too. Here's hoping they put in something fabulous where Strawberries used to be (although parking is a bear on the weekends and getting on and off Memorial Drive is a kamakaze mission) -
Review from Michael L.
Allston, MA
9/12/2007 1 photo
Yeah NerdCenter!
This place is fantastic because it has a very wide range of products concerning all things electronics. Things are clearly labeled, and there is usually a fairly wide selection of things to choose from. You can get the Microsoft one, or the Taiwanese version. It's ok.
One thing though... YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. If I hadn't counted the pins for my M/F cable I would have been clueless. Luckily the people who work here are very knowledgeable, and impossible to get a hold of. I think the most common question they answer, aside from "where is X?" is "Oh, well is that good or bad?" So many people in here crowding around the associates and annoying them with questions that could be answered by reading the side of the box.
I did a stupid the first time I came here by asking for a sound card without model number. The guy smiled and looked behind my back (even though I told him it was a desktop) to see if I was hiding it. He was being a royal smartass but I got the point. Bring the information for whatever you are trying to purchase equipment for.
The cashiers were talking about someone named "Jigga" but I didn't get to meet him.
All in all a place to get cheaper consumer electronics.
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SIDE NOTE:
Walking back I saw a normal-looking guy reach into a bush that was growing on the fence, grab a berry and pop it in his mouth. It might have been a grape, it might not. I like him.
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UPDATE:
I went back because, as luck would have it, I actually DID buy the wrong cable. In my closed mind I bought male to female, when I actually needed female to female. I really need to be more open. It was no problem, but make sure you go to the Service Desk for returns. I also got a 2GB card for my camera for only $25.99.
I was also helped by a HIGHLY intelligent, available, nice (and handsome) associate while buying RAM for my ancient computer, which I brought all the relevant info for. -
Review from Tim T.
5/5/2008
Worst service I ever got.
Bought a computer in March 2006 by March 2007 it had stopped working. I brought it here to get fixed.
After 3 months of not having my laptop and it begin shipped everywhere, them giving me multiple excuses and reason as to why it broke in the first place, the final straw was when they reloaded windows onto it. Deleting all my files in the process. They were supposed to back them up to an external hard drive, they did this but something happened and the backup failed. So I lost my files.
They wanted to charge me over $400 for this and I was never paying. I had three visits to the Center and I was even getting ready to go to court. They saw sense and I was just left with the billing charge for the original diagnostic of $60 or so.
Worst customer service experience ever. I have since bought a new laptop but will never go here again or recommend this place to anyone. -
Review from Amanda L.
Brighton, MA
5/28/2008
I don't like this place, a lot. For many reasons.
First, I feel dirty walking in here. The outside looks all gloomy and crap, as compared to the splash of colors you find next door at Trader Joe's. The inside isn't much better. It's got this sterile feeling, without being sterile....I felt like I was back in the 60s or something.
They have everything you need for your computer needs. I don't know if I would go so far as to call this place the Nerd Mecca, I'm sure there are plenty of other places that do a much better job than here.
The only reason for actually coming here is because I wanted a new keyboard for my computer. I had a wireless keyboard, but it bugged the shit out of me because the batteries sucked, and it would stop working, and it was annoying. NO ONE HAD WIRED KEYBOARDS!!!!! WTF?!?!?!? ARGH. Hence, coming to Micro Center. And indeed, they had a couple. So we picked up one for $19.99 and was on our way.
I've heard that the staff sucks from reading some of the reviews, and it doesn't surprise me. There was a group of them just looking for someone to prey on. Ew. I'm glad I have Joe with me so I don't have to ask the creepy sale people for help.
The part that pissed me off the most was the check out. I place my keyboard on the counter, and the cashier literally stares at me for like a full minute before she picks up the keyboard. Like it wasn't close enough to her and she wanted me to move it.....bitch please. If that wasn't bad enough, after we had bought our crap, she asks for our address and Joe's e-mail. I thought she was going to ask for our social security numbers next!!! If it was me paying I would have said no I don't want to give you my private information thank you very much now go away, but I'm not as nice as Joe.
I wouldn't want to set foot in this place if I can help it. -
Review from Tristan B.
Cambridge, MA
8/8/2007
I really really don't like Micro Center. The place is dirty, it's spooky to walk through, and it reeks really low rent.
The staff is typical aged mixture of unwashed nerds with no social skills, like 20 something smelly failures and the scary old dudes. They are all equally worthless. I'll admit it, I'm a closet tech nerd. I know what I want. I'll go to the store, find it, then leave. I don't need to ask for recommendations, I don't need help choosing a laptop... Whatever. What really pisses me off though, is that they (these ubernerds) feel the need to place a sticker on the box like they completely and totally "got the sale" because they actually had the gruntage to TELL ME WHERE IT WAS. Yeah, thanks.
I bought a monitor here, some cheap crap brand (Sceptre or something), and ended up returning it (it had dead pixels, didn't want to properly sync up to my mac tower (What the fuck?). I had to wait about an hour or so being one of 3 people in line to get rid of the hunk of junk for a new Samsung.
The checkout? Hahahhahahahaahhahaa. I'm not sure if the guys working the checkout are even breathing at all. I've had better customer service at a funeral from the corpse than these guys. NO I DO NOT WANT TO BE SIGNED UP FOR YOUR MAILING LIST. I DON'T WANT THE CATALOG ALL THE TIME, AAAAAAAUGH!!!!!
The real only reason why I keep going here is because occasionally will need a part/drive/something that I need fast. Otherwise I'm staying away. -
Review from Sean E.
Cambridge, MA
8/3/2006
I'll preface by saying some of my dislike for this place might stem from being a mac owner. But man, I don't know... The other reviews on here don't even sound like the place I drag myself to every now and again when I need something computer related. The store itself seems like a relic from 1989 -- both outside and inside -- giving it a bit of a ghetto vibe.
They're selection of cd burners was plain ol' pathetic. But again, this could be because I have a mac and they're a bit biased towards PC stuff... And PS2 games? Psshh! Your choices are the popular games from a year or two ago still marked at full price or a selection of the "classic" line games with the blues discs that don't play in my console. These are all packaged in the bulky plastic security things that make it so you have to pull each game out to see what's going to disappoint you one by one.
Service? Well, yeah, these guys are all on commission so of course they'll be jumpin' hoops to sell you something. And the warranty. And the service plan. And the one that gets him the gold star on his forehead.
Ok, another thing that bugs me to no end is that for every purchase you gotta give the cashier your home address, email address, and phone number. The people I work with don't even know that much about me! It's worse than friggin' Radio Shack.
And every time I'm here there a line a dozen or so long waiting to return things. And this line don't move too fast neither. That can't be a good sign, can it? -
Review from Gwen F.
Buffalo, NY
Updated - 11/21/2009
Ahhh, update.
I had to knock off stars after my experience today. Don't get me wrong; I've been coming here for years and I felt like I'd pretty much seen it all here, but blegh.
It was crowded today, which is understandable, since it's getting close to Thanksgiving and every geeklet (no no, I use the term lovingly - I'm a geek too) starts itching for a new holiday gadget. I was actually hoping that would make me less visible to the sales guys, who lately tend to descend on me like um, nerds at Comicon. I know sales are commission based, but sometimes it's a bit much.
Noooooo...today six (count them, six) sales guys approached me. After the third, it's duck-and-hide territory. ("Get me to http://newegg.com!!") I just don't like the pressure. I'll make my purchase when I am ready, thanks. Believe it or not though, I wouldn't have deducted stars or written an update, just for the above. It's sort of to be expected, though today was extreme.
My folks were with me today, as Mom needed a new laptop. The sales guy helping her was great...
...until it came time for the upsell.
As soon as my folks settled on a laptop, the guy started trying to sell them extended warranties for hundreds of dollars. Fine fine, but not necessary. We didn't need one, and we didn't want one.
Sales guy kept pressuring my parents. "Why don't you want a warranty?" Dad gave his reasons. (My family fixes computers.)
"Do you get free parts?"
"No, but -"
"Consumer Reports says..." blah blah blah. He droned on.
He wouldn't let up. Finally my father had to say, "No. No, we're not interested. We're not going to buy it."
It was like a light went off. His expression changed, his body language shifted, and he clearly wanted nothing else to do with us.
"Ok boss, whatever you say." Salesguy thrust a piece of paper in my Dad's hands and pointed my family to the pickup counter. Then he melted back into the mass of clamoring Windows-philes.
Let's go over that again. "Ok boss, whatever you say." Wow. Helloooo condescending poop head. Boss? Boss? Is my father Tony Danza? "Whatever you say?" That would have gotten me fired at any of my jobs in the past. Fired. Kaput. Gone the way of Carrie Prejean.
Yeah, we all know it's all about the sale. No one here is that naiive. Just...good lord, can't these people fake it?
At least be nice to my parents. I've said it before - go ahead and be rude to me but BE NICE TO MY FAMILY, PLEASE.
The sales people here are useless. Do your homework. Don't buy the extended warranty. Really, there's no point and it's just pure profit for these stores. Don't drop your laptop or take your desktop for a swim, and you'll be ok.Listed in: Sailing on the Failboat
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Review from josh k.
North Waltham, MA
6/7/2006
I bought everything I needed to build my new beautiful computer here, good prices, only thing I felt done over on is the screen. They have Ipod accessories galore, and just about everything computer related.
The staff is very knowledgeable, but they did tend to push toward the uber. You WILL feel like a complete nerd coming here, no two ways about it... just suck it up, or do what I did and go walk by the Charles to unplug.Listed in: Born to Shop
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Review from meaghan s.
Cambridge, MA
9/1/2007
Microcenter is very conveniently located across the street from my house. This is pretty awesome because when the World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade, came out I could run right over first thing in the a.m. and get it. Beyond that Microcenter is pretty blah.
Some of the prices are awesome, but some not so much. The sales people are crazy pushy and must get some serious commission especially on PC laptops (no one in the Mac section really gives a damn whether you are there or not).
My general impression of the place is that it must be really damn depressing to work there. The fluorescent lighting is glaring and makes everyone look and feel miserable and the music is bland horrible elevator smooth jazz. I've seen people have more fun at a funeral than these employees seem to have working here.
They also have some of the slowest cashiers in the known universe, although I've heard that returning items is fairly painless.
Depressing, but I can't really think of a better place IRL to get the items Microcenter stocks. -
Review from Peter W.
Cambridge, MA
6/30/2008
So I want to talk about MicroCenter's shredder selection.
I carved out a bit of time to pay M.C. a little visit, in the hope of scoring a powerful yet inexpensive shredding machine. After wandering through an aisle that was incorrectly labeled "shredders" when in fact only print cartridges where strewn throughout, I alighted upon my options. They were sub-par at best.
After a display of brief dismay, I saw a nice specimen on the clearance rack, marked down $20 for being returned. Beautiful lines, good gas mileage, the whole shebang. I asked their "helpful" "staff" why it was returned, and if it actually worked. They assured me that it did, so off to the checkout counter I went.
All of the lines seemed to be moving slowly, and I was just not in the mood. Of course when I got up to the man, he had to call his supervisor over to override the clearance charge, thereby causing the two burly men behind me to develop aneurysms.
Brought home. Plugged in. Didn't work. I thought, "maybe I have it plugged into the wrong socket? perhaps if I move it somewhere else? maybe there is something wrong with me that it is not working?"
But finally I realized that there is nothing wrong with me. Whats wrong is MicroCenter. So wrong.
