In September of 2010 my Mac that I edit my videos for Public Access TV started to have problems. Every time I tried to render files on Final Cut Pro (the advanced software I use for editing the show) my Mac would power down and shut off. New to Austin I started searching for an inexpensive solution to the problem. I found Austin Mac Repair (now calling itself Texas Mac Repair) was near where we were living so we took my Mac there.
I explained the problem as I did here and they said they would work on it. 1st they told me the hard drive was bad and the data needed backed up. Then they told me during back up the hard drive died and I needed a new one. Then they told me that the best way to deal with my computer not shutting down was to increase the Memory. Once I agreed to all of this they stated the Mac was repaired and I took it home.
As soon as I started using Final Cut Pro and rendering my files, my Mac Powered down again. Exactly as before. I went and complained to the owner “Les” and he told me that as a family business he guaranteed his work and “verbally” stated that he would offer me a full 100% refund upon return of the hard drive and memory boards. When I went to return them, he added additional charges to the list and only a partial refund. I explained that was not acceptable and that I would take the matter to my credit card company and fight the charges. He was very angry and the next day called my home and left some very aggressive messages that I want to share with you …
Les Called the next day and was very angry Les from Austin Mac Repair Threatens Grilldog 1
After hanging up, he wasn’t satisfied that he threatened us enough so he called back. Les, the Owner of Austin Mac Repair Continues to Threaten Grilldog
He even mentions in his voice that the problem was my logic board that he did nothing to repair or even inform me of. It wasn’t until I took it to the official Mac Shop that I found out it was the logic board. Therefore, he knew it was the logic board and never even attempted to replace it. According to the real Mac repair shop, my Mac is so old the logic board wasn’t replaceable therefore he couldn’t. So he kept charging me for services that was not needed. The wildest part is that he admits in his voice mail that the logic board was the problem and that the service he supplied was replacing the hard drive. Well, I sent the hard drive he put in back and reinstalled the hard drive that he said didn’t work. Well, folks, the hard drive works, I can retrieve all of my data and Final Cut Pro still Crashes because the Logic Board is not able to handle it any more. ta da.
His reference to my radio show stems from my comment that as a radio talk show host I hear all the time of customers getting ripped off from companies and being treated unfairly and that he wouldn’t like to have someone comment about his service to me on air. So he calls and threatens me that he’ll take my home, my job and everything I have away from me if I make any comment at all to anyone anywhere… This is the type of Business that Austin Mac Repair is.
Austin Mac Repair is an UNAuthorized Mac Dealer. Totally unprofessional and you can make what you want of his attitude. I have reported him to Apple. Unfortunately, my credit card company took a heck of a long time to investigate the claim and only reimbursed me a partial refund because Les told them that it was a basic point of sale transaction. That means that I should have plugged in the computer and tested it at his site rather then taking his word for it! All I can say since “Les” is the Owner, if you go to Austin Mac Repair for service, “LESS” is what you are going to get.
Less service
Less Repair
and Less Money in YOUR Bank Account.
OH, after finding out that my wife and I were posting his “Les” service on line he decided to post a raving review of his business on YELP, writing as if he were third person about his own business. Don’t Go To Austin Mac Repair Please, if you are a friend of grilldog, go to yelp and negate his comment that he’s the owner writing about his own business. Hopefully we can prevent him from providing “Les” service to other people… Thanks all.
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That’s awesome! I was looking for a repair place for my Mac and won’t be going there… Consumers unite.
good for you and thanks. Yes, I get a lot of comments about THE “LES” service at Austin Mac Repair, even from his own employees. Yelp is pretty weird, there’s tons of bad comments about Les’s Less then service Austin Mac Repair but Yelp.com keeps deleting it and keeping the profile like there’s 50/50 good/bad reviews. Of the good reviews that I know about they are either posted by Les, or his employees. I wish I knew why YELP.com was so unfair and doesn’t support true community concern and opinions.
It’s all about the advertising dollar. AMR must pay yelp to advertise, so they make sure to keep the rating as “balanced” as they can. Hard to do when the negatives keep rolling in. The guy is an utter ass!
Grilldog, thank you for standing up to them and letting us all know of this poor service so we can protect ourselves. God bless.
Wish I would have checked out your site before using this company.
We hired him to assist us in setup of our new in the box Mac computers in our office. $6,500.00 later the only computers that functioned properly were the ones he did not touch.
Had to bring in another service as well as an Apple Representative to get the system going. Total and utter disaster.
I was googling to look for a place to change the battery on my MBP. GLAD I found this, because I did come across their website first but then I curiously came here as well. That truly unprofessional voicemail he left you surely costed that business MY business.
Thank YOU!
yeah, the guy must be a psycho. To leave a message like that on an answering machine! A few months or so later he actually changed the name of his business, however, that’s not stopping me from telling the story. The best part and this is the really good part is his voice mail confirms everything! He’s an UNAuthorized Mac repair shop. There’s ton’s of bad reviews on him on Yelp but a business can pay a fee to Yelp to filter out the bad complaints and only post good ones. I’m sure I cost Les a Lot more then he stole from me! So I posted it here on my website for folks like you. I know MAC stores seem expensive but in the long run, it’s worth it. Trust me, although I own a Mac I’m no where associated with the company, I’m a chef.
I think I just posted on your wife’s blog as well, I also reported him to BBB, FTC, filed a police complaint, and wrote a bad review on every website I could find. Here is my YELP review to give you an idea:
+++++ DO NOT TAKE YOUR COMPUTER TO AUSTIN MAC REPAIR!!!
I purchased a new IPAD on 5/9 and took it in for a minor crack on 6/23 ( it didn’t affect the IPAD it just bothered me since I had just purchased it) I paid over $200 to “repair the screen”. I picked my IPAD up a week later and within a few days the screen had completely separated, bottom and left side, from the base and my IPAD was acting up severely internally. Since it was under warranty with Austin Mac Repair for the screen, I took it back and they “fixed” it again, all this did was cause another piece to separate and it looked like the employee had just glued the lower left corner down with super glue. Considering the IPAD ( which is almost 4 months old at this point) wasn’t working and the screen was separating again, I took it into the official Mac store at the Domain. They took a look at it and said all the problems were cause by a faulty repair and they obviously didn’t know what they were doing. Mac printed me out paperwork to take to Austin Mac Repair to get a refund. When I showed up and asked for a refund and tried to show my paper work and the faulty job done on my IPAD, the owner ( older white guy, balding red-ish/blonde hair, heavy set) was COMPLETELY rude and unprofessional. He said he would not refund me or honor the warranty and to get out of the store before he called the cops on me for trespassing. After a pointless conversation of this guy yelling at me.. yes, yelling.. and telling me if I wanted a refund to take him to court, I finally left.
Moral of the story – AUSTIN MAC REPAIR IS A FRAUD WITH HORRIBLE SERVICE AND AN IGNORANT OWNER.
Also note – my fiance took his MacBook Pro to Austin Mac Repair, after having issues with it after he picked it up ( $180 to replace the trackpad, Mac does it for half the price.. I didn’t know this beforehand) we took it into the Genius Bar also.. come to find out Austin Mac Repair fixed the trackpad with SCOTCH TAPE! +++++
I am 5’2, petite, very pregnant blonde, I have NEVER in my life been treated this way by anyone. I literally felt like I was a criminal for asking my a refund or to honor his warranty. I will have had my IPAD 3rd generation for 4 months as of the 9/9 and I have only been able to use for for two weeks of this. I literally called the Austin Police Department crying after I walked out of his store to file a complaint. Something needs to be done about this guy!!
I’m sorry this happened to you. This is why my wife and I keep this blog active to try and help people before the interface with “Les” the owner and his crooked operations. Some day all the people that posted on here should file some sort of suit against him. I do have is threatening voice mail attached to my blog so people can here what an ass he is.
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