Altex Computers & Electronics

I was very happy to find Altex several years ago and was happy to give them my businesses. Unfirtunatly lately I have noticed that they are usually 20%+ higher on on most of their inventory. I have asked them to price match or at least discount a bit when I have seen items going for $ 30-​$ 50 more at Altex. They will not but that’s their business policy and that’s fine I’ll just run over to Fry’s which is only a few minutes away. But the worst was today. I called them from work and had them verify they had a Cisco 220w router in stock. We have a vpn and I needed the same model that had gone out. They said yes and they would hold it. Im 1.5 hrs away. When I got there I noticed the box was open. I asked if it was new and the sales Rep said yes he had opened it to make sure it was the right model. Long story short after another 1.5hr drive I get to work and, there is no documentation, only a French which guide. OK no biggie, I start to install and log into the GUI. Someone else’s info was on it. This was a return and I had been sold a used product for full retail. This is a $ 290 router I am extremely upset and will not be going to Altex any longer. I expect this type of shady practice from non caring big super corps stores, I thought Altex was the hometown local friendly store. Have make another all day trip to go return this crap or install it and run into any problems that the original buyer was having worth it.
Sorry for typing from phone and pissed off.

If I’m not mistaken Altex has been around a long time, but the first time I remember it, I’m thinking it was a mailorder place out of Austin.
Anyway, think they opened a location in Dallas years ago. This one has been here for a few years.
Good selection of electronic components. Switches, power supplies, batteries, cables, computer components. They offer build your own parts, but they usually have computers they’ve put together and packages for sale.
These places are better than what Radio Shack ever used to be, back when Radio Shack actually used to carry some component stuff. Anything you can find here is probably half the price as well.
Example, sometime ago our store alarm system needed some parts. Figured out the power supply was shot, and had also killed the backup battery. Alarm company was worthless, offering to send someone out who wouldn’t have the parts (wtf?) so I headed to the Shack where I did find a battery, over $ 40. No luck on power supply.
At that point I remembered Altex had just opened. Drove over, power supply they had, around $ 15. Wanting to torture myself, I asked if they had the battery, they did, it was $ 18 there. If I hadn’t been in dire straits to get the system back online, I would have taken it back and bought theirs, but now I go in there for all sorts of stuff. Need an LED lighted double throw switch? They got it. Only place other than mailorder I found a Firewire 800 to old iPod cable adapter, and it was cheaper than the mailorder place that the Apple store had shown me.
Most of the staff are pretty knowledgeable, which helps. At times when one person wasn’t sure, there was someone else who did know, so no problems.