CapitolMac

I took my MacBook Pro here a few months ago with water damage. Apple recommended it to me after they were quoting me $ 800 to essentially replace the entire inside of the computer. $ 300 and a new top case later, my computer was back up and running.
Fast forward to one week ago and my computer will not turn on. Apple Care believed it was a hard drive failure, so I took it to my friend in IT. He was sure that it was a hard drive cable repair. He also mentioned that this part is very difficult to break and that it can only be damaged when someone goes inside the computer. CapitolMac were the only ones who went inside the computer. He also noted that the screws on the back of my computer were all loose and had been screwed back in the wrong order. My friend took the hard drive out of my computer and attached it to another computer. Upon doing this, he discovered that my hard drive was completely fine. I took my computer back to CapitolMac to see if they would replace the hard drive cable for free, since it was probably their fault that it was broken.
When I took it back to CapitolMac, they went back inside the computer and determined that the hard drive was broken. I knew this was not true. I tried to argue the guy at the front that it was not broken. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to work, not acknowledging anything. The new hard drive was going to cost over $ 100
I went to the Apple Store for one more opinion. After going through several tests, the genius bar guy determined that it was the hard drive cable as well.
I took my computer back to my friend in IT. He ordered the cable for $ 15 on Amazon and replaced it. I’m typing this review on my computer that is now back up and running.
Want good quality repairs and honest tech guys? Don’t go to CapitolMac. They are probably used to dealing with people who know nothing about computers. Therefore, they are able to up charge people for parts they do not need. If they make a mistake, they will refuse to admit it. I saved myself $ 85.

Good and timely servicing; cost is covered if you’re under apple protection. Staff is polite and friendly.

I stopped at Capitol Mac the other day to buy an iPad Mini. I ended up spending about $ 400 on the Mini 4. As I was checking out I asked the guy if they had cases and he pointed me to the far wall. I picked one out, handed it to him, and he rang me up for a total of around $ 430. After getting both items home we noticed that the case was slightly too small for the Mini. Upon going back to the store a couple days later, without the original packaging for the case, but with the receipt, we were told that the Mini4 requires a slightly larger case but that we would be charged a 15% restocking fee to return it. After some arguing in which the clerk seemed to doubt my story: «can you describe the guy who was working that day?» «Did he actually HAND you this case?» «Are you sure you didn’t pick this out yourself?» «Are you sure he had a beard?» and lots of back of forth we were so irritated that we just returned the case without buying a new one. In the end the exasperated clerk agreed to waive the 15% restocking fee but we were done at that point.
I found it ridiculous that we were nickled and dimed after spending $ 430 in 5 minutes in the store. I found it ridiculous that I had to describe the situation picking out the case as if I were providing an alibi to the police in a criminal matter. I found it ridiculous that they couldn’t have just apologized for my trouble and helped me find a new case. We won’t be returning here for any of our numerous Mac purchases.

Gino is a lifesaver!
I needed the screen on my MacBook Pro Retina to be replaced and Gino was able to order the piece with next-​day shipping and had it back to me in about 28 hours working good as new.
If I had gone directly to Apple, it would have saved about $ 100-​$ 150 but the turnaround was ~10 business days. Definitely worth the cost!
Added bonus: CapitolMac is listed on Apple’s Website as an Authorized Repair Shop so if anything happens in the future, it’s nice knowing I can take my MacBook to Apple’s Genius Bar and they’ll treat the repair as if it was their own.

My computer screen had a huge crack in it. I brought it in on a Monday. That day they told me it would be $ 475 and take 3 to 5 days. Three days later they called me and told me they needed to replace the screen & it would be $ 475. Yes… I know I need a new screen; that’s why I brought it in. Then they said it would take 7 days. I called a week later to check on the status. The told me they’d get back to me that day to let me know. They didn’t. Called the next day. Same thing, said they’d let me know, they didn’t. Called another day later, same thing, said they’d let me know, they didn’t.
I finally got my computer back (I don’t remember how long it took in total) and I noticed a 4 inch line & two small spots on the screen where the colors were distorted. Since it took so long to get my computer back & I’m a graphic design student & need to use my computer daily, I decided to just leave it rather than waiting more weeks to get it back again.

I really wish I could give this more than 2 stars. I came in with a question, left for a bit and came back. No one at the store could fix my problem. I eventually went to the Apple Store and they fixed it for free easily. I also felt uncomfortable that my information was backed up onto a store computer. Next time I will unfortunately just go to the Apple Store in the first place.

Only place in Baltimore to rent Mac computers. I needed a rental for a project, and Paige was really quick and easy to get in touch with. She had the computer ready, and also answered my questions competently about upgrading my current Mac. Thanks!

I went here after my MacBook took up skiing (as in off the side of the bed). I was getting a blinking gray folder, which I know means that my hard drive isn’t connected. So I went here to get my SATA cable reconnected. I was too lazy to do it myself (lol), plus I hadn’t been to Baltimore since earlier in the year so I figured it was time for a little outting. Anyway…
I was helped by Gino. He quickly reconnected my hard drive and I was on my way. I called back the next day to get estimates for updating my hard drive to a SSD. Gino, again, was of great help with this.
I would definitely go back to CapitalMac. It’s not as big as an Apple Store, but that just means that they can give you more one-​on-​one attention. Oh, and they are in a nice little area (with limited free parking), and lots of little shops around, which is a plus.

Don’t go here for serious repairs. I had water damage on my MacBook Pro, and I was told it would take 3 – 5 business days for each step of the process (shipping to repair location, repair, and shipping back to retails store). Theoretically the MAX time it would take would be 15 business days (not to mention the guys at CapitolMac told me the turn around time has generally been faster than that). It has now been 20 business days (not including weekends)… still no laptop. They say it should be within the next two business days (22). Not only this, but it is quite the task to find out where your laptop is in the process. I called probably 8 separate occasions to find out where it was, each time they said they would find out and call me back, not once did they call me back.
I know this isn’t in regards to the quality of fixes they do, but the customer service and speed of send out repairs is horrid. It would be worth it to pay the extra couple hundred on water damage repairs from Apple themselves just so it would take a fraction of the time to get your laptop back.
It is worth noting I am a Graphic Design student and my laptop is something I need on a daily basis. My work this semester has suffered thus far because I am restricted to working on school computers during set hours of the day.
In the end, don’t count on having a good idea of how long your repair will take, or be able to contact the CapitolMac people to find out where the hell it is. You’ll save money tho! I’d rather have a fast turn around time with responsive customer service (Apple) for slightly more money.

My 74 year old mother, in her infinite wisdom, decided that she wanted to experiment with the world of tablets. Knowing her as I do, I thought that an Apple product would probably be best for her, but I sure didn’t want to take her to the Apple store in Towson — she already felt intimidated enough by the fact that she’s never worked a tablet before and that she’s woefully behind, technology-​wise, which she recognizes and wants to remedy. (Kudos to her for that.)
Enter CapitolMac.
I thought that since it was in the neighborhood and had a smaller footprint that she’d be more comfortable there in learning about the iPad and how it works. We came in on a Saturday afternoon to have a look at the products, and Paige could not have been any sweeter to a 74 year old lady that was obviously dazzled and overwhelmed all at once. She let my mother experiment a bit with an actual model, took the time to explain how things worked, and fielded question after question with charm, grace and incredible patience. I was knocked out by how wonderful the customer service was here. There was no rush and no hurry — my mother fell in love with the iPad and was just happier than you could imagine. We ended up purchasing one, along with some accessories to get her started, and they graciously offered classes (which we will probably partake of) for my mother, as well as to answer any and all questions that my mom might have about how to work the thing.
So far, she’s doing GREAT with it. She loves it. I love CapitolMac’s willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, though. When I buy my own iPad (and it’s inevitable, as my laptop is starting to fail), it’ll be from there for sure.
My mom STILL talks about Paige’s excellent customer service and how «sweet» she is. That’s an impression that will last and last.
Thanks so much to Paige and the staff of CapitolMac for making my mother so happy. I definitely won’t be forgetting that anytime soon. :) Bravo!

John at CapitolMac was contacted to install my new iMac. John and I had a few telephone conversations, and we agreed on Friday he would come to my home. He arrived on time, and started to unpack the iMac and started setting it up for me.
There were many tasks to do, that I would have never known how to maneuver through the process. With my MacBook Pro (2009) I had used 499. xx GB’s of the 500 GB’s that I had.
John had patience, beyond belief! After the migration was finished, John wasn’t! He wanted to double check many of the settings.
I felt secure with his professionalism and experience, as he maneuvered through ‘his’ check list. Making sure when he would leave, I would be able to ‘jump’ right in and only worry about how I was going to use the trackpad! I am grateful for a lot of things. One was Apple had contacted CapitolMac to install my new iMac. And the second thing was having John!
Ilene
P. s. I’m still learning the trackpad. I am also enjoying my iMac! Thanks John

Not enough superlatives. The staff, Page & John, are super helpful, and friendly. They both are patient and take the time to educate a customer. I cannot rave enough about my service experience for my MBP. Higly, highly recommend CapitolMac in Baltimore.

I recently bought a new MacPro from Apple; when it arrived, the thunderbolt ports weren’t working. I called Apple, who told me to take it to CapitolMac to expedite replacement. I was given a case number; the inference was that all I had to do was drop it off at CapitolMac and they would return it to Apple and coordinate the replacement.
I arrived at CapitolMac on a Monday, gave them the case number and the Apple paperwork, and was mildly dismayed when the salesclerk at the counter told me that they would attempt to repair, not replace, the computer, and that it would furthermore take about three days for them to look at it. None too happy about this, I nevertheless (as it turns out, foolishly) agreed. I didn’t hear back from CapitolMac until late in the week, when I received a voicemail saying that they wouldn’t be able to deal with the computer until late in the following week. As I was out of town that day, I called back on the Monday after to see whether «deal with» meant «look at» or «finish working on», and was told by a person named John (evidently a technician) that CapitolMac was in fact not certified to work on the MacPro line at all. Other computers, perhaps, but not the MacPro. So my costly acquisition had languished for an entire week in its box, while they attended to other things. Or did whatever they do there.
I called Apple, made suitable noises of indignation, and was told that Apple would expedite replacing my new but unusable computer. When I asked why I had been directed to CapitolMac in the first place, the guy I spoke to said, «I really have no idea.» The mystery unsolved, they sent me a shipping label, and told me to collect my computer from CapitolMac and FedEx it back.
I went to retrieve the computer from CapitolMac and encountered John. Indicating the salesclerk (who was again working at the time), I told him that she had failed to tell me at check-​in that they were not qualified to work on the MacPro. Our dialogue went approximately like this:
John: She didn’t know.
Me: That’s a training issue. She should have known.
John: New products come out all the time.
Me: The new MacPro came out in 2013.
John: Anyway, it all worked out for the best. You got a new computer, which is what you wanted.
Me: Yes, after you wasted a week of my time.
John:
Me: Thank god for social media.
[Exit.]
So: this may be a great place to buy a case for your iPhone, or maybe some garden-​variety cables, but, as far as service goes, the promise on their website — «We’ll take care of you» — is true only in the most ironic sense.

Service, quality, efficiency, friendly=impeccable business!!!
And a 6^th star for treating customers better than the Towson Apple location.

Such awesome service! Can’t believe I’ve been wasting all my time going into Towson from Baltimore.
I will say I have AppleCare so it might have made my process really great (and free) but here’s the problems I had with my computer before taking it in:
1) Charger for my MacBook Air wouldn’t work (I had to use friend’s charger for days!)
2) Trackpad stopped responding to click… This I let go for about a year. (too lazy to take in)
I really just wanted a new charger, but I figured since I was there I would ask about the trackpad. It was so fast! They just said sure, we’ll order the part and have call you when it’s ready for you to bring in for the repair. I had to work on a presentation for work so I asked if I could borrow a charger until my charger came in. They didn’t give me any hassle whatsoever for the borrowing of the charger!
The next day I get a call saying the part was in. I bring in my MacBook Air; they said it might take an hour and a half to repair it… I was just cruising around and then in only a half hour I get a call and they said they fixed it faster than they thought they would.
So I got a new free charger, new free replacement on the trackpad (after I didn’t even need it for a year!) and free installation. I definitely think they cleaned my screen and keyboard too! There are no smudges and it feels so clean!
Overall loved the service, the people were super friendly! Would highly recommend it.

If you found Capitol Mac by googling «apple repair baltimore,» I urge you to dig a little deeper before taking your computer here for service. I was charged a $ 90 assessment charge and then quoted a repair price that was inconceivably astronomical – in part because they wanted to charge me a parts fee of $ 150 for a 320gb hard drive, but also because of the ridiculous labor charge of $ 200 for installation and data transfer. I am no tech guru by any stretch, but instead of paying what i knew were exorbitant prices, I bought a 1000gb hard drive for $ 60 from a chain electronics store in Parkville and, with help from one of the employees there, installed it by myself.
That being said, my experiences with the employees at Capitol Mac were okay. They were pretty nice and sometimes answered the phone when I called. If your last name is Rockefeller, Carnegie, or Vanderbilt, consider bringing your Apple in for service, but if you’ve got bills to pay, skip the $ 90 assessment fee and go someplace else.

Wow! Best customer service I could ever have gotten. I came in with a dysfunctional laptop a little after my warranty ended. A kind employee named Nick could have taken the laptop, fixed it, and earned money for the store, but instead told me I should go to the Apple store to see if they could make a warranty exception for me. He even took my laptop to the back and cleaned it up a bit for me. He gave me great advice, and I will definitely be back here if I need anything mac-​related!

I had an excellent experience with CapitolMac. The employees were friendly, efficient, knowledgeable and quite polite. They said my computer would be ready Tuesday evening, and it was done Monday morning. They honored my Apple Care and all of the work they did on my computer was covered and free. The experience they offered was FAR superior to that of the Apple Store (much faster and friendlier). I highly recommend them!
The cursor on my MacBook Pro had begun moving erratically and clicking on it’s own. After about four calls to Apple, numerous troubleshoots, and about five hours later, they said they didn’t know what the problem was, but that I needed to bring my computer in.
Apple said that I could bring my computer into the Apple Store and that they would ship it out, a process that would take at minimum ten days to complete. To top that off, they had no available appointments for the following day…
This was all very disappointing news, as I was in the middle of preparing for the Bar Exam, and I NEEDED my laptop. The Apple rep seemed to sense my desperation and suggested that I could consider taking my computer to an independent Apple Repair Store, where they said my Apple Care would still be honored.
So I went right on over to CapitolMac and received immediate help! None of this, «talk to the guy in the green shirt at the front, who walks you over to the guy in the blue shirt, who takes your email and tells you that the guys in the black shirt can’t see you ’til next week» nonsense the Apple Store offers.
CapitolMac said that my trackpad had gone bad and that they would order the part in and it would be ready Tuesday evening. Monday, mid-​morning, I get a phone call from them telling me that my computer is all better and ready for pick-​up! I was amazed. They finished something in under 48 hours that Apple had said would take ten days, not including shipping time… AMAZING!

Very friendly, quick service! I like to support local businesses and this place also helps you avoid the hassle of the crazy busy Apple store, esp. since prices and services are the same!
I bought a MacBook Pro from here but wanted to add extra memory ($ 100 for 4GB)… so it had to be ordered and shipped in… I was told it would be three to four days. On the fourth day I got a phone call from Page, the store manager and she apologized saying that it wouldn’t be in till the following week because it was coming in from China (straight from the source!). That was fine with me, but I was very happy that she called to let me know, and she even called me when it came in and was ready for pick up!
Overall, they are very friendly and willing to help. I think I called and spoke with Page numerous times and she was always willing to answer questions and such. It’s so convenient to get to compared to the Apple store in the mall and it is never busy so instant service!

I took my mac here after 8 years since I bought it after it had begun to have serious keyboard issues. Capital Mac told me it was a $ 89 diagnostic fee, which I thought was reasonable, and then repairs and parts on top of that. The very next day they got back to me and told me the keyboard and face was under recall (which they didn’t have to tell me and I never would have known), and with only a small other $ 30 part it was fixed. And it was. My eight year old mac now operates like new, and in only two days. I am certainly very satisfied, and the store was much better than the idiots at the Towson Mac Store — check out my other review of the Towson Mac Store Kindergarten for a comparison.