Winner’s Circle System

I am very sad to report that my experience a few months ago with Andy Jong and Winner’s Circle System in Berkeley was even worse than the one reported earlier by former customer Amy in 2013.
Unfortunately, I was also a long time customer and remembered when he and Vincent were just great, so I allowed Andy to tinker with my computer for about a week. When it still wasn’t fixed I asked him to give me back my computer and tell me what I owed him. He said he spent many hours working on it so the total bill was over $ 400.00! Yikes! Still, I figured I had to pay him, so very reluctantly did so. He didn’t even bother to write up or give me a receipt! His wife Helen stood by watching, and I’m sure she knew he no longer had any business working on other people’s computers and doing what he did.
I feel really sad for both of them, but even sadder for myself because I’m out a lot of money, my computer wasn’t fixed and in fact is now worse than ever, and I am going to have to pay someone else to undo the damage Andy did to it.
If the Winner’s Circle System shop is still open, it really shouldn’t be!!!
(And the last I knew it was still located around the corner on Ashby Avenue, as they had moved from their Shattuck Avenue location several years ago.)

Update Oct 17: The owner left me a voicemail yesterday, out of the blue (probably read my Unilocal review) saying a lot of work was done on my computer but not the work I requested. He seemed to expect me to pay for said mysterious work! If any work was done on my computer, there’s absolutely no evidence of it: the exact same system error I asked them to correct was present when I picked up the computer. I’m computer savvy enough that I knew exactly what needed to be done and that’s what I ordered: reformat the hard drive and reinstall the system software. In response to this very clear, specific request, the owner quoted me $ 80. On yesterday’s voicemail, he claimed he could not have done the work I requested for $ 80. Um, then why did you quote me that price for that specific work? I have since done this rather simple task, myself (which I didn’t have time to do when I was rushing to a family funeral and asked him to do it), and the computer is now working fine, system error corrected. When I originally dropped off the computer, he was scrawling notes on a little piece of paper, which was already scrawled over with other notes, and his desk and all of the surrounding areas were completely disheveled with heaps of paperwork, computer parts, and completely unrelated gear for some other business or hobby. No wonder they can’t keep their orders straight. But I can see now that this business needs more than work orders; they need a business ethics lesson too. My advice: never, ever trust these people with your computer (or your wallet).

These guys are very good. They fixed my laptop quickly and conscientiously and gave me a fair price. It’s a bit of a throwback place, with components strewn around all over the place, but the folks appear to be very knowledgeable.

I have found Andy and Vicent to be incredibly helpful. They stock a lot of parts and are knowledgeable and honest people.