Jacobson Electric

We purchased many different light fixtures, we replaced two outdoor lights with new motion sensitive fixtures, we replaced a bathroom fan and added a couple new can lights in a bedroom. Steve could not have been more helpful with the selection of the new fixtures and then Neal came out to our house to assist in making other decisions on how we could make improvements in several different areas both inside and outside our house. Once all the items were ordered and received Neal came out and installed everything. He was VERY professional VERY clean and did an excellent job. In one particular situation he ran into a few challenges and he did an excellent job of finding great solutions. I would highly recommend using Jacobson for your purchase and installation. I would suggest that you have Neal come out to your home. It was well worth it. His suggestions were very helpful and dead on.

If I could give zero stars I would. I spent over $ 1500 ordering a custom fan in May that was supposed to be delivered by June. It is now October and I still have no fan. On my many phone calls, I was told told, rudely, that they would let me know when it came in. But they never had a tracking number, or realistic delivery time. I received a call that it came in, finally acouple weeks ago, but now they refuse to call me back with installation times. I give up. Never, ever, go to this place.

After further analysis, I find that online light offering are a better option IMO

I purchased two ceiling fans during Jacobson Electric’s 50% off sale in November 2013, knowing that neither of them were currently in stock, and would each take around 4 weeks to arrive. Admittedly, the 4 weeks seemed to drag on, but they did call when they became available for pickup in the store, and a helpful store worker put them in my car for me.
For those who are accustomed to the low prices and quick turnaround of Amazon & other online retailers, I can see why the long order times are frustrating, especially when, even with 50% off, the prices really aren’t that different than the online prices (typically free delivery, zero tax). However, in our case, the store’s ‘time to delivery’ estimate was fairly accurate, and the lady who served us was clearly very knowledgeable about the product offerings, and she did give us quite a bit of their time listening/​discussing color/​brand/​size options – something that would have been rather more difficult to do with an online retailer (e.g. via a IM Chat link or phone line).
So I give 3 stars based on our experience. I didn’t like the long wait, but in our case, it was ‘as stated’ and in any case wasn’t life-​threatening, and of course we’ve helped support a local business too. On the other hand, if we had already been completely confident about our choice, and hadn’t had any concerns about the possibility of returning either fan (whether before or after opening the box/​installing), then I guess we could have gone through Amazon and saved a lot of time and the tax too.

I had the opposite experience as the other reviewers. I went in one afternoon and with an associate’s help was able to pick out 6 ceiling fans and 8 light fixtures, The associate ordered all of the correct accessories for my sloped/​pitched ceilings, which made installation a breeze. They really know their stuff, and will tell you what fixtures to pick depending on how much light you need, and what type of room you are illuminating. If you have a problem waiting 3 – 4 weeks for a quality product, then make sure to ask what their lead times are. We got our products, and are extremely happy with the results.

I know the internet can be full of negative reviews because in the end of the day people will take more time to document something bad that happened to them as opposed to a regular or positive experience. I want to make clear by creating this review is to ensure other people who are looking for a decent place of business will not be entrapped by this one especially with money being really tight nowadays and folks not wanting to get stuck with a bad company.
I completely agree with the other negative reviews on here, and I, too, never thought to look on Unilocal to review an electrical/​lighting shop. This place is quite rude to customers, and the quality of their products is not the best though their prices are quite high. The lady who was «helping» me was more in a hurry to leave for the day, and I was more or less rushed out of there. The staff just was not helpful at all, and they did not seem to care to go that extra mile to figure out how to accomodate my needs. Thankfully I did not purchase anything from this store, and based upon the other reviews of this business it was a blessing in disguise that the staff was rude to me and did not find for what I was looking.
In a nutshell, avoid this place if you can and look for an alternate business.

So, you know the saying «Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.» I can’t tell you how appropriate that saying is for this particular scenario. While I can’t say that I was fooled here twice, I did choose to ignore my fellow Unilocalers despite my better judgement.
So this all started with our living room ceiling fan needing to be replaced as the motor housing decided to separate itself from the base of the fan leaving itself only supported by the wiring which seemed like a rather dangerous situation to leave unaddressed. So we took it up on ourselves to replace the fan that day and made the trip over to Jacobson’s to check out what they had in stock if anything. Otherwise we were just taking a trip to the local hardware store to buy something that day.
So upon our arrival we spoke with Steve (later found out he was the owner after a quick Google search) and explained our situation. I had asked if he had one particular fan in stock that we had spotted online and he did indicate that was about 2 weeks out if we went that route. We CLEARLY stated that wouldn’t work already so we would have to look at other options and asked what he had in stock but there were no options. Steve then suggested a fan that he said he could turn around by the end of the week (as background, we were there on a Tuesday). We really liked the fan and I really didn’t want to go with a cheap option from the local hardware store so we decided that was okay provided it was there by the end of the week as he indicated.
So Friday rolls around and I call in, Steve isn’t available but I tell one of the associates that my order should be in and I just wanted to verify so I could pick it up. Whomever the associate asked when I ordered and after I tell him Tuesday that week he immediately tells me that it won’t be in for another few weeks… Ok, I then asked him to double check and just make sure as Steve told me it would be to which he says he’ll contact me back.
I then get a call back from Steve who tells me that his associate wasn’t familiar with our arrangement and that he had placed my order with another one that was already placed so it should be coming in, although it won’t be until Monday as it wasn’t coming in that Friday as previously discussed. I let it go as one business day wasn’t a huge deal despite him already promising it would be there Friday.
So, Monday rolls around. Talk to Steve. Not there. Should be Wednesday. Wednesday comes. No fan. Probably Friday. Fridays here. No fan. Getting angry. I ask Steve what’s going on and he tells me that it’s out of his hands but it should be there Monday now which is going on almost 2 weeks. Perhaps he shouldn’t promise things he has no control over? Am I right? Right. In retrospect we should have just ordered the fan I originally wanted.
So of course it’s not there Monday and I explain to him that I could have bought this fan over the internet for basically the same cost, no tax and could have had it within 3 days. Considering this, is there anything that he can do for me? Steve said he’ll look into it (despite him being the owner) and he’ll contact me tomorrow with an update about the fan. No call. Not surprised at this point.
I call in on Wednesday to see what’s going on and he says he’ll give me the tracking # for the fan which I find out through tracking, THAT IT JUST LEFT. WTF. So on Friday (which is now over 2 weeks) I see that it has been delivered and I call Steve just to double check and he tells me that it is indeed in stock and I can pick it up. Much to my surprise it’s actually there when I arrive.?! Small win for me. So I’m forced to give one star which they earned because the employee carried the fan out to my car. Yeh.
Lesson learned. And for any of you Unilocalers that choose to ignore the ratings in the future. Shame on you.

OMG! I ignored the other reviews on here! Boy am I pissed I did! Who would even think to check reviews on a lighting store?! I only came across them looking for the address.
Can Unilocal create negative stars, please?
I ordered ONE vanity light. I was told 3 – 4 weeks. This was December 8^th. 3 weeks in I called to check if it was in… like everyone else I was told I was going to get a call back. NO! Over the course of the next few months I probably called 10 – 15 times. Maybe twice I received a phone call back with some full of crap story about where my light was and when I’d get it. I’ve been using my bathroom without a freaking light since January (it’s now April 1). I figured I’d move all of my shower/​bathroom stuff in b/​c I was told «any day now» since January and I’d spend $ 10,000 on my bathroom I WANTED TO USE IT! Jacobson told me the light was back-​ordered. BS. Since February Jacobson told me specific dates it was supposed to be shipped. I’d call to check… NOPE! «Now it’s going to ship on Monday». «Now it’s going to ship NEXT Monday». Recently, my mom called the manufacturer and they said it was never back-​ordered, they had plenty. Again… like the other complainers on here… MAGICALLY once we said to refund it’s all of a sudden in! Go figure. I’m getting it tomorrow… PLEASE be in and not broken!
I can’t even imagine why these people feel the need to lie like that. What is the point?! I don’t understand!
The only other lighting store I’ve ever ordered from was Century in Libertyville. No issues there. It would have been like $ 10 more for the light from them… would have been worth it! Not that they charge more, b/​c I got several ceiling fans for fantastic prices a couple years ago. Must have just been special «piss a girl off» pricing from Jacobson this time!

Worst supplier ever. Tells you two weeks for order to arrive. If you call for follow up they say they will check and call back but never do. After four months and nuerous calls I demanded a cash refund, telling them I had found what I was looking for elsewhere. Suddenly and miraclously the fixture arrived and I was told on Monday I would only receive store credit no refund as promised the Friday before. If you have a ton of time to waste order from them. That way Steve can lie to you as well never changing the stupid expression on his face.

I don’t get mad at businesses easily, but I had a horrible experience with this one.
What could have been a good transaction turned sour very quickly (or should I say VERY slowly, based on how long it took us to get our merchandise).
The story: we bought two beautiful ceiling fans back in August 2009. They were defective so we brought them back. (Even their store electrician could not get them working.) They said they would replace them and call when they got them in.
Two weeks pass and nothing. Three weeks pass and nothing. Four weeks pass. Finally, my mother in law made a last ditch attempt to see where they could be. Lo and behold, when we tell them we want to return the fans for a refund, they magically appear in the stock room! Why didn’t they call us? (the lady there said they don’t know when they get things in the stock room, stock room doesn’t tell them… uh, does that make sense?)
After that left a bad taste in our mouths, we wanted to return the items and be done with it. Jacobson, the owner, refused to give us a refund on merchandise we had not even opened and that we had just received one hour prior. Policy states that a full refund will be given only within 5 days of purchase. Jacobson’s reasoning was that since we originally purchased our defective fans back in August (7 weeks prior!!), that policy did not apply to us. Wait wait wait, so we paid for the items (i don’t say BOUGHT because BUYING something means you actually have the merchandise in hand) 7 weeks ago, but we received them TODAY and we can’t return them?
Question: how do you return something you do not even have yet? Crooks. This guy should not be in business at all.
I wanted to like them. But their customer service, especially Jacobson, was terrible. No respect and very unwilling to help. Be very aware from buying from them, especially the return policy they do not uphold. If I could give them zero stars, I would.
Sounds eerily similar to another Unilocaler’s review of their Morton Grove location: