As a lifetime gamer there are certain preconceptions about other gamers that I thought to be unjustified and untrue. However game republik reinforced those stereotypes beyond reasonable doubt. Instantly walking through the door I was greeted by a trollish apathetic neanderthal. He didn't bother answering any questions about the hardware and immediately dismissed the one female gamer I was accompanied by in a misogynistic manner. There were easily more than ten stations available yet he told us there weren't more than three for no other reason than he lazily didn't want to attend to the additional stations. Instead of protesting we accepted our fate and were greeted with non working computers. When we asked for help, the employee said "There's nothing that I can do, do you want me to just wait here or what?" After this we shutdown the computers and left within minutes. Definitely will not be returning and consider our hours of game time on our accounts a loss. Hopefully I won't be enabling these horrible stereotypes again. read more

This place and the person who runs it, Chris Tom, is a total joke. I took my xbox 360 in on Dec 21st as a result of getting 3 rings of death error. It had been previously repaired and they were not able to fix it. That is fine. I understand. The problem i have with the is the total lack of communication and repsonse from them over the 2 week period they had my console. Then when I told them that I was frustrated and that the lack of repsonse and communication was "ridiculous" I was yelled at and called and "asshole" by Chris Tom and informed that they were too busy and had better things to do. He also wrote that in whatever silly issue tracking system they claim to use. I would highly recommend not taking your business there if there is an alternative and as a customer you prefer not to be called an asshole. read more

Hey Chris, maybe you should spend more time improving your business instead of trolling yelp and accusing others of being "plants". It's funny how apathetic you guys are when I call you complaining about your poor service, and how active you are when I post an online review for all to see. Unfortunately, the bad service you provided me is real. Look dude, you can fight these reviews all you want, but your poor customer service will catch up to you. Like I said, I am NOT affiliated with Game Gods. I'm posting an honest review, and now that you've posted this reply, I'll do my best to steer others away from your fraudulent money-sucking "business." read more

Ive been here twice now.. the prices are reasonable (3 bucks or so for an hour? With discounts for more hours). My first visit was fine, I just had some trouble with the computers, and had to switch, so I lost maybe 10 minutes of my three hours. On my second visit, the cashier didnt tell me what to do next after I signed up for an account and stood around for a bit.. awkward. This time I lost about 5 minutes of my hour in start-up time and my game crashed once. Four stars for the gaming and prices, minus one for customer service. read more

Why the 1 star? Because never in my life have I experienced such inappropriate, infantile and unprofessional behavior from seemingly grown adults. On 12/16, I dropped off a Nintendo DS for repair and was told, prior to dropping it off, that the turn around time would be 3-5 days. Seeing as how I needed this for Christmas, that worked. When I dropped it off, the servers were down and I couldn't get a ticket from them right away, but was told it would be emailed. When I didn't get the email (and yes, I checked my SPAM folder, and I am actually computer literate), I called the next day. This was my first phone experience which called into question how this place is being run based on the response I received when I asked him when it would be ready: "About a week". Well, that would be fine, if I hadn't been told 3-5 days. This was also the second person to inform me of how backed up and busy they are and what a hardship it is to deal with all of this business. On Wedensday, 12/22, still no email with the ticket (yes, I checked my SPAM folder again, and no, it wsn't there), I called and was greeted this time by a young woman. When I asked about my repair, she returned from hold to say that it would "a couple of days". I questioned that, told her the commitment I was given, and was put on hold again. She returned to say "yeah, it'll be ready by Christmas. We will call you when it's ready". Thursday, 12/23, still no email with the aforementioned ticket (yes, I checked my SPAM folder AGAIN). I called and was greeted again by the same young woman who once again tells me it's not ready and can't tell me when it will be ready. When I mentioned that I was told 3-5 days, she became very defensive, saying "We don't commit to a week, we just say about a week". At that point, I said to her that I needed to speak to someone else, the owner or a manager, who could listen to me. She proceeds to tell me how no one is going to talk to ther like that, and that if I will ask 'nicely" she will get someone. So I sugar-coated it for her, after pointing out that I wasn't rude in the first place, and would she 'pretty please" get me someone else. Before the hold music, I got a disgusted grunt. I wait and I wait and I wait, and based on the attitude so far, I figure I might need to call back in, so I do from another phone. (My husband dials, and I take it from him.) This time, I am speaking to Chris...yes, Chris, as in the owner Chris T. I go down the road of explaining to Chris (and at this point, I don't know I am speaking to the OWNER of this business), and what I got in return was nothing short of shameful. His rant to me included: 1. He heard the exchange of the young woman who works for him and heard nothing wrong with what was said. 2. The post office didn't get them their order of screen parts and this was why it had taken a long time (first I had heard of this) and this is why the post office is failing. 3. i must not be looking correctly because HE set up the servers that send the tickets and I guess he forgot that their servers where DOWN or I guess he just can't make mistakes ever 4. How he had worked until 10 pm the night before after being at the hospital with his daughter due to her illness 5. How the hospital is charging him too much 6. How much his insurance sucks 7. How people, like me, keep calling and therefore he can't get work done and if I didn't want it repaired I could just come and pick it up (tempting, believe me) 8. How he needs to remind people like me that there are more important things than a DS. I am sure that I have ommitted something, because it was a tirade designed to wear me down, and it did. I, admittedly, yelled at Chris at one point about the ticket or about calling multiple times, I forget. I lost my cool, but Chris has absolutely no idea how to treat customers or how to respond to people who are, in my view, rightfully upset or wanting information about a service that he is providing, for which a customer is paying money. There is this magical thing called "Word of Mouth' and it spreads far and wide. I could have served as someone who talked about how professional Josh was who actually did the repair (very professional). I can also tell you that I did finally get the ticket when it was completed. Guess I am not so computer illiterate as someone thought. Instead, I will talk about how terrible the customer experience is at Tek Republik, despite their obvious technical skill. If there is anyone out there who knows how to repair Nintendo DS's, you should start advertising and getting some positive word of mouth of your own. You probably won't put this place out of business, but I have no doubt that you could pick up the business that they won't get because of reviews like this one. read more

Ok. I was recently at this place and the owner's little spiel down there just confirms the douchebaggery that people run into here. Stay away... There are a few cool people working there but it's incredibly minimalistic compared to similar businesses. read more

So my xbox got the horrible red light of death syndrom, xbox is 5 years old with no warrenty, rather than pay xbox 120 to fix it and get it back 3 months later I decided to be cheap and find a local place. This was the first place google gave me. 40 wasnt bad so i took it in. The guy at the desk told me what was going on and offered me the 80 dolllar package instead so I took that. he quoted me taking 3 days but it only took two. got it fixed and home works great, new fan is louder than the old one but it has some bad ass lights that are pretty pointless. Overall not a bad experence read more

My PS3 crashed on me, and my girlfriend convinced me to go and get repaired rather than just replace it. So begins my experience with Tek Republik. I contacted them and described what was happening and they told me to bring it by. I googled the address only to find that this tech-savy company has not updated the address to their new location. No biggie, the move just happened so I shake it off and drive to the new location. Upon dropping it off I told them that I could get $75 in trade in credit , but thought I would see how much it would cost to get it repaired. I was informed that it should cost no more than $80 and would be ready in four days. I left feeling pretty good about the decision to get it repaired rather than trade it in. Four days pass and having not heard anything I call for a status update. I was informed that it was broken down, but hadn't been looked at yet. I would be getting a call the following day. The next day came and went with no call, so that I evening I called again for a status check. This time I was informed that it was "being a little stubborn" and would be ready in a day or two. A day and a half goes by with no call, so I call again. This time I am informed that it may be unrepairable, but they would buy it for parts for $30. I said that I already have a quote for $75 credit. The guy questions where and upon finding out tells me I should double check it and cracks a joke and laughs. I responded to his laughter by saying, "I am glad he found some amusement in the situation, but I am disappointed in the service." At which point his attitude shifted to completely abrasive. I informed that they hadn't even attempted to contact me, the customer, when they were missing deadlines to which his response was that they don't make those calls. He then informed me that I was unappreciative of how they were busting their butts with other tasks. He then listed off some of these tasks up to and including his personal life in a tone that I wouldn't talk to a dog in. My personal favorite bit of this diatribe was when he informed that if it would have worked on the first attempt to fix it, they would have met the original deadline. I responded, "That would have been excellent customer service." He then informed me and I quote, "That would have been luck." He then told me that he didn't even feel like fixing my system, so I should come and pick it up. The conversation ended with him hanging up on me. So here I sit back at square one with a broken system, only now I am so irritated by the ordeal that I feel that I should share. For me, service goes a long way, and this company fails to get off the couch. I highly suggest taking your business else where that considers customers something far more than a burden. read more

i've gamed here quite a bit in the past when they were known as tech republik and they were great. However, I recently brought my ps3 2 port 20g to get repaired for the ylod and I was told that if they couldn't repair it I'd get my ps3 back at no charge. Needless to say i received my ps3 days later in working condition only to find out 2 days later it started failing and shutting down. I brought it back several days later and they repaired it once again at no charge but was very fussy and I was told I must pay for future repairs even if it's the same problem. Once again it failed within 2 days and when I called to see what was the deal I was told that there is no warranty on the repairs and I'm basically shit out of luck and out 40 bucks plus tax. I talked to the owner and he was very short and rude giving me a sob story of how he has kids and doesn't work for free. He also mentioned that the ps3 20g is a crap system and always breaks down and there's no telling how long the repair will last. I wish I was informed before I donated 40 dollars. Needless to say if I wanted a refund I would have had to give him my ps3 for parts. Don't get your consoles repaired here especially if its a ps3. Bad customer service. Employees don't know policies/not really well informed, which made this whole process really confusing and difficult. I will not be coming back here. read more

Horrible horrible. They replaced the laser in my PS3 and it failed after 6 months and almost no use. The only thing they said they would do is charge full price for a new one. They kid was actually rude on the phone. I'll never go there again. read more

Came for the gameplay, not a huge gamer. Really great and helpful especially since I'm not a PC gamer. Help me set up and guided me through. Snacks, sodas, energy drinks with bathrooms and cell phone chargers. Not too far from the comic book store, a great nerd oasis. Great prices if you don't want to buy a brand new console or pc. I'll be back. read more

I don't know what ppl are crying about. I called today about my PS3 having the YELLOW LIGHT OF DEATH . The gentleman that answered the phone was Helpful and straight to the point . I am gonna give them a shot on fixing my PS3 . So stop your crying . I am also seeing how neat and professional there equipment is set up very impressive. read more

4 stars for the service rendered. The xboxes work great. -2 stars for the customer support. Yes, "don't know jack" is a generalization, but with three different employees that handled my debit card I got the feeling they did not know what to do at the cash register. You didn't speak to me poorly and you did try to return the money quickly. You just messed with a customers money and that's a problem. read more

Went in on a whim last night to play on one of their PCs and had a great time. Everyone seemed to be really friendly, and tek had an enjoyable gaming atmosphere. It was only 10 bucks to play for 3 hours, so I definitely plan on coming back. read more

Called Tek Republik to see how long it would take for a ylod ps3 fix and the price. I was quoted "$80 + tax", and "2-3 days". A few days later, I take my ps3 in before going to work. When my turn in line comes, ylod was the diagnosis. Again I ask, "how long should something like this take?" The response again is 2-3 days. After 4 days, I call to see when I should expect my ps3. I am then quoted 5 days since, "the people who work the front are not technicians, so they don't always know how long the work is going to take." I don't work there, so how should I have known. Being a customer, I should have been alerted how long the work would have actually taken, and not be baited in with the original, misleading, twice said quote. Now, we are on the 10th day, and I am still getting the run around when it comes to speaking to a manager ... it would take for a ylod ps3 fix and the price. I was quoted "$80 + tax", and "2-3 days". A few days later, I take my ps3 in before going to work. When my turn in line comes, ylod was the diagnosis. Again I ask, "how long should something like this take?" The response again is 2-3 days. After 4 days, I call to see when I should expect my ps3. I am then quoted 5 days since, "the people who work the front are not technicians, so they don't always know how long the work is going to take." I don't work there, so how should I have known. Being a customer, I should have been alerted how long the work would have actually taken, and not be baited in with the original, misleading, twice said quote. Now, we are on the 9th day, and I am still getting the run around when it comes to speaking to a manager to find out exactly what is going on. If I had been told from the beginning that they had a copious amount of playstations or xboxes to work on, I would have been fine. I just don't like being lied to nor ignored, especially by a business, because either way, they will still be getting paid for the job. *I just please need a straight answer. I am paranoid about having my ps3 left there too long as I will be out of town for a long while, and remembered the sign you all had mentioning how items can only be left there for a certain amount of time. I filed a BBB complaint to hopefully get an answer. *UPDATE: Date of drop off= January 9th, 2012. Date of completion= January 18th, 2012. Date of pickup= January 19th, 2012. read more

Worst manager ever!!! Freedom of speech is something he definately takes advantage of. He called me an idiot on the phone and said all I was good at was breaking Xbox's. After Tek tried to fix my Xbox 360 3 times I asked for a refund and was denied. I was told that I had bad luck and that was why they could not fix my Xbox.I payed 80 dollars to get harrassed and I ended up buying a new system after all was said and done. read more

I took a Wii console that wasn't accepting DVDs in to be repaired. When dropping it off the clerk told me it was going to be $25 if they just have to remove a blockage and $60 if they needed to replace anything (gears, etc.). And that "more than likely" something would have to be replaced and it would be $60. I was pretty sure it was just a blockage by the way it was acting but thought, "they've seen their fair share of broken consoles. Maybe something will need to be replaced." When I went to pick it up the clerk tells me that all the tech had to do was clean some foreign objects out the drive (they saved the things my kids had so thoughtfully put in there :) ) and that the cost was $60 + tax, not because anything had to be replaced, but now because "Wii's are hard to get into." Look...if you want $60 out of me no matter what, just tell me up front. Don't change the rationale after you've made the repair and are essentially holding my property hostage. The repair itself was completed well and was done on the day it was promised. I would love to give a better rating to this Austin-owned business but this is a case of miscommunication, bad business practice, or both. Because of that, I can't recommend it. In response to Chris', the business owner, comment: Chris, I'm sorry but regardless of what the ticket says, it does not reflect verbal communication at the time of drop-off. The whole point of my critique (which you seem to be ignoring) is that, if a Wii repair is $60, just say so. In this case, a reference (even in passing) of the possiblity of a $25 repair should have never been made. I also need to correct your statement that your repair tech worked over the Holiday weekend to get this repaired. He didn't. And, I didn't expect him to. Iain indicated the repair wouldn't even start until Monday (best case). I had no issue with that and still don't. Lastly, I wish you would spend more time actively involved in your brick-and-mortar business, dealing with customers instead of spending time to write snarky, customer-is-an-idiot responses to Yelp reviews that you don't like. If you did that, you might find that the reviews would get better. Running a successful business is a combination of execution and communication with and care of your clients. You need to do them all well to get kudos. read more

I took my PS3 in for a YLOD fix. Quote was $87 after tax which I thought was a little pricy considering the same method is used on both types of boards to fix the problem. The fix is expected to last longer on some boards so I guess that entitles them to offer a longer warranty and charge twice the price even though the same action is being performed. Anyways, they had it ready later that day which was nice. Took it home and the drive was not connected properly so I brought it back a day later. They called me again that day and I drove the 30 minutes to and from for a second time to pick it up. They powered it up for me and was now showing the YLOD again, so I left it with them again. Returned another time to pick it up and asked that they powered it up and YLOD again. So after 3 trips to and from with no success I asked for a refund which they gladly issued. But now I was stuck with a PS3 that I cannot send to Sony for repair or replacement. So I listed it on craigslist "as is" and described that I had taken it to Tek (unsuccessfully and unhappy) so that the buyer knew what was going on with the PS3. That post was mysteriously flagged for removal three times. So, 2 stars for issuing the refund no questions asked and nice guys at the desk. And no stars for seemingly opportunistic pricing and trolling all mediums to avoid negative feedback. Take that time and energy and put into your business so that negative feedback never happens. read more

These guys are the best LAN center in Austin. It might have the feeling of a serial killers den, but everyone there is super nice.

I've used these guys twice for repair of my PS3 fat, and would recommend them. Both repairs were for a yellow light of death problem, and both repairs were $40 plus tax. They were great about telling me the price up front, letting me know that repairs don't always work or last forever, giving me an estimate for when the PS3 would be ready, executing the repair on schedule, and letting me know (e-mail and phone calls!!) when my console was ready. The second repair was done within 4 hours of my dropping it off (on December 22, so pretty amazing speed all things considered). I hope to never need their help again, but if my PS3 breaks again I'll be back. NOTE: repair #1 was for an overheating problem, repair lasted 12 months. For $40, I'll take it. read more

i just got my ps4 fixed thanks to jonas for his time and help with fast service ...i was in and out keep up the great work game republic your the best in austin texas. read more

It is always wise to check filtered reviews. As an extremely dissatisfied customer, I would advise any and everyone to avoid this place like the plague. I came here to have my husbands PS3 fixed as a surprise and the guy at the counter said it would only take a few minutes. I paid in advance and decided to use their computers in the meantime. I'm not sure if they aren't used to female gamers or are truly sexist, but either way I was given a strange look upon asking to game. Anyway, I made an account and began playing New Vegas on one of their PCs.....however I never got to play. The computer failed 2 times to upload the game, so the clerk switched me to another computer. Still no luck with that one so I asked for my money back....a measly 2 dollars, but the guy behind the counter (Brandon??) wouldn't refund me without the help of the owner. He even made a comment about girls having problems with his computers in the store. However, I have been gaming since the Atari days and I know that his server must have problems of it's own. To make matters worse, the guy who was supposed to fix my spouses Ps3, Scott said that it wouldn't be ready and to come back the next day, so I basically wasted an hour of my time for nothing. I hope this review keeps someone from making a big mistake in gaming here or getting something fixed. Now that I have read the filtered reviews, I understand completely. read more

Taking my ps3 to tex republic was a total wast of time and money. I was told that i was getting a refund and when i went to pick up my the owner said that he would not give me a refund.spent $86 and ps3 still doesnt work should have bought. A new one. Tex republic is a rip off. Save your money not worth the hassel. read more

BEWARE!!!!!!! First of all let me start by saying that I have been to this shop on separate occasions and was satisfied. But ever since the move they went to the dumps. Took my PS3 in for yellow light issue. Droped off and gave my info. He said he would call as soon as they got to it. Not thinking to ask how long, because the other times only took a few days tops i leave. Two weeks go by and still no word. I call and they tell me due to an event in town they were backed up but it was going to be next. Three days go by and still nothing, so I call. Im told still working on it because its the older one its harder to work on. So I finaly get the call to come pick it up. They pulg it in to test and I noticed the fan was a little louder. I asked about it and Chris said Oh its fine, you wont have to worry about it overheating. Ok i leave. Week leter game suts off in play. WTF Take it back Two weeks later i pick it up. Same thing and fan still loud. This time I get home start to play and it cuts off about 10minutes in play. Before this happened the fan went 5 diffrent speeds. thought the thing was going to go flying. Months later and a new ps3 slim I pull big bertha out. I found a cool little shop that just opened. Took it in and the guy was real fast and called later that afternoon. He informed me that whoever worked on it before really messed stuff up. Over tight screws and what not that messed up some internals? Not all computer wiz. So I asked if it could be fixed and he said yes. So whats the deal GR? Chris? read more

Had a 1st gen PS3 with YLOD. Called up late, asked what they could do to fix it. The staff was knowledgeable and experienced with repairing options on the PS3. Brought it in on a Thursday at 2pm, work was finished by 5. Got a 90 day warranty in case it YLODs again. It's been 2 weeks and it's running fine. Highly recommended. read more

My husband found Game Republik when searching for someone who would repair my son's handheld gaming device. The repair was successful and we recently held my son's 17th birthday at Game Republik. Took 7 teenage boys who were impressed with the equipment, especially the gaming chairs, and not one of them would have turned down more time on the virtual reality unit. Josh was so patient with helping us understand and use the equipment. I had planned to serve pizza and birthday cake at the venue, and though Game Republik was willing to accommodate us, I thought the space was too limited to started mixing boys and sodas around this expensive equipment. The boys preferred the extra gaming time, and we enjoyed lunch out nearby. Oh, and our party was scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 so that we had the place largely to ourselves. Great unexpected party place for gamers at a great value. All of the boys loved it. This place has a hole in the wall feel, but I believe that added appeal for the boys, and Josh's patience and professionalism made the party for Mom. read more

My Playstation 3 got the Blinking Yellow Light of Death. I took my PS3 into Tek Republik for repairs. Repairs were done on time, very fast and I received my PS3 back in a shorter amount of time than originally told. I got home about 20 minutes later, and went to hook up my PS3 to my TV and Receiver, when I noticed that the Optical Audio Port on the PS3 was damaged. The door that covers the port was missing, and the spring that is attached to the door, was sitting loose inside of the port. I removed the spring by turning the PS3 upside down and letting it fall out on the ground. I went to plug in the Optical TOS Link cable, made sure that it was lined up correctly, and tried to plug the cable in. When I did this, I felt something push back inside of the PS3 and the cable would not connect. The connector itself was damaged, and had pushed back inside of the PS3. I called Tek Republik back, and they said no problem, bring the PS3 back in and they would have Scott take a look at it. I took the PS3 in on Friday March 11 2011. Was told Scott (the PS3 repair person) would not be back in till Monday. So I called back on Monday at around 3:14pm. I asked about the status of my PS3. Scott told me that there was no way that the Optical port was broken by the procedure that was done to repair my original problem, and that they do not go near that port at all, and that it was not something that they did. I was polite at first, explaining that I know the port was not broken when I brought the PS3 into Tek Republik, and that from the time they had it to the time I got it home the port somehow broke. He repeated again, that there was no way that the fix they did could have caused the broken port, and that they dont go around breaking people's PS3 on purpose. I explained that I was not accusing him of breaking it on purpose, but I have a PS3 that I can not use the way I was able to before I took it into Tek Republik, and that I wanted something done about it. I asked to speak to the Owner. Scott put me on hold for a few minutes, came back and said that the owner agree's with him, and that it wasnt something they caused, and that they would not be able to do anything. I asked again to speak to the owner Chris. Scott said he would have Chris call me back. We hang up and about 5 minutes later, Chris called me back and was from the very start of the call was very rude, accusatory, and told me that he would not be doing anything to fix the broken port, as there was no way they caused it. I again politely (albeit being a bit more fed up at this point), pointed out that it was not broken when I took it in, I got it back and it was broken, I was not accusing them of doing it on purpose and that it somehow happened while at his shop. He then repeated a few times that they have repaired 5000 Playstations and not once has this problem occurred. He said I could buy a HDMI to Optical converter to make the PS3 work the same way it was before I took it into his shop. I told him that I work at Fry's and that I know how much they cost, and that was not acceptable, he then proceeded to insult the company I work for, accuse my company of deliberately breaking merchandise, and then said he isnt Fry's he doesnt treat his customers like Fry's does. At this point I was very upset, I told him I wanted something done to fix my PS3, at which point he said that he is the owner, it would have to come out of his pocket, and he would not do anything for me. After some more talking he finally agreed to take a look and see what a converter would cost online, and that the longer I kept talking to him the longer it would take for him to find out the price, and we then hung up. read more

well I hope this helps anybody who might be thinking of going to gain Republic also known as game rip you off take your money never returned your phone call give you as many b******* excuses I can. Chris gives every excuse in the book my wife is sick my kids are sick I don't know how to run a company blah blah blah he's got every excuse I've ever heard of even his employees are trying to lie at the drop of a hat and they all do the same thing everytime I call they give me the runaround they hear me say I am very angry and they do not care and they still blow you off now once they get your money you'll never get your money back I don't know how they do it but they get your system work for a few minutes and soon as you get home it will not work again they are rip off artist. I have been in contact with many other companies that have warned me off of this company saying the same thing that once you brought your system there it does not matter about the warranty or any other guarantee they have all they want is your money and once they have your money their paperwork and anything else that you've done is voided . Theymake sure your time runs out on your warranty . because I have made 5 trips trips from San Marcos to Austin and this guy has not stopped the warranty on it yet even though I have not gotten a system back yet been able to play it on my systems are still messed up I paid him $300 plus and all the gas in trips this guy is a total jackass trust him and you will lose your money and your time and your patience . I think the only way this guy can continue to run this business is we let him keep ripping us off I hope everyone looks at this before you go there and we put him out of business this guy is a rip off every single person he is dealt with including while I'm there listening to him rip people off. my last straw is that all he continues to do is give me the runaround and the same excuses I'll tell you this much is better business or somebody else doesn't shut him down soon I guess I'm going to have to keep posting an ad every two days until I Drive his website through the roof . Last I want to be heard and I want no one else to go to the b******* that I did with that piece of s*** Chris read more

I'm writing this review due to a recent experience I had with a 80G Classic PS3 (software emulation backwards compatible). I loved that console and everything about it and unfortunately, I was a victim of the dreaded YLOD. So there I was with a dead console and not much knowledge on what the problem was and what caused it. Now, I'm a very technical person having a background in large Network Equipment manufacturers and local PC builders and Software startups as well. The only problem is that I'm also a family person with children, responsibilities and a very small amount of time on my hands. So with the combination of no time and minimal knowledge of the PS3 itself, I dropped off my PS3 only to find out that the owner happens to be somebody I know from years past. Now I know from my past experiences that the owner, Chris happens to be a very busy guy who can only focus on a few things at a time. Saying that, he does own a business that happens to specifically focus on console repairs. So that's the reason I left my console with him. He happened to fix my YLOD problem and so I brought my console home happy with my payment of $90.00 only to discover that the wireless radio didn't work. So I brought it back to them to have it looked at to see if they could fix the wireless radio problem. I got a call a few days later stating that my console was repaired. I drove there to pick it up, but I had them hook up my console that time as I feared that the wireless radio wasn't working. Well, I was surprised to see that my console didn't come up at all. Nothing, no screen. So apparently, it went from bad to worse. Now, I reacted as a normal person and didn't scream or turn negative about the situation and in fact I praise them for refunding my money. However, the story doesn't end there. I took the console back and bought a new PS3 locally from a Craigslist ad to have something immediately. Well, this worked out for the time following but I decided to crack open my original PS3 console to take a look at it and see what I could do. Well, not only did I manage to fix my video problems but I also fixed my wireless problems as well. However, I noticed that they had actually broken my board connector that connects to the Blu - Ray player and so with that, the PS3 was still not working correctly. So I had to replace the connector and fix everything. But I still managed to do this after countless hours. Finally, I had a fully working PS3. And so I have to say that if you have the knowledge and resources as I do, just do it yourself and try to fix the console. It will save you loads of trouble and money as well. The fact that I fixed everything they couldn't is a negative mark. The fact that they broke a connector on the board and didn't tell me is a huge negative mark. The fact that I know that the owner can be technically savvy and help out with certain things is a positive mark. The fact that they refunded my money is a positive mark as well. However, I can't in good faith really suggest this place as they really didn't help me out at all and offer a service that I cannot, in good conscience recommend. I would only use them if you don't have the resources or knowledge to fix your own console. read more