So this is just like any other Michael's. They are all pretty much all the same except for the staff. Which is why we come here. We have had all our art framed here and they designed and customized all the frames. Ian is our guy! He has designed or helped others design every frame we have bought. His eye and selection is something we trust more than our own judgment. For examples of his work, I uploaded pictures of the frames he has designed for our art. read more

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This was my first time coming to a Michael's in the California area. I haven't been to Michael's since I moved here from Chicago. Overall I was pleased with the Christmas merchandise, but I do feel like this location felt less well-stocked. Usually around Christmas time I am overwhelmed with the amount of choices and options. I love coming to Michael's every year to see what they have, it's exciting. I didn't feel that same amount of joy this year. Maybe this is just a lower volume location. At any rate, I was able to walk away with tons of stuff for the holiday. I got a wreath and a hot glue gun to customize it myself, some stocking hangers, a gingerbread house, and some other really cute little things. All in all I was pleased with my visit. The associates working were pleasant. When I asked for help they politely guided me to the correct aisle. It seems like other people have received poor customer service based on reviews, but that was not the case for me. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Poor new management, no respect. Needs some work on leadership skills. Nobody on sales floor. In addition, Doors are very slow to open

I received an email within 30 minutes of placing my order online letting me know my order was ready for pickup. The store is extremely clean and organized. The staff is helpful and friendly. This business deserves to be supported by the community. read more

Michael in the framing department is great. Very helpful and provided options to fit my needs.

Absolutely no customer service. I have been here twice when there was no one working in the frames department. I asked for help and no one cared. Do not waste your time coming here. read more

"She's crafty and she's just my type..." I've been coming to Michael's since I lived in the area, it's probably one of my favorite places to shop since I love to get crafty. I come here for my paint and art supplies, special needs for events and parties, canning supplies, baking and holiday items. I can get lost in the store and come out with more ideas than time. Recently I purchased a scrapbook and supplies for a friend's baby shower. I was able to find what I needed for the craft games (designing bibs with paint markers) and gift. Some of the items were even on sale, score! read more

I called before arriving to check on safety and availability. The sales person, Sam, said she took lunch at noon, so we agreed I would be there at 1pm for picture framing. When I arrived she had accepted another job from a walk-in customer, and did not know when she would be finished. Sam suggested I make an appointment. I told her I spoke to her on the phone and we agreed I would be there at 1pm. To me that is an appt. She tried to find another employee to help me. One arrived, without a mask. Very disappointing. I'm 70 years old, there's a pandemic. Stores are risky places. I was trying to have something framed for my daughter's upcoming birthday. Very disappointing. Normally I like this store and the staff. Made an appointment at Blick's. read more

Anyone giving this place more than 2 stars doesn't come here very often. Although I live close to this Michael's, I go out of my way to the San Leandro store because I need to avoid this store as much as possible! This place is never organized, has a bazillion items that need restocking at all times, and 99% of the employees are rude and have NO idea where anything is, when things will be stocked, or what art supplies even are. Every time I try and save time and stop by here, I am bitterly regretful. Go to San Leandro--it's just a bit out of the way, but the employees and manager are helpful and they actually know all about the items they sell! Go figure! read more

Don't shop here unless you want Michaels to steal your money and then tell you it is YOUR fault. The staff are rude, visibly unhappy in their job, and don't have any positive customer service training. Today, One of their team members was rude and had the audacity to mansplain me how to conduct myself when asking cashier's for help - despite the fact that the problem occurred because a cashier charged me for items I did not purchase, which would understandably make one frustrated and want their money back. This is what happened: On August 8, I shopped here and purchased about 15 items, including 4 large frames, a pillow, and a box of string lights. I also rung up 2 sketch pads because they were supposedly on sale - until the cashier (who was unfriendly the entire time she was checking out) told me the sale didn't apply to them, so I told her I didn't want them. She should have voided them but did not - so I was charged $12 for sketch pads that I did not take. I did not, however, notice this until 8/17 when I was looking for my receipt to return 2 frames. I noticed the charges. I went back to the store and the cashier helping me, another unfriendly woman who seemed pretty incompetent as she had to ask a man to assist her multiple times, told me that nothing could be done. She called the man over again, who asked me why I had not paid closer attention to the items being rung up on the screens above the cash register. So in other words, he blamed me for the cashier's I competency. Then, he told me that they could not look through "days" of camera footage to find my transaction - despite my arguing that there was a time stamp on the receipt. He said that's not how it worked and that the cameras are not always pointed towards the registers. Huh? To make matters worse, I told him I would leave because I was clearly wasting my time as he said it was useless. Hearing this, he gaslighted me by telling me that he had never said that and that he could try to get the manager over, though he didn't promise anything, but that I should learn a thing about how to ask - he actually told me that when asking people for things, I should learn to ask nicely. $12 are not worth my time and the employees at this Michael's could care less about their customers. I am never shopping here again, which is a shame because it is my neighborhood store. This would have NEVER happened anywhere else, where a manager would have been brought over immediately to investigate the issue - yes, even during COVID. read more

Michaels - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Emeryville, California

Staff does not know how to read English from either a California driver's license or an American Express credit card. As a result they file your framing order under a misspelled name. When you call to check on your order they tell you your order has been lost. Also, it took three phone calls to get an answer to my simple question: "Is your canvas on sale?" I was told by the Michaels rep to go online using my iPhone but my smart phone would not load their website. I called back several times and finally asked to be transferred to the framing department. That rep finally answered my simple question regarding the canvas. Total time spent on phone: 20 minutes. Absurd.Staff does not know how to read English from either a California driver's license or an American Express credit card. As a result they file your framing order under a misspelled name. When you call to check on your order they tell you your order has been lost. Also, it took three phone calls to get an answer to my simple question: "Is your canvas on sale?" I was told by the Michaels rep to go online using my iPhone but my smart phone would not load their website. I called back several times and finally asked to be transferred to a specific department. That rep finally answered my simple question regarding the canvas. Total time spent on phone: 20 minutes. I could have had good sex in less time than that! read more

Michaels is a store that if you know what you want to look for, then you are at the right place. If you are not into crafts and all things related crafts, it is hard to navigate. The store has so many offerings to craft type stuff, that a non-crafty person becomes lost. Where are the buttons? Picture frames....so many sizes to choose from. Yet, for specific sizes, it would need to be customized. Bead making supply is stocked. But if you are looking for a specific type of crystal, shape and size, forget it. You have to go to a a bead shop. Convenient for the regular crafter, but not to my liking. Customer services is "lacking", as you have to look and find a person that works there. Learn to navigate around the store and you'd be more productive. Answer your own questions and you'd be fine. read more

Didn't think much of this store's customer service since before the SIP. Even worse now. Can't get through to anyone. Just get put on hold by a clerk who won't even listen. Called the Alameda store after 30 minutes of frustration and got right through to someone helpful. read more

It's a Michael's alright. So it has everything you need. Unlike some Michael's, however, this one does not have a sale or clearance aisle (sometimes they have sale or clearance shelves, but not full aisles like some). The checkout area is sort of what stands out to me in this Michael's as it's fairly small, but it sort of goes with this Michael's as it doesn't ever seem busy. Helpful staff, though! Tells you what coupons would work with your purchases and how to make your money worth it! read more

It has been a long while since I have shopped at Michaels Arts & Crafts. They used to have one at Southshore Center (Alameda) many years ago. They moved their location to Bayfair San Leandro. I came to this one since it's closer to my home and I was looking for a cleaning solution for my rubber stamps (too much embedded ink of one color on one of my rubber stamps and I need to clean it to apply another ink color). I could not find the cleaning solution, and the store manager told me to look in aisle ten, bottom shelf. At first, I was on some "wild goose chase" checking both sides of aisle 10, bottom shelf, and could not find it. I wandered around to the other aisles, looking and searching to no avail. I almost wanted to give this place a three star because some of the young female employees weren't very helpful (attitude issue), but my faith was restore when a young male employee (medium length dark hair) was walking along the aisles and asked if I needed help. I told him what I was searching for, and he took me to the very section where they had the product - Recollections Stamp Cleaner. Hurray for him for being totally helpful and I said that to him. I almost wanted to say, "totally awesome, dude". I went from experiencing A-OK customer service to excellent customer service by this young man. Not only was he very helpful, but also very approachable and friendly. I did not have a lot of time on hand, so I could not roam around to see what else they have that I might need later on. What I found somewhat lacking was the supply of gift bags in various colors. I was told at this time (almost fall season) that the selection of gift bags is limited and to wait until the holiday season toward the end of the year. However, they do have a large inventory of craft items. read more

Love that this Michaels is so close to my house and the other plus is that I can do other shopping in the same plaza. They seem to be stocked up in the canvas and paint department, which is a huge plus. The only thing that they didn't have were small prints, which means I would have to go to another location and it's about a 35 minute drive. Anywho, I've come here abuot 4 times in the past month and have found most of the things I needed so that's good enough for me. read more

Had a bad experience. Dont wanna employee slam, but the cashier ruined my day. They flipped out when i went to grab a basket (yes, they explained customers arnt allowed to use shopping baskets because of theft, but the reaction was one of panic and defensiveness)... when i went to buy 90 dollars worth of stuff, they didnt greet me, didnt look me in the eye, charged me for every scrap of paper they wrapped my things in and then when i asked for a bag they said "if i had bags, that would of been the first thing i reached for", like im being rude, or an idiot or something... i asked if i could use a shopping cart to transport the stuff to my car and they laughef incredulously... like, i just dont get it. They must of been having a bad day, but seriously, its dumb that store doesnt have bags or baskets, and the cashier didnt need to be so weirdly hypervigilant and defensive. It sucked. Her coworker was super nice... i just dont get it. Now i wanna know when they work just so i can avoid going there when theyre working. read more

I would not be surprised if this store went out of business. They are obviously understaffed and poorly managed. We ordered some frames. They said they would contact us when finished. They never did. A month later, we decided to call them because it should've been done by then. Twice they left me on hold for a long time while they tried to contact the person in the frames department. Is the store really that big? Finally we decided to just try to go into the store ourselves. It took them fifteen minutes just to find our framed prints. They found one and thought maybe the other one was not ready. Then they happened to find the other one in the back of the storage area. Really? Who is organizing this place? Apparently no one. The one nice thing was we were happy with the framing job itself. read more

I went to this store to pick up and order i had placed online. Two big shadow box displays...i asked if they had a bag or something i could put them in... Nope. Ok..not a big deal..they are big and awkward shaped. So i ask...do you have packing tape or something i could use to secure them together...i told them i am taking public transportation home. Nope. Here i am standing in the middle of a CRAFT STORE! I repeat a CRAFT STORE...and i find it really hard to believe they have no tape, or string...or anything.... Bad Customer Service. read more

There are friendly customer service representatives! This store is bigger than most, but welcoming to all. The store is not as easy to navigate than most. However, the store is easy on the eyes and is very lively! Have friends that you'd like to make gifts and crafts with? Any ideas for the holiday? This is the IDEAL place for all who have a bright, creative, and/ imaginative soul ^^ read more

Michaels - The great-mondongousness that is Michael's! - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Emeryville, California

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Friendly and helpful staff. All of your crafting needs are present, and the sales were hard to beat. The store was a bit cluttered and chaotic as many of the customers re-shelved items in incorrect places. While browsing the art supplies, I overheard the framer giving knowledgeable and expert advice to a customer, and he was answering her disoriented and odd questions genuinely, patiently, and informatively with no bit of arrogance. The cashier informed us of a better buy and helped us save a few bucks. All of the staff observations were really quite impressive as this is a well established national chain where you wouldn't expect as much personal service. read more

You can definitely find everything you need here for scrapbooking. I came here and I thought this place would be more pricey than it actually was. I found a good deal on the book, stickers, and everything I needed. The cashiers can be a bit more customer service friendly though and there are barely any staff around to really help you find anything. BUT all in all: I am definitely a fan now! read more

I've been here a few too many times in the past few days. I can be creative and clever when inspiration strikes, but lately, just looking at stuff on Pinterest has been good enough. Came along to pick up some stuff as we're getting ready for our wedding reception in September. I regret now not having a more traditional wedding and having 9 bridesmaids I can pawn all this work off on. They have sales that change every few days .... so I was annoyed to see that the stuff I bought a day ago, was all on sale the next day. But NEVER the Martha Stewart stuff ... damn her. Lots of stencils ... which always seems more fun until you actually start using them ... I suggest going with stickers instead ... seriously. The staff is distracted and they want to help you so long as it doesn't inconvenience them. The signage is terrible ... the aisle numbers are presently hidden underneath obnoxious Halloween decorations. With their sales, (if you are lucky enough in timing) their prices are lower than Beverly's (out in Alameda) ... but the shopping experience is a lot more big box with bored unhappy employees ... and terrible Emeryville traffic ... still, where else are you going to find all the stuff they make look so pretty on Pinterest because as far as assortment goes ... they got a lot of stuff here. I'm afraid I'll be making at least another trip (or 2) before my wedding. read more

Its not hard to familiarize yourself with items you carry. Two girls literally did not know what I was looking for and its a basic item!! You should know your store and what they have to offer. So you can BE OF HELP because that's customer service. Terrible phone customer service. read more

This RATING IS FOR THE POORLY ORGANIZED & NOT WELL THOUGHT-OUT PARTNERSHIP WITH UPS as a PICK UP SPOT FOR UPS PACKAGES! DO NOT HAVE YOUR PERSONAL UPS PACKAGES DELIVERED @ THIS MICHAELS! Reasons To Avoid Having Your UPS Packages Delivered Here For Pick Up: 1) Your package will just be combined with the 1000's of UPS products delivered each week to Michaels!. They will not separate your personal Package with the UPS Michaels delivery ("it took us 10 days to find a UPS personal package delivered here for pick up")....literally its a sea of boxes in the back!!! 2) Micheals is not paying their employees more to now be a UPS pick up stop. Employees have to stop what they are doing and head to the back of the store and hunt for UPS packages buried in the back with other boxes!! 3)since they will probably never find your package in the back most likely your package won't be returned to sender....but will just live in the back room package abyss until someone stumbles across it. 4) How is this suppose to assist the consumer and the store during the busy holiday season? Warning: I would not select Michaels for a UPS pick up spot until they have things organized (like maybe the UPS driver should deliver personal boxes for pickup at the front of the store for storage in their " Front hold" pickup cabinets instead of just combining the personal packages with the 1000s of product boxes they received every day? They get one star though for Gonzo the Michaels employee who braved the sea of boxes in the back and finding my UPS package hidden in the back in a corner!!! I don't know how he did it!! When we were done there was a huge line at the cash register....so not fair!! Thank you Gonzo!! read more

Wanted to write a review for my neighborhood Michael's store. I am a public school teacher and have come here often before Covid hit for so many different things and have always had a great experience. Today is the first time I've been back to this Michael's since they reopened. Joi helped me at the counter and was so lovely! All the employees I witnessed were masked and being helpful. I can say that I had another great experience today. Thank you employees at Michael's Emeryville store! read more

I've never been to Michael's. I don't care about arts & crafts. I am checking in to write to anyone considering using this place as their UPS Access Point. My advice to you: DON'T. I sent a package there to be held for someone. After a couple of days, the recipient came in to pick it up and they told him they had sent it back to me. When I found this out, I immediately contacted UPS, who told me that according to their records, Michael's still had it. I called Michael's repeatedly only to be put on hold and forgotten about. I finally spoke to the store manager, the only person there who seemed to have it together. She told me once again that the package had been returned but when confronted with what UPS told me, she told me to hold on. When she returned, well what do ya know? She found the package! To make sure the recipient got it, she wrote a note on the box telling employees not to send the package back. The recipient returned again to pick it up and was told it had just been put on a truck and it was gone. When I called back, the manager I had spoken to was not in and the woman who answered the phone told me it was against Federal law for her to tell me whether the package was there, even though I had a tracking number and other information to verify I had sent it. I called UPS, who told me there was no such law and that calling to check on a package with a tracking number was perfectly legal. I called Michael's again and told the woman what UPS said but she insisted she was correct, not UPS. Long story slightly shorter: the package was in limbo until I had UPS hold it for the recipient at their Oakland hub. The recipient retrieved it there without a problem. The people at Michael's were rude and unprofessional regarding the packages for which they're responsible. I can't imagine they'd be much better to deal with regarding arts & crafts. But that's just a hunch. Seriously, avoid the place like the plague. read more

One star for convenient location, and one big star for the awesome counter service. I used to come here quite a bit and I still do...but it has changed a great deal in the past 12 months. I dont use the framing services at all and that area of the store is still much the same, I believe. Where you will see huge changes, however, is the seriously smaller beading section, which once was 25' long, took up three to six similar lengths on the right (highly desirable and prominent) side of the store, right in the front. So now it is one the sad, tucked away left hand side of the store, and comprises the equivalent of one rack about 15' long plus one wall of about the same length devoted to chrysals and rocks. Where there was once aisles and aisles in the left front and center devoted to serious crafting, there is now row upon row and aisle upon aisle, all dominating the all-important front center and left hand aisles going right back into the deep back portions of the store of UTTER CRAP YOU WOULD FIND IN A DOLLAR STORE. It has nothing at all to do with crafting, unless you are the type who has very small children who want boxed kits which don't permit much at all in the way of creativity or just need some cheap toys which are not related to crafts in any way. There is also tons of cheap, overpriced, redundant gee-gaws and decor. The wonderful paper section is about a third what it once was, and is located deep in the back of the store. Much smaller with less variety and much less quality, is the yarn section. All this because their old model wasn't paying for their (increasingly expensive and non-productive) massive space, whereas you can probably find everything you actually need for your serious crafts projects now online, either at their online store, or quite possibly Amazon. So, they are financially in trouble, and if you know about business, it is easy to see they are a IN TROUBLE. Joanne's Fabrics has gone exactly the same way, filled with junky decor, vastly overpriced and featured prominently in the main aisles, with the (increasingly cheap) fabrics relegated to the back and less prominent left hand aisles of the store. The world and marketplaces are changing rapidly. It is very sad to witness. And gross. And frustrating. Happy shopping! read more

I'll be honest - prior to this I don't think I'd been in a Michaels. Heck, I wasn't even thinking about going until someone told me they have cheap frames. Ironically I ended up buying the expensive frames (but at 80% off!). Located in the shopping center with everything, and sharing a parking lot with Toys R Us (which can get dangerous for parents and man-children like me), the store is pretty large and has a wide selection of stuff - art supplies, interior decorating, jewelry, storage, lots of scrapbooking, and frames. Not just regular frames (which are usually on sale), but a dedicated framing store. With moving to a new place, I finally got to look at some of my art work I've been saving for years and while some of the cheaper stuff could get the basic frames, I realized I wanted something better for 4 pieces. And at 80% off, I was willing to splurge. I worked with multiple members of the dedicated framing staff, all of whom were friendly, knowledgeable and funny too. Working with them I got my small, Jasmine Dragon Tea House sign in a simple wood frame; my faux-feudal Japan-style Metroid print with a green matte and faux bamboo; my map of Westeros with a brownish matte and this awesome, decorated frame (we did go over this cool black and silver frame, but that would have been better had the map been more Night's Watch style); and lastly a poster of my old group of friends with a nice blue faux-leather. With their tools you can scan in frames, borders, mattes, and work with them picking and choosing what you want. They can also help you carry some pieces to your car. I've picked up frames, storage, photo albums, and cookware from here. The staff is nice, and the clientele is usually pretty decent as well - did hear an amazing dad joke on my last trip. read more

Curbside pickup system doesn't function at this location. I recommend not using it. I waited over 15 minutes outside. Then I went in and asked a cashier if someone was doing curbside pickup. She glanced at me and didn't respond. Then she just ignored me. Her and another woman seemed like they were in bad moods. A couple minutes later I asked if someone was coming to help me (because they had literally done nothing to get someone to help me and ignored me). She didn't really say anything and they both walked away from the cashier area. Then I saw another woman and asked her if someone could help me with curbside pickup. I swear to God, she also ignored me and didn't even look at me and went on with her business. I swear I'm nice. It was so weird. After a bit I asked if she didn't hear me and repeated myself. She slowly and reluctantly did something else and then helped me without saying anything. So. Weird. What is going on here!?!?! I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Two stars because yes this is a store with things you can buy so it does have some value. read more

They usually have an okay selection. I was very disappointed in my experience today because they had a sign up for markers on sale. I decided to buy them because of the sale, but when I went up to the register, it didn't ring up as on sale. I showed the Michael's employee the sign showing the sale price and she verified I had the correct problem. Apparently the sign was out of date. I was very surprised I wasn't offered the sale price still, considering the signage was incorrect, but still up. There wasn't an effort to remedy my disappointment, even though I very clearly was unhappy with my experience. It's pretty easy to find other, better craft supply in the area, so why not do that when this place isnt the best option? read more

*NOT open until 9pm as posted all over the internet. In fact they used some of their crafting supplies on the painted sign on the door that confirmed that they are open until 9pm-changing the 9 to an 8... Super not cool to not also update the entire internet. Not sure that the world of big chain stores gets away with hand-painted changes like that. :( read more

I used to go to Michaels almost every other week earlier this year as I was wedding planning and doing a number of DIY projects. They have great card stock which goes on sale from time to time. They also have great scrapbooking, school project making, and a ton of other DIY project supplies. This location isn't as organized as other locations, but still has all the essentials. I love their sale tables/aisles as you can get a steal of a deal on items. Recently, I've been working on a bridal shower project which results in my walking up and down aisles for creative ideas. I've also been working on my husband's tactile bag and found really neat zippers here to add onto his bag. Remember to use a coupon which you can find on their website. Do allocate enough time to browse their store as you can spend a really long time in there. If you need to be in and out, I recommend asking a cashier up front for the location of an item (since workers are hard to find in the store itself). read more

They never have anything, my friends work there & the experience sucks you gets talked on specially by managers which is disrespectful aff, I'd definitely wouldn't come here girlll‍ read more

Would give one star, but the staff at the store are actually very pleasant. I've tried, in vain, three separate times in the past three weeks to order skeins of embroidery floss and some small embroidery hoops online to be picked up in the store. EVERY TIME, I have received an email saying my order is ready, immediately followed by either another email or a phone call saying my order was cancelled because they don't actually have the items in stork. FTW, Michael's this is the 21st century. You have electronic registers, everything gets scanned as it's sold. Either your system is totally borked or someone isn't doing their job. read more

DO not go this place. The manager has attitude and if you ask her questions, she acts like a asshole. If you want her get something on top of the shelf, she gave you side eye and her face is telling you "why you have to get it? Please don't buy it". I feel sad for the owner of this store, they hire someone to decrease their sales but paying them salary. read more

Large space with a lot of selection. Very friendly, helpful staff. Had a question once about frames and the gentleman who worked in that department actually walked around and tried to show me ideas for alternatives since they didn't actually have what i wanted. Mostly clean, usually organized and well stocked. Yay crafting. read more

I started to realize that this is turning into a Snuggie Pub Crawl Madlibs, so have at it. It will be the Snuggie theme to end all Snuggie themes, and hopefully will win me a prize. First item on the agenda after the snuggie was to make _______ flavored ________. To go along with that I am making cookies that look like ____________. I will also probably make some __________ , just because I think it will help. I also got a special ________ __________ ___________ bracelet, a ___________ wallet, and a game where you can spin the __________. Now the difficult part begins. To decorate my snuggie to look like __________, I must use ____________ paint. I chose acrylic, because I think it will work better. I also purchased some ____________ brushes, because they were out of rollers. Although I am still unclear about how I am going to fasten my Snuggie, I did know that I wanted to paint my ___________ to look like ___________. Sadly, they were out of ____________ so I had to settle for ___________ markers, and have people write their thoughts about ______________ on my ___________. All in all, it was a successful trip. I managed to get my __________ paint and my __________ brushes, although I was a little weirded out by the man who was working in the _______________, because he wasn't wearing a uniform. There's a lot to look at if you're into __________, which I may have to get into on my _____________ birthday. Sigh, I'm getting old, although I can't wait until Friday to impress the judges: ____________, ________________, and _________! read more

Where do you go when you want a picture frame? Where do you get a $2.99 santa hat? Where can you bedazzle the shit out of anything you own? Yeah, Michael's. My buddy-I-haven't-seen-in-10-years and I went here to scope out some mat frames (Jessica P. just tried to correct me, LIKE I DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MATTE FINISH AND A MAT FRAME! ;-) ) for a few photos we were about to print. That's right, two sharp-dressed men go into Michael's giggling over santa hats and picture frames. Uh oh, and they know the difference between matte and mat, I think those two . . . I swear, if we weren't noticing how easy it would be to pick up girls here, someone might think . . . . anyway, like I said, picking up girls here, fishing with dynamite. I just gotta say . . . single men, take notice! Cute crafty girls and the element of surprise = success! Mystery and his loathsome crew are probably on their way to put santa hats on, aviator goggles on top, and start up discussions on yarn with you at your local Michael's. Watch out. But I digress. If it's frames you want, bangles you're after, or general cheap bedazzlement you're in need of, Michael's is your place. The frame making guys are cool too. read more

Updated 6/1/07 - see below. ZERO STARS. Do not demean yourself (or your diplomas) by taking them here for framing. It's not even worth it for free. You'll just end up wasting a lot of time and gas coming back to the store after they repeatedly screw up, and you'll need to get a refund and go somewhere else anyway. Skip these steps and go to a quality framing store the first time. In mid-March, I ordered custom frames for three diplomas -- wood frames with non-reflective "masterpiece" glass. The anti-reflective coating needs to be handled with care to avoid scratching. Pickup: one of the three was well done. The other two had long horizontal scratches in the glass. Come back in two weeks... First re-framing: both diplomas had worse scratches than before. No one even apologized; the clerk only said "ok, come back in two weeks." Second re-framing: both frames had different scratches this time, a lovely vertical pattern. The frame joints were also poorly mitred and did not line up correctly at the corners. I asked for a refund, because I was tired of their repeated screwups. Eric talked me into trying just one more time, because I needed to bring back the one diploma that was framed correctly anyway. He promised that the manager would call me the next day to discuss a substantial discount. This never happened. Third reframing (almost two months since I placed the order): one of the frames has a chipped edge and the glass is scratched. The other one has scratches from handwriting over an 8.5 x 11" section -- as if someone put down a piece of paper right on my #$% frame to take a framing order -- I could read the word "order," a description of the work, and a series of numbers scratched into the glass. I didn't bring back the good frame, because I reckoned that no one could screw something up four times in a row. I've been polite each time, but the cowardly, waste-of-humanity manager scurried off before I could ask him why he had not called me, or why the framing department has so many problems, so I could not even register a proper complaint. Did they anger the framing gods, or are they just utterly incompetent? I'll find out when I bring back the good frame to get my f'ing refund. These hacks should pay me for wasting so much of my time. UPDATE 6/1/07: 1. Nearly two weeks after registering my complaint on the michaels.com website, I have only been assigned a complaint number. There has been no substantive reply, even though after you submit a complaint, the site says "you should receive a response by e-mail from our support department within 72 hours." 2. Getting a refund required a huge argument. I returned to the store with my one good frame and receipt, and I requested a refund from the assistant manager, Chris. He wanted to examine the frames, so I identified some scratches for him, as well as many pock-marks in the anti-reflective coating. He insisted that the scratches were simply lines in the matting, which is totally absurd and did not explain the pock-marks. Demonstrating his keen listening skills, Chris offered to re-frame them. I declined and asked for a refund (for the third time). Chris said that custom framing was "usually" not refundable. After being polite each time before today, I lost my cool and pointed out that the receipt explicitly said that anything except for a custom floral arrangement is refundable. A refund required approval from the "district manager," whom Chris said he would call right away. He then started helping another customer. I rudely interrupted that conversation to ask him to make the call, which was not my finest hour, but I had had enough of Chris's attitude. While waiting 10 more minutes, I noticed that the frame joints were badly mitred, too. Chris got off the phone and finally ok'd a refund. 20 minutes later, my diplomas were free of their frames, I got my refund, and zero apology. Very classy. 6/9/07: still no response from the corporate office. All I want at this point is a fucking apology, but no luck. read more