P C World

(3 reviews)

•££

This Christmas, DO NOT buy in-store at GAME. Any protection you assume you have for returning…read moreincorrect or unwanted consoles or games, your wrong as you will only receive store credit as a refund! Instead go to Curry's, Argos or Asda in-store who all sell at the same price but instead, offer the basic returns rights you would expect at any other reputable company of this size in this day and age. Couple of weeks ago, I decided to buy a new Xbox console plus some games as a gift. I chose to drive past Curry's, Argos and Asda, wrongfully choosing Game to be the best place to buy a games console, expecting unrivalled customer service being the specialists. I also worked for Game many years ago myself. Purchased the console in-store at Berryden Industrial Estate, Aberdeen, but unfortunately my gift was unwanted. Having never even taken it out the carrier bag, I expected nothing other than a run of the mill return for full refund. Instead I was informed I could only get store credit back (nearly £500). The Manager Craig, couldn't have been less sympathetic, repeatedly shrugging his shoulders telling me its a recent policy change and 'it is what it is'. I asked him why it wasn't made absolutely clear to me when spending a large amount of money (for me) that the goods were non-refundable other than store credit, and his response was that he and his staff simply dont have to inform customers and it's not normally as issue because people don't normally return consoles. Craig pointed out it was made clear on the receipt which it absolutely was, but that's not much use to anyone after the point of sale. He also added there was clear information on display explaining their policies under the counter. I had to take a step back and crouch down to read a poster not in plain view but instead, roughly floor level to just above my knees (I'm 6ft1). I asked him why this wasn't pointed out or even better, on top of the counter where customers can see it before they make their transactions but he didn't have a response. I found Games' returns policy is completely different for online orders despite being the same business, offering a 28 day no fuss returns, as you would expect. Manager Craig's response was his familiar shoulder shrug. Furious with the situation, I can't get my head around how a business gets away with this. I will never use Game again and hope others will read this before they make the same mistake in the lead up to Christmas.

One of the GAME chain stores of which there are two in Aberdeen, this one is in the Bon Accord…read morecentre right in the centre of town. They have a good range of new games, and they also sell pre-owned games which means you can also trade in your old games for store credit or cash. You can also pre-order new games coming into the store, and also consoles. They are not always the cheapest place to buy games, it pays to shop around as you may get a better deal elsewhere, they do have a store card though, which means you can get ponts for things you buy which you can claim in money off vouchers. They staff are friendly and you normally get asked if you need any help when you go into the store.

Forbidden Planet

3.4

(5 reviews)

•£££

A nice shop for the comics, dvds, and other pieces of merchandise. Not seen another Forbidden…read moreplanet to compare but I like the lay out of this shop and it has character with random nice things everywhere to keep your eyes busy. If you into this kind of thing it is definitely a paradise for some collectors. The staff in this one are nice, helpful and friendly and tend to have fun with their work.

Pretty standard as far as Forbidden Planet stores go. Was incredibly happy to find it when I moved…read morehere though. Nice big wall of comics (as you'd expect) and a reasonable range of toys and other merch. Not as huge as the Edinburgh store, but not as cramped and busy as the Glasgow store.

O2 Shop Aberdeen - Union Street

4.0

This is one of the better o2 shops in Aberdeen although i must say it's not easy access for buggies…read moreand anyone in a wheelchair wouldn't be able to get in at all due to steps at the front. The shop itself is usually very crowded so it is hard to move around with limited space but i do find the staff are extremely helpful compared with other shops. Then again, these days it isn't hard! It has a wide range of phones, both pay as you go and contract so it's definately worth a visit.

Clola Antiques Centre

•££

Lovely place for a browse - and difficult not to buy something! Clola is not too far from…read morePeterhead, and easy to find the Antiques Centre off the main road. Lots of items, from very good quality jewellery to some furnishings, artworks and fancy goods. Shop isn't too cluttered and room to move about and view goods. Plenty of parking, but note steps into the shop though - not easy for disabled access (premises are an old school house I believe). Very good service from interested and attentive owners.

The quintessential old fashioned antique shop - over priced with little passion unless it's to try…read moreand pry the cash out your pocket. This shop does have a vast array of items but they're all well over value and the owner try's all the old tricks to get you to buy and can be quite pressurising

Rainbow Fabrics & Needlecrafts

5.0

Great selection of novelty fabrics and a quilter's paradise. Lots of notions, tools, ribbon,…read morebuttons etc. staff very friendly and helpful. A small shop but absolutely rammed with stock, definitely worth a visit for any craft sewist and I believe a good selection for knitting enthusiasts too.

HMV

3.5

Great selection of things for sale and really friendly staff.read more

HMV has a great amount of CD's DVD's Games ETC and the location is great but is really expensiveread more

Burton

Nice tidy shop where you can get a good range of clothes for your better half. Prices are very…read morereasonable and staff are friendly and helpful, which is great if you need advice if trying to choose a gift for a teenager or older gentleman.

RS Components

I ordered a part on their website with next day dispatch. My credit card was charged and a week…read morewent by with no communication from the company. Finally I sent a follow up email, and they responded that they canceled my order and would issue a refund. But as of writing this review I have not yet received a refund and I fear I may have to contact my credit card company for resolution. Definitely avoid this company at all costs!

RS is in my top 5 most respected brands, so of course I thoroughly recommend them…read more Their massive catalogue of extremely high quality stock is truly a wish list for engineers. Fortunately it's quite difficult for me to get to the trade counter, else I'd spend all my wages there and be a lot poorer than I am. In fact I used to spend all my wages there nearly every Friday afternoon. Traditionally a product-led organisation (with only high quality products) built up from supplying radio parts to pre-war Britons, RS has become a more service-driven company. And what service standards they have! They stock nearly anything an electronics engineer (and many other engineering disciplines) would need. If they are out of stock, they'll generally have it in for the next day, before 10am. Their website has a huge database of datasheets on the products they carry. If the datasheets don;t answer a customer's query there are teams of engineers who will give product information on the telephone. Delivery is usually by next day if ordered on their website or by telephone or collect immediately at the trade counter. Their paper catalogues are hefty tomes and they also have a very intuitive and omprehensive online catalogue as well as a CD catalogue. I find there being a trade counter very useful for books, components which I would be bettier seeing in front of me rather than in a catalogue or website and most of all for buying equipment of higher value such as test instrumentation. It's always good to get some people contact if one is working with machines all day and it's good to get contact with professional helpful trade counter staff who'll furnish you with the right product for your needs. They accept card payments at the trade counter and online, invoicing is clear and if web ordered shipments are trackable. It's also possible to select from a choice of couriers when web ordering which is handy for me, if I'm not in to receive a delivery I'm near the royal mail collection centre. If an order is around £500 (I could easily spend that ... 5000 .... 50000 in RS, I'm like a kid in a toyshop there) they can price flexibly. The web team is responsive too, I've suggested website ideas to them and they've taken them on board. They have also taken product suggestions on board too, of course for high quality products in this case my favourite brand of high capacity Nickel metal Hydride rechargeable batteries. The move towards online ordering rather than paper catalogues I suppose means thay can be more responsive like that.

Costco

4.5

•££

A massive shop, which is almost like a big warehouse, which seems to sell everything under the sun!…read moreYou have to be a member to shop here, and I think the price is around £30 a year (unless you have a family member working there like I do and then it is free!) Costco sell electrical goods such as tvs, cd players and things such toys, clothes, video games, alcohol, flowers, all different kinds of foods and lots more! When it comes to the food and drink, they either usually sell things in bulk packets, or in larger sized bottles/cans etc, and everything is cheaper here than in other shops. They also have an opticians section, though I have never used it before. There is also a little cafe area serving tea, coffee, pizza and cake at very cheap prices. A great place to stock up on things!

Fantastic place!…read more Be aware that there is a membership charge, I think currently £28 a year, you get two cards for this price. However it is worth every penny for this. They are a huge warehouse, they stock a large variety of products, mainly very good quality. The products are not the cheap stuff you usually find in a cash and carry type place. They have amazing jewellery (for the same price as a flat!), their electrical department offers excellent prices. There are always good deals in their quarterly deals 'passport', however, you will need lots of space in your house for all the toilet paper and chopped tomatoes! Service is good and relaxed. The cafe area is great on the way out, baked potato and chilli etc for £1.25, cup of tea for 25p etc. I can't say enough about how great this place is!

Strachans

5.0