RIP First Avenue

angusf · Mar 1st, 2005, 01:43 PM

I just stopped in to First Avenue for the first time, hoping to solidify my decision to buy a new PB, and it was odd. The guy says "My boss has informed us that this store will be closing." They hardly had anything in the store, a lone airport extreme sitting in the middle of a big table, and scattered leftover manuals and software on the walls. Everyhing's being cleared out. He said I should go to Best Buy...

I've heard great things about this place for years, and now that I'm in the market for my first Mac, no one can help me locally. I'll be purchasing online anyway for the education discount, but I liked knowing there was a respected dealer in town. I know I won't get that service, or the range of products, from Best Buy.

Goodbye First Ave.
I never knew you.

mactrombone · Mar 1st, 2005, 02:13 PM

Drag! I just bought my G5 iMac from them at the end of November and I will need to go somewhere for some service in the next little while. I am in Cambridge. Any recommendations from anyone out there.

Frankly it doesn't surprise me that they are closing their doors. My customer service experience wasn't great leading up to getting the iMac. That coupled with the fact that they are out in the middle of nowhere and really didn't have much in stock. It all adds up after a while.

RicktheChemist · Mar 1st, 2005, 02:25 PM

Another sad day in Canada for the Mac Community...

RtC

DaGangster · Mar 1st, 2005, 03:06 PM

Get used to it. Mac dealers will be closing right left and center in the next little while. Soon, all you'll be left with is the Apple store just like the Americans.

uwbill · Mar 1st, 2005, 03:12 PM

why not try icnme.com someone posted up earlier? i've never been there, but sounds like a good dealer, and not too far from tricity. plus, you get tax free!

Heart · Mar 1st, 2005, 03:17 PM

marrmoo · Mar 1st, 2005, 03:20 PM

Sad to hear they are closing.
Whenever I was in Kitchener visiting my in-laws the experience was made a little less painful by a mandatory visit to First Avenue. Bought my Altec Lansing speakers for my ipod there as well as a mareware case. Convinced my father in-law to go Mac and suggested he sign up for the weekend workshops and demos offered there.
My wife is going to have to come up with a new angle on getting me to go visit the out-laws now.

Indigo Jones · Mar 1st, 2005, 03:23 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by mactrombone
	Drag! I just bought my G5 iMac from them at the end of November and I will need to go somewhere for some service in the next little while. I am in Cambridge. Any recommendations from anyone out there.

You might try the computer store on the University of Waterloo campus:
http://www.campustechshop.uwaterloo.ca/home.html
They do on-site service and it doesn't specifically say that it doesn't include Apple stuff...

I've also noticed over the last year that their stock seemed to be dwindling to the point that it was getting kind of depressing going in there. My buddy and I thought it was because their service centre was the real money generator and that they didn't really care about retail so much. Too bad though - they all seemed like pretty decent guys.

used to be jwoodget · Mar 1st, 2005, 04:17 PM

The U Waterloo store doesn't do warranty repairs unless you bought from them. Reduction of retailer choice is never a good thing.

gmark2000 · Mar 1st, 2005, 04:44 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Indigo Jones
	My buddy and I thought it was because their service centre was the real money generator and that they didn't really care about retail so much.

Service is the bread and butter for most resellers, especially with such low margins on Apple hardware and a Canadian IT distribution network (Merisel, Ingram Micro, Tech Data, EMJ) that also prices a huge margin as middlemen.

Mar 1st, 2005, 01:43 PM	#1
angusf New Neighbour Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Waterloo, ON Posts: 9	RIP First Avenue I just stopped in to First Avenue for the first time, hoping to solidify my decision to buy a new PB, and it was odd. The guy says "My boss has informed us that this store will be closing." They hardly had anything in the store, a lone airport extreme sitting in the middle of a big table, and scattered leftover manuals and software on the walls. Everyhing's being cleared out. He said I should go to Best Buy... I've heard great things about this place for years, and now that I'm in the market for my first Mac, no one can help me locally. I'll be purchasing online anyway for the education discount, but I liked knowing there was a respected dealer in town. I know I won't get that service, or the range of products, from Best Buy. Goodbye First Ave. I never knew you.

Mar 1st, 2005, 03:12 PM	#5
uwbill Full Citizen Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: KW Posts: 213	why not try icnme.com someone posted up earlier? i've never been there, but sounds like a good dealer, and not too far from tricity. plus, you get tax free! __________________ 12'' PowerBook 1GHz 768MB RAM 40G HD Mac Mini 1.25GHz 1GB RAM 40G HD 3G 40GB iPod 512MB iPod Shuffle

Mar 1st, 2005, 03:17 PM	#6
Heart Honourable Citizen Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: YKF Posts: 3,230	__________________ \| Hart & Associates Fine Art - - Wanna buy a picture? Apple Product Professional ehMac.ca \| Enjoy, Post, Donate ... \| Official ehMac.ca Podcast : Available Here \| Become an ehMac.ca Sponsored Member! Twitter Me! \| ] Last edited by Heart; Mar 2nd, 2005 at 08:03 AM.

Mar 1st, 2005, 03:20 PM	#7
marrmoo Full Citizen Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: T.O Posts: 246	Sad to hear they are closing. Whenever I was in Kitchener visiting my in-laws the experience was made a little less painful by a mandatory visit to First Avenue. Bought my Altec Lansing speakers for my ipod there as well as a mareware case. Convinced my father in-law to go Mac and suggested he sign up for the weekend workshops and demos offered there. My wife is going to have to come up with a new angle on getting me to go visit the out-laws now. __________________ marrmoo<br /><br />"If you are not fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm."<br />Vince Lombardi

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Mar 1st, 2005, 02:13 PM	#2
mactrombone Full Citizen Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Cambridge Posts: 359	Drag! I just bought my G5 iMac from them at the end of November and I will need to go somewhere for some service in the next little while. I am in Cambridge. Any recommendations from anyone out there. Frankly it doesn't surprise me that they are closing their doors. My customer service experience wasn't great leading up to getting the iMac. That coupled with the fact that they are out in the middle of nowhere and really didn't have much in stock. It all adds up after a while.

Mar 1st, 2005, 02:25 PM	#3
RicktheChemist Honourable Citizen Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,545	Another sad day in Canada for the Mac Community... RtC

Mar 1st, 2005, 03:06 PM	#4
DaGangster On Vacation Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 10	Get used to it. Mac dealers will be closing right left and center in the next little while. Soon, all you'll be left with is the Apple store just like the Americans.

Mar 1st, 2005, 04:17 PM	#9
used to be jwoodget Canadian By Choice Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Toronto Posts: 5,110	The U Waterloo store doesn't do warranty repairs unless you bought from them. Reduction of retailer choice is never a good thing.

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