Computer Overhauls — Local services in New York

I had to borrow the subway fare. Such is the quotidian poverty of all of us who are foolish enough to live in Midtown Manhattan. I had run out of cash three days before my next check and we were almost out of cat food, but I had a good as new perfectly cared for iPhone 7+ to sell since I had just upgraded to the X. On the installment plan, of course. When I saw in their ad that Computer Overhauls pays cash for "previously owned" electronics, and a decent price at that, I hoofed it down to 31st Street and 7th Ave to find this wondrous place. When I got to the store, I found out that my mint state 7 Plus had a few problems I had not noticed including a thin blotter mark of Manhattan Mystery Fluid that had shmushed between the underbelly of the 7 Plus's screen and whatever that substance is under the screen. I was a little crestfallen, especially when they all acted like they had never seen a device so slovenly neglected, but I still ended up with a nice fistful of cash that would keep my cat from divorcing me and give me a little some somp'n as a thank you gift for facing my problems with a solution rather than a whine. I headed to get a slice. Computer Overhauls is not really a pawn shop. Its much less gothic than a pawn shop for one things. A well lit room is on the other side of the front door, where someone greets you and offers you a chair. You are surrounded by, if you're like me, nearly a candy store of gleaming refurbished iMacs and MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros at ridiculously reasonable prices, with a few Dell Inspirons and the likes thrown in. The day I was there for the first time I even saw a Mini for sale at a price I could definitely afford three days hence, when I got paid. Alas, the mini was gone the minute after I saw it. I haven't bought a computer from them yet, but I intend to, in three days. The staff are brilliant, not exactly, I would say, tourist friendly but nonetheless very friendly, with that perfectly timed demeanor of good will and conflict avoidance combined with the New Yorker's ubiquitous obsession with being efficient with time. They had to disappoint me and at the same time take care of me. When they were discovering all the little ways in which I neglected proper iPhone hygiene, with the iPhone, I was expecting alarms to sound and storm troopers from the People for the Ethical Treatment of iPhones to rush in with handcuffs, so when I found out I would be carrying home a nice chunk of change I realized how totally brilliant New York City is and always will be no matter what...

I contacted Computer Overhauls about selling an old laptop PC. They responded to my email inquiry very quickly and gave me everything I needed to know before taking the computer in, including the range of amounts they would pay me for it.

My trip there was easy: 7th floor at 7 Penn Plaza, just below MSG. I was greeted warmly and the technician confirmed everything I had said in my original inquiry. I left in about fifteen minutes with cash in hand. They paid me the highest number they quoted me.

Other reviewers have left negative comments at this point: they received less than originally quoted. I'm sorry for their sake, but the reality is that the condition of the device is critical. It may appear to a consumer to be in "good condition," but a reseller knows what s/he can get for it. If you think you can get more for your device, list it on eBay. But if you want cash now and don't want to mess with possibly fraudulent buyers, go to Computer Overhauls.

Another note: the technician told me that they use eBay to determine a price point for your device. Obviously they're paying you less than what it's going for on eBay. (My hunch is that they'll pay 75% of the going eBay sale price.) But then again, they're doing the work of cleaning your device and making sure it will actually sell. To me, the savings in time and hassle is worth 25% of the possible selling price.

Last thing: Computer Overhauls also sells used devices. The lobby doubles as a showroom for iMacs, MacBooks, and Windows PCs. If you're looking to save some money and are willing to buy a used and refurbished machine, you should check them out. They have a warranty policy posted on the wall, and (if I remember correctly) a thirty-day refund.

All in all, they were very professional to deal with, and I would go there again. Highly...

In a state of misery when my hard drive failed + no backup in sight I was banging my head against the wall for my own stupidity of not backing up my data. Were talking years and years of photos from all my adventures since over the world. I tried myself to recover the files using a program suggested by western digital but no to avail the thing would find my data. After calling a different few places I had gotten quotes anywhere from $200 up to $5000 for possibly recovering my data. At this point i'm starting to sweat since there's no chance I have that kind of cash lying around. I finally decided to try these guys since they were in Manhattan and when I spoke with Yury over the phone he sounded very professional. He said I can bring the drive in and he'll do an evaluation for free then call me with the results. I had nothing to lose so I dropped off the drive and about 2 days later got a call from Yury. The results were in: The drive was definitely failing but it hadn't hit a catastrophic point yet, he recommend a level two recovery which if successful would cost me $329. He expected it to take about 2-3 days to complete and only if he recovered the data would I have to pay. DONE! I gave the go ahead and after a few days of nervously waiting his call I got the news. 98% recovered. I'll take it. I went to the store that afternoon and he let me review all the files that were recovered. Pretty much everything was there and I was elated. Start to finish these guys rocked. In a city where I feel like I constantly get the run around they did what they said they would when they were supposed to do it. I'll take that...