SL Exploration: Ville de Coeur (Small French Village)

October 31, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today we’re taking a mini-adventure to a small European village called “Ville de Coeur” this is a primarily English-speaking sim that has French architecture and culture. If you’re looking for a place that is both nice for photography and gives you a small taste of France, then you have come to the right place. This little village can be found in the “Destinations” tab of your viewer under “International” which means this area gets a lot of traffic. This is a place I’d consider checking out as it also mainly meshes and keeps up to standards with Second Life’s graphics advancements otherwise known as going fully mesh. While exploring this little village you’ll find that the demographics of users that you’ll find here are normally 35 and older. However, now and then I’ve run into someone who is around their late 20s early 30s. If you find someone younger here, for the most part, their either exploring, looking for a place to do photography, or just have an old soul. To be fair, this sim appeals to anyone and everyone even though it attracts older and mature individuals so don’t let this frighten you away from the overall concept and amazing community this little town has to offer. There is so much to do, always someone to talk to, and from what I’ve experienced thus far no drama (I normally try to find places with little to no drama, because who wants their Second Life experience ruined by other peoples issues?).

Ville de Coeur as told by one of the users who own a gallery within walking distance from the entrance of the sim is 7 connected full sims. I’m mainly focusing on the main area as this was mostly what I explored but will be sure to explore the rest later and compile a detailed post on it. This area is very pleasing to the eye, relaxing, romantic, and overall a lighthearted atmosphere. There are always people here and from what I’ve experienced everyone is extremely friendly in the area. There isn’t one person that I’ve questioned as far as their motives, everyone just wants to talk, relax, and enjoy the scenery. There are a lot of dance balls, poses, and snuggle areas as well as a small café by the docks. There are residential areas where those who want to be on the sim can live and enjoy more of the community. I wouldn’t say this is much of a come and go destination… if you come here you come and stay and explore everything. The French theme is seen everywhere with mimes lining the streets, churches, the French flags above the market corridor and cobblestone streets. In a sense, if you’re into old architecture it reminds me of an older France then today’s rendition of the country.

Meeting new people:

As I’ve stated, this sim is filled with so many friendly people my first visit into this area a gentleman was sitting by the dock with some coffee and a bottle of wine in a small little café created area. He welcomed me in and then asked me if I wanted to join him for a little bit if I’m honest I had to leave not long after he invited me over to chat and hang out with him. I felt bad because he was so nice about it and talked to me about the community. He explained, that he owned a small gallery in the area which is where I asked if it was real life photos displayed in Second Life or more along the lines of Second Life photography and photo editing. His gallery is Second Life photography there is nothing wrong with that as I take photos of all my adventures and then of course post it onto this blog. I will be joining him on a small walking tour of some point in the small village and community.

I’ve come here at all hours of the night so I could type up a genuine and true portrayal of this sim it required me to pop in quite a few times to be able to do so. In the end, if you’re looking for a drama-free place to meet new people and make new friends this is probably the perfect place to be. There is so much to do from walking around with a walking tour either with someone or alone to hanging out on the beach and partying in the small gazebo with a bar, seating, and dancing, there is so much to do. Also, if you love randomly dancing consistently throughout a city like you would find in a Broadway show when in a small city or village than you will appreciate all the dance orb rezzers throughout the entire sim. This is a perfect place for romance as well as it’s a very enjoyable place to be with that special someone. There are a lot of couple’s activities and dancing is for more than one person as well as some of the specific walkers. What I love the most about the people here is they don’t have a hidden agenda. You might get someone saying you’re pretty or attractive, but they aren’t going to try and de-robe you in bed within the next hour of talking to someone. Everyone here has values and isn’t the type to cause drama from what I’ve experienced the 8 times I’ve visited this area. The people who are here are here to be a part of a community and have fun by surfing the waves, dancing, virtual drinking, etc. Sex is not the primary thing on most of the peoples’ minds here so it’s a nice escape from the rest of Second Life.

Scenery:

When exploring if you can’t tell this sim is made from a French theme then you might want to re-evaluate what you can and cannot see. The theme of this village Is to connect it with an older version of France. Which of course is one of the most romantic countries in the world. The area is lined by the French flag in banners throughout the main sim of this area to a small gathering area with a water fountain. Which by the way is a super nice touch with the cobblestone streets, if I’m honest the area reminded me of how Charles Dickens in his literature describes his surroundings in 1800s England. It’s very beautiful and I feel literature enthusiasts and historians will appreciate this area! There are shops everywhere but ahead of time, I’ll explain that a lot of the shops here are mainly older Second Life outfits that aren’t mesh. But to be fair I still have some outfits like those in my inventory some things just never get old even when everything moves forward. It’s nice to support small businesses though so don’t let that throw you off from looking around. There aren’t any roads throughout this sim it’s all paths and walking areas so don’t be ready to bring out your Lamborghini’s and other cars you bought on the Second Life marketplace.

Aside from the actual city feel itself there is a nicely made beach right across the way with steps leading down to it. Over by the café I mentioned when you first land inside of the small village there is a boat dock. If you love to sail this is an awesome place to do it, I rezzed my boat and explored the scenery especially the outskirts of the sim it’s surrounded by beautiful trees and mountains. A perfect place for photography! The beach is right next to the docks.

There is so much to do there are sitting areas, you can swim, surf, sail, drink, dance, you name it you can do it on the beach except be fully nude. This isn’t a nude beach if you want to be nude on a beach there are sims specifically for that sorry my beautiful nudists out there. Right next to it which I explained in the “meeting people” section of this post is the small little shack where you can drink, sit, and dance in an outside bar-like setting. Right next to it is a small swimming area it’s a pool with a beautiful gazebo where I took a photo of my avatar. It was such a pretty section I just had too! There aren’t couple swimming animations but it’s there if you want to take a dip in the pool instead of the beach.

Everything about this sim matches the theme perfectly. There’s also a residential area if you’re looking to live in this small community to find out more about this please visit the Ville de Coeur website at https://villedecoeur.online/ where you can find more information about the community, events, and residential areas.

To conclude, I enjoyed my time here in Ville de Coeur and plan to visit more in the future. The scenery is gorgeous, and you can do pretty much anything in a beautiful setting. There’s so much to do and it’s just overall a super appealing area with so many kind people in the area to chat with and enjoy your time with. With so much to do, I would come to explore the beauty of this sim and how well made it is. If you have any more questions or want to know more about the sim please visit their website at https://villedecoeur.online/ until next time…

Chao!

SL Exploration: The Butterfly Effect Club EST 2008

October 24, 2019October 24, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 1 Comment

Let’s be honest there are so many clubs in Second Life that it’s hard to find ones that stand out from one another. However, I stumbled across this little gem while on my explorations throughout Second Life it might not seem like much at first sight but there is more than meets the eye. Between the kind and drama free people who come in and the themed atmosphere that fits the name perfectly there is so much about this club to talk about.

The Butterfly Effect Club was established in 2008 by LadyD Beauregard-Barbosa. I’ve had the pleasure to meet her and experience all the life this club fills everyone that comes in with. With so many Second Life clubs popping up and shutting down throughout the platform this one has been around since 2008. It’s popular and gets traffic! The music played here depends on the DJ at the specific time but tonight I came in during a Halloween costume contest event. The music tonight was a lot of your Halloween classics such as monster mash and many others. However, there are always events being held and contests each time the club is up and going. The club currently is decorated for Halloween seeing that it’s only eight days away and to be fair it the decoration is nice and sticks to the ghoulish theme.

This club also has a shopping mall attached to it so if you’re looking for some new clothes you can find them here and then go dancing afterward. Most clubs have been doing this recently but keep in mind clubs who do have a small shopping section or are connected to a mall are small shop owners trying to get their products out to everyone out in the world of Second Life. Anyone can be a small business owner, but this is how beginners of creating outfits, furniture, etc. start. They start by renting out a small section in a mall or club that hosts these creators. So, if you’re feeling like supporting these small businesses feel free to drop by their shopping section right when you land before entering the club. As I explored it there were some dresses right behind the club to look at. In the club the photo to the left shows in the background the small little shopping area the club has. It’s where it says, Gaall in tiny letters sorry that it’s so small!

For those of you who are big on Angels & Demons, Bloodlines, Rage, etc. this club is on a clan land but it’s an open space for everyone. Everyone is welcome it doesn’t matter who you are, what your avatar looks like, etc. everyone is accepted in and can join into the fun and consistent conversation that can be found. The club is active, not only that but the clans here on the land are all active as well if you’re looking for a place to join and are a part of any of these in world systems. I’m also 99% sure that it’s a safe spot for Angels & Demons so you don’t have to worry about getting attacked while enjoying your time and just relaxing. Even though contests are going on and a lot of people come to the club just for the contests and then leave their keyboard you don’t find that here. It’s overall, just a different type of environment that you can’t always find on Second Life and if you’re a part of any of the systems above than most of the users in the club already have something in common with you.

I can’t stress enough that this club is 100% drama free! I’ve never seen an argument, misunderstanding, or disagreement since I’ve dropped by. To be fair, that’s hard to find nowadays because let’s be honest there is club drama everywhere you turn for the most part. It’s nice to have such high energy, calm, and enjoyable place to just be yourself. There is little to no judgment and it’s just a nice atmosphere to be a part of. I’m being very unbiased with this post as this is my experience when coming here. Normally when I visit clubs you realize why they don’t last it just doesn’t have a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere. Whether there is a conflict between staff or toxic people entering it’s hard. Here I haven’t experienced that and if you’re looking for something new to experience with a pleasurable clubbing experience than this is a place to look at. For example, tonight we talked about breedables for a bit I’ll be honest, I haven’t been looking at the chat a lot because I’ve been typing up this post, but everyone gets along. Also the picture on the left shows the contest board which is behind me and LadyD with the host and DJ tip jars and a vote stand. Everyone can vote once a day and these vote stands are important to clubs so if you go check it out don’t forget to click it.

Overall, something to keep in mind is sometimes these clubs who have been here for long periods are worth looking at and exploring more than the newer ones. Looks can be deceiving even though the clubs out there now use mainly mesh or are decorated in gorgeous ways the staff could be the complete opposite. This club has the best of both worlds it has mesh objects, décor, great staff, amazing users coming into just dance and relax. These are how Second Life clubs should be!

SL Purposes & Dreams

October 18, 2019October 18, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Let’s put our thoughts on the table for a second, when we join Second Life, we normally have some sort of purpose in which we’re trying to obtain in the virtual world. Each purpose and goal is individualized for each user. I may use Second Life for a completely different reason than another person would use the platform. Let’s be honest, the American Dream is hard to come by nowadays but in Second Life it’s possible. We as users can live a reality that is harder to obtain in our own lives in the real world. This post I’ll be talking about my experience from the very beginning and what I’ve been trying to obtain as a user in Second Life for about 9 years. As crazy as it may seem my purpose in Second Life at the very beginning though it may seem weird was to study and be with my teacher and classmates learning about various subjects using Second Life as a key component platform for showing us what the teacher wanted to teach. With that being said let’s jump right in!

Second Life in The School Setting & Teen Grid:

A photo taken right after I got back on after Teen Grid closed down.

Yes, I’m one of the individuals in which Second Life was used in my high school to teach us certain topics. My teachers used it as a tool in the classroom if it weren’t for them and Second Life being downloaded on the school laptops I would’ve never known or experienced what Second Life had to offer. I’m one of those young kids who started Second Life on the Teen Grid when it was still around. There was a point in time were kids 13-18 could sign up for a more kid-friendly version of Second Life where everyone was technically a minor. This was around my Freshman year of high school and having Second Life in the schools lasted until about the end of my Sophomore year. This is around the time when we got the news that the grids were merging otherwise known as Teen Grid no longer being alive and Linden Labs just making Second Life what it is known as which is Second Life. This is around the time when the sign-up age was for 17 and older, kids could no longer play Second Life but with good reason. Later on, down the line when I had my account unfrozen (that’s what they did they froze all of the teen grid accounts until they hit the proper age to come back into Second Life.) it made perfect sense with all of the sex sims and skill gaming regions. But with that, as I said above, I’ve been a member overall for 9 years.

1920’s Berlin Sim Role Playing With a Friend

Purpose of Second Life to me Until Age 19:

Second Life’s purpose for me has changed throughout the years. When I was younger my purpose for using Second Life was to not be alone to chat with people and always have someone there for me even though they were far away. I used Second Life to cope with my anxiety of being alone which is odd because I’m very independent and don’t mind being alone. However, being as outgoing as I am, I wanted that human connection almost all the time because to be fair I always felt alone in the real world. I used Second Life to meet new people and make new friends along the way who have been close friends to me for years and years some for decades. Most people go online to escape reality and honestly in a sense I’ve done the same. During this time, I was in college school was stressful, making friends was hard, depression and anxiety were hitting me like a hurricane. During this time, I didn’t have a strong head on my shoulders. I was looking for something that I couldn’t obtain in my reality true friendship and with some people, I’ve found it. To be fair, they probably know me better than most people in my reality but that tends to happen when you have internet friends. To be honest, I also used Second Life at the time to release my inner demon in a sense and try things I’d never do in the real world. I experimented with my sexuality and fetishes and what I liked and didn’t like. This led to a relationship that I wasn’t proud to be in and was somewhat abusive that led into my reality but just so everyone knows that relationship is long gone. I honestly, didn’t know what I wanted in my Second Life and during this time my main usage for Second Life was to be a fashionista, meeting and making friends, and experimenting with sexuality.

Showing off my Avatar fashionista status with this photo. I put together her outfit with a French flare in mind.

My Purpose in Second Life Now:

Everyone makes mistakes as we’re all human and it’s the normal human response in society. I’ve learned from these mistakes; I have a very strong and hard head on my shoulders and because of this my purpose of Second Life has changed from the past till now. I have a few different purposes for using the platform now and most of them are to help my creative juices flow. I’ve always been a passionate writer I’ve loved writing since I could pick up a pencil and write. I’ve been looking for content writing positions in the real world, but do you know how hard that is? I also have a passion for virtual worlds as they have been a part of my life for many years. That is when I decided to write a blog. I consistently had writer’s block, and this is because I lost my skill because I didn’t keep up with it. So, I started Charming Ellie I use my blog as a hobby I don’t want to make money off of it I use it to help get my content out into the world and to write about something I’m passionate about and care about. My blog helps me to write almost every day and keep up with new trends in the virtual world industry especially since a lot of virtual worlds are beginning to disappear with time. My purpose in Second Life is to explore, create, and help deliver content to Second Life users all around the globe on travel, advice, and just living you’re Second Life to the fullest.

The other reason I use Second Life now is to keep up with the friends I’ve made in the past who are still friends with me today. They come on occasionally, and I make sure I log on now and then just to spend time with those important people. My main purpose for being in second life now is to hone my skills in interior design and fashion. These are things that cost a lot of money in reality so I just find it best to create and do these things in a virtual world platform on Second Life where it’s a lot cheaper and there are so many ways to implement avatar and land/home creation. I use Second Life now more as a creative outlook a way to push my creativity and get the juices flowing consistently. To be fair, I still use Second Life in a way to escape reality but not as much as I’ve used to. I keep to myself, for the most part, I do everything alone if I can but now and then I’ll run into someone to chat with for a few hours or more.

My Dream:

Another Dream I didn’t mention is having a beautiful babe girl when I’m not ready for one in reality. But that’s something completely different.

One of the biggest dreams I’ve had and yes, I’m a dreamer is to work for Linden Labs. They don’t truly realize how much Second Life does indeed mean to me and the people inside of it. I’ve always wanted to make a difference quite a few times I almost opened shop in Second Life to give advice and help with different situations as I do have a life coach certification. There is a huge need for something like that but when I tried people didn’t use it. I don’t want to be famous or popular for writing blog posts or anything along those lines. But I’ve always wanted to do content writing or something and become join the Lindens and creators over at Linden Labs. I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world and even though Linden Labs is a corporation they have done that for so many people. Maybe one day I’ll be able to but for now, it’s just hopes and dreams that will take me far in my adventures in this reality of life. We never know what the future has to offer and our dreams in life take us further than we expect them to.

With all of this being my experience, I want to hear from all my readers in the comment section. What purpose does Second Life have in your life? What do you use the platform for and why? How did you start? And how is Second Life important to you? I’d love to hear from all of you as this is something that interests me about all of the users I run into and honestly it’s how I always strike up a conversation because everyone is different and everyone comes into this virtual world for different reasons. I hope to see all of you in my next post.

Chao!

SL Exploration: An Arabian Night (Majilis Al-Jinn, Sands of Time)

October 18, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

My inner bohemian came out today and I kid you not when I say I found the perfect dessert fantasy sim to explore. Based on Arabian night tales that anyone could find in literature and cinematic films. This area has anything from hidden tombs to a relaxing oasis. There is something for everyone, the traffic is very slow, and this is an area I’d like to promote up a little more because there are more than users are giving it credit for. Sims often go overlooked especially international areas from the destinations list. This place reminds me of Aladdin.

To be fair this Arabian oasis is both historical and romantic I’m a hopeless romantic and honestly, I’d bring someone here on a date. There is so much to do and explore and the architecture is simply gorgeous. From exploring a palace to exploring the outdoors with palm trees, crystals, vases, and more there is so much beauty to be seen. Inside when you first start on a little island surrounded by a colossal building you have two paths you can go on. One leads you to what I call the jewel and treasures room, the tombs, and the oasis. The other path leads you outside on a little path with gorgeous scenery and sitting areas. To be fair I started on the route to the tombs, there are statues everywhere that are textured so nicely that they look realistic. Crystals are lining almost every door frame which shows the fantasy aspect. The door frames remind me more of an Egyptian building kit I’ve seen but it works just as well with an Arabian theme as well.

Tomb:

The tomb is located up the stairs which feel like you’re in a tower. There is an open tomb where you’re welcomed by a statue that makes me question if there is a mummy that escaped inside of the sim. Luckily, I haven’t seen one yet, so I think we’re safe! To the right, there is a sitting area and a statue which people normally pray to. To be honest, my knowledge of Arabian culture starts and ends with Aladdin, some literature, and this sim. So, If I’m wrong about something this is a disclaimer, I don’t know a whole lot about the culture, but I started reading up on it recently to better understand some of the Arabian sims on Second Life. The architecture is Moroccan and almost culturally accurate from what I’ve seen when looking up photos on google. Yes! I google imaged everything to discover how accurate everything in this sim truly was even though it is explained as being a fantasy type of sim. Gems are lining the doors and there is writing covering the walls. The inside of this structure is very dark, but it has every right to be so if you take photos just be careful and aware that they may come out way darker than you expect it to be.

The Outdoor Part of The Oasis:

On the roof of the structure, you’ll find a gorgeous palace area with peacocks and an outside corridor with a little birdbath that had crystals at the bottom, paired with beautiful scenery. This is where I’d suggest bringing someone if you’re looking for something elegant and romantic to woo that special someone. The floors are brick and tiled to show wealth and purity the peacocks moved around the corridor. The outside reminds me of an aristocratic house’s garden. It was extravagant and beautiful I suggest checking it out if you’re looking for something new to explore in Second Life.

In The Palace:

In the palace there are more than enough sitting areas, however, keep in mind a lot of the couches, chairs, and floor seating is one-person seating with not that many poses if any aside from one when you sit on the object. But the inside of the palace is simply gorgeous and it’s huge! There’s so much to see and take pictures of. I had to be careful with how many photos I took because I was getting picture happy inside of the palace. I’m sure there are other surprises, but I didn’t go too in-depth with the inside of the palace.

Nonetheless, I’m sure there are places little Easter eggs and hidey holes I haven’t yet explored throughout the entire island. As there are so many places in this one area to explore and so much to see. But, from what I have seen this is a beautiful Arabian adventure for any explorer who is interested in a fantasy Arabian night adventure. From an underground exploration into a tower with a tomb to a rooftop fantasy Arabian garden with a gorgeous palace there is a little something for everyone to enjoy here and if you’re a photographer and love photographing your adventures or need a place as a realistic background for a client this is the perfect place for it!

SL Exploration: Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO

October 14, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Exploration lies deep within our human DNA, no matter what we love to explore even if we aren’t aware that we’re doing it. I’ll be honest today was a somewhat boring day for me in my reality and I thought I’d jump into Second Life and do a little bit of exploring. During my travels, I came across a Russian sim by the name “Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO”. I felt like exploring something that at some point could also be seen in real life, so I used the destinations button on the left-hand side of my firestorm viewer and went to the “international” tab to begin. Heads up there are a lot of Brazil areas to visit recently. Since this wasn’t a Brazilian area, I chose it not that I have anything against Brazil there are just so many areas made to replicate it and when you’ve been to one you’ve been to them all. I can’t wait to jump right in and tell you all about my experience in the Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO!

The scenery in this sim is very well put together and is a beautiful little town to take some photos in if you’re a Second Life photographer. The scenic surroundings are so relaxing and welcoming that it relaxes you and makes you enjoy the area. It has an older country feel to it that I surrounded by trees, forests, grass and flowers (here and there). It reminds me of an area before capitalism takes over and builds skyscrapers, shops, cities, etc. in its place. Keep in mind this is just one sim there aren’t any connecting sims to visit but honestly, you only need the one sim it’s so beautifully put together and there is a lot to see and explore. When you first enter the sim there is a bike rezzer to your left where you can rezz a bike from a store called {What’s Next} that you’re able to use on the sim to cruise around while you enjoy the scenery. It’s a fast and easier way to get around the sim because guess what? This sim disabled flying so you’re either walking, running or biking. It stays true to realism and to be fair you must give the creator credit for that. If you’re making a realistic place, why shouldn’t everything about it be real? One issue I’ve had is because there is a lot to load even with good connection speed and a gaming laptop with high specs it took about 5-10 minutes for the entire area to load. So, if you visit please be patient while everything loads in. Go grab a glass of water start some music get comfortable by that point it should be ready to go.

The small-town community feels is just something I can’t get over I live in an extremely populated area in my real life and I’ve always like small old town areas because it’s the complete opposite of what I experience and it’s nice and relaxing to me. There are slopes, hills, and trees galore but what I loved the most were the little sitting areas that are scattered around the entire sim where you can sit and just enjoy your time. These areas have cuddle options so if you want to take someone on a date here it’s perfect! My new favorite little gem about this place is a small little walkway leading you out to a small little beach area with a dock overlooking the water and hills afar. If you turn the environment settings to sunset, it’s worth every moment you spend there. If only I had a cup of tea and a book it would be the perfect afternoon the sun glistens off the water, it’s almost something from a dream scene that you’d see in a movie. If you don’t visit for anything else, I highly suggest visiting just to see this viewpoint from the dock.

One thing I wanted to mention is sometimes people get annoyed when visiting sims because there is furniture or scenery that looks to much like prim instead of mesh. I’ll be honest even I get a little bit annoyed about this. Luckily this scenic area is all meshed all the furniture, houses, objects, trees, surroundings, grass, and plants are all mesh and look realistic and true to their textures. Thank goodness! This is somewhat a pet peeve of mine now, not that I have anything against prim but with today’s expectations of Second Life and advancements in technology and graphics, I can’t fully appreciate prim anymore because of the realism mesh objects bring. Also, I find mesh important when creating a realistic area because realism is key if you’re trying to recreate a real place. Another quick thing I’ve noticed, and I didn’t take a photo of it because I didn’t feel the need to is right when you rezz in there is a camping site. With this, there is also a concert stage that looks like it doesn’t blend it with the rest of the theme and scenery. I’m not quite sure if I like it or the setup it almost feels as if it’s out of place with everything else. However, this is something that can be overlooked considering the rest of the sim. An important note is there’s a sandbox on this sim with a 30-minute auto-return so if you need to rezz or unpack an item then this little town has it all with its area to do it!

Overall, if you’re looking for a place with a little bit of small-town charm and a sim that gives you beautiful scenery and shows the beauty of the countryside in Russia than this is the area to explore and I highly suggest it. It has so much to offer and so much to explore I was easily able to spend about an hour here. Below is the SURL that you can copy and paste into your viewer at the top or you can just click it and it will bring it up in your browser to teleport too. This place is something special!

Click here to go to Russian Province COBKOBO/SOVKOVO

Experience at the Apple Store

October 1, 2019 by Ellie_Avora ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

First, I’d like to apologize for my absence but this post will explain everything as to why I’ve been gone. I need a computer to type up posts and sadly I’ve had one on and off for a bit now so I do apologize for not being active but I hope you enjoy this read!

To preface this, post the Apple store I’ll be typing my experience from is located in the central Florida area. I won’t say which one in respect to the company and their policies around online information about their stores but to give you an idea the experience was not at all a good one for me. I, however, own Apple products because I’m stuck inside of Apple’s ecosystem I love my Apple products for everything but games and that is where I can tell all of you that I do have a gaming laptop that I use for online games and my virtual world shenanigans. This is my experience and my opinions and what I went through when trying to get my 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro fixed because of overheating issues and a few other problems involving the top casing. Your experience, of course, may not be the same or as bad as I went through as far as customer service but this experience in its entirety has made me skeptical about going back to this particular Apple store. I’ve concluded because of my experience that if I have an issue and since my products are all covered by Apple care plus except for my iPhone that I’ll be sending it to be fixed via packaging. I hope you all enjoy this story about my experience at the Apple store as a disclaimer as I’ve stated above not everyone will go through something like I did this was just what I went through and I’m not a very happy Apple customer because of it. This is my experience and ideas regarding my visit. With that being explained over 3-4 different times let’s jump right in!

My issues with my MacBook:

To begin, I wanted to first explain all of the issues my MacBook pro 13 inches with retina display and touch bar with 256 gigs of SSD and why I was taking it to get fixed in the first place. These issues are listed as:

Speaker cutting in and out with any type of audio
Overheating issues everywhere
Fans not running with high taxing programs where I needed to photo or video edit
Receiving video card messages when the video card is there
Trackpad not always registering taps or “gestures”
And the worst one my STAR keys otherwise known as my S-T-A-R keys getting stuck or typing a letter more than once after clicking it

As you can see a lot is going on I kind of held out on a lot of these issues until the Apple store in Florida near me opened up so I could take it and didn’t have to drive more than an hour to get support for it. They closed down the Apple store closest to me for renovations during the summer and opened back up September 3^rd of this year.

Appointment Made & Taking it in:

Obviously with all of these issues after I talked to the online Apple support first since I get 24-hour support online and through the phone and after 5 times resetting the SMC in my laptop they created an appointment for me at the new Apple store closest to me which is about 30 mins away. Okay, cool right? I’m getting everything fixed. My appointment time was 12:45 in the afternoon I got there a little bit early just in case. Nobody greeted me when I first walked in which is something they did before the renovation I didn’t care though the store was packed with people and everyone seemed busy. Some people were standing around but being the somewhat shy person that I am I walked in and stood at a space in the middle of the store. Hoping that if I looked “lost” someone may come over and ask if I needed help. Bad idea on my part so after about 5 minutes of standing there I walked up to a woman and said “Hi there! I don’t mean to bother you I know you must be busy, however, I do have an appointment today at 12:45 and I just wanted to know where I go or who to talk to so I can get checked in.” honestly, I think I was being quite nice about the overall situation so she pointed me in the direction of a young man in a blue Apple shirt. Awesome! So, I go over to him its 12:05 at this point and he turns to me and says, “We go based off of scheduled time so if you want to go grab a coffee or some lunch and then come back you can. You have a lot of time to do so then you’re not sitting in the store forever, just make sure when you come back to tap one of us and let us know that you’re there and tell us where you will be so we can send someone to you.” Okay! Cool! So, what do I do? I go to the food court to order a drink and a large fry eat it quickly and go back to the store. I still showed up a little early just in case. I like being punctual when I have appointments. During this time, I did what I was told to do I tapped the same guy and one other and pointed to square ottomans on the ground in front of a screen with a projector and explained I’d be sitting over there. As I waited, I’ll be honest I was a bit bored as an older lady came in looking for someone to help her as she had an appointment herself to get her iPhone fixed. Nothing worked when she tapped on applications her phone app would work now and then but never continued for more than a few moments. She sat next to me and I could tell she was frustrated with the situation she said something similar to what I did when I first came in and had no idea where to go or who to go to or even what to do. It was very disorganized, and no one was being helped who had appointments. They were all talking to people who had questions about the products and playing with them but of course not purchasing. During this time, I and this one woman became friends our conversation went a little like this at the beginning:

Me: This seems very unorganized doesn’t it?

Her: Oh yes! I thought I was the only one to feel that way.

Me: Oh no no no! not at all, I had an appointment to get my MacBook fixed what about you?

Her: My phone isn’t working and I’m an at-home nurse, so I have to have it as most of my work is done on it.

-she shows me her phone and how it doesn’t work, the woman is in her early 60s –

From this point on we continued to talk about programs, writing, jobs, kids, family, boyfriends, her life in the past until the present. She was such an interesting and kindhearted woman and I’m glad I was able to cross paths with her and listen to her story and some of the things she had experienced in life. She did make somewhat of an impact on me that day. Then someone came up to her and said “Hi! My name is (I forget the name) How can I assist you today?” at this point, I remembered that she came in after me and then decided to check the time. At that point, it said 1:00 pm. Wow! 1? My appointment was supposed to be 12:45 what on earth happened? At this point, a young man was walking quickly past me, so I decided to tap him to get his attention. He stopped and turned to me and I said, “Hello there! I don’t mean to be rude, but my appointment was at 12:45 and it’s now 1:00 pm. I know you’re busy but I was curious as to when I’d be helped to see everyone who came in after I have gone before me and I went ahead and let two people know that I was going to be over here waiting for my appointment.” He rushed over to one of the cubes and was inputting something into his iPad he was quiet for about 3 minutes then turned to me and said, “Hello! My name is Z (won’t say the full name because of policies) How can I help you today?” Wow! Okay. At this point, I’m at a loss for words and trying to figure out just everything. I looked at him and told him the issue with my laptop he asked me if I wanted to move to the table instead to get my laptop up and running so he could do a diagnostics test. I told him I was leaving on a trip soon and it would be nice if I could have my MacBook with me because it’s smaller than my gaming PC and it can fit right into any bag I bring. He asked when I needed it by, and I said if possible, I need it before October 8^th. He told me it would be available well before then and said that Apple was going to send it out for repairs. I was happy by this because I honestly wanted a functioning laptop. I mean hell it might not be able to run virtual worlds, but I can do browser-based things, type up documents, and blog during my time on vacation. I was told to keep an eye on my e-mail specifically my iCloud e-mail since it would tell me when to come in to pick up my laptop and was estimated about 2-5 business days for it to be returned to the Apple store for pick up. The whole escapade at the Apple store took me way longer than it probably needed to luckily, I had nothing important going on that day but still what if I did? I left and a few days received the e-mail on my iCloud account after about two days to come in and pick up my MacBook.

Picking up my MacBook:

I’ll be honest, after the situation that happened a few days before I was hesitant to go back into the store. This time around they had three security guards in there standing by the door I walked in with my Vera Bradley messenger bag with my laptop case and this time instead of waiting in a space with little people in the middle of the store I got up close and personal with the woman who pointed me in the direction of the guy who checked me in a few days before. She was helping an older man purchase an Apple watch and since this particular store I found out works off commission she saw me and said she would be right with me as soon as she got something so she could finish up the purchase. I explained it was no worries and to take her time I was just picking up my MacBook Pro from out of store servicing. I waited there next to her for about 30 minutes and she told me to go over to this one girl who shortly opened up after this 30 minutes that I waited. Could she not have called someone on the walkie talkie beforehand and grabbed someone for me. It only takes 3-5 minutes to hand me my laptop with a paper telling me what was done or replaced. Okay so moving on the second woman told me to go and sit at the table and someone would be with me shortly. Okay! So, at this point minutes became hours and I was somewhat restless everyone was trying to make sales with people who weren’t purchasing the products and all I wanted was my MacBook. Finally, after about 3 hours of waiting this guy comes out with my MacBook and asks for my license to verify that it was me. I showed him everything and he gave me the laptop and told me if I wanted to stay and set it back up I could and walked away. I had a sheet telling me what had been done on it. From the paper, it looked like a lot had been done but I was astonished by how long it took me to get serviced. Why 3 hours? That is almost like a crime waiting that long. I’ve never been so disappointed with Apple’s customer service. This specific Apple store causes me extreme anxiety now and I hate going into it. After everything was set up and what not I took it home, however, something happened that I didn’t expect.

My MacBook Was Stated to be Fixed but Was it?

I was home assuming my newly fixed product would work the way it’s supposed to. Especially since I paid $300 for Apple care plus and then technically the laptop itself is $1,500-$2,000 like come on. I just want my expensive product to work. If I pay the money, I expect that money to be placed into a product that works. I understand there are complications even with well-built technology, but this MacBook just went into servicing. Within 5 minutes of being on my laptop when I got home the keyboard and the computer itself started to heat up again. Don’t get me wrong at least I can touch and type on the keyboard without frying my fingers, but it gets abnormally warm still. Especially for just having a word document and e-mail open. I checked to see if anything was taking up CPU or anything like that and nothing. Everything seemed fine… I’m so frustrated some of my issues like the keyboard, sound, and touchpad, were working a lot better but the main issue I was concerned about still wasn’t fixed. Sadly, it’s too late to get my laptop in before I go on vacation so I’m going to take it with me as it is. But after I come back as much as I don’t want to I have to go to this dreaded store I want to talk face to face with an actual person not just send it in a box. You never know what postage trucks do to packages, etc.

In conclusion, in all my life I’ve never had a product that doesn’t just work the way it’s supposed to. Better yet I’ve never had a product that when you take it to get fixed it still isn’t completely fixed. Like what do I have to do to have a product just work? I’m so frustrated the store experience was frustrating, the customer support experience was better but still frustrating, and the pickup process was just appalling. I’ve never been so disappointed before. But through it all, I tried to stay positive and hold my composure because I know it’s not the associate’s fault that my stuff isn’t working and it’s not their fault that there is a sea of people in their store that aren’t buying anything but lead them on as if they are. But really after two trips into that trap of a store, I would have hoped my product would have at least been fixed for the issue it has. When I take it I hope it’s better I can only hope.

Charming Ellie

Living Your Virtual Life to The Fullest

Month: October 2019