Departed Business
 This entry refers to a departed business that has closed or left town. All information here is for historical reference only. |
| Location |
| 634 G Street (in G Street Shopping Center) |
| Davis Location Hours |
| Mon-Fri 10:00AM-8:00PM |
| Sat 9:00AM-8:00PM |
| Sun 10:00AM-5:00PM |
| Phone |
| Davis: (530)758-0640 |
| Website |
| http://www.RadioShack.com |
Closed June 2018
The Davis RadioShack offers more or less the same merchandise as any other RadioShack. This includes electronic components, Sprint mobile phones and plans, batteries, cables, and other small electronics. Though they do not seem to restock very often, it is the only place in town you can buy electronic components (e.g. resistors, capacitors, etc.). If you need a resistor in a pinch, it's the place to go, although you're probably out of luck with anything more exotic. If you're working on a larger project, you'll probably save money by ordering your components online from elsewhere. The Davis store still carries some pretty cool electronics kits (some of the solderless!) and the basic soldering supplies, so it's still the place to go if you want get started as an electronics hobbyist. If you can't find what you're looking for in the Davis location, the nearest location is in West Sacramento, in the IKEA shopping center.
The employees work on commission and may be dismissed if they don't meet sales quotas. That's why their salesmen are all over you the moment that you walk in. Some people like the attentiveness, others find it annoying. Cell phones are particularly lucrative for salesmen, so you can expect a lot of attention if you start looking at their phones and accessories.
They often refer you to Best Buy in Woodland for items that they don't have. Fry's Electronics in Sacramento also carries similar products.
2005-10-04 18:08:46 I walked in with a 6" cable, explained my problem in extreme newbie terms, and was found the proper cable adapter within two minutes. It was pretty cool. —JudithTruman
2007-06-28 19:18:11 In my experience the employees here are unfriendly and rude. —Chantal
2007-08-11 11:16:55 I stopped by yesterday to look for a type of power supply cable. After reading the previous comment, I was expecting the worst...but the employee who helped me wasn't unfriendly or rude. He greeted me right away and was polite and helpful. He knew what I was looking for, confirmed that they didn't carry it, and suggested a few other stores I might check, and even gave me directions. As I was walking out, a mother and daughter were walking in and he greeted them right away and offered assistance. —DukeMcAdow
2007-09-04 20:02:04 I found the manager to be pretty rude and passive aggressive. Maybe she hasn't gotten out in a while —BrandonMinow
2008-01-08 17:36:56 until today i've always had a good experience here. in the past the employees have been super friendly, even trying to help me fix things i've brought in from home. but today's experience was unpleasant. the employee wasn't patient in trying to explain things. on top of that, you apparently can only swipe your credit card once. if it's declined, too bad, no more chances! if it's a debit card, you only get two chances. god damn! there's nothing wrong with my pin number! grrr. eh, one bad experience in 10 isn't so bad. —JessicaRockwell
2008-01-31 15:27:07 I went there for the first time last night. The fellow was very helpful in helping me find what might work for my need, but in the end, it wasn't quite right. I returned earlier this afternoon to return the items I had purchased. The young man who was helping me (different from last night) was also very helpful and pleasant to work with. He had a question for his supervisor, though, and her reply to him absolutely shocked me. She was impatient and rude and slammed the shelves she had been carrying and stormed around huffing "Geez, YES! ANYTHING THAT ISN'T OPENED. I SWEAR. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT!"
I waited for my return to be completed, then for the other customers to leave the shop (they walked in after her blowup at the employee). When I confronted her about the very unprofessional manner in which she had treated her employee, she apologized to me before making excuses! "I'm sorry, but you don't know what's going on. If you could see our back stock room and the way they put things away, you'd have the same reaction I did! I shouldn't have to hold their hands through everything! That return was just a no-brainer!" I told her I understood we all have our bad days, but that it was incredibly unprofessional and mean to humiliate such a helpful employee in front of his customer. She started arguing again, so I turned on my heel and left.
In my opinion, if she had simply apologized and admitted that she had behaved poorly, my overall experience would have been very good. The sales associates were wonderful, but this woman was... beyond words. I will be placing a call to the proprietor. —StephanieStudebaker
2008-02-06 21:02:48 The employees have been polite to me at this store; I haven't seen anyone be all that rude. It also looks like the store carries some interesting specialty items like fans and adapters. However, I got outrageously incorrect information about batteries for my cell phone. They told me that it could be cheaper to just get a new phone and asked me about my plan. Sure enough, the replacement batteries are $50 from Radio Shack. But you can get batteries on the Internet for $5 or less. The impression that I get is that the parent company wants its stores to sell cell phone contracts, and that the sales agents are either encouraged to bend the truth or duped themselves. Don't fall for it! If you want a cell phone contract, or any similar monthly contract such as satellite radio, do some research on the Internet first.
2008-03-17 18:26:17 I call it RatShack!! —DevinCastellucci
- I called it RatShack (and RadioSnack) along with a bunch of people in Florida in the early 80s. I think RatShack is a built in default term of endearment for the place. —jw
2008-05-12 16:14:45 I was disappointed with the price of their microcassettes, I decided to shop elsewhere. —AnnaF
2008-07-29 00:44:14 Most of the employees I have encountered are new (I’ll give them that) but they don’t have a lick of sense in life or in electronics. I went in looking for a product and they gave me the wrong thing even after explaining it several times and in different terms that they would understand and nothing. At least if you don’t understand or can’t figure what a customer is asking for ask an experienced employee who might know don’t just say you don’t know or you don’t think it exists. Don’t even get me started on the management there one word...yikes! I do feel bad for some of those employees… management that is way too over-demanding and overbearing leads to a very hostile working environment. That type of atmosphere must be difficult to work in no wonder why no one knows anything around there (except a couple of the experienced employees) they are all too busy dodging management’s bullets, so-to-speak. As a customer it certainly feels disheartening just walking into that store knowing how they are treated and knowing I probably won’t receive proper help. All in all I won’t be returning anytime soon.
2008-08-06 19:11:49 Wow, I bought a converter box for my tv that cost $16 yesterday and before I took it out of the package I realized I didn't need it so today I thought I'd take it back, no problem. Wrong! When I went in to return it, I walked in with item and receipt in hand and Matthew was talking to another customer at the counter for a while so I thought I'd look around to see if they had this splitter thing. Then after he was done I went up to return it with my reciept and he accused me of taking the item off the shelf and trying to return it with a bogus receipt. Got to be kidding. "It seems fishy that you walked around the store before you came to the counter" he says. "You were talking to someone else so I thought I see if you had this other thing, I said, "check the cameras" and you'll see me walk in with it. "No, I checked the inventory and it says we are one short. So you're obviously trying to steal." So I said, if you really don't believe me "check the cameras" that are everywhere and you will see me walk in with the $16 item that I want refunded onto my debit card. So he left for about 5 minutes and then came back slightly nodding his head and said "ok, you were right, is there anything else I can help you find?" while issuing my refund....hopefully. Matthew, you, son, are a douche. Radio Shack sucks! —rolypoly
2008-08-10 00:46:26 Thats rather funny rolypoly, I think awhile back I had an employee, maybe the same one, not accept my electronic signature because it "varied too much" from the signature on my drivers license, he literally denied the signature trying to say it wasn't me or I was a thief trying to get away with a $4 purchase. I swear something is seriously wrong with that company its not just this location however there are many things wrong with this location but all stores in general are going downhill, partly due to their low pay and the corporate office which is highly demanding of pushing out cell phones which equals low quality of employees. Also I don't think they drug test new employees anymore which they need too because there's this one guy which I couldn't ever tell if he was drunk, stoned, or just plain stupid/ inbred/ ass backwards moron... idk pick one. I call him special ed because he is seriously slow in the head...wow I seem a little bitter and mean towards some of these people but damn I can't help it, they make it all too easy. —csmith
2008-08-10 09:18:03 Hey, folks, I have been in Radio Shack on two different occasions when customers were being unnecessarily rude — I would say abusive — to the staff there. I watched one guy yell at the employee about having to wait a few minutes for service when they were busy. I think a lot of people walk into RS ready to argue. So this kind of stuff cuts both ways. BTW, csmith, it is one thing to criticize customer service; that is valid and possibly even helpful to the business owner. But it is unnecessary to make derisive and insulting personal comments about them as you just did. —DonShor
2008-08-10 13:45:10 You know that is absolutely true about some of the customers who come in looking to argue however I am not one of them, after dealing with sheer stupidity amongst a few employees (not always this location in particular) it starts to wear on you and I admittedly have called some of those workers out on their behaviors that reflect poorly on the company. Other than that as a customer I am never rude I believe they get enough of the rudeness or whatever you like to call it from the management. I know these people are trying to work and shouldn’t have to deal with any rudeness or abuse in any way from anyone but this is the real world and unfortunately it won’t ever stop so… I will explain or complain about them calling me a thief over my signature, which has changed slightly since first receiving my drivers’ license many years ago. Maybe they might learn to be less uptight. How many customers would you say walk into a store and say hey why don’t you treat me like a criminal and just pretend that I am stealing your products and then harass me about it when I come up to pay for an item? I would certainly say none. So forgive me if I was harsh in critiquing some of these employees but there is a point to my previous entries which is: they need to do something about some of the employees who are acting poorly or judging poorly and also who can’t handle being in the industry of electronics because they don’t or can’t take the time to learn about electronics. I think they think it’s an easy ride into management so they feel they don’t have to learn anything about what they are selling. Just my thoughts and observations…. —csmith
2008-08-10 21:36:39 I applied to work here when I was desperate for a job awhile back. In the interview, the manager explained the quota system to me. If I didn't sell the right volume of the right kinds of products, I wouldn't get a commission. If I didn't get a commission, I'd be in danger of being let go. I wouldn't be judged at all on how effectively I could recommend the right products to do what the customer wanted to do. I wouldn't be judged at all on how well I could explain the technology to customers upon request. This really wasn't the kind of environment I wanted to work in, so I threw the interview. At the end, just to make certain they got the picture, I told them outright I wasn't interested in the job. A few weeks later when I had finally found employment, I got a voicemail telling me that they wanted to offer me a job! I ignored this as I really didn't want to deal with the manager again. A few days later, I got an e-mail saying that they had reviewed my application and they didn't have any appropriate openings for me at the time. Make of that what you will.
I had really good experiences with Radioshack growing up. When I was in elementary school, I was part of the Biology Club. We did yearly chicken dissections. Since the chicken would be really fresh (killed within 10 minutes of the dissection), I wanted to see if I could make the chicken's muscles twitch with a huge electric shock. I went into my local Radioshack and asked one of the employees what kind of stuff I'd need to do this. I walked out of that store with a schematic and a bag of parts. This probably never happens anymore. Assuming you get someone in there who knows anything about circuits, they probably won't have the parts you need to build anything remotely interesting. If they do have the parts you need, they'll either be in an expensive 200-in-1 electronics kit gathering dust in the back of the store or they'll be way more expensive than they should be.
I still go to RadioShack if I need some random audio adaptors at the last minute and I'm out of options. Otherwise, I don't bother. All the things they sell can be found elsewhere for less. Plus, I don't get the pointless, uninvited lectures about how component video is way better than RF when I'm trying to buy some simple coax for things that don't involve television at all. —WilliamLewis
2008-10-09 22:10:45 horrible place. i came in looking for a laptop charger because it broke. when i asked for a laptop charger, the manager talked to me in a nasty tone. she spoke to me as if i didn't understand anything about the wattage. she said it won't charge my laptop because it has a lower wattage than standard chargers which was bullshit. But i needed the charger asap so i could write my papers. So when i decided to buy it out of neccessity, the manager told me that it was non-returnable. I found that funny since it was radioshack. they don't have a policy like that. When i asked her, she told me that many students simply "borrow" things like that, which i could understand, but it was a policy that she "made" up. the receipt doesn't even state that policy. I asked her what happens if it was defective. And she told me that I would have to bring my laptop along with the charger, then she would allow me to return it.
So I decided to keep the charger since it was just bad karma to return it. It worked perfectly fine. It "charged" my laptop, atleast for a while. A week later, it didn't even charge my battery anymore, or turn on. It was a defective head. So I went back to the store, and showed that i had a defective charger. she told me that it wasn't radioshacks problem and "you" should go call the manufacturer customer service. It's like buying from a junkyard.
Never again will I EVER go back to this radioshack again. This is the WORST radioshack in all of the US!!!!! —schu
2008-12-31 17:13:05 I think this is the only place in Davis where you can buy a null modem adapter. It is much like Fry's in that their sales people don't really know about much of what they sell. —NickSchmalenberger
2009-03-22 09:01:07 I've had good experiences here. I walked in a few days ago with an idea for a simple robotics project, and the salesperson spent the time to explain some of the processes I was fuzzy on and show a couple options for parts. I didn't feel like he talked down to me, which can be a problem with store people. I'd certainly go again. —DanaSullivan
2009-07-08 12:15:35 They are pretty aggressive about upselling as people have noted, but most of the people who work there know the inventory well and all of them have been polite to me. —DataPoint
2009-10-31 16:29:46 fuck this place. this company is full of dishonest businessmen who only want your money. DONT agree to buy a replacement plan - its a TRAP to get you to pay more money. They wont replace your product even if there's something mechanically wrong with it.
DONT buy their shitty products. —sirotilc
2010-01-07 14:47:19 I had a terrible experience with an old employee working at this place early this year. I purchased a cable last week, but then tried to return that because the item did not fit my electronic appliance. This old guy was not happy with my return and very unkind to me. Above all, he refused to give me a copy of return receipt. Despite my request, he just kept it. It is commonsense that every transaction is followed by exchanging any type of proof like receipts.
Whenever I visited this place, I noticed that the employees working here were consistently not nice to customers.
I was going to take some actions after consulting with my credit card company, but after checking refund was actually made I just decided to write negative comments about this store on this website.
I am going to buy stuffs either at Ace or Office Max, or at Best Buy from now.
2010-01-17 19:50:04 So I go into the Davis Radio Shack to buy a little $20 item. I deal with the surly owner and wait for her to do her inventory adjustments or whatever. Once again I am reminded that the customer is the lowest priority at Davis Radio Shack. But that's not what toasts me. I'm buying a $20 item and I'm paying cash. She asks me if I want to give $1 towards the Haiti relief effort. I say no. She points to the POS terminal and says "press cancel" in a loud voice. What the fsk is up with that? Why do I even have to touch a POS terminal for a cash transaction. And why in the world would a store want to draw public attention to my perceived lack of charity by making me decline the transaction on a computer termial and in a loud voice. Screw this, I'll be hard-pressed not to drive to Fry's for anything from now on. —JimStewart
2010-05-27 08:20:14 I often have a need for electronic equipment and have to visit RadioShack if I'm in a hurry. My experiences over the last few years have been pretty consistent. Most employees at least want to help, but I find most of them are not as well versed in technology as I would expect someone to be. I've only experienced what I would consider "rude" behavior from one individual. In his defense, he was swamped and was dealing with some poor old woman looking for a portable combined cassette/CD player (in 2010, mind you). I probably would have been rude too.
Overall, I think their goods are overpriced and their service leaves something to be desired, but it's a good resource if you know precisely what you need and need it in a hurry. —cwbishop
2010-11-30 16:59:05 The old guy that works there that is bald is EXTREMELY rude. He treated me as if I was and idiot that didnt deserve to be shopping there. He was a complete asshole to me and I will never go back there. I just created this wiki account to write about this only. I hope they shut down soon because they get no customers. I stormed out mid sentence while he was treating me terribly. I have never been this upset with customer service in my life. —AmandaDavis13
2011-04-20 06:45:06 ive been here before they arent very nice and it took them forever to do anything im not triging to be rude but its true —krystallinney
2011-06-23 14:39:02 I went in to fix a problem with my Samsung smart phone, the guy at the front let me know the problem would probably take a while to fix and it would be easier if I went the sacramento Radioshack instead. I told him I didn't want to drive to Sacramento, so he spent a good 40 minutes calling boost mobile for me he resolved the problem. Thanks for the help!!
2011-07-15 08:29:53 I've been to this Radio Shack many times for odds and ends and find the staff mostly helpful and knowledgeable. Just the other day I wanted to get a SIM card for a spare cell phone we have, for a foreign visitor to use. The staff guy who helped showed me their two no-contract plans (T-Mobile and AT&T). I couldn't try a SIM card first to make sure it would work, but went with the T-Mobile as it was the better deal. My spare cell phone was working with the new number in 5 minutes. Don't think any other cell phone store in Davis would have been as easy or had competing plans.
Radio Shack is a good source for a variety of electronic gadgets. They'd probably do a lot better if they would change their name...it's not the Radio Shack of my youth any longer. —RalphFinch
2011-07-28 06:55:25 I have been in Radioshack for sims 3 times as a foreigner, from 2004 to 2011, and AT&T has always been the best deal, and usually by buying a cheap phone and move the sim to your own, as they cost less than getting a simcard alone. AT&T wins due to low international rates (0.49 vs 1.6). Although if you want fancy smartphone service, prepaid virgin-mobile has a good deal where international calling is only 0.20$, and unlimited data and blackberry service. But my AT&T reception worked a lot better in Davis and the orchards outside woodland. —MichaelNielsen
2012-03-19 20:34:36 I just went to radio shack today because I needed a 9vDC power adapter. I brought my midi keyboard in and the guy helped me fit the right size on there, even opening up a brand new adapter and plugging it into the keyboard to help me test if it would work. I'm so glad I didn't order it online, I had no idea there were 24 different sizes/models. Thank you RadioShack! —KaoSaechao
2013-08-16 09:59:25 I bought (with a great deal of help from the salesman) some specialty light bulbs. Half of them were the wrong size - wouldn't fit my socket. When I tried to exchange them for the right size the salesman turned me down flat. I was a few days past their 30-day return policy, I understand, but these were unopened boxes of expensive light bulbs, not a promotional item or a toy that might have been played with. Wouldn't discuss it. I walked out, leaving my worthless (to me) bulbs on the counter and letting him know that I would be purchasing the replacements, and any electronic items, elsewhere. —BeckyRoseman
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