Local Car Audio Shop Experience

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

I've not paid tax a few time when paying cash.

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

Im friends with the local car audio shop owners and have a lot of friends that are dealers for a ton of different companies so I mainly buy local if they have what I need. I also get everything at dealer cost //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

I did buy my subs and welding wire online though.

 

[vnisme 10+ year member]

Why would I buy it from there for over $40 + tax in your scenario, when I could get it for less, and without tax. That doesn't make sense. Don't Online retailers offer warranty if anything happened? My friend "knows" these guys cause they probably love how much they eat off of him, and he told me that we can negotiate tax. And if I did buy it from the store and used the warranty, would they exchange me subwoofers? I can see them telling me to call the Brand about the warranty. I've been to a shop where sometimes this guy decided to put tax on it, sometimes it was a flat fee, so I am just going by experience not because I think that I should not pay tax for something. At these places, I've seen that prices are always negotiable. Would you rather sit on that product all day long because everyone knows they can get it for cheaper, or would you rather make a little profit and continue moving product? I don't mind paying extra if it is reasonable.. but if I can save $40+ why would I not do that? I'm not made of money.. Because I decide to use my brain, and as a consumer I wanted to make a smarter decision, I have no credibility? I am just posting my experience and another poster already said that the place is overcharged and has BS sales pitches all day.. The guy didn't even know what subwoofer I was talking about, I had to say DC audio, 8 inch, cause he didn't understand DC M3 8. So I should pay these guys to do my installation everytime, instead of doing it myself? where is the joy if I didn't even know anything about wiring my subs up, and installing the amps, and what to do if X happened... I would rather have experience than have a shop take it away from me.

 

[the727kid 10+ year member]

Because you will be pay $40 in shipping sending it back to your maybe authorized dealer. Even IF they pay for the shipping for you, you are out of music for at least a week. When I was 16 and broke, I didn't care I wanted cheap as possible, so I understand. But I am not so broke any more and I like having my product when I want it, don't have to worry about damage in shipping, and easy returns/swaps if I don't like it or if something happens. A few bucks is worth that premium. I don't know about all shops, but if you buy from us and it is a legit warranty claim we will swap on site. If you bought the extended warranty, we will swap on site even if you smoked it.

Any place I have seen that puts tax into shelf price is a ghetto back door type of place. No matter what you pay tax. They are just discounting that amount for you. Or they aren't reporting their earnings, which again is a place I would not want to buy from or have work on my car. I have no problem at all negotiation a price, but I absolutely will not sell for cost unless I am getting labor too.

 

[vnisme 10+ year member]

I understand from your point of view as the car audio dealer that I may not be the customer you care about, but what If you didn't offer warranty with it, would that make it easier to be near online prices? I am not expecting anyone to match it, but when I can save $40, you bet as the consumer I will do it.. If it was reasonably close then I would do it, but as another poster said this place was not an authorized dealer and buys it off of wooferetc, so how are they suppose to make a profit when I get the same prices for their product... LOL This is like when I asked my friend to sell me his graphics card for $40 because I see it ebay for $40 used, and he wants to sell it to me for $80 because that's what he paid for it a year ago.... Would you pay $80 because he thought that is what you should pay? or would you go for the one for $40?

 

[the727kid 10+ year member]

That shop sounds like a joke and shouldn't be in business lol. Anything I would sell would be authorized and come with a warranty. No way around it, if your buying it, your getting the factory warranty too.

I think your example is different. But to answer your question, no I wouldn't pay full price for a used item. Used stuff is a whole different market. However I would consider meeting him the middle if I knew the card was in excellent shape and he is the type of guy that takes care of his stuff. I would pay a few bucks extra to help friend and to know exactly where my product is coming from. Where as with eBay you may get a Chinese rip-off, or nothing at all, or the actual thing but broken.

 

[vnisme 10+ year member]

It was a joke... just a bunch of thugs running a store. That was my experience at the shop. I am willing to pay extra, just not when it is $40 more. I am sure if I went to another store that was authorized, they probably could give me better pricing and I would've taken it, but I just don't see that happening if you are buying from an online site that everyone can access. There will always be lots of people who need installation done because they don't care about learning this stuff, or simply too lazy, or don't want too. Shouldn't that be the bulk of the profits, rather than sales of products? With the internet now, I don't see how car audio dealers can make a living just off of small sales, I see it as icing on the cake for them? I don't know jack about car audio business, just asking questions now.

 

[the727kid 10+ year member]

Labor is how shops stay a float. I have people that laugh when I say it's $65 to put in a deck + parts. Then they come back after spending 2 days and half the dash is broken and the harness is cut, asking for help. What people fail to realize is your not only paying for my time, you are also paying for my knowledge and experience. Majority of people are happy to pay to get it done right. Some are cheap (like me) and will learn and try to get something done right the first time.... but at the end of the day labor is what keeps the business rolling.

 

[vnisme 10+ year member]

And if you told me that, I would not have a problem paying that because I'm not skilled enough to do that and have it come out super clean. I was told America has now became a service economy, since everything is overseas, and with the internet, I don't think it's a great time to be a store front trying to get as much profit out of a product. But I believe that there will always be a ton of people who do not know how to do this stuff, because I feel that there are very few people who want to actually learn about car audio besides those already on the forums.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Because you will be pay $40 in shipping sending it back to your maybe authorized dealer. Even IF they pay for the shipping for you, you are out of music for at least a week. When I was 16 and broke, I didn't care I wanted cheap as possible, so I understand. But I am not so broke any more and I like having my product when I want it, don't have to worry about damage in shipping, and easy returns/swaps if I don't like it or if something happens. A few bucks is worth that premium. I don't know about all shops, but if you buy from us and it is a legit warranty claim we will swap on site. If you bought the extended warranty, we will swap on site even if you smoked it.
Any place I have seen that puts tax into shelf price is a ghetto back door type of place. No matter what you pay tax. They are just discounting that amount for you. Or they aren't reporting their earnings, which again is a place I would not want to buy from or have work on my car. I have no problem at all negotiation a price, but I absolutely will not sell for cost unless I am getting labor too.

havent you read, the shop he went to ARE NOT AUTHORIZED dealers. that 40 extra doesnt cover any of that sh*t he still do the same sh*t as if he ordered online which is pay the return shipping and ship it to the manufacturer.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

And if you told me that, I would not have a problem paying that because I'm not skilled enough to do that and have it come out super clean. I was told America has now became a service economy, since everything is overseas, and with the internet, I don't think it's a great time to be a store front trying to get as much profit out of a product. But I believe that there will always be a ton of people who do not know how to do this stuff, because I feel that there are very few people who want to actually learn about car audio besides those already on the forums.

you sure you just wanna do a single 8? there's some deals on other subs on craigslist and Facebook so cal audio groups atm. BTW i'm a 10 mins right down stereo blvd lol.

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

Funny, I won an auction for DC Audio M38 8's, a pair(ebay). Way less than buying new. They look hardly used when I got them. Sold one kept the other. Planning a small audio in my s10 ext cab.

 

[vnisme 10+ year member]

I have a JBL W15 GTI if I always wanted to go back hahaha. I tried 8's just to see if they could wang.. I currently built a t-line at 37 hz with the IX-8's and its pretty impressive. They're $40 subwoofers, so I said F... it. I wish they could go a little lower, so I just pulled the trigger on 2 SA-8 v3. I saw some B-stocks going for cheap and I had to act fast... It was sold out after I think.. I'm getting a new monoblock amp, cause right now I'm running my subs on a 4 channel amp... LOL. If it's not loud enough, I will just try to build the manufacturer spec enclosure for the JBL

 

[vnisme 10+ year member]

Man, Stereo Blvd is like in the hood... LOL Do you think that facebook group would be a good place to post up audio equipment I'm trying to sell? Shipping sounds like a nightmare..