The worst you've been ripped off by your local shop?

[Horsemanwill 10+ year member]

true but it still sucks that shops charge so much over than what they should

who decides what they should?

nothing to really do except **** it up and just not go to shops unless absolutely needed.
x2 on the dealer cost. shit when it comes down to it, they paid less than what its found online for

that's not always the case.

You cant compare online prices to local B&M prices. If you owned a business that had to compete with internet sales, you would understand. No, they wont refund you, nor should they. Chalk it up to experience.

what he said

Why dont you just open up your own internet car audio store and take it to the bank. Here is the difference between a online retailer and a brick and mortor store when it comes down to money. Mike@Woofers.ect for example will direct wire $300,000 to any manufactuer same day for up to 2 truck loads of product. So they can get product at any where between 10-30% over manufacturing cost. It just depends how bad that certain manufactuer wants to move his gear. Dealers that dont have that type of cash flow have to settle for 50-100% over manufacturing costs AND are on strict contracts at which they can sell and advertise the product. Good example. Kicker buys 1000 amps from China for $100 but then has trouble moving 500 of them and offer up dealers sales to blow them out. Now they go back to China and say we only need 500 this round. China says...whoa now, our deal is 1000 @ $100 each. They turn around and tell Kicker if it is only 500 the cost is now $150 an amp. Kicker has to think about this, they dont care to loose the discount either. They contact Mike @ Woofers and say hey I will sell you 500 amps for $135 each if you snatch all them up today. So Woofers wires $67,500 to Kicker and now sell them online for say $200. Dealers now have to help pay for Kickers advertising, sponsorships, and all the overhead and dealers pay $200 per amp and then inturn sell it for MSRP of $400 and/or have a sale on the amps for $300. they still cant compete with Woofers and then have guys on the internet *****ing about a dealer ripping them off. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif
I best edit this quick cause I already no what responses I will be receiving.

India

Korea

Indonesia

Taiwan

China

Phillipines

Mexico

Think before you speak beacuse these countries all do it cheaper and YOUR American jobs are over there cause it's cheaper on the "internet" (as in local guy)

x1000000000000

 

[cichlid_baby 10+ year member]

To the OP...

You are NOT getting "ripped off" if you agree to pay them the price they are asking... whatever reason.. if you are too lazy or in this case "embarrassed" to be a smart shopper.. want the ease and convenience.. might be paying more for better level of service.. perhaps the girlfriend is with you and you feel more generous that day.. maybe you don't want to be seen as a cheapskate... etc..

You are not being ripped off if you agree to pay it.

 

[cichlid_baby 10+ year member]

You made the comment on what your child must eat revolves around your car audio purchases, not me. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif But before you get your panties in a wad again, know that I was making a simple tongue-in-cheek joke. Dont take it so personal.

No prob.. I understood your comment.. saw the smiley........ //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I was just restating my point incase I was unclear.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

No prob.. I understood your comment.. saw the smiley........ //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I was just restating my point incase I was unclear.

Roger that. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[groundpound4200 5,000+ posts]

$8.50 a foot for Kicker Hyperflex 1/0 gauge. I needed a few feet to get my sub amp running and I picked up about 6 feet //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[NeverEnuffBass 10+ year member]

You have to consider a shop close to will always charge more than online. Why you ask.1. Cause its convenient and right there.

2. You dont have to wait 3-7 days on shipping.

3. Overhead on a shop its out of control.

There are many factors that come into play. As a buddy of mine owns a shop in hawaii. He always gave me a good deal but for the normal person its gonna be high.

As stated, most shops don't buy in bulk as many chain stores do. Most shops can get what you need within a day or two. Most shops are authorized dealers that will honor warranties. If there is a problem with anything you can go to a shop and talk to an actual human, not deal with voice recordings and or people in other countries who you can barely understand.

I have a quote hanging in the office at work about our "internet policy" which I will post here tomorrow, some of you may get a kick out of it.

I get people calling the shop everyday asking for prices and then ***** to me about how much cheaper they can buy it for online. They then show up and have me install it (most of which says refurbished right on it) which I dont mind doing but as soon as something goes wrong with the product they come back whining about it expecting me to help them out. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[kfx450r 10+ year member]

Never really ripped by a shop but my lack of knowledge cost me some mula, bout 2 years ago i had like 800$ to spend on sound, i knew NOTHING about anything so I went to circuit city got 2x 12s in a box for like 200$ and a sony amp for like 140$ then a pair of polk door speakers for 100$ and a sony xplod head unit for 100$. And some wiring and stuff but that wasnt expensive.

Anyways knowing what i know now I couldve had a pretty sweet setup for that ammount.

 

[infamous_e46 5,000+ posts]

a guy around here with a charger paid 2500 for a w7 12 a hifonics 1206d a cheap indash and install

 

[Twisted_0912 10+ year member]

wasnt really a local shop it was best buy which was a huge mistake i should have listened to my gut. But like everyone else when you got your amps subs and speakers all in the car but need the wire you are really eager to get the wire to get it all running. Bought a dual amp kit from them had speaker wire 2 dist blocks 100 amp fuse 4/0 gauge wire ground etc etc 135$ i was like owell i can afford it bought it went home wired it up blah blah blah week later found out about a website cant think of it. My friend told me about and it is about 30 miles from me and i could get all the wire fuses everything for about 80 bucks shipped to MY HOUSE. I hate bestbuy all the car audio people are retarted high school kids

your getting your box built by a retarded highschool kid //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

As stated, most shops don't buy in bulk as many chain stores do. Most shops can get what you need within a day or two. Most shops are authorized dealers that will honor warranties. If there is a problem with anything you can go to a shop and talk to an actual human, not deal with voice recordings and or people in other countries who you can barely understand.
I have a quote hanging in the office at work about our "internet policy" which I will post here tomorrow, some of you may get a kick out of it.

I get people calling the shop everyday asking for prices and then ***** to me about how much cheaper they can buy it for online. They then show up and have me install it (most of which says refurbished right on it) which I dont mind doing but as soon as something goes wrong with the product they come back whining about it expecting me to help them out. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

Sounds like your shop has the right attitude. In the age of internet sales, that genie cannot be put back into the bottle, and local B&M's need to shift away from direct sales (somewhat) for the majority of their income and more towards labor. I commend you for understanding this, as Ive seen many shops that refuse to install product that was not purchased there.

 

[jon_k 10+ year member]

If you'd feed your child substandard food to pay for your car audio habit, something is wrong.

If I had to pay 250 for an item that cost $50, I WOULD have to get substandard food! That would mean a $300 amp would cost about $900! For a full beginner system you could spend thousands for a system that would cost a few hundred.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

If I had to pay 250 for an item that cost $50, I WOULD have to get substandard food! That would mean a $300 amp would cost about $900! For a full beginner system you could spend thousands for a system that would cost a few hundred.

Ive been there, done that. I started on this hobby long before internet sales set the industry on its ear. I remember the days of paying a dollar a watt, or several dollars a foot for 4awg wire, or $30 for a single sheet of 24" x 30" asphalt based dynamat original, and being told they were giving me such a great deal because they liked me.

 

[Winter_C 10+ year member]

Sounds like your shop has the right attitude. In the age of internet sales, that genie cannot be put back into the bottle, and local B&M's need to shift away from direct sales (somewhat) for the majority of their income and more towards labor. I commend you for understanding this, as Ive seen many shops that refuse to install product that was not purchased there.

Yeah he does....our local shop charges 45$ an hour on installs that aint purchased there. other tahn that, u pay 45$ for the install, no matter how many hours they put into it, if you purchase product there.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

I remember the days of paying a dollar a watt,

Do I wish //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[dennit469 10+ year member]

8 feet of 0awg wire, 50 dollars