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

[blazeplacid 10+ year member]

some of these stories sound exaggerated, but anyways

The local shops around the DFW area have always treated me well.

Sure the prices are high but that's how shops make money

Go to a mechanic and get an alternator put on.

The alt might be $140 at the store but the mechanic will mark it up to $200 and then charge labor on top

We are all spoiled by the online prices

you can get a type R for $130 shipped, or pay close to $250 in store.

I feel bad for the shop guys losing money, but at the same time the prices are high. I know the companies they are selling tell them to sell at a certain price, so you cant totally blame the shop for the price.

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Alot of you should consider yourselves lucky, you learned your lesson cheap compared to us older guys who didn't have internet stores when we broke into the hobby. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

**** skippy, I paid almost $2,500 for my first RF power 1000. That's right, $2.50 per watt. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif There was no interwebz, no Best buy, Circut shitty had only just begun, and didn't sell anything worth a ****. You had no choice but to go to local shops. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[neverfinished 10+ year member]

heres my story

i buy a hifonics 1200 amp for 220 bucks w/tax i hook it up and find its broken so i take it back and he insist on only refunding 159 dollars out of the 220 even though HE SOLD ME A BROKEN AMP. I just smiled and left with my money and when i got home gave him a bad review everywhere i could. oh yeah... DONT GO TO GURU ELECTRONICS IN SAN JOSE CA HE IS A SHADY FVCKER

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

**** skippy, I paid almost $2,500 for my first RF power 1000. That's right, $2.50 per watt. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif There was no interwebz, no Best buy, Circut shitty had only just begun, and didn't sell anything worth a ****. You had no choice but to go to local shops. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

yeah no shit...same here. You damn kids and your internetz....lol we didn't have shit but car audio magazines filled with bs reviews of equipment we couldnt afford anyways //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

heres my storyi buy a hifonics 1200 amp for 220 bucks w/tax i hook it up and find its broken so i take it back and he insist on only refunding 159 dollars out of the 220 even though HE SOLD ME A BROKEN AMP. I just smiled and left with my money and when i got home gave him a bad review everywhere i could. oh yeah... DONT GO TO GURU ELECTRONICS IN SAN JOSE CA HE IS A SHADY FVCKER

So you left with only $159? wtf...I would have said, you either refund ALL of my money, or call the police because I'm not leaving

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

i have gotten amazing deals from my local shop. they are great to deal with, let you listen to anything, and are honest. i pay less than unauthorized online at times.

Solar Vision in Davenport, IA will take care of you!

 

[neverfinished 10+ year member]

So you left with only $159? wtf...I would have said, you either refund ALL of my money, or call the police because I'm not leaving

hindsight is always 20/20 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[kurtdirt1 10+ year member]

I've never been ripped off by a local shop. I'll visit my local shops every now and again to prices things out if I don't want to wait for the item in the mail but I always end up leaving and buying it online. Prices at shops are ridiculous and most shops are just out there to take your money and nothing else.

 

[kurtdirt1 10+ year member]

So you left with only $159? wtf...I would have said, you either refund ALL of my money, or call the police because I'm not leaving

Yep, I'd do the same. I don't let people take advantage of me...shop owners don't intimidate me one bit...

 

[Franklinnn 10+ year member]

I have a true rip-off story, that wasn't one due to "i decided to pay" i was getting safety and emissions done at some hole in the wall shop that had a 40$ special for both, so thats a fair price. I know my car is in amazing shape and should pass. WRONG. I had a 194 that was burnt out for a side marker so the guy said "i cannot pass it, its not me, its the law" (i live in utah, and he easily could have just been like f*** it) and i said ill drive to walmart and get one for a few bucks. Well he went on to say i HAD to either pay him for the part and installation (20 second job) for 10$ or pay for the inspection over again......

10$ for 20 seconds of work and a 1$ bulb.....

 

[kurtdirt1 10+ year member]

I have a true rip-off story, that wasn't one due to "i decided to pay" i was getting safety and emissions done at some hole in the wall shop that had a 40$ special for both, so thats a fair price. I know my car is in amazing shape and should pass. WRONG. I had a 194 that was burnt out for a side marker so the guy said "i cannot pass it, its not me, its the law" (i live in utah, and he easily could have just been like f*** it) and i said ill drive to walmart and get one for a few bucks. Well he went on to say i HAD to either pay him for the part and installation (20 second job) for 10$ or pay for the inspection over again......
10$ for 20 seconds of work and a 1$ bulb.....

Just be glad you don't live in California...the emissions shit we have to go through is disheartening....

 

[neverfinished 10+ year member]

Just be glad you don't live in California...the emissions shit we have to go through is disheartening....

cost me 800 bucks to remove my dual exhaust and get a new exhaust system with a CARB approved catyltic converter (400+ bucks for that piece of shit in Cali) to smog my 76 blazer

 

[kurtdirt1 10+ year member]

cost me 800 bucks to remove my dual exhaust and get a new exhaust system with a CARB approved catyltic converter (400+ bucks for that piece of shit in Cali) to smog my 76 blazer

Good ole california right there...i hate this state and love it at the same time...kinda like women

 

[Drek75633 10+ year member]

Man. My local shop sells 1/0 wire kits for 65 bucks. That's the 1/0 wire signal wire fuse block w/ fuse distribution block etc...

 

[cf2004 10+ year member]

An old friend of mine went into a local shoping wanting a system. The salesman (who normaly is a good guy) sold him some stuff and told him he could make him a box (a side job for this guy, not for the store). The kid agreed. The box was a simple sealed box for 4 memphis pr 12's.

In the end, my buddy eneded up $400.00 for it w/o any covering. There wasn't even a cheazzy gold plated speaker terminal. The holes for the subs wern't even prefectly round.

I know this installer can build, I seen his work before. I was like wtf!?