There such a thing as honest car audio shops?

[EarDrummin. 10+ year member]

To those who work/own a shop, please don't take this the wrong way.

Today I visited Ultimate Audio to pick up a wire terminal for the box I'm building. He says.."Yeah, I think i have one in the back."

So I say, "Ok, can I have it?"

He says, "yeah, 12 bucks."

ROFL. Why do so many of them feel they have to charge 1800 percent more than what they get it for? Given everybody needs to make a buck, but it's getting rediculous. 300 to build a custom, simple, sealed box (asked b/c I was curious). 100 for a simple deck intallation. It tempts me to become educated enough to start my own business and put their prices to shame.

Anyone have any experience with shops that have reasonable prices? Car audio seems to be one of the most expensive hobbies I've yet to see. Manufacturer's stress you buy their products at msrp, and get them installed by a professional that will charge you almost as much just to get it in your car, or your warrantee is considered void. I'm getting tired of it.

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[green_slip 10+ year member]

I agree 100%. shops around here have outrageous prices for low to middle quality products.

 

[mattj 5,000+ posts]

Selling them at 10% above cost isnt going to get them anywhere. Usually with shops you can talk them down, and its best to install yourself to save the time youd have to pay them to install everything.

 

[green_slip 10+ year member]

But what if you know absolutely nothing about installation and it's your first system? I don't want to go ripping through my car destroying stuff trying to make it all work.

 

[Shugarra 10+ year member]

Shops around here charge $45-50 for deck install. Still fairly outrageous for the amount of work required but it seems better than a lot of places.

 

[davidfre21 5,000+ posts]

shops in modesto (30mins away) are decent speaker terminal was like 3bucks and got a fat pocket full of butt connectors for like 3bucks to

 

[slick316 10+ year member]

the shop i buy stuff from was honest to me from day one. i remember it like it was yesterday. i went to maybe 5 shops close by to look for an amp for my mids and highs, my eyes caught on a rockford fosgate 550x 4 channel, they had one at ultimate electronics for $550, was too high for me at the time. so i went to a local shop that carried rockford, asked about the 550x, guy said he had one left and went to counter to look at some book (i found out later that it was the pricing sheet for the products, he was looking up their cost on the amp), i guess after looking at the cost, and then added a little more on top for profit, he came up with a price, $375. i thought that was mighty nice of him, i ended up getting it, and have been buying stuff from them ever since.

moral? there are honest places, just have to find them.

 

[ssj2xxgotenxx 10+ year member]

You just gotta do it the old fashion asian way //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/greedy.gif.5a53e6246569d7ab79867170f3b06629.gif and talk them down a little. Do a little research and prove to them you know your stuff.

 

[PopcornPlaya 10+ year member]

there are honest shops, sure they are few and faw between, but they do exist. you have to find them. luckily i know someone at two different shops, and i help sell their products, so they cut me some slack. i send them customers, and they get me stuff at cost. course it never hurts when you sell about two systems a month for them, along with install, because you haven't got enough time to install for the people you reccommend to them. i do some installs on the side, wehn i have time, if i don't i tell them to go to the shop and tell them what they want, and tell them i sent them. there are honest shops, and like a lot of people are saying, youhave to find them. a favorite question of mine when going into a shop, "would you put this in your personal vehicle?"

 

[marleyskater420 5,000+ posts]

You just gotta do it the old fashion asian way //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/greedy.gif.5a53e6246569d7ab79867170f3b06629.gif and talk them down a little. Do a little research and prove to them you know your stuff.

You mean ebay? .

Its 500$ over here at some shops for a regular ol ported box.

I call this one shop over in Phili for a friend, the guy knew his stuff, but he was a major dick, had the whole "holier than thou" goin on. For the 1hr I was on the phone, I talked 5-10 minutes MAYBE. The guy just wanted to prove that "small internet brands" couldn't make it, and that he made sure I knew "I know all the best installers of the world" I took his word he did, but he seemed to like to mention that literally 10times+ and he did have this whole "well you forum goers think you know things, but you really dont" attitude, basically telling me what I think I know is stupid and just bragging about who he knows and blah blah blah, pissed me off.

Ultimate Car Toys is cool to me, although I pissed off the head dude because I "don't stay loyal" and I told him because I didnt want to buy some JL shit, just another typical JL stuckup dealer. But Kosta be cool.

ANYway... SOME shops can be cool.

 

[ssj2xxgotenxx 10+ year member]

You mean ebay?

What I meant is know how much the materials really go for. For example, you go there to buy a box and they say 65 bucks; just show him your not a chump and bust out the facts. The wood [3/4 MDF] itself only cost 20 bucks and you use a fraction of the board to produce the box not to mention you buy in bulk. Carpet, Glue, nails, and caulk only cost you a maximum of 15 bucks. So give them 35 bucks and call it a day.

 

[Below 30 10+ year member]

It's not that shops are greedy or ripping off. It's business. I use to think the same way, but learned something so very important over the years. D.I.Y.

Do it yourself. This computer for e.g. I never thought I could build myself, but it's done. The key is research, I had somebody explain it's not hard and read magazines. Don't say "Its too hard and too long to complete." Say to yourself if the installer can do it so can anyone. Another key after you learn about DIY is to go to DIY places. Don't shop for things like wire or plugs at car shops, go to DIY outlets. Here is Canadian company for e.g. that specialize in speaker parts and check the prices and quality www.loudspeakers.ca .

Think about it, that car shop doesn't have 100's of people wanting to build their own box, so nobody needs terminals. They don't buy in bulk, plus they don't move units. That is why they charge ignorant prices for simple things. Key now-a-days, is to research before going into retail. Don't rely on clerk to teach you. Go in, knowing what you want and know the MRSP. That way they try to cheat you, don't argue, go some other place. Don't forget to try order direct from factory, if too many retailers want to be fools.

 

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

The shop I go to is great....been going there for ten years. They treat their customers well, charge fair prices, and do excellent work.

I have become very good friends with them so now I get great prices on both product and installs.

 

[marleyskater420 5,000+ posts]

What I meant is know how much the materials really go for. For example, you go there to buy a box and they say 65 bucks; just show him your not a chump and bust out the facts. The wood [3/4 MDF] itself only cost 20 bucks and you use a fraction of the board to produce the box not to mention you buy in bulk. Carpet, Glue, nails, and caulk only cost you a maximum of 15 bucks. So give them 35 bucks and call it a day.

But they charge labor also. I know what you are saying though. And shops around here use staples(I know...) But most of the labor charges are what makes the price go up.

Ebay retailers dont have store fronts, so they don't need to charge a lot for all the added costs. Thats what also factors in to the expensive prices.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

It's not that shops are greedy or ripping off. It's business. I use to think the same way, but learned something so very important over the years. D.I.Y.
Do it yourself. This computer for e.g. I never thought I could build myself, but it's done. The key is research, I had somebody explain it's not hard and read magazines. Don't say "Its too hard and too long to complete." Say to yourself if the installer can do it so can anyone. Another key after you learn about DIY is to go to DIY places. Don't shop for things like wire or plugs at car shops, go to DIY outlets. Here is Canadian company for e.g. that specialize in speaker parts and check the prices and quality www.loudspeakers.ca .

Think about it, that car shop doesn't have 100's of people wanting to build their own box, so nobody needs terminals. They don't buy in bulk, plus they don't move units. That is why they charge ignorant prices for simple things. Key now-a-days, is to research before going into retail. Don't rely on clerk to teach you. Go in, knowing what you want and know the MRSP. That way they try to cheat you, don't argue, go some other place. Don't forget to try order direct from factory, if too many retailers want to be fools.

Closest thing to a coherent and useful post this guy has made yet. Of course now he says that magazines are good sources of info but technical books, "novels" was the word he used I think, don't know anything about audio.