# Terrible treatment from Car Audio Shop



## kenyer (Aug 20, 2015)

I have done business at one of the local car audio shops several times over the last few years. 2 installs and 1 upgrade. I have used equipment I bought both new from them and also stuff I bought online from different places. Including some speakers I bought off of here. The first time I went to this place in Knoxville, TN I took a pair of HAT speakers I bought online. I was told by the staff he had never heard of this brand and asked me if I had bought them at the mall? In the parking lot? I left my car and later he called to tell me the speakers would not fit by a fraction but that he had some Memphis M class that would fit, and sound even better. Ok, so I bought the Memphis speakers and kept the HAT until this past Summer when I went back for a complete upgrade and took the same HAT speakers. This time they installed them when I bought a pair of the same brand for the rear doors. Then, I just went back for another upgrade and was treated like my business was a waste of their time. After I paid full retail for a JL Audio HD 600/4 from them. And get this, the installer broke a piece on the grill of the mid speaker and broke the housing of the tweeter. I say this with my hand on the face of God. It happened. I am a quiet person and each time I was there I waited patiently and quietly for hours until they had finished so it's not like I am somebody who was up and about talking to other customers or the staff and making a nuisance of myself. With all the competition in car audio these days and the state of the retail business it blows me away that a shop like this would treat a customer like that. Am I tore up about all this? Well, I am up at 6 am on Saturday morning typing away at my frustration. Anybody have any thoughts on this?


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## sqnut (Dec 24, 2009)

Unfortunately in the real world, sometimes people don't take notice of you till you get in their face. That said, the shops customer service and skill level seem to be pretty average. Did they replace the grill and housing?


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## DDfusion (Apr 23, 2015)

The real question is why did you go back to that shop?


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## ecobass (Oct 15, 2012)

There is a reason why i do a lot of reading and research on car audio here at diy , I have been to this car audio shops and they suck charge crazy amounts of money for some thing that you can do if you take the time to learn it , not only that but they all have a couple or 3 brands they push to sell = hertz , kicker, audison etc. They will swear they are the best out there because that's what they make profit from . Some sell jl audio some shops will tell jl is no good , it all depends on what brands they make profit on.

My suggestion is stay away from car audio shops , buy what you wan't online and install it your self , i did not know anything about mobile audio in a couple of years back but now i can do basic installs like radios and amps, i also sound deaden my own ride with second skin and im running an active set up with the pioneer 80 prs, All installed by my self i will have to hire some one to tune it because is very complicated and you need tuning tools but basic installs i can do.

Fabrication like sub boxes and speaker adapters is some thing i can't do right now but i'll learn eventually , remember when you install yourself take the time to research the product like sub, head unit, amp etc.. and use the best you can afford quality power and ground wire, rca cables and pure copper or better speaker wire they all make a difference , this a shop don't care about they are after the money in the less possible time , how i know this ? because i hire a shop once and won't do it again.

hope this helps you feel better , you are not the first or last one that has or would have a bad experience with car audio install shops , these shops are not meant for true enthusiasts like us here at diy , they are for the regular customer that can't tell the difference between 2 different amps , sound wise and looks.


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## ecobass (Oct 15, 2012)

DDfusion said:


> The real question is why did you go back to that shop?


It's done already so don't add more stress , would you?


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## DDfusion (Apr 23, 2015)

ecobass said:


> It's done already so don't add more stress , would you?


He let himself get boned by the same shop 3 times. 
Should we all give him a cookie?


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## sqnut (Dec 24, 2009)

DDfusion said:


> He let himself get boned by the same shop 3 times.
> Should we all give him a cookie?


Absolutely not, we should be douche bags.


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## percy072 (Feb 13, 2014)

ecobass said:


> There is a reason why i do a lot of reading and research on car audio here at diy , I have been to this car audio shops and they suck charge crazy amounts of money for some thing that you can do if you take the time to learn it , not only that but they all have a couple or 3 brands they push to sell = hertz , kicker, audison etc. They will swear they are the best out there because that's what they make profit from . Some sell jl audio some shops will tell jl is no good , it all depends on what brands they make profit on.
> 
> My suggestion is stay away from car audio shops , buy what you wan't online and install it your self , i did not know anything about mobile audio in a couple of years back but now i can do basic installs like radios and amps, i also sound deaden my own ride with second skin and im running an active set up with the pioneer 80 prs, All installed by my self i will have to hire some one to tune it because is very complicated and you need tuning tools but basic installs i can do.
> 
> ...


^^Took the words right out of my mouth^^ I had a shop do a complete overhaul/upgrade on a Mustang I had at the time and although they were good guys...I was never "happy" with the results.

I took matters into my own hands, rolled up my sleeves and started doing my own installs, baffles, Processor, amps etc... Still learning, experimenting but now I've got a set-up that I am proud of. Only time I deal with the local shop is for materials, wiring, CLD but they don't touch my car anymore. 

Nothing worse than paying someone big $$ to do something that can be learned by just digging into it and probably end up with better results. Especially if your just having them swap speakers...


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## PorkCereal (Nov 24, 2009)

Main problem i see is that you went in wanting one thing, then allowed yourself get talked out of it because you didnt educate yourself. Shame on you. I'm almost certain a small spacer/baffle would have allowed your first set to fit in the first place. Do a little research before hand to have a basic knowledge of what your paying for. This goes for anything you do.


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## Weigel21 (Sep 8, 2014)

kenyer said:


> Ok, so I bought the Memphis speakers and kept the HAT until this past Summer when I went back for a complete upgrade and took the same HAT speakers. This time they installed them when I bought a pair of the same brand for the rear doors.


Wait, are you saying they later got Hybrid Audio as a brand they sell after your first visit? Love how the sales guy hadn't ever heard of HAT and still was able to claim the Memphis would sound better. HUGE red flag to me, but...


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## ecobass (Oct 15, 2012)

Not too long ago i wen't to a install shop to get some fabrication done , I already had the speakers with me when i walked in and they did try and pushed to sell me some hertz drivers but that didn't work , so they switched to Hat drivers and didn't work either so i understand the Op, but remember you gotta be firm and know what you wan't and what you don't wan't before you open that door , they are sales people in car audio that's how they make that money and with installs too have a budget and stick to it.

They are testing how weak or strong minded person you are, the younger you look they think " we gotcha " but i don't look all that young and they still tried but when I told them " I'm still researching and doing home work " the knew I wasent fall for a sales pitch , so they stop right there. Do your home work and start installing on your own , yes there is a risk when you don't have the experience to install but that's part of the process , you got a lot of good folks here that can answer questions before you go out to your car and start tearing interior apart , "before" not during or after. This is actually the fun part of this hobby to me , not having a clue about something you really wanna to and going forward and learning it , lose that fear but take safety precautions , right down and draw an install plan , mark your wires and wright notes and tape them to the wires if you have to LOL, specially when doing an active set up for the first time, not only you will save money but but most important you won't take short cuts since it's your own car and you learn a lot in the process.


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## ecobass (Oct 15, 2012)

percy072 said:


> ^^Took the words right out of my mouth^^ I had a shop do a complete overhaul/upgrade on a Mustang I had at the time and although they were good guys...I was never "happy" with the results.
> 
> I took matters into my own hands, rolled up my sleeves and started doing my own installs, baffles, Processor, amps etc... Still learning, experimenting but now I've got a set-up that I am proud of. Only time I deal with the local shop is for materials, wiring, CLD but they don't touch my car anymore.
> 
> Nothing worse than paying someone big $$ to do something that can be learned by just digging into it and probably end up with better results. Especially if your just having them swap speakers...


 Agree with you 100% , nothing worse than paying more in labor then the retail price of the equipment itself to come and find out the hacked up install job they did on your ride and to hear them say " it's gonna be so much" almost like making fun of you in your face, i swear you wanna grab them by the neck and choke them lol... They won't care they're doing you wrong , for these shops it's all about the money not customer satisfaction.


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## kenyer (Aug 20, 2015)

The first time I went I admit that I wasn't very educated in car audio..But in my defense the reason I had the Imagines at that time is because I did do some research and they were the best speaker in my price range I could come up with. I've been more of a home audiophile until this past year or so. And YES to the guy who asked if they now sell HAT but didn't a few years ago when the guy at the shop said he had never heard of them. I really don't care what anybody thinks of me personally because I know who I am and what my character is. And I have learned how to let things go and get into the solution and out of the problem. And no they didn't replace the grill pieces because their response is that I bought the speakers used and they came that way. I double checked with the seller on here and he confirmed they had no damage when I bought them, which I already knew because I checked everything out when the pkg arrived. Why did I keep going back? Well I only went there 3 times to have any work done. It was 5 yrs in between the first time I went and I guess I gave the guy benefit of the doubt that maybe he really never had heard of HAT. The thing is is that I work in healthcare and have for the past 19 yrs. I work all 3 shifts with some of them being double 16 hr shifts and sometimes it's hard to tell if it's day or night. Plus I am dealing with people already having a bad day or in a all out crisis trying to stay alive so when I come home at the end of my shift, or shifts I am pretty stressed out myself. About the only thing I have any energy left for is keeping my lawn and landscape looking good and taking care of my very sick mother. I do my occupation because I sincerely like helping people. And I do my job with a caring and compassionate attitude that is real and from the heart. It never occurs to me to beat anyone out of so much as a penny. I would much rather give than take but that way didn't come to me until later in life after I had lived on the other side of the tracks so to speak. It's not like I am sitting here on my throne throwing rocks at all the people I think are bad. And I rarely hardly ever complain about anything. But when I spend my money for something or for a service you better believe I want what I am paying for without getting taken advantage of or treated like I'm some kind of pain in the ass. All you guys who are taking my story personally and throwing your little jabs. Funny : ) The End


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## Weigel21 (Sep 8, 2014)

I'm not trying to speak ill of you in any way, so please don't take offense. Not all was known of the situation, such as there being a 5 year gap between visits, and not all is known by us now either. 

I found it odd he claimed one speaker is far better than another without ever having heard both and mostly because he'd never heard of the brand before. Granted, similar happens all the time on forums like this and I too have been guilty of similar. 

Won't go into what you could have/should have done, as nothing can be changed now and I'm sure even you see things you'd liked to have done differently. Live and learn as they say. 


Seems more and more, kind people are taken advantage of and results are only gotten by those who become A-holes. Sad what the world has become.


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## kenyer (Aug 20, 2015)

Right On Brother, could not agree more


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## Onyx1136 (Mar 15, 2009)

The reality here is you ran into one of a number of low quality car audio shops. It sux, but it happens. But, it's highly unfair to say that all or even most car audio shops are that way. There are plenty of really, really high quality high integrity car audio shops all across this country. It sometimes takes a little research to find them, and it may require driving to get to them, but the level of expertise and service that they provide is worth it if you don't want to experience the types of issues that you've had. 

It's short sighted to suggest that everyone become their own installer. Could most people do many of the necessary tasks? Possibly. Could they do it to the level of the top technicians in the industry? Doubtful. 

Car audio shops exist for 2 good reasons.
1. Convenience- many people simply don't have the time, energy, or desire to learn all the necessary skills and technical aspects needed to do their own work. It's more convenient to drop your car off in the morning, and pick it up that evening finished. We all have jobs, families, friends and lives to live. If given the choice, and assuming a high quality finished product, the average consumer would prefer to have their product installed by a competent, skilled, technically proficient installer/technician. 

2. Difficulty- Some of this **** is difficult. Not all of it, but some. The learning curve for SOME, not all, of the things that we need to know to do 12v integration can be steep. For many people, it's simply not worth it to amass the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to do high quality mobile integration. Especially when we start talking about high quality fabrication, or integrating processors into factory source units. The tooling alone can be a substantial monetary investment. 

I'm not suggesting that no one bother to learn about 12v, quite the opposite actually. I would suggest that everyone learn a little something about installing vehicle electronics, or just a little bit about electronics in general.

It's just that having worked in the industry, I feel compelled to help people understand that just because they had one, or even multiple bad experiences at a 12v retailer doesn't mean that there aren't retailers out there that practice fantastic customer service, no-pressure sales techniques, and employ highly skilled, experienced, and knowledgeable technicians and fabricators. As a matter of fact, we have a whole forum on this board dedicated to helping people find the best shops in the country, with testimonials, pictures, build logs and everything. Coincidentally, the OP has arguably the best shop in the country just a few hours away in Clarksville, TN. Is it worth it to drive 4 hours to get a pair of speakers installed? That's for the OP to decide. But, I'm betting that after his previous experiences he might see the value in it. 

Just understand that getting in to doing your own installs can be extremely rewarding, but it can also get extremely expensive and time consuming if you don't already own the necessary tools and knowledge. There's a place in the industry for both the professional 12v retailers and technicians, as well as the DIYers. 

I wish more retailers adhered to a higher standard, as it would help the whole industry tremendously. But, there are definitely still top quality car audio shops out there. And if you are inclined to look for them, I'm fairly certain they would change your outlook on what a car audio shop should be. 

To the OP, best of luck in the future, whichever route you decide to go.


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## kenyer (Aug 20, 2015)

F Me. Guys I just typed out a whole story on the install of my 99 Subaru Outback when I had to help my mother to the restroom and it timed out before I sent it..So long story shortened. 99 Outback with 6.5in HAT Imagines installed in the front doors and for now 6in Memphis M Class in the rear doors. I bought 2 Linear Power amps I sent off to Ray Rayfield to be restored and upgraded with one being a 2202IQ and the other a 2002. The 2202IQ was hooked up to the Imagines and I won't use the 2002 until I get better speakers for the rear. The head unit is a Alpine CDA 149BT. Here is what surprised me. My other Outback is a 04 with a Pioneer CDE p800PRS head unit, 6.5in HAT Clarus in the front doors and HAT 5.25 Mirrus in the rear with a brand new JL Audio HD600/4 amp powering all 4 speakers. The Linear Power amps though make the Imagines sound better than the Clarus do. The doors where the Clarus are mounted have a full treatment of Dynamat while the Imagines in the 99 car only have Dynamat surrounding the speakers. The sound of acoustic guitar, drums and percussion instruments, horns, and just overall bass is soo much better with the Linear Power amps it's just amazing. The install this time was done by a different shop and even though I am happy he was able to get the Imagines to fit well in the front doors a couple other things disappoint me. After headed home I find the door of the faceplate on the 149BT won't open for a CD because it is installed too far back and the frame of the console won't let it open and plus the unit is sitting a little crooked. Then I look closer under the seat where we agreed to mount the 2202IQ amp and see there are 2 fairly large cables and some type of wiring harness laying on the amp. And only 2 of the mounting feet are screwed down while the amp is mounted directly on the carpet and up against a hump of the floor board. Am I being to picky or is it ok to mount a amp like this? So now I'm going back next week to have the head unit reset and wondering if I should say something about how the amp is mounted. But above all I was thoroughly impressed with how the Linear Power amp made the Imagines sound better than the Clarus do with the HD 600/4. I'll be looking for a couple more LP amps now to replace the HD600/4 but I am grateful to have had a great opportunity to compare old school to new school and no doubt with the equipment I am using the old school class A/B rules over the new class D full range. And Ray Rayfield is a real cool guy also.


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## Weigel21 (Sep 8, 2014)

Honestly surprised to hear the installer didn't check to make sure the faceplate folds down, I've always check such things, granted I don't do many installs as it's more so a hobby. 

The mounting of the amp directly on the carpet concerns me a little as well, but it seems to be done all the time, usually without any ill effects. But seriously, he didn't secure the amp using all the mounting feet.

What gives? Why does it seem many installers these days half ass their installs so they can get more in throughout the day. I mean sure, they get more installs in, thus more profits, but they can't honestly get repeat business like that or a good reputation to bring in new customers. 

I guess that's why we're on a DIY forum, many of us are probably tired of the sloppy half-assed installs we are wasting good money on these days and are opting to do it ourselves to get the job done more to our satisfaction, while saving a few bucks at the same time.


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## lashlee (Aug 16, 2007)

I'm in Knoxville, and know of a shop in Crossville that can help you out the next time you need some work done. PM or email me if you want.


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## kenyer (Aug 20, 2015)

Hi Weigel21. I honesty don't know what gives. For one thing most of the installing staff are of our younger generation. I won't go any deeper into that. I truly don't have the time to do my own work and at the same time would rather somebody who is experienced and knows exactly what their doing to install the equipment I spend so much time researching and hunting down so I can enjoy it. I'm new in car audio so it's just a matter of finding somebody close to me who is own the same page with me and I'll stop my bitching. It's nice to see somebody locally on here who is trying to help me out


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## SQLnovice (Jul 22, 2014)

I had the similar problems with a few audio shops in the past. However, it was my fault of not knowing enough. The best way I can put it, would be like me going to Denny's expecting to be serve a nice juicy steak which I normally get from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. I just simply went to the wrong shops. The price I was quoted to do the work I wanted was within my budget at the time. However, after been on here for a while, I now realized the quality of work I want would cost between 3 to 6 times what these shop charges. So I enter the hobby of DIY. If I ever have the disposable $$$, I would definitely visit some of the high end shops and go from there.


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## Weigel21 (Sep 8, 2014)

Similar around here. We have but two audio shops that do installations, both of which employ young kids, literally, some of them are still in high school. I'd like to believe that in good time, they'll become good installers, but by that point, they'll probably have moved on and other inexperienced high school kids will have replaced them. 

I tried applying to one of them around five years ago, but the owner told me he had plenty of car audio installers and was in need of home audio installers, which I flat out told him I've not done anything more than put up HTIB systems, which was nothing more than plug and play. 

What he was in need of were technicians capable of installing entire theater systems, like the $170k theater room install in a $3M house being built here in town. House is ridiculous, over 10k sqft living space and 5k sqft garage space ALL for just a single couple who's children have grown up and moved away. Damn I wish I had oil money like that. 

Best of luck with any future installs, seems like lashlee may have your back for that though.


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## gstokes (Apr 20, 2014)

Car Stereo City is another one to steer clear of..

It's the type of place you walk into and tell him what you got and what you want and instead of quoting you a price he just asks you how much money you got..

He's a schmuck and one to avoid..

17825 Sw Tualatin Valley Hwy, Beaverton, OR 97003


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## SO20thCentury (Sep 18, 2014)

I'm done trying to deal with a shop here myself. Ironically doing a lot of research on here I could see how so many projects are done nicely by diy-ers, not even professionals, so had apparently unreasonable expectations in the work of "professionals". It is amazing, and ego-inflating to find how little some professionals know. Good luck going forward OP.


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