Best Buy rip-off
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: madison sd
Best Buy rip-off
I had a new stereo installed in my wife's B2 for her birthday. Bought all the goodies at Best Buy and had them install it. Of course I bit on the free installation and that free installation ended up costing me 180.00 bucks. I feel like I got ripped.
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5
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"Free installation warning"
I have had similar experiences at different retailers. Picked out a nice car stereo then requested the "free installation". They always took me aside and said there is a "special kit for your vehicle that cost X dollars (one time $60)". The so called free install usually isn't free. BTW, I installed it without any "special kit" - everything was included with the unit. Always check the instructions before buying a car stereo. It will usually list any extra adapters needed and sometimes has a list of cars it will fit.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 215
Likes: 2
From: San Diego
I installed a Sony and later an Alpine CD player head unit in my BII. Both these units were a standard size that was smaller than the BII's original AM/FM/cassette head unit. I filled the gap with a piece of 5.10 rubber (I had earlier bought a fairly large sheet of this rubber to resole my rock climbing shoes) cut to size. This worked like a charm. I spliced all the electrical connections by soldering them together and covering the splices with heat-shrink tubing.
This installation was essentially free, although it took me a few hours.
That $180 is after-tax dollars and then you have to pay sales tax on top of that (unless you live in Oregon). Your pre-tax cost may be more like $360 depending on your tax bracket. That's far from "free"!
This installation was essentially free, although it took me a few hours.
That $180 is after-tax dollars and then you have to pay sales tax on top of that (unless you live in Oregon). Your pre-tax cost may be more like $360 depending on your tax bracket. That's far from "free"!
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 86
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From: rio "RATHOLE" New MExico
i like to get all my audio equpment from audio express they dont rip you off like everyone else does. you buy what you need and you pay $1 for them to install it and they did a way nice job for me "audio express Home of the one dollar installation"
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 159
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Here's my Circuit City story. My 88 Ranger had an aftermarket stereo when I got it. It started sounding strange in the front speakers. Their diagnosis was need a new stereo. After buying the stereo and "free" installation, and a 60 dollar uplift. Stereo got installed. Drove back to work, no problem got on the road to head home it got dark turned on the headlights, fog lights, rollbar lights "no dice" dark. The lighter was even disconnected.
Stereo also still had the messed up sound in the front.
Spent the weekend rewiring their mess and putting in new front speakers. Problem solved. Their free installation cost me far more in time than I can charge them for.
Stereo also still had the messed up sound in the front.
Spent the weekend rewiring their mess and putting in new front speakers. Problem solved. Their free installation cost me far more in time than I can charge them for.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 387
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From: new braunfels ,tx
Like they say " If you want something done right do it yourself."
sux you had to find out the hardwar.
sux you had to find out the hardwar.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,624
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From: Bixby, OK
the best way i've found to go iw i went to crutchfield and bought a blaupunkt head unit and they sent me all the installation hardware, such as adapters, the little thing that make's it fit in ure dash right and mounting brackets, and i spent about 30 min and it was up and going, and ended up not costing that much, i got a clearanced blaupunkt casablanca which retail on it was $330 and i got it for $150 w/ shipping so i'd deff say do it ureself and get it done right, then u have no one else to blame
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New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 8
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i vote do it yourself too, 'cause i don't like other ppl working on my vehicle...i bought an aftermarket stereo and then i went out and bought a kit to put it in, but ended up not even needing the kit...all that i used was a wire adaptor so i wouldn't have to splice into my factory wires. but i got it put in within an hour. it wasn't that hard either : ) .
New User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8
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crutchfield can do a really nice breakdown of what you need, just from the site, from there you can look for the same product and hardware from anywhere, and even if you do buy from crutchfield (i think a little bit more expensive) the products are always good and they give you such detailed instructions that most anyone could install it, you really need no knowledge on cars or audio or anything with what they give you
New User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
I actually had a great experience with Best Buy...I wanted a stereo with an aux input in the front - BB had the Aiwa on sale for $99 with free installation. The free installation clearly described that there might be additional materials needed...mine were $13. Installed in less than an hour (I went to lunch) and works great!
I had a lousy experience with Al & Eds...they messed up my dash such that the ash tray didn't close flush...that was fixed by the Best Buy guy.
I'm sure I could have done it myself but I really didn't want to bother...
I had a lousy experience with Al & Eds...they messed up my dash such that the ash tray didn't close flush...that was fixed by the Best Buy guy.
I'm sure I could have done it myself but I really didn't want to bother...
Government Teat-sucker
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 9,748
Likes: 1
From: Virginia Beach
I had a good friend take his truck (it's a 93 Chebby, but he's still my friend) to BB just this week. They got him for almost as much for the 'extras' as he paid for the stereo. He called me earlier in the day and I was almost ready to offer to do the install for him... he told me it was free, though, so I figured it would be more professional. We live in VA Beach, so when he got there, they told him it would take them three hours as he did not have an appointment. They had to take care of all those first. Well, nine hours later, he finally got his truck back! They had to go back in and re-do something for him, and, get this, they made him wait again for the appointment folks!!
Yeah, I think I'll be doing mine myself.
Yeah, I think I'll be doing mine myself.
New User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 21
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i purchased all of my stereo equipment from stores (not best buy) and put it in myself. if you purchase from crutchfield.com they give you a wiring diagram for the radio you purchase plus any adapter you might need. i put in a kenwood head unit and had one 10" bazooka running off of a 300W crossfire amp, but i have since changed that out for an aiwa head unit with an front aux input and 2 bazooka 10's in a ported truck box with horns on the side and a jenson 220W amp, and allpioneer 3-way panel speakers. all 12 gauge wiring done by me. the only thing i "outsourced" to a professional team (A-1 appliances) was my alarm, and it only cost me $60 to get installed (and i didn't buy the unit from that store).