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Car Forum / Dodge / Dodge Trucks / May 2006This is off to a poor start
I posted earlier about taking my truck in to car toys to get a new stereo install. Last Thursday I was quoted for an Alpine head unit, Alpine CD changer, Sirius adapter, Alpine amp, wiring, Infinity reference series speakers, all installed. All for the everyday low price of $1,400 and a few dollars, seven or nine, I forget. Today I take the truck in to drop it off to get the work done on Monday and the first thing he starts telling me is he "forgot" to add the CD changer in the price. But, he'll cut me a "deal", free install on the changer and a discount on the changer, he needs to talk to the manager to get the "discount" so I don't know what that's going to be. In fairness, I went over the numbers with him last Thursday and all looked in order. What he did was write on a piece of scratch paper and used stock numbers instead of descriptions with the money beside them. I do recall asking "where's the amp" and he pointed it out to me. It looked like he had accounted for everything but I didn't check too closely, after all, he's the professional here. What do you guys think, honest mistake or a pattern of deception? I'll be calling first thing in the morning before they can get anything rolling on the install. Unfortunately, I can't be there, I already have appointments to keep tomorrow. I would probably put a hold on the install until you see what he is doing. I would make him go back over what he did include and see if it comes out to the same prices per unit for the initial deal. If it looks the same and the CD changer was not included then he simply forgot. You could also do a little research on the web and get prices on what he said the estimate was based on and see how close you get to his price (excluding labor). You probably should have gotten a written estimate including the components to be installed when you agreed to the deal.  SignatureIf at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving > I posted earlier about taking my truck in to car toys to get a new stereo > install. Last Thursday I was quoted for an Alpine head unit, Alpine CD [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > the install. Unfortunately, I can't be there, I already have appointments > to keep tomorrow. You're correct on all counts. I do business informally, 99.9% of the time it's fine. This time I did it again this morning, left a message for the sales guy to stop, he never got it. I didn't have time to follow up, after this mornings appointment it was one crisis after another. The truck will be ready in a couple hours. Lesson learned. One the other hand, it should be pretty slick. >I would probably put a hold on the install until you see what he is doing. > I would make him go back over what he did include and see if it comes out [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] >> appointments >> to keep tomorrow. I bet that he did get it, he just didn't want to lose the sale. Since this makes two screw-ups on the same install and both of them on their side, I would make him either honor the original price for EVERYTHING, or make him remove it all. SignatureIf at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving > You're correct on all counts. I do business informally, 99.9% of the time > it's fine. This time I did it again this morning, left a message for the [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > >> appointments > >> to keep tomorrow. I believe you're absolutely correct. I had to wait on the truck Tuesday evening and got to watch the guy in action. He has no problem with "truth stretching", he's on commission and after watching his boss work, I think it's part of that particular store's MO. I suspect but can't be sure that the omission of the CD changer from the original quote was a "come on" "mistake". On the other hand, now that everything is clear, I can see that everything I asked for is on the bill at the prices posted in the store. Which leaves labor as the only undefined pricing and that's where he got to me. I think it's a good system, does what I wanted, but I won't be doing business with them again and will advise others to be very careful of them. Thanks for helping me think this out. >I bet that he did get it, he just didn't want to lose the sale. Since this > makes two screw-ups on the same install and both of them on their side, I [quoted text clipped - 73 lines] >> >> appointments >> >> to keep tomorrow. Not familiar with the store, but $1400+ for that, installed, is a rip off. I am in that business and that is WAY too high. I would not do it if it were me. First, why a CD Changer, you can fit more on one disk encoded in MP3 then you can in a changer, be it 6 or 12 disc. Plus, there is the room factor. Amp, what brand, I hope not Infinity, they are HUGE and over rated. Alpine, ok. As a break down in pricing, using what we sell, Infinity Ref 6x9 (front)$ 120.00 " " 5.25 (rear) $80.00 Phoenix Gold Amp $150.00 JVC KD-AR770 AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA/Aux in/USB in/Sirius Ready $300.00 JVC SIR1 Sirius Tuner $130.00 Labor, 25 deck, 25 per pair speakers, 65 amp Call it 950 after taxes, installed out the door. 4 hours. >I posted earlier about taking my truck in to car toys to get a new stereo >install. Last Thursday I was quoted for an Alpine head unit, Alpine CD [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > the install. Unfortunately, I can't be there, I already have appointments > to keep tomorrow. Oh yeah, a couple other things you should know, If you have a 03 or newer Ram with the factory premium system, you MUST bypass the factory amp, or the Infinity Ref's you just bought will sound like sh.t due to how the factory system is crossed over. To do this, you have to take apart the entire dash, from center right. The amp is behind the glove box, dash assemble. Also, there is no amp bypass harness and the deck in these setups is a common negative for the speakers (between the deck and the amp) If no factory premium, why amplify the speakers. The Ref's will scream off a high power head unit. Yes, amplifying sounds tons better, but do you need it? The 6x9 opening in your front door is too narrow for the Ref 6x9. A 6x8/5x7 speaker is too small, you must space out (or cut out) the speaker to get them to fit. Hope all this helps some.. >I posted earlier about taking my truck in to car toys to get a new stereo >install. Last Thursday I was quoted for an Alpine head unit, Alpine CD [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > the install. Unfortunately, I can't be there, I already have appointments > to keep tomorrow. Thanks Larry! It's an '01 with the RAZ sales code radio. I'll call it off and shop some more. Wish I knew a good place in the DFW area to get this done. > Oh yeah, a couple other things you should know, > [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] >> rolling on the install. Unfortunately, I can't be there, I already have >> appointments to keep tomorrow. > Thanks Larry! It's an '01 with the RAZ sales code radio. I'll call it > off and shop some more. Wish I knew a good place in the DFW area to get > this done. Best Buy ;-) >> Oh yeah, a couple other things you should know, >> [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] >>> rolling on the install. Unfortunately, I can't be there, I already have >>> appointments to keep tomorrow. No worries. If you are up to it, you could buy the deck from someplace like Crutchfield and install it yourself. Your truck is real easy. Two screws in the ash tray (IIRC) then the bezel pulls off. Take out the two 10mm on the radio and you are done. With the install kit and harness adaptor it is "rocket science" HEHE Speakers in the doors, 5 or 6 screws, panel lifts off, four 7 or 8mm on each speaker. But, if not, shop around, I am sure there is some one that does a good job and doesn't try to rape you. > Thanks Larry! It's an '01 with the RAZ sales code radio. I'll call it > off and shop some more. Wish I knew a good place in the DFW area to get [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >>> rolling on the install. Unfortunately, I can't be there, I already have >>> appointments to keep tomorrow. > Crutchfield and install it yourself. Your truck is real easy. Two screws > in the ash tray (IIRC) then the bezel pulls off. Not even... the bezel is all spring clips - no screws. It just pulls off. No, actually, if the ash tray is top center mount on that dash, there are two screws that hold the entire assemble in. They have to be taken out before you can remove the bezel. Like on the late 90's models where the cup holder is up top, with the ash tray below it, there are four screws that have to be removed. >> Crutchfield and install it yourself. Your truck is real easy. Two >> screws in the ash tray (IIRC) then the bezel pulls off. > > Not even... the bezel is all spring clips - no screws. It just pulls > off. > No, actually, if the ash tray is top center mount on that dash, there are > two screws that hold the entire assemble in. They have to be taken out > before you can remove the bezel. I don't know what to tell you, Larry... I removed the bezel on my '99 a half-dozen times at least - never had any screws. The ash tray on an '01 (and older models, back to and including '98) is a fold-down unit, below the bezel. On the '94-'97 models, yes, two screws behind the ash tray needed to come out, and another two behind the cup holders. On a '98, there was only one screw behind the power outlet flip-out cover. From '99-'01, there are no screws at all that hold the bezel down. Hey man, I happen to mention this to my boss today and he made the comment to tell you that we would mail you a head unit, pre-wired and in a kit, with the Sirius tuner. So, I pass the info on to you. Larry >I posted earlier about taking my truck in to car toys to get a new stereo >install. Last Thursday I was quoted for an Alpine head unit, Alpine CD [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > the install. Unfortunately, I can't be there, I already have appointments > to keep tomorrow. |
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