For those of you planning to have circuit city install your new Head Unit
04-01-2008, 01:34 AM
#1
Deals on wheels
Thread Starter
For those of you planning to have circuit city install your new Head Unit
Please don't.
http://consumerist.com/373753/circui...ge-to-your-car
It's not that hard! just PM me! I can help!!
http://consumerist.com/373753/circui...ge-to-your-car
It's not that hard! just PM me! I can help!!
04-01-2008, 05:45 AM
#2
Ninja Name: Shimojikushi
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hacienda Heights, CA
Posts: 263
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
not trying discredit your post but since I work there I have found that some of those guys are pretty good. Most though suck. So you can't blame all of them for some bs installers mistake. The ones at my store were good but they moved to another location and now the new guys suck.
was *ALMOST* funny the first time... now, not so much.
04-01-2008, 07:13 PM
#5
Looks like they did indeed make some major installation no-no's. Can't argue that. But please don't bash Circuit City as a whole. Each shop is different and has a completely different staff. Very little training is given to the installers prior to them starting. Some suck. Some were badass before they step foot in Circuit City. Best Buy is EXACTLY the same way. So is WalMart with under the hood work. Dime a dozen, cheap as hell install shops. End result, if they screw something up, they are fully insured to fix everything.
On that note, the part referencing the fact Circuit City is refusing to pay and says go through the 3rd party..... WHAT DO YOU EXPECT. They refunded every dollar the customer paid to the store. Beyond that, AS WITH ANY INSURANCE CLAIM, you must talk to the insurance company. If you get in a major auto accident and both parties are fully insured, you don't go breaking in the other parties door to get your damages paid for do you?
Lighten up. Those installer fudged up. No mistake about that. But I've seen much worse from supposed "professional" local shops.
On that note, the part referencing the fact Circuit City is refusing to pay and says go through the 3rd party..... WHAT DO YOU EXPECT. They refunded every dollar the customer paid to the store. Beyond that, AS WITH ANY INSURANCE CLAIM, you must talk to the insurance company. If you get in a major auto accident and both parties are fully insured, you don't go breaking in the other parties door to get your damages paid for do you?
Lighten up. Those installer fudged up. No mistake about that. But I've seen much worse from supposed "professional" local shops.
04-01-2008, 08:08 PM
#6
Deals on wheels
Thread Starter
I think my original intent for the post got lost in the translation -
I wasn't trying to bash every install circuit city has done.
just that bad things can happen without your knowledge pretty quickly - and that most installs aren't actually that complicated and you can do yourself.. no need to pay for the risk of getting *that* installer.
I wasn't trying to bash every install circuit city has done.
just that bad things can happen without your knowledge pretty quickly - and that most installs aren't actually that complicated and you can do yourself.. no need to pay for the risk of getting *that* installer.
04-01-2008, 08:54 PM
#7
I still think it sucks they do false advertising at all the regional car shows I compete in, and I'd still never take my car there for that reason alone. 
(and yes, doing it yourself isn't the hardest thing, just takes a lot patience and persistence lol)
(and yes, doing it yourself isn't the hardest thing, just takes a lot patience and persistence lol)
04-02-2008, 09:29 AM
#9
The devil made me do it
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 3,708
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
The other day I was at a Circuit City Install Bay trying to get one of the installers to tell me someone in the area that does CarPuter installs. The crafty installer tried to talk me out of it because of the cost involved and assured me that he could install a car stereo in my car in under an hour with a dash kit he has in stock for under $100. I wasn't about to argue with the kid, he barely looked 16 let alone 18, and just walked out laughing. It is installers like that, that do things that cause things like the consumerist article. I walked down to the Best Buy 150 ft away and was instantly referred to an installer an hour away as soon as I said I owned an RX8. The key to being a good installer is to not be cocky and know your limits.
04-02-2008, 10:58 AM
#10
Actually the shop in my sig knows someone who does carputer installs, we were going to do one in my car but I just don't have enough $ laying around to buy all the equipment up front right now. (I could probably cheese it with something cheap, but if I do something I don't like to cheap out etc.)
As far as the false advert goes, they have a booth, with custom vehicles built somewhere else from real shops, parked at EVERY show. Best Buy does the same thing as well, ****, I'm surprised Fry's hasn't caught on yet. It's annoying and frustrating as your normal person is going to assume they can drive up to one of those places and have what they saw at the show built by circuit or whoever, when they can't, and I think that's lame and misleading.
As far as the false advert goes, they have a booth, with custom vehicles built somewhere else from real shops, parked at EVERY show. Best Buy does the same thing as well, ****, I'm surprised Fry's hasn't caught on yet. It's annoying and frustrating as your normal person is going to assume they can drive up to one of those places and have what they saw at the show built by circuit or whoever, when they can't, and I think that's lame and misleading.
04-02-2008, 03:03 PM
#11
The devil made me do it
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 3,708
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Just because you can't necessarily buy all the parts at Circuit City doesn't mean that the installers didn't put it in. You can take anything you want up to CC and have them install it.
04-02-2008, 06:03 PM
#12
ಠ_ಠ
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Under the Dumbarton Bridge
Posts: 2,228
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
5 Posts
The simple fact is that if you go to a store like best buy, CC, or walmart, the installers you get are being paid minimum wage and not very well screened. Now, this means you can get the 18 year old car stereo prodigy working on your ride or a 24 year old meth addict who never graduated high school.
I wouldn't let anyone work on my car without talking to the installer first and seeing some of his other installs to make sure he does quality work.
I wouldn't let anyone work on my car without talking to the installer first and seeing some of his other installs to make sure he does quality work.
04-03-2008, 01:28 AM
#13
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You know...I've trolled on a lot of forums and have dealt with the ignorance people therein typically dish out about "big box" installers. Normally I just smile and click off to another topic but this is just really irking me.Listen now, this is coming from a BEST BUY installer here. I've spent most of my install career (going on 7 years now professionally) working for a "custom/specialty" shop and have worked with some of the most respected installers in New England and I have news for everyone. The work that 90% of the installers that I've worked with at Best Buy is at the level of or exceeds anything I saw from the "specialists". Understand that for most of us, we take standard operating procedures very seriously. Said procedures are set by master installers (a test which I'm presently studying for...**fingers crossed**) This, for example, means soldering all connections, not scotch locks or T-taps like you'll see at a great deal many shops out there. On top of it all, many install bays at BB are now either demoting or firing those of us who aren't MECP certified at the very least a basic level.
It seems to me that one of the great downfalls of the sport compact scene and surely the automotive modification industry in general, is that people tend to bash others to make themselves feel more intelligent. But before you go hating on an entire group of people just think of how it sounds when you follow this logic: "someone I know/I had a bad experience with one specific person or a couple of people...therefore all people associated with said person/group are as such, not proficient in their duties."
Anyway....I'm finished with my rant. I just hate to see people on a forum that i respect so much dish out uncompromising ignorance without any serious basis in reality. By the way this is my first post on here as I'm new to the RX8 community...so Hi Everybody **Dr. Nick Riviera accent**
Last edited by arrexate; 04-03-2008 at 01:30 AM.
04-03-2008, 08:21 AM
#14
Easy killer. Wikked clearly stated he wasn't posting this to bash on Circuit. Other than that, this topic has been pretty G rated. If you are referring to the link itself, then have at it. lol Welcome to the board.
This is true. It is kinda bullshit if Circuit City truly didn't do those installations, but you can have them do just about anything if you bring them the items/materials. They don't normally make custom sub boxes, but bring them the materials and pay the custom labor charge and I'll bet they do it. My shop has made false floors and custom amp racks in the past.
And Socket is pretty close to true. But it's not a 50-50 shot like he makes it out to be. A large majority of the installers do great work. I would almost have to agree with the percentage that arrexate uses of 90-10. Oh and none of them get paid even close to minimum wage....lol
As far as the false advert goes, they have a booth, with custom vehicles built somewhere else from real shops, parked at EVERY show. Best Buy does the same thing as well, ****, I'm surprised Fry's hasn't caught on yet. It's annoying and frustrating as your normal person is going to assume they can drive up to one of those places and have what they saw at the show built by circuit or whoever, when they can't, and I think that's lame and misleading.
Just because you can't necessarily buy all the parts at Circuit City doesn't mean that the installers didn't put it in. You can take anything you want up to CC and have them install it.
And Socket is pretty close to true. But it's not a 50-50 shot like he makes it out to be. A large majority of the installers do great work. I would almost have to agree with the percentage that arrexate uses of 90-10. Oh and none of them get paid even close to minimum wage....lol
04-03-2008, 10:07 AM
#16
That point aside, I think starting pay around here is about $10/hour for the big box store installers. My Circuit City install supervisor has been doing it for nearly 7 years. Think he's at like $16.50/hour.
A majority of the installs (half) is simply a headunit. Circuit City uses speed harnesses, so no soldering/crimping/twisting/taping/whatever is needed. Almost any car can have a headunit installed in 30-40 minutes or less. Easy. Most under 20. The point I'm making is that there is very little crawling around under the dash or similar. Obviously security installs would be the worst of it. My Circuit City does maybe 2 of those a month, tops.
04-03-2008, 04:13 PM
#17
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sorry i didnt want it to come off as if i were attacking the thread, there were just a few choice comments made that kind of got to me. i can assure you it was meant with all the love i could possibly put into a forum post. 
04-04-2008, 01:15 AM
#18
let me bash the best buy in laurel maryland.
in my previous car i had 6 speakers. 2 tweets, 2 mids, and 2 threeways. and a subwoofer tube. the 2 tweets and mids were hooked to 1 amp. the 3ways to another amp. and the subwoofer to another amp. 3 rockford fosgate punch amps.
this was installed by a friend.
my stereo went out, and my friend was in germany. so i went to best buy to get a new one. they said free install, so i was like, sure whatever. i get in my car, turn my stereo on. wtf happened to my tweeters? they blew my $150 tweeters. it took them 5 hours to do my car. it would have taken me 30 minutes. they refused to acknowledge they blew the speakers. and every after that, my car had battery problems. the stereo would drain it every 6 months.
********.
in my previous car i had 6 speakers. 2 tweets, 2 mids, and 2 threeways. and a subwoofer tube. the 2 tweets and mids were hooked to 1 amp. the 3ways to another amp. and the subwoofer to another amp. 3 rockford fosgate punch amps.
this was installed by a friend. my stereo went out, and my friend was in germany. so i went to best buy to get a new one. they said free install, so i was like, sure whatever. i get in my car, turn my stereo on. wtf happened to my tweeters? they blew my $150 tweeters. it took them 5 hours to do my car. it would have taken me 30 minutes. they refused to acknowledge they blew the speakers. and every after that, my car had battery problems. the stereo would drain it every 6 months.
********.
04-06-2008, 06:38 PM
#19
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Scarborough/Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hang on....why then, in God's green earth, didn't you do it yourself?!?!? I don't get it!
04-06-2008, 07:26 PM
#20
Piston-free 07.11.2007
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah all these horror stories...I'm sorry, I personally do all my own installs (car stereo). As most of the important work performed in an install is under body panels, trim panels and behind your radio, it's just too easy for some jackhole to jury-rig some electrical mess and you will never know about it.
About the only way I'd let some teenage kid mess with electrical wiring in my car is if I was breathing down his neck the entire time he's working on it.
About the only way I'd let some teenage kid mess with electrical wiring in my car is if I was breathing down his neck the entire time he's working on it.
04-08-2008, 02:55 PM
#21
not necessarily, a lot of these big name places/national chains will not touch equipment purchased elsewhere, they don't make enough off the job to justify it, plus there's a huge liability involved. this has been my experience here in Austin, and my friends who live in Dallas/Houston have had similar experiences. (maybe some places are different, but I personally have never seen/heard of them)
Last edited by canaryrx8; 04-08-2008 at 02:59 PM.
04-08-2008, 03:15 PM
#22
The devil made me do it
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 3,708
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
The liability is the same whether CC, for example, sold the part or Crutchfield. CC would be making pure profit on it, so they would make more than a normal discounted install. Your logic is flawed...try again.
04-08-2008, 03:33 PM
#23
The Professor
Just like Army Nurses,
However bad the people are, they do get better by sheer volume of installs. If they sit at best buy and install a stereo every day, they are bound to eventually get some experience.
However bad the people are, they do get better by sheer volume of installs. If they sit at best buy and install a stereo every day, they are bound to eventually get some experience.
04-08-2008, 03:41 PM
#24
Installing something that was not bought at Circuit City is solely up to the installers. Circuit City allows any and everything that the installers feel they are capable of handling. We have custom labor skus that go in increments of 15 minutes. We charge however long we feel it will take. If the customer is not happy with the price, then there's the door. Our labor is guaranteed for life and is non-refundable if something unrelated was to arise. (Hook up your amp and it simply doesn't power on. Not our fault. No refunds) On this note, I refuse work when someone brings in an amp with rust all over it or a half installed system with cut/crimped/taped/bundled/pieced wires all over the place. If I look in and it looks like a rat's nest, keep on moving brother. I'm not touching it.
