I had a terrible experience with these morons and I wanted to share it. Killeen, TX Feb 2010 I had Southern Customs install an amp/sub setup...these idiots took the ground cable from the amp and taped it underneath the carpet. Next, they tapped into my cigarette lighter for power (probably for ignition wire I have not seen it yet)..It drew power constantly even with the car off.. The cost you ask? damaged trunk carpet (whoopie!), Dead battery/corroded severely...I am deployed to Iraq so it is a bit hard to fix from here, a friend of mine is the one who found the damage when he tried to do his weekly startup on my car...These idiots have cost me money...potentially endangered me (possible fire from the carpet.) and I want to vent off some steam..I would take the car back to them to have them fix it, but I dont trust them.

What would you do?

 

Id install myself. its not that hard to do actually since all the wiring is inside the left side door sill.

 

I would give them a chance to make it right before you spend more elsewhere or your own time doing it yourself. They must have had some redeeming qualities for you to solicit their work in the first place? Perhaps just a bad installer on a bad day and the management should/will accept responsibility for same. I can't imagine they want to loose future Ft Hood-magnitude business with a bad rep from this incident.

Thanks for your service and come home safe.

 

You are most correct. They looked solid. The place is not in some shack, it is a well put together business that looks to be run very professionally. I did not have time to do it myself because I am in Iraq and I wanted it done for when I return.

 

Do it yourself when you get back. The ground wire can either attach to a bolt on the frame, or else run all the way back to the battery, and the switch wire can connect to the radio's switch wire. It's not the easiest work, requiring a lot of bending backwards to reach under the dashboard, but having done it once myself, I know I'd want to see that the work is done right. I can't believe a reputable shop would allow work to be done that badly even if they were in a hurry, so they must not be reputable after all. You know better than I do that "reliable" doesn't mean "capable of doing a good job", it means "doing a good job every time, even on bad days, especially when nobody else can double-check your work." Just because your life doesn't depend on your stereo functioning properly, that doesn't mean it's okay for them to do a halfassed job and wait to see if you complain about it.

Stay safe in the desert, such as you can.

 

Same thing basically happened to me, but at Audio Express....and the only reason i went to them is probably the same reason you went to southern customs......because they are a huge name so you think that if you take it to them they would actually get the ******* job done right, but they totally half assed the **** out of my car and left it with more problems, i coulda just took it 5 min. south and got it installed in mexico for way ******* cheaper.

it seems like most of the companies that are big big names do the **** jobs because alot of people go to them so they are backed up and just half *** everything that comes through the door.

 

Never get any custom work done without a personal reference. It's no different than choosing a doctor guys, do you want the guy who graduated with honors at the top of his class or the guy who took 10 years to barely graduate?

If you went someplace because they have the biggest ad or most commercials then that is your fault.

 

That sucks dude, unfortunately there are a lot of shady shops in Texas, especially in your area and they stay in business by preying on all the servicemen etc.
If you don't feel comfortable, don't have the time to tackle it or whatever, and you don't mind a drive, I'd recommend the place that did mine to you here in Austin. It's a small shop, 2 people I've known for close to 20 years run it, Les is the main installer and knows the 8 backwards and forwards from working on my car. Their labor rates are the best in town, and their knowledge of our car's electrical system and it's nuances are second to none. I have links in my sig if you're interested including the install we did in my car.

 

Thanks I will check it out. And perhaps when I come back into town I can get a closer look at your 8