Very pleasant experience, I would definitely recommend Crutchfield.
Written: Jan 06 '08 (Updated Aug 19 '08)
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Right after Christmas, I started shopping for a car stereo for myself. My local car stereo shop did not have anything that met my specific requirements (bluetooth, memory cards, adjustable colors) so I ended up at Crutchfield.com. For years, I had been receiving their catalogues at home, but had until last week never placed an order with them.
Their customer support is superb. I called and engaged in online chat sessions with several of their techs prior to making the decision to purchase the particular radio I did (Clarion FB275BT, which I reviewed here: http://www.epinions.com/content_413558017668). Their techs are knowledgeable, friendly, and the hold times never exceeded 5 minutes (and I'm talking about some of the busiest shopping days of the year!)
Their website allows you to choose your car by year, make, model, and accessories (for me, that's a 1985 Mazda RX7 with power antenna). First, the site narrowed down the choices that would fit my car. Next, I was able to filter by features (for me that was bluetooth and memory cards), but you can also filter on every other feature such as cd, mp3, price, removable faceplate, etc. I narrowed down the search to the Clarion that I purchased.
Once you find a radio (or whatever else you are shopping for) you can see general specs, detailed specs, more photos, installation notes, and even customer reviews.
When I placed my order I was promised a wiring harness for my mazda that would allow for uniform color coding to the Clarion (which they enclosed) and a harness, relay, and instructions to ensure my power antenna would work with the new radio (which they also enclosed). I placed the order on their secure site and had a confirmation email only moments later.
The next day it occurred to me that because the new radio was actually thicker than my original radio, the storage compartment on my dash (which is directly below the radio) would have to be either cut or replaced by a smaller compartment. I called them and was assured that the kit would include a blank and a scoop, so I could decide which to actually install. Sweet.
That day, I also emailed them to ask for a tracking number for the package that was supposed to have shipped the day before because when I logged-in to find it, the number was not provided. The person that responded to my email apologized that a mistake had been made and my package had failed to ship when it was supposed to, and because it was Saturday, the package would not ship until the next Monday. For my "trouble" she refunded $20! How's that for nice?
When the radio arrived, I immediately noticed that the scoop/plate was not included so I called to inquire. I was told that I had been misinformed originally and that because my dash needed to be modified to fit the radio, they did not have a standard scoop to send me. I was blown away when the tech suggested I bring my car to a local installer to see whether they would sell me a scoop -- which Crutchfield would reimburse me for up to $25. After I described to him exactly what modification I needed to make and what I wanted to accomplish we both decided that the standard scoop he had would most likely work and he promised to send that right away. As of this review I have not yet received the part, but it's only been 2 days and I have no doubt it's on its way.
The radio came with a set of instructions specific to my particular car, which showed me where and what screws/bolts to remove in order to access and remove the old radio, as well as detailed instructions on using their wiring harness to match the car's wires to the new radio's. There was also some generic information for those cars equipped with airbags (mine is not) and a 20% coupon for a future purchase. The letter from Bill Crutchfield that's enclosed explains that I'm entitled to "lifetime" support. That's incredible.
I was very pleased with the entire process, from research to order to support and then to follow-up support. Every person I spoke with at this company was always friendly and knowledgeable and I never felt like I was asking too many questions, even when I was!
Before my purchase, I did not shop around for a better price because my goal was to find the right radio from someone I trusted. After my purchase and in preparation for this review, I did some quick research and determined that Crutchfield had the same price as other online dealers - no more, no less. However, even if their price was a little higher than the competition, I would still recommend shopping there because of the support.
UPDATE. This is just to say that they did send the part they promised.
Several months later (August 2008) I purchased an installation kit from them for a radio for my wife's car. Crutchfield did not carry the particular radio, but I still wanted to get their adapters, kits, and support. I did and it was well worth it. Thanks again Crutchfield. DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED!!!
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Car Stereo
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About the Author
Member: pete weinman
Location: Staten Island, NY
Reviews written: 62
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me: Husband, Daddy, NYC Marathon Runner, and motorcycle rider. You can trust me, I'm a lawyer.
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