Crutchfield Online - Excellent service all the way around!
Written: Feb 05 '03
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My husband first heard about Crutchfield from a friend of his years ago. He has been receiving the catalogs for some time and often called their customer service for prices, advice and help about one thing or another. The reps were always more than happy to talk to him and answer any and all questions that he had, even if he wasn't buying right then and there.
We had been talking about buying a new stereo for our Taurus. We wanted something that played MP3s, and I wanted something that could play a CD-RW. I hate to make a CD, get tired of it and burn a new one. Seems wasteful, so I wanted something I could erase and use again. Well, my husband searched the website and found the stereo he wanted. Because of the way our car was set up, we also needed the adapter for our car, since the heater control knobs and such are right under the radio. Since we were purchasing a head unit from them, they knocked $20 off of the price of the adapter. It was already $40 cheaper than we could find it around here, so we really got quite a deal on it. They also included the "keys" to remove the factory stereo at no extra charge.
My husband had a few questions before we placed the actual order, so he called Crutchfield yet again and asked his questions. The guy was very knowledgeable and didn't try to talk him into stuff he didn't need to buy, which I appreciated. We decided to go ahead and place the order online, since I already had everything in the shopping cart and was waiting on my husband's ok before checking out. I was using my computer, with my husband's laptop open right next to me. Since we have a cable connection, our email is open 95% of the time. What does this have to do with the price of tea in China? You'll see in a minute.
Checkout was pretty simple. Since my husband was already registered, so he would receive emails about specials they might be having, they already had the shipping information. We did have to change a little information, though, because we have two cars and the information he has in registration is his car, a Civic. We had to change this, but it only took a second. When looking at the shopping cart, everything is broken down for you and all information is on that page, including shipping costs.
Shipping starts out at $10.99 for standard UPS shipping. Since the order was coming from Virginia anyway, we didn't pay extra for fast shipping. Most orders are delivered within the continental US within 2-3 days anyway. We weren't really in that big of a rush. We've waited almost a year, what's another day? The shipping is broken down like this:
Standard UPS - $10.99 - Usually 2-3 business days
UPS 2 Day Air - $16.99 - 2 business days
UPS Next Day Air - $25.99 - 1 business day (before noon in some areas)
UPS Next Day Air Saver - $24.99 - 1 business day
Express Mail - $28.99 - 2-3 business days
Priority Mail - $10.99 - 7-10 business days in the continental US
FedEx - Standard Overnight - $20.99 - 1 business day
FedEx Priority Overnight - $26.99 - 1 business day (before noon in some areas)
FedEx - 2 Day - $18.99 - 2 business days
When it comes to paying, they accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Diner's Club, Carte Blanche and also you can choose the buy now, pay later method, which is having your order financed. You have to have a minimum initial order of $200 and is subject to credit approval. They state that payments can be as low as $10 a month. Since we didn't want to mess with payments, and we had gotten our tax refund, we paid in full.
It seemed that within seconds of placing the order I heard my husband's chime, meaning "he got mail". We looked and sure enough it was already an order confirmation from Crutchfield stating that they received the order and we processing it. It also stated that we would receive and email before it shipped, giving us the tracking number and such.
My husband isn't the most patient person, so when a whole three hours or so passed without a shipping email, he logged in the "My Account" section of Crutchfield and it stated that his order had just shipped. His tracking code was there and available already, as well. We received the email later on that evening.
UPS showed up two days later, one of those days was a Sunday. Everything we had ordered, the stereo, adapter, the free "keys", the free Crutchfield car stereo installation guide and the free Crutchfield MasterSheet Instructions for our specific car, and a connector kit my husband also wanted, were included in one large box. Everything was packed tightly so that nothing could slide around, and the little bit of blank space was filled with packing peanuts.
The site itself is fairly easy to navigate. We had no problems with broken pages, and even the graphics loaded quickly. They offer excellent detail on their products, so you know exactly what you are getting and what the item can do and include. You can request copies of the manufacturer's warranty and also get pictures, often from several angles or close-ups, of their products. There is a navigation bar across the top, as well as along the left hand side. They offer an 888 number that you can call for any help, from 8am to midnight EST.
While we were looking at a car stereo, they also offer other electronics, such as camcorders, digital cameras, TVs, DVDs, and home theatre equipment. You can find these items by looking thru the navigation bar, or they also have a search feature.
Our order went off without a hitch and arrived in super time. We got a great deal on a stereo that we both liked, and got a good deal on the extras, too. My husband had been searching for some time for THE radio at the best price, and he found it, and then some, at Crutchfield.com.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Lisa D
Location: Back home in Indiana!
Reviews written: 552
Trusted by: 268 members
About Me: Proud SAHM, Navy wife and member of SHLEPS!
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