I believe the correct term for the Circuit City installers is "mentally challenged."

 

Hey MitsuRalliArt, Its nice to see some Best Buy Alums around.

 

I find crutchfield to have 50-100% higher markups over many other places. Here's what I do and it works well for me. I order any adapters I need (wiring harnesses, dash kits, speaker adapters, etc) through Crutchfield, which their prices are fine on, and they'll include all the installation documentation for your car. Then go buy your equipment from some other cheaper, just as reputable, company, then enjoy the cash you saved.

 

For all that trouble, I can't imagine how you saved more than a buck, if that. Two shipping charges and having to pay for all the harnesses and mounting hardware separately? Markups on electronics aren't that high at all, even at Crutchfield. I buy nearly all my electronics through wholesale channels and so buy things at the same prices as retail stores. The markups on electronics aren't nearly as high as most industries because it's too competitive - maybe 30%-40% or so only.

That means that on a purchase of a $300 stereo from Crutchfield, you may find it cheaper around $270 elsewhere. But if you throw in extra shipping charges, mounting hardware, harnesses, etc... you're paying too much.
-N

 

hey i used to work there!!! lol

no but im sure they are all retarded... i had an inside look for about 4 weeks and then i moved on to a beter job

 

I did exactly what otter recommends two months ago. I bought the wiring harness from Crutchfield and got their installation stuff with it, and bought my actual head unit elsewhere. Crutchfield was selling it for $550, and I got it for $400. Now Crutchfield does include the manufacturer's warrenty, but that's only one year, and I don't think a one year warrenty is worth $150!

Is it really that much trouble to order from two different websites? Just check Reseller Ratings for feedback on the sites with the best prices, and order from the one with the best feedback.

 

I actually saved a ton of money by doing it that way. Here's a quick breakdown (Crutchfield price vs. other online retailer price)

Headunit - $349 vs. $270
Front Speakers - $299 vs. $179
Rear Speakers - $149 vs. $89
Amps are not applicable as Crutchfield stopped carrying the kind I bought. I think last time I saw them on crutchfield's website, there was a $50-$80 difference between their price and what I paid.

Then the cost of buying a wiring harness from Crutchfield - $12, includes all installation walkthroughs.

So I saved about $260 not including what I saved on the amplifiers (maybe another $150.) That's a lot of money. There are many audio retailers out there, besides crutchfield, that have dependable warranty coverage. The extra cost at Crutchfield goes into those pretty catalogs they print and their phone support. You can get the support here or at www.sounddomain.com for free. Also, many places, just like crutchfield, will throw in an extra discount if you're buying numerous items from them (like an entire system), but you often have to specifically ask about it.

Oh, and don't take Crutchfield's word on whether something will fit your car or not. I've found many, many cases where they say something won't fit yet it fits just fine. Check the measurements yourself.

 

Well, I guess with a full system, the potential savings are more significant, but in this case, with just a new head unit, I still say it's probably not much trouble just to buy it from Crutchfield. Obviously. ralliart86 can do what he likes and I'm sure he will. If you can find a significantly better deal elsewhere, then go for it, but I'd be wary of anyplace that sells without the manufacturer's warranty like no1v2, as that's highly suspect...
-N

 

also, watch out for those online places that sell gear that hasn't been sold in stores for a while...a lot of those places deal with refurbished stuff that's been beaten around a bit or manufacturer defected pieces. I usually end up paying more, but I feel that peace of mind is worth more than getting a deal but winding up with a lemon down the road.

(Not bashing the online resellers, tho...there's plenty of great ones out there...just gotta hunt them down)

 

It's not suspect, it's a very common practice with car audio equipment, or at least with head units. The places aren't authorized dealers because they sell wholesale, as opposed to retail. That's how they can be so cheap. They're usually perfectly honest and reputable companies, they just make things cheaper for you and them by selling wholesale. As I mentioned before, just make sure they have good feedback and you'll be fine. If the price difference had been smaller I may well have just bought the head unit from Crutchfield to get the warrenty, but $150 isn't exactly pocket change!

Also, some of the places include or offer their own warrenty, though I don't know how good those warrenties are.

Edit: In fact, I'd say if you have a Lancer (yes, that includes Ralliarts and Evolutions ) there's no point in even buying the wiring harness from crutchfield if wherever you're buying your head unit from sells it as cheap or cheaper. Crutchfield's installation guide would be useful if you didn't have any other one, but the howto on this forum is even better