Crutchfield Advantages?

First of all, it seems like crutchfield is the store of choice on TW. Sounds like they have great service and can provide everything needed for an install.

With that said, I'm looking into getting the Pioneer AVH-P3400BH double din which crutchfield has listed at $399, Amazon has it for $289. I know that crutchfield includes the wiring harnesses (at least I think they do) but I can get them from metra with the full dash kit at $45 for everything on eBay. I'll have to buy the steering wheel controls adapter as well either way.

What is the big advantage with going through crutchfield here? Saving 25% at amazon is big incentive.

Thanks.

 

Customer service and warranty with crutchfield

 

Nothing IMO. I have used Crutchfield in the past with other vehicles I've owned, but that was only because it came with everything needed for install, when I couldn't find it elsewhere. I think they are alittle over priced, which you proved. Maybe only benefit is the help line, but if you have the wiring harness, it is what it is.

 

go to shop.*********.com. you can get a dash kit, wiring harness, and steering wheel interface for $105.

edit: $119, including shipping to Canada. probably a little less to the US.

 

BOOM /thread

 

A huge advantage is in Crutchfield's excellent customer service. Not only do you have support for the install, but if something goes wrong with the product you have a reputable and stable company to call. The same cannot always be said of Ebay or Amazon sellers. I don't know if that is worth the price difference to you, but it is to some.

 

I should mention that I have a 2012.

Thanks for everyone chiming in.

 

I get what your saying, but it would have a manufacture's warranty. Even though might be more of a pain in the ass. But if you have the harness, and dash kit, and can't figure out how to do it, than you should probably not do it yourself.

 

whoops, didn't even look what year you had.

 

I did say that it was not worth it for everyone. People do have to learn somehow and having someone help with some answers helps that process along.

I used them for an alarm in my old Jeep. I found the tech support invaluable. This was before plug and play systems.

 

Ya with an alarm, I get it. But a color matched wiring harness. You fail, if you mess that up.

 

I can handle this kind of install for sure. Re-wiring for an entire system, no.

No worries! I actually forgot to mention what year. I emailed taco tunes about the 2012 dash kits.

 

This.

Some stuff I'll buy from them, but stuff like 14 gauge wire, dual amp kits, etc... I'll buy elsewhere.

 

Its not always that simple. I bought a stereo from them for my daughters 91 Celica and the car turned out to have a preamp in it. The instructions did not mention a preamp and the harness colors did not match. I called crutchfield and they were able to explain how the preamp hooked up. It was hooked like a bridge rather than a direct plug or wiring so many people would not know that and it wouldnt be a fail. Life isnt always as simple as you would like to pretend it is.

 

Customer Service is wonderful. Sales reps are incredibly helpful and every time I've asked them if it was there money what would they do, I felt like they steered me towards a product that was better, not more expensive.

Living 15 minutes from one I was able to take a subwoofer in under warranty after it had been ripped by a bolt in the back of my car. No questions, no hesitations, they gave me the new model subwoofer because they no longer had the old subwoofer anymore. Spent $100 out of the outlet for the old one I purchased and 8 months later got a $350 sub.

 

Crutchfield's entire model is based off of Customer service & product info. If you've bought something from them, you know you get a free printout of instructions based on your specific car. Plus you get the harness/kit like others have said. Amazon and others have cut into their business some, but they're doing fine. Believe me, lots of online retailers consider Crutchfield THE #1 benchmark for customer service. Their CS rankings are consistently in the high 90% as reported to Bizrate & other 3rd party survey providers by Customers.

 

Sorry about your luck of your hard life.

 

I will always use crutchfields, as everyone has said the customer service and technical help are great, they will even walk you through what to buy if you dont know what amp/subwoofer/speakers/headunit to buy. I recently bought a 6.1" touchscreen nav from them, opened the box and decided i wanted a 7 inch. Called them up said i want to return it and they sent me a shipping label no questions asked. They asked me if it was damaged, i said no and they didn't even ask why i wanted to return it.

Oh ya, and they have reward points. I have spent around 2,000 there in the last year or two and now i have about $100 in reward points.

 

I've generally always bought from Crutchfield. Only time I had to call customer service is when I bought my HU for the Taco and they sent me a defect dash kit. They were a PITA to deal with with. It was obvious I just got a bad part from the factory and I just wanted them to send a new one. Sent pics and everything showing the obvious defect yet they refused to think Metra could have had a bad part they tried to tell me my truck was different then sent me some other universal kit that didn't work right. Finally just gave up and bought a replacement for the original one on Amazon which I had suspected fit fine. I emailed the guy at Crutchfield back showing that I had been right and that kit does in fact fit and the original was just a bad part. To their credit though they did reimburse me for the part I bought from Amazon so I guess even though it was like pulling teeth they still had good service in the end.

 

I think for what I'm doing with this install, I'd be better served saving the $100 bucks on the HU. I'm limited on funds and google and YouTube are great tools!

I don't think that Amazon or pioneer would leave me hangin if I get a bad HU.