Soap box Archives - Tena Stetler

Feb 28th Buyer Beware! Shop Around for Big Ticket Items!

Buyer beware! Shop around before you purchase big ticket items. Yep, I always live by those phrases. Also if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

Okay I admit it, I’ve yanked out my soap box out from under my bed on this post. Yesterday, I contacted a well know car audio shop in the market for a car alarm. Of course I’d done my homework and knew what the cost of the alarm was before installation. Well aware that labor costs are required to install the item. BUT, first off the salesman quoted us what appeared to be a fair price. When we arrived, the price escalated from $299.00 to $1,000.00 Ridiculous! Mamma didn’t raise no sucker.

Walked outside and make a phone call to a different retailer. Another reasonable price quoted. Went back inside and confronted the salesman and said I was leaving. He then dropped the price $100.00 and threw in a remote start which we didn’t want or need. He was told I had just found the same exact item for less than half what he was now charging. Not interested in his way of doing business. On the way out the door, the man said “I know where you going and they are going to tell you one thing then after it’s installed charge you what I’m charging you.”

So the only thing to do was be upfront with the next retailer. Told him what had happened, what had been said and informed him the price quoted was what would be paid. No more.

The man at place number two nodded. “That’s how we do business.” A few hours later we drove off with the exact car alarm installed for the reasonable price quoted. Still steamed that we were treated that way by retailer number one, Drive-In Auto Sound. So buyer beware.

Okay, climbing down off my soap box and shoving it back under the bed. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that happen. Yep, still makes me furious. It’s a shame. Don’t you think?