TMMerlin

I saw all the ritzy claims and user opinions of the "on-line stores" and their fabulous words of "being there for the customer" but remained unconvinced that if the " sheee'it hit the fan" and I needed help or the product was defective ...who was going to solve my problem ... them or me and more $$$$

Crutchfield is in my opinion the best consumer electronics store for on-line transactions. I base this statement on "you get what you pay for" ..! It is also the best on-line store for the consumer to have a near perfect buying experience with a company dedicated to "keeping their customers" and getting them exactly what they want.

If one thinks that Crutchfield is "too expensive" .. well, as I said, "you get what you pay for" .. !

In a perfect world of "zero defects" .. the discounting super dupper on-line stores with low-low prices are the "perfect consumer outlet" for bargain prices.....BUT .... how many posts have you read in this forum where the folks have problems with their gear ? ...many-many...posts and a lot of frustration.

I recommend Crutchfield for:
- competitive pricing (maybe not the lowest)
- superior product lines
- absolutely the best customer service department in the world !!
- simple on line buying experience and all the transaction details you could possibly want
- a "customer only" hot line to "smart" tech support staff
- Bill Crutchfield himself, makes the final decision on customer problems or complaints that go hay-wire and he "makes your problem go away" ...period ...

OK .... now for the buying experience

I bought my Samsung LTN406W TFT-LCD HDTV from Crutchfield in November, 2004. It arrived in 6 days by motor freight and they delivered it into my living room. The driver was so happy for me. He pointed out that there were no holes in the packing boxes and the secure handling indicator was still "green", meaning the box was not mistreated nor turned upside down. He opened the top of the box for me to make sure the TV was still perfectly enclosed in the packaging material and he asked me " are you OK with the this" ... I was OK with it and he said "enjoy"..

I had the new Sammy up and running in about an hour and spent the rest of the afternoon "reading the manual" and "playing with the buttons".

My son came over that night and was amazed at the PQ and said to me "how long will it take before you have this hooked up to the stereo system" ... "I turned on the stereo system and we sat down and watched Return of the King" .... it was fantastic.

He also commented that ..."yah know Dad .. prices are gonna drop like a rock in January" ...! I thought Ooooops ... but I just got $1,000 off already on the Sammy for the "special sale" and figured I would be safe for at least 6 months to a year. Needless to say, I was paranoid on pricing until early January and then .....yup, Best Buy dropped prices down another $1,000 below Crutchfield's cost.

To make my long story short, I called Crutchfield and we went through the " I have an issue here" and "they do not do price matching" ... but now "I am an unhappy customer" !

WE found a happy medium ... they offered me a $500 account credit good towards any future purchase or after I suggested it, some free product. They agreed (actually Bill agreed) to send me a new Denon 2910, a 5-year service agreement and some new cables (total value in consumer dollars about $740) and we both were happy !!

On two occasions I called the tech support hot line and was speaking to a smart techy in less than a minute ..! Both times they had not just the answer but an explanation as to the "why" and some cool hints for me as well .. !!

All in all ..... I am very satisfied with Crutchfield .. !!