Sound N Wheels

What a nightmare! I went in because I saw the upside down yellow «Car Stereos» sign that Sound On Wheels used to have. I bought my previous car stereo from them with excellent results and I thought they had just moved, so I went in. What a mistake! All I wanted was Bluetooth, and hoped perhaps I could replace my Alpine front panel for a new one. The long wait for customer service should’ve been my first clue. After a couple of hours of being chatted up by the owner I was talked into paying $ 200 for a Scosche radio and $ 70 for a harness and install kit with an additional $ 120 due for installation when it all arrived. Oh, they are cash only and have inkjet printed signs taped around the store saying no refunds. A couple more clues. I was told my radio may be in the next day, but probably the next week, and was given the cell phone number of the owner for status updates. Ok.
I came in the next day, and no radio. I wasn’t surprised, and was given an appointment for the install two weeks later because I was out of town the following weekend. I came in on the appointed day and time and began the now traditional wait for someone to come from the back. I learned that opening the front door a few times rang a buzzer in the back and got someone out more quickly. This time an installer came out. I told him about my appointment and he took my receipt and told me this was the wrong harness and install kit for that radio, and the correct one was much more expensive. Another clue. The owner came out and blamed the problem on the girl who was working with her that first day, and she is gone because she couldn’t pass her radio installation tests (?!). She told me that the correct installation hardware would be $ 250. By the way, the radio still wasn’t in. I reluctantly agreed, with handwritten assurances that I would ONLY owe the $ 120 installation fee at this point.
I came by the next week and the store was closed. No sign, door locked. I called the owner’s cell phone number on a Tuesday morning about 9, and couldn’t understand the mumbling. The week after that I came by again, and the radio is in! Hurrah! But, UPS has it, and because they are remodeling and the lights have been off the truck drove on by without stopping. But, if I came by the next day they would send someone to UPS to pick it up. I told them I would be in between noon and 1 PM the next day, and the lady who was working the front room shouted «Call first» as I was walking out. I didn’t know what difference that would make.
I came by that next day at 12:30 and the same lady who was in the customer area yesterday shouted «You were supposed to call!» I explained to her that I didn’t have a cell phone, and would be back in two or three hours. She said they could get one of the installation people to go pick up the radio. When I came back by, a handwritten note taped to the door indicated that the store was closed due to remodeling, and all appointments were moved to Tuesday. A week later and the radio has been delivered, but again due to remodeling, they can’t open the room in which the radio has been stored. I’m asked to return later that day, but as I’m leaving town, I have to wait another week.
Two weeks later. Closed due to renovation according to a penciled note taped to the door.
A week later. They are just closed, no note on the door. I notice that the front desk is gone. No answer on the telephone and the voice mailbox is full. Shannon, the owner, gave me her cellular telephone number and I get no answer and the same ‘voice mailbox is full’ message.
It’s been over two months now since I paid for a radio. There’s a note on the door saying «Out of Business — Thanks!» Thanks? For taking my money? I just wish I could give 0 stars for the review. Anyway, I suppose I now have closure on this tedious affair.