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- May 23, 2004
Thats why i would never let Circuit City or Best Buy install anything
Installs gone wrong certainly aren't all that uncommon, but the tale told by one VTECnical of the 8thcivic.com forum is undoubtedly a cut above the rest, and could well have you reconsidering that suction cup option. As VTECnical tells it, he bought a Pioneer AVIC Z2 GPS unit and some other components from Circuit City last July for more $3,000 and decided to let their installers do the installation work for him -- apparently after he was told that it'd slide into his Honda Civic without any modifications.The problems then allegedly began when the installer whipped out a heat gun, which was purportedly intended to be used to mold a mounting guide for the GPS unit but instead wound up melting one of the Civic's heating ducts. As if that wasn't enough, the installer apparently also used tape to hold the GPS unit in place, installed the antennae on the inside of the car instead of the outside, and used a glue gun to install the speakers instead of bolting them in place. All told, that apparently not only resulted in over $12,000 worth of damages but, according to the estimate from a Honda dealership, left the car "unsafe to drive." For its part, Circuit City apparently did eventually remove the equipment and refunded the full $3,000+, but VTECnical is now left dealing with Circuity City's third party insurance company to recover the rest of the damages.
Link
We last spoke about case number 922558 on January 31, 2008. This case started in at the Circuit City located in Vernon Hills on 7/21/07. I took the advice of Circuit City staff and purchased a Pioneer AVIC-Z3 and other items totaling over $3,000 under ticket number 312402751067. Right from the start, Circuit City did not provide the level of expertise needed for a professional job.
The installers told me that the "double-din" AVIZ-Z2 unit will slid into my car without any modification. I was puzzled when the installer was using a heat gun while working inside my dash before the unit was even out of the box. He told me that he was using a heat gun to mold a plastic mounting guide for my AVIC-Z2 unit to hold properly. I now know the installer used a heat gun to MELT THE HEATING DUCTS in my dash. Please keep in mind that my car was brand new and only had 800 miles on it at this time. After closing one of the heating ducts, my car now creates a large amount of noise anytime the heat or air conditioning fans are used. At no point did I give permission or was told that your employees would alter the mechanical structure of my car.
Moving along, I am also displeased at the quality of the installation. I know now that the AVIZ-Z2 unit was never securely fastened into my car. Instead, the installer used TAPE to hold my unit in place. My current solution is held in a bracket with blue tape wound around and around. This is not satisfactory.
The antennae are also not installed correctly. My XM and Sirius and Pioneer antennae are placed on the dash of my car. I now know that the Sirius unit needs to be place on the outside of the car. Thus, I loose my signal because of Circuit City's incorrect installation. That same is true for my GPS receiver.
Last, the speakers and tweeters were not bolted into my car. Instead, the Circuit City installer used BLACK HOT GLUE to hold the 4 units in place. They rattle at idle and when any sound is played in the car. Also, the Schoch dash kit has peeled! It looks like my car is falling apart after 13,000 miles and over $3,000 spent to "upgrade" the car.
When I was looking for a solution, the automobile manager told me that this unit would work. Only after I purchased the hardware and the installation began, I then I realized how wrong he was. My 2007 car has now lost value because of the work Circuit City has provided. I am willing to drive my car to any Circuit City location and show the poor work that had been done. I will have photos before the weekend.
I want my car to be repaired and all Circuit City product to be returned for a full refund. Thank you for reading this and I look forward to your response.
