Not all on the internet is better because cheaper for sure. Theres some companies out there that if they were 60% off i still wouldnt buy from them. The zapco dc amps are great. There is one dealer that i have seen that actually carries them around here. Bigger car shops around here carry jl and alpine and thats usually it, you will find kicker here and there but who cares lol. Sad to see that woofersetc. did you like that. Ive heard nothing but good things about them till now.

 

i recently tested this site i bought a jl audio 12w7-3 and it was shipped to calgary within 8 days, i am currently going to continue buying from dealercostcaraudio to complete my system with a 2nd 12w7 and a tma t1000.1
while i do believe in supporting local business's here in calgary a boxed jl audio w7 from visions electronics costs 1100$ and i got it off that site for 646$ including s&h but beware before i tested this site i read some reviews that for some items they don't have them in stock and then you get placed on back order

 

i got my viper 5901 from them and had no problems but the alarm i wanted they didnt have in stock neither was my second choice of clifford but the top alarms were the same anyways just different remote looks.so ya,i would definatley call first

 

id rather feed my family instead of the audio shops.if somethings wrong with your stuff of course they will do what they can for you.they make enough on the install!!thats my opinion.close to half off,why not......

 

still got shafted.... $459
http://cgi.ebay.com/JL-AUDIO-12W7-12...0|293:1|294:50

 

I was working a little at a shop a few years back and I have to say that I have mixed feelings about this topic. I have bought things on the www for myself when the price different is hard to swallow.

These on-line dealers that are selling equipment at dealer cost is not good for anyone in the long run. How can other shops compete if you as a consumer can buy it at the same price as them, the shop has an operational cost to pay. In most cases the dealer cost resellers are working in the gray zone and most are not authorized by the manufacturer to do what they do.

I remember people coming in to the shop asking for prices on equipment and then tell me that they could get if at $$$ less from another source, sometimes it was well below our cost. So I told them to go buy it at that source if they had it in stock and could give you the full warranty. A lot of times people came back because the other source could not deliver what they promised.

If you purchase the equipment local it is easy to get support and installation suggestions in case there are questions. Most of the time a shop will throw in the little connectors and other installation items you need to install it too.

But as I said, sometimes the shops margins are too much to justify and with the internet making comparisons so easy it puts more pressure on the whole market. Another important thing is the warranty and authorized dealers because they will void your warranty if bought from an unauthorized dealer.

There is something about the saying:
"only rich people can afford to buy cheap things, because they can afford to do it over and over again"

My 0.02

 

ive still gotten to the point where i could care less about manufacturer warranty. it usually sucks and consists of me having to ship it back and wait a couple weeks or in my case months to get it back. Where as if you use a good company on the internet then they will just take that one back and ship you a new one. Ive done it twice this way, and once with a manufacturers warranty it took 2 months to get a new amp through a local shop. Took 2 weeks at a good online place.

If i lived in an area with a few honest shops that would mark it up what they need to make a little money and not rape me i would buy from them. Since i havent found one yet ill go the online route. Never been burned yet and if something broke ive had great success of getting a new item for no cost on my end.

 

Yeah, I see where you're going with this... If you're an idiot with a tiburon who will fry your ecu, then take your stuff to an audio shop... I mean, that is just ridiculous. I know what you're saying about going to shops, but if consumers are smart about where they shop online, and doing things the right way then there is really no need for the audio shop. For example, I wanted something like the Zenclosure made by a local audio shop, and they wanted to charge me $300. I said ok, go **** yourselves and bought it online. couldn't be happier.

 

actually the price listing of dealer cost car audio was 449 but after canadian conversion and s&h that is what it ended up costing, also my pre-made ported box cost me 167$ canadian all in all much cheaper then buying from visions