From: jim@coral.aiss.uiuc.edu (jim crouse)
Subject: 6th Ave. mail order SUMMARY
Reply-To: jim@coral.aiss.uiuc.edu
Organization: AISS/Telecom University of Illinois -- Urbana-Champaign
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 14:29:47 GMT

 Summary of responses of 6th AVE  Electronics City mail order.
 I did not see anything positive about this store.


 Has anyone had a good experience with mail order stereo equipment ?????
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From: fnord@panix.com (Cliff Heller)

> Has anyone used 6th Ave. Elect. City before ?
> What do you know/think about this place ?

two words:  STAY AWAY.

I've never used them, but they have the worst reputation for bad service,
particularly bait-and-switch.

-- 
    / \      Reverend fnord                 | "King Kong died for your sins!"
   /   \     fnord@panix.com                | 
  / <0> \                                   | "Don't just eat a hamburger, 
 /_______\   Church of Obfuscatology, Inc.  |  eat the HELL out of it!"


  36389	Re: Stereo Review (was Re: Very expensive c   [63] Bob Myers           
-----------------------------------
From: Farul A Ghazali <fag2@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu>


Yes, I've used 6th Ave. twice before. However, I've only bought stuff
at their store, not mail order, but I'll tell you what I think of the
place anyway. 

Their prices are generally good, except for the fact that most of
their mid to higher end items are grey market stuff. They are dealers
for mass produced equipment like Pioneer, Panasonic, Sony, Technics
etc. If you're planning to buy anything by a slightly more 'exotic'
manufacturer, my only advice is don't. Sound City will give you a
similar price, and they're dealers for everything they sell (ask
anyway, just to be sure).

Both times I've been there, they tried the standard bait and switch
procedure. The first time I was there, my friend wanted to buy a
Panasonic mini system. They had it for a good price ($666) but of
course, the salesman tried to steer us away from that model, to a more
expensive model. My friend insisted, and we got the Panasonic.

Second time, I was buying an LD player. I was looking at the Pioneer
CLD 990, and the salesman was pushing a Phillips instead, which was of
course about $100 more than the Pioneer. They gave me some crap about
Phillips being the inventor of the laserdisc and stuff like that. If
you do plan to buy from them, be insistent and don't give your credit
card number until they have your exact order and they've quoted the
final price plus any S&H charges. 

> DO they pay shipping costs ?

If you're talking about returns, no, I don't think so.

Good luck. Oh, BTW, if you plan to buy from Sound City, follow the
same procedure.


From: kester@mte.ncsu.edu (Dan Kester)
 
> Has anyone used 6th Ave. Elect. City before ?
>
> What do you know/think about this place ?

The comments on 6th Ave. generally tend to be very negative.

People have lots of complaints: getting things that were obviously used, having
problems with returns, very rude salespeople, bait-and-switch, etc. etc.

Most of their merchandise is grey market, meaning they are not authorized
dealers. Therefore the manufacturer's warranties don't apply.  "6th Ave.
warranty" applies, meaning that they'll try to fix it, and you have to hope
that they have highly skilled technicians working there.  Don't count on it.

I would stay away from them, even though their ad prices are tempting.

Dan Kester
kester@mte.ncsu.edu


From: Ferhan Bulca  <bulca@Celeborn.McRCIM.McGill.EDU>


> Has anyone used 6th Ave. Elect. City before ?


Hi Jim,

I bought a CD player and an int. amplifier from 6th Ave. I can say they all
come with the min. trouble. However, I heard that a number of people had
bad experiences with these guys. In my case, they paid the shipping and 
sent the stuff quite fast. I received them a week after I ordered which is
pretty good since it had to go thru Canada customs, too. When the stuff came,
I realized that the fuse of the amp. was gone. The fuse was inside the box,
so I did not want to open it and called the salesperson I dealt with. He 
gave me an authorization no. to send it back free of charge. The amp. came
back a week after I sent in perfect condition. 

I did not have any credit problems, they charged exactly the same amount
we agreed on the phone. And their prices were the lowest ones I could ever
find.

Only minus point goes to the salesperson who tried to force me to decide
when we were talking. He kept reducing the price when I resisted to order
instantly. Finally, he gave me a price including the shipment and said it
would be valid only if I ordered immediately. I did not, but called him a few
hours later and bought the equipment for the same price.

I would suggest you to take your time before ordering.

Wish you good luck and happy shopping.

*******************************************************************************
 Ferhan Bulca 		       | Everybody gets what s/he deserves.
 bulca@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu | Don't worry, be happy! :-) 
 Dept. of Mechanical Eng.      | The whole is equal to the sum of its parts. 
 McGill University             |                         Euclid - Elements
 Montreal, PQ Canada           | The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
 Tel: (514) 398-8929           |          Max Wertheimer - Productive Thinking
*******************************************************************************

From: ark@research.att.com

I wouldn't touch 6th Avenue Electronics with a 10-foot pole.

From: wwein@scott.skidmore.edu (warren wein)


	There is a "store" in Brooklyn, NY that usually has better
prices than 6th Ave.  Its called S.B.H. Enterprises.  The "store" is
in this guys basement but the radar detector I bought from them 1 1/2
years ago is still working fine.

							- Warren
-- 
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From: gds@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (glenn.d.strouse)


 I also had a bad experience with Sound City. I bought a pair of Altec Lansing
 speakers from them. The speakers must have been a demo pair. The serial 
numbers on the beat up boxes that they were shipped in did not match the
numbers on the speakers. When I called they denied everything. After getting
knowhere with them, they said that they would send a set of head phones to me
that they were running a special on, free of charge. They told me that they retailed for $80.0
. Since the speakers sounded fine, I thought why not. Well, the head phones
looked like they cost about $2.00. They were junk. Needless to say they will
never get my business again. 

  A company that I have purchased from in the past and have had VERY GOOD 
prices and service is W.D.S. (Wisconsin Discount Stereo). It now seems to
be out of business. I tried to call and all the phone numbers I have used in the
past are now disconnected.  Does anyone have any information?


Glenn Strouse





From: cb@tamarack13.timbuk (Chris Brewster)
    Has anyone used 6th Ave. Elect. City before ?

DON'T SHOP THERE.  The NY Times had an article about "problem" stores,
and this was at the top of the list.  They commit all the common sins:
advertising things they can't deliver, gray-market goods with no
warranty, etc.  The same article mentioned that J&R Music World had a
much better "rating" (from someone: Better Business Bureau, maybe?).  My
experience with the two places confirms this comparison.  (Disclaimer:
I'm not connected to J&R in any way.)

Chris Brewster
cb@cray.com



 

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