finishing stereo shopping list

You are only as good as your weakest link. If you spend your equiptment/parts money away from the shop that you are getting the work done at, they may not spend the time to do as quality of an installation as the would if you blew your whole load at the shop. You see it as I just spent 3 grand on gear and install (hypothetical numbers here...) why did they do a half assed job. The install shop sees it as this donkey is taking up my time for a relitivly small amount of cash, so lets get him out of here as fast as possible. They don't care that you spent three grand, but that you spent only a hundred bucks with them. Keep in mind that with an online purchase you are typically not getting much of a warranty, and you will get ZERO support when something goes wrong. (crutchfield excluded...) Say for example your amp goes out. You don't know why, so you go back to "the rapist" expecting them to take care of it for you. They check their wiring, which is good and then tell you that the amp is bad. Since you did not buy it from them they will probably charge you to remove it and then charge you to put it back in when (if?) you get it back from where ever the online shop sends it for repair, that is if they have any kind of warranty. you may be dropping more cash on a new amp at this point. If you bought the gear from a good install shop and had the work done there, not only will they remove and replace the amp for free, but they will often either give you a loaner or just replace it with a new one right there and deal with the manufacture directly getting you in and out without any musical downtime.

Any place that you buy from is going to make money off of you. It is why businesses exist. I have yet to find a non profit install bay or mobile electronics shop. The question remains...How much customer service do you want?