Going to War! With Car Toys

Friday, I finally go to get my new stereo installed. I went to Car Toys, a popular chain, at least up here in WA.
I ordered a new Clarion head unit, and the PAC Audio SWI JACK steering wheel interface.

They gave the word "no problem, you will need a dash kit, wiring harness, the SWI, and we will have it all installed in an hour or so."

The tech couldn't get a kit for the sedan without special ordering it, but for the temporary, set it up with an Avalance kit until the proper dash kit came in. No problem!

An hour later, the tech comes back out, saying "I can't get the SWI to work with your car." And I am sitting here thinking, "Well ****! The only reason I wanted to upgrade was because I could keep my steering wheel controls!" But hey, what ever, I can always get them re-installed later if needed, I will roll with it, it cut about $120 off my overall install. No big deal.

They bring the car around, new head unit installed. Groovy, rocks out, sounds good.

OOPS, I forgot to tell them to go ahead and re-line in my tube via RCA and remote, so I can get it off my rear speaker. No worries, easy job, I will do that at the house.

So, I get the RCA lines (fosgate) with a remote lead to line in my sub. Take my dash apart, pull out the radio and HOLY ****! The assholes cut the original harness and direct wired the new stereo.
I look at the receipt and it shows a harness under parts. $17.99 taken from stock. But in the dash, no harness. Worse off, they cut one harness completely off, and the other with the remote leads for the steering wheel controls, they cut the leads off it so short that there is no way it can be re-connected. At this point my blood is boiling, face is red, I am ready to throw something.

I go back to car toys only to see some little snot nosed kid, I explain the problem calmly, and he replies "Well, they couldn't find the correct harness, so they just wired it in direct, it is no big deal." To which I heatedly explained to him, "If I wanted a chop job, I would have taken it to the 16 year old kid next door. Hell, I could have done it properly by ordering everything from Crutchfield and doing it myself. I brought it here because I didn't want to do it, and I wanted it done right. If you didn't have the harness, you should have told me that you didn't, I would have had you special order it like you are doing the dash kit, or gone to a shop that did have the correct harness! Moreover, it looks so sloppy that tomorrow, I am going to have to take the car to the dealership to see if the technicians crappy work voided my warranty!"
So, tomorrow, it is to the dealership, then possibly the lawyers, then back to Car Toys to see what they are going to do to fix their screw up.

It's on! Time to go to war!

I would be suing that place man. Cutting the factory harness!? Are these people nuts! Also, just wondering... I'm not an expert with alot of this stuff, but do you think the reason they couldn't connect the SWI is because the lead may have been cut... just for fuel for the legal fire if you know what I mean.

Three words.

Better Business Bureau.

Gene,

I know this is no help, but car toys did the same freaking thing to me. I even tipped the installer 20 bucks BEFORE he did the install and told him to treat it like it was his truck (this was my tundra). Well everything seemed OK until I went to add sirius. they wanted like 300 bucks, and i got the parts for like 100 and when I took the dash apart, I found that they cut the freakin harness, then used butt connectors!!!! I too am capable of doing the job, but didn't have time and wanted it done right. they charged me too for a harness, and the labor was NOT cheap. I always do my own now, as I trust NOBODY.

wow, that really sucks!! sue the crap out of them! sorry you have to go thru this!!

So I got it to the Chevy Dealership, and just as suspected. Anything that is remotely connected to that harness is no longer covered under warranty.

Back to Car Toys I go. Talk to the assistant manager, and he has the same attitude as the kid had yesterday. "No big deal."

I explained to him what the dealership said, and he replied that they can't void the warranty because of an aftermarket installation. To which I replied in my best legal tone, "Only if it is installed properly IE correct harness. He was kind of speechless for a moment and then replied, "We can refund the cost of the harness."

:::this is your captain speaking, prepare for turbulence:::

I hit the ceiling, went into a rage and then said "My lawyer will be in touch with your manager, and I will be in touch with corporate offices!"
The kid tried to stop me from leaving, offering a refund, and then offered me extra gear, then asked what he could do to fix the problem. I said "fix the harness, put my original radio back in!"

They can't, because the harness is gone.

Looks like I am going to court. And I am expecting more than just a fix, I am requesting another Aveo LT premium.
[attachment=0:th1wck6n]SDC10015.JPG[/attachment:th1wck6n]

Isn't that sexy?

War has been declared!

By the way, if you are in the Seattle area, check the Sunday Seattle Times / Post Intelligencer. You may find a pretty full page ad coing out in the next few weeks titled "Quality work at your local Car-Toys" As soon as I find out from my lawyer if it would be okay...

holy crap that sucks man, makes me want to go see if they did that to mine. good luck with this in court.

Better take a look. After seeing this, i have heard of several reports of people having the same problem with Car-Toys

damn damn damn. get in writing from your dealership that your warranty is void. also, i dunno if your gonna get a new car but you are def. due some compensation. also whoever mentioned the BBB is a good idea too. as for the ad you want to write, keep it professional. and dont personally slander the people who work there, or that may bite you in the ass. a letter to the corporate office should also be made along with a few fone calls.

Yeah, I would definetly do everything to get these freaks in trouble. Going to court might get YOU money back but calling the BBB will help keep other people out of similar issues. This is pathetic! Make sure, like what was said before, you get as much stuff in paperwork as far as from the dealership and I would also see if maybe you can go to another car audio shop and get them to write up a report on how car audio is SUPPOSED to be installed so that the judge/jury have hard evidence on what really happened here (some people might not know the difference between a harness and hardwiring I.E. Car toys). Go all the way man and the best of luck to you!

Gene,

not trying to be a downer, but don't get your hopes up too high. You certainly will not get a new car. I don't think you will get very much from court, except maybe a refund on the harness. The stereo works. They did not break anything on your car per say, as it all works. You are perceiving a problem in the future, but none is there now. That is how the judge will see it if you take them to small claims court. That is where it will end up. Maybe take this as a lesson learned, notify BBB and or other consumer advocates online...and live with it. Getting an ulcer and spending time and blood pressure on this may not be worth it in the end.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by genefitz

By the way, if you are in the Seattle area, check the Sunday Seattle Times / Post Intelligencer. You may find a pretty full page ad coing out in the next few weeks titled "Quality work at your local Car-Toys" As soon as I find out from my lawyer if it would be okay...

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I wouldn't. Anything said against the business could potentially be held against you. If you write about your story then yes you can, but it's still very touchy. Anything contradictory between your story and theirs is grounds for trouble. BBB is the best solution.

I do hope you get compensation for it. If anything was to fail in the vehicle that is remotely connected to the stereo, they should be responsible for the damage and pay up too.

Gene,is it possible to sue for dealer repairs to your harness? Like have Car Toys responsible for the cost of repairs at Chevy?
Fred

Okay, the Lawyer told me that it is unlikely to get another car, however, a settlement may be in order. The ad in the paper is out of the question..

He says that I do have a case for unauthorized modifications to the car in the stereo installation. The fact that they did the modifications to my car's internal wiring (permanent damage) is cause for suit.
I have since spoken with, and had my car inspected by a Chevrolet dealership, as well as a second installation specialist who told me that though the installer did it wrong (no harness) he did wire it correctly, but did a very sloppy job of it. He also explained that the aftermarket harness which is the same one as Car-Toys uses does have issues. It has a power wire where it should not. He did state that a professional installer would have seen this right off the bat, and adjusted the aftermarket harness, vise cutting the factory harness, or he would have explained the problem to the customer and given the options (adjust the harness or wire direct if needed).
In his own words:
"Of the hundreds of people we ask about special modifications, maybe one will say no. But we don't ask for the hundreds that don't care, we ask for the one who will say no."

The lawyer says the case isn't for improper installation, but for their failure to get approval to do the modification, and possibly them charging me for the part they didn't use.
I got a call from Car-Toys corporate office here in Seattle. They asked me for information regarding the installation, and they offered to speak with the Chevrolet dealership on behalf of Car-Toys to see about getting the warranty situation fixed, offering apologies at least a hundred times. And they have offered to do all they can to make this issue right.

I am still not happy with the situation, and not sure of what my next step will be. But I am sure there will be much more come of it. Needless to say, Car-Toys has lost a customer. The second installer is going to run through my wiring for the radio, clean it up and make it neat again.
I will however tell everyone who asks not to use Car-Toys because of this.

Car Toys screwed some stuff up in my brother's truck some time ago. They did eventually fix it.

When it comes down to numbers, the loss of our families business isn't much, but they did lose customers.

So whatever happened? Did you win the war?

hey Gene, i'd be interested to know what the outcome was as well. did you get any satisfaction out of it?

DUDE THAT PLACE IS FOO-BARED.... HOLY ****!!! Law suit big time. and yeah they voided the factory warranty no doubt. man good luck. better business. ****. everyone will sue them. you for a new car. chevy maybe. and damn. im speachless. i would be pissed. this is why i do my work myself. why pay someone to do the same thing i can do.

All in all goodluck man... 2009 aveo on the way huh???

I guess Gene is a casualty of War...... :shock:

thats just not right!!!

I guess I will be pulling my head unit tomorrow...

when i had my new stereo put in at best buy they used the factory harness