Soundcrafters

THIS COMPANY IS A COMPLETE RIP-OFF!!! I would definitely NEVER recommend them for any work or service!!! My story: I stopped into their place of business, and asked if they could re-install an existing Sony home theatre surround sound system, that I had been using at our previous home for only a couple of years. I must point out, that this entire Sony system was in perfect working condition when we moved. Sound Crafters said that they could do the re-installation , and that is would probably be a "very simple job", that would take only about 1-hour". They said that they could come out that Saturday and that they would charge $125 per hour, which is their standard rate. I agreed and we set up the installation (or should I just say connection, as that was all that was really required), for Saturday morning at 10 am. Well, they did come on Saturday, at the appointed time, but that is the ONLY thing that they did right. The tech who came out, started to work, and it quickly became clear that he was not very well qualified. He seemed confused, and not able to easily install this system, which is just a very basic Sony surround sound system, that originally cost about $400, new). Anyhow, after an hour had passed, the tech was still nowhere near having the system up and running, but he insisted that he would have it working soon. I would also like to mention that my wife, a friend and I were all in the same immediate area as the tech was working. After nearly an hour and a half, we finally heard the system start -up and it was generating full sound for about 2 to 3 seconds, then it immediately went down again. When we asked him what had happened, he said, "I'm not quite sure, but hopefully I'll be able to figure it out and get it back up and working again". Well, suffice to say, he was never able to get the system to work after that. He said he would take our main component/transmitter box back to the shop to check it, because it might have broken, or gone bad from sitting for a few months. He said that even if the main component could be fixed, that he couldn't come back next week to fifnish the installation, becuase he " had to go to a training course". Wow, why doesn't surprise me??? In the end, after working for almost another half-hour, he said that he definitely could not get the system to work, and was not sure exactly why. Nevertheless, He then said that we owed him $275.00 for labor and parts (including $40, for a new cable that he said we needed). When I asked him why I owed him so much (when they originally said it would be a simple 1-hr job that would cost only $125), in spite of the fact that he did not get the system installed, did not get it working, and basically did not do what they were hired to do. He said that he "thought that they could easily check the system, and hopefully repair it. I very reluctantly (and mistakenly) agreed to pay them. After thinking about it, I became quite irriteated about what had happened. So, I called the company, and I spoke with the owner. He just kept giving me a bunch of rather lame excuses, that my system components must not have been working. And that his tech did nothing wrong. They would check my system and get back to me. Well, lo and behold, they called me back several days later and system was totally blown and would never work again. When I asked him how this could be, in light of the fact that it had worked briefly at the house, and told him that it was only about 2- years old. He said, "well that's the way it is with electronics some times". He still insisted that I owed him full price, as they had done their work. I personally believe that this was a poorly trained tech, who was not capable of installing the system. And, he somehow incorrectly connected the system and ruined the main component box. I feel very confident that a well qualified and well trained tech could have quickly and immediately installed this system. Itv was in perfect working condition just several months before these incompetent bumbling fools blew it up, and somehow also ruined my brand new televisions picture. This people were a joke, but unfortunately the joke turned out to be on me. I have taken this time to write this loooong soliloquy, so that HOPEFULLY, these people do not take advantage of some other poor unsuspecting person. RUN, DON'T WALK AWAY FROM SOUND CRAFTERS!!!!!