Which chain store do you trust/like the most?

Which HIFI and general electronics store do you trust the most? All these are chains stores rather than local ones.

*POLL COMING

 

Not sure I really trust any big chain stores...

 

I am taking the micky a little bit especialy with one of my choices, I am sure it will be spotted instantly.

I don't really trust any of the above, but Richersounds is my probably my favourite just because of what they do, Superfi is probably where most my stuff is bought though.

I can't say I trust RS because of some things I have witnessed regarding slimey sales men.

 

I would trust Sevenoaks to give a quality product and service most, but I still don't trust them to know anything! If the sales guy told me something about their kit I would take it with a pinch of salt as with any sales guy.

 

My vote to Practical Hi-Fi, bought my Rotel from the Lancaster shop, very helpful (I was the only customer which helped) and I got a discount and free power cable.

If it was local shops then probably Lintone.

Never had any problems with RS but often they can't manage a demo!!

 

Of those listed, its Sevenoaks every time, based upon the excellent service I've always had in the Wolverhampton branch . The guys in there are friendly, I've had free cups of coffee whilst they terminate cables for me, they always tell me what new stuff they've got in and let me have a good listen to it, even if its madly expensive stuff they must be certain I can't afford - quad 40's and ESL-989s last time .

Superfi are second out of those listed, and the products they sell are generally more in my price range (generally superfi sells lower end kit than sevenoaks), but the service there isn't very good IMHO, they never seem keen to let me demo/listen to anything, until I actually get the money out in front of them and say 'I want to buy an amplifier for £300' or whatever.

I guess thats a byproduct of me being young (18) and never having much to spend in the shop at any time, relative to a lot of their customers, and I expect they get a lot of people who'll look, listen, take up a salespersons time, and never actually buy anything, but its still somewhat annoying, and its a big contrast to the attitude of sevenoaks who are miles better, and as a result (as they no doubt intend ) will get them my custom in future.

 

i trust the one i sell hifi at, thank you very much

still, 7oaks ain't too bad, not too pricey, 2yr guarantee and with the exception of one, the staff aren't obnoxious, patronising ***ts

 

Of those listed, 7oaks. I've got to ask, what's the point of this poll????

Michael.

 

Im pretty happy not to shop at any of them!

If I had to name my dealers -

Definitive Audio (Nottingham)
Emporium (Diss)
www.hificollective.co.uk

Theres others I use on occasion, but thats where I get kit from.

 

This one:

http://www.anchormarinehouston.com/Chain.html

Nothing floats your boat better!

 

Audio Ex, Audio T ?

 

Martin's HiFi, Norwich. Been with them man and boy.

Do Rumbelows still exist????

 

Superfi out of those. I went to get some speaker stands from sevenoaks once, telling me what time they were open and that they had them in stock.

When I went, they werent open at the time they said, and I nearly left. However, someone eventually opened the door but then they didnt have what they said they had in stock. Not good IMO.

Superfi's service has always been good for me.

 

Audio Excellence have been just that whenever I've dealt with them. That's the Bristol branch mind you - don't know about the others. Don't know if Radford Hifi count as they only have two branches (Bristol & Bath) but the Bristol branch is very good - top fellas.

Matt.

 

Nah, but someone had to vote for them .

 

Im with Matt on that one, Audio Excellence Bristol are spot on.
Had a bad experience with Radfords, but that was a long time ago and recently they have been good.

 

music matters, they have about 5 shops around the brum area and i think a shop in london somewhere. the guys i've dealt with from there are great. let me borrow a nac 282 and a nap 150 with no deposit, no adress and for 3 weeks! top blokes, wish i could have spent more money with them.
cheers


julian

 

Is anybody going to vote for Dixons? Come on you know you want to. Just thing of all them bargains we have had such as the Matsuinssszui DVD player for £149.95 with 3 year warranty, (ASDA price £29.95)

I was in a funny mood last night due to some pain killers I took which didn't agree with me hence the randomness of this thread. I do love dixons though its like a free comedy club, I am amazed I have not been bared the amount of times I have laughed at the prices in public.

 

None of them probably. Sevenoaks used to be better. Fed me complete bull last time i was in there. Richers push their own stuff, but i had a couple of things on home demo from them once, which they happily took back after me trying them out (and not keeping either).

 

yes, what's the point? what are you getting at? could we have some criteria, a bit open ended the question.

trust as in, sound advice, good kit, s/h, service, help if things go wrong, all that...

I used to like RS, but a dick manager in Manchester wouldn't let me get a refund on something I'd bought, so I was well pissed. I thought the whole point of RS was customer satisfaction. This guy was quite unpleasant, I think the ethos of RS is changing, they are thinking people buy stuff for parties then return for refunds, so they are clamping down on it.

you get some iffy adivce from Richers, too, some know their stuff, others not at all, not bothered for myself, but others may get dud advice, one didn't really know about the dacs in the cd players,
I thikn you tend to get a kind of whathifi advice from richers: superficial, with the audio myth things peddled.