Stereo Maxx of Hayward — Attraction in Hayward

Worst experience ever!!!

I purchased the AUTO-VOX rear view mirror DVR + backup camera system on Amazon, and had Stereo Maxx installed the system on 07/23/2016. On my way back home, I immediately noticed something was wrong. The DVR (for font view camera) was only turned on when I put the shift to reverse and it also automatically stopped after 5 minutes when I started driving. I suspected that they connected the wire incorrectly. So, I did some investigation.

The red wire should be connected to switched power source (only turned on when car is on) and the yellow wire should be connected to constant 12V power (so the DVR can keep settings and automatically turn on when somebody hits the car when it is parked). However, they connected the red wire to the reverse, and the yellow wire to the switched power source. That's why the DVR could only turn on when I put the car in reverse and settings got erased once I turned off the car. I knew this had to be case and my suspicion was later confirmed by the car audio shop I hired to fix their mistakes.

What I am mad, however, is not their mistakes, but their arrogance and impatience. I called them on the day it was installed about the situation. However, the guy over the phone was very arrogant, he basically said they did it correctly, they've been doing this for a decade, and they cannot possibly be wrong. He claimed that I had a faulty product and asked me to contact Amazon for a replacement and I need to pay them again to install the replacement. The atmosphere seems like I was trying to bring them trouble.

Then, next day I called them again after I did more investigation. I was pretty sure it was their mistake. Whoever answered the phone showed the same attitude. Finally, he asked me to bring the car over and said they would show me what they have done. So, I came to their shop again. The guy who did the most job (installer) doesn't speak English. The other guy(may be a manager) who worked with the installer, asked him what he did in Spanish, and then he told me again they did the correct thing. Through the conversation, I learned that they never read the installation manual when they did the work. After the manager explained what they did (again very impatient), I was trying to discuss with him about the manual and how other Amazon customers installed the system. Then, he was yelling at me repeatedly, "are you listening? are you listening? are you listening?". I replied (still trying to be polite), "yes, I am listening, but...". He interrupted me, stared at me, said to me loudly, "No, you are not listening!". I was kind of pissed off at the moment. I stopped talking with the guy and told their owner(the guy who wrote the receipt) that I can show him the wrong behavior of the system in the hope that they could realize what their mistake was. But it turned out I was completely wrong. I brought the owner to the car and showed him the front view DVR only turns on when I put the shift to reverse. Then, the owner said to me impatiently, "It's done! You don't understand how the system works! Come to front, I will refund your money and you go find someone else to install it." I was so shocked that he refused to help me any more and he apparently thought it is OK for a DVR that is supposed to record front view to be turned on/off by car reverse signal (seriously???) .

I came to the front desk, and nobody said anything to me in about 15 ~ 20 minutes. Finally, I saw the owner again and asked when he would refund me. Then, he said I needed to wait for his guys to finish their work and then they will uninstall the system and after that he can refund me. I can't wait there all day long, so I walked away.

After that, I directly went to a nearby car audio store, called Street Beat. They showed me how the Stereo Maxx guys incorrectly connected the wires just the way as I suspected. They had the work entirely redone to fix it because they don't trust the...

This is my 3rd 5-star review over a number of years of my going to Stereo Maxx to either inquire about a product I was interested in and/or having that product installed. (My other reviews just happened to be on yelp, but I clicked on Google reviews at the search hit here.)

It's always been a pleasure either asking about a product or having one installed at Stereo Maxx. Sam (the owner) and his staff have always been very informative, very easy-going, and very non-pushy (they always give me plenty of time to calmly think about whatever options I wanted to consider and they don't push you to break your budget) about whatever product I've asked about or was interested in. And although I'm not always up on every aspect of the latest vehicle audio technology about something, they've always made me feel like there are no dum questions (even when I know that I've sometimes asked one).

And I always feel that I've been offered a deal there that makes both parties (Sam/Sami and myself) feel good. And that's why I'm always willing to drive all the way down from Berkeley to Hayward -- passing up several cities and many car audio dealers along the way: I'd just rather go directly to someone I already feel good about. Sam also has a good range of quality audio products (I've been completely satisfied with the ones I've bought). And he's got 5 or 6 bays in his garages, so my installation waits there have never been too long, and his installation workers are pretty helpful too. (I'm one of those people who sometimes likes to watch from an appropriate distance while his car is being worked on.). But, I wouldn't doubt if it took more than 1 day for a major speaker/system installation.

After all, if a retailer treats me right, and makes me feel comfortable doing business with them on, to me, important services and/or purchases (and especially for what I call quality-of-life purchases, like car audio-visual products that make spending a lot of time driving a lot more enjoyable or practical), or make it a lot more tolerable to be stuck in slow or stopped Bay Area highway traffic, then I'm always willing to go even way out of my way to purchase from that person/shop again!: I'm more than happy to contribute to their livelihood.

And while I'm browsing other products while I'm waiting, or strolling outside, or watching a cable movie in the comfortable waiting room, or briefly chatting with another customer about his system, I can see and hear that Sam really cares about providing quality service and quality products to other customers too: that's always been my experience. [Although, I could imagine that in public contact jobs, upon occasion, some customers can be very difficult about what they want an owner to do.] I've also always asked for and gotten a brief starter tutorial about the basic operation of my installation purchase.

So, while I can readily see that other customers with really fancy muscle cars/vehicles have spent a lot more money there on big audio systems than I have, I'm still pleased to give Stereo Maxx 5 stars, because how you're treated regardless of how much money you do or don't spend is the most important to me, and the basis (besides good products) for how I recommend a business. And that's why I'm a repeat customer over the years and taking the time to do this review.

And, finally, as I said in one of my other reviews (at yelp), right across the street from Stereo Maxx is a great little Mexican cafe called La Piñata, with an ultra charming, colorful outside & inside decor, a very nice menu, great food & drinks, generous servings, nice waitresses, and very good prices, as well as little outdoor tables. Bring your girlfriend/boyfriend there to eat while you wait for your vehicle to be done (especially if you can't avoid a busier weekend day at Stereo Maxx). I wish La Piñata (also because it stays open 'till 3am[!!] late-week and on weekends) were in my neighborhood back...

Came in all the way from dixon to upgrade my acura rls stock bose system and it was NOT worth it!! They did a horrible job they stole a pair of premium RCA cables i had in my trunk and also stole 15 feet of knukonceptz 12ga speaker cable i had saved for my other 12"sub i was going to install! They do not install things correctly and not authorized jl audio dealer!! These guys are not recommended, lots of places to take your car for your stereo needs just dont bring it to STEREO MAXX or youll regret it! I gave them the chance to fix there mistakes and as you can see i still had to write this! I wouldn't give them any stars but 0 is not possible. Im stressed out just writing this they tried sending me the parts they stole but sent me cheap replacements i lmao at what they sent garbage! Im sure they paid more on shipping than what those cables cost! They know how to hustle you very well just wish they installed the same way. If you want to be up at night pissed off at your install then go to STEREOMAXX OF HAYWARD! I could keep going with more bad things they did but my fingers hurt from typing im on dialysis for kidney failure so only have one hand to use. STEREOMAXX=🗑and only reason they have 5* is they make you do a review while you wait. I fell for it but...