Within one month the subwoofer amp failed. No warranty? I had to purchase a new one? Been coming here for over 15 years. Sadly, I won't be back ever. read more

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I just traded up my car a Berkeley Honda down the street and I was able to negotiate for them to install a better lock on my car after sharing my horror story with my last car. So moving on to this place when I looked them up there was not much to go off of and I don't have much more to provide. All of the pictures on this business is of the owner lady she is even on the business card. I mean there is nothing wrong with being proud of your business but I was not able to find any pictures or information about the work that has been done. The displays are all really old and the technicians are very hesitant about speaking on anything when asked about the options. Well my alarm did get installed and she did up sell me with a kill switch but for other services I will stick with my regular stereo system business that I go to read more

Best Auto Radio - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Berkeley, California

Beware, beware beware!!! This place should be called best rip off radio. I was lucky I got out of there before I paid any money. The lady that I met there showed me a Blaupunkt, Omaha, 206 cd radio AM/FM car stereo she said it would be $229 installed, she also said it would be 189 dollars for 6 1/2 inch Blaupunkt speakers, installed. She then said I would need a plug for $20. I wanted a bass woofer with an amp in it and she quoted me a price of over $200 plus another $125 to install it. I negotiated away the $125 installation for the woofer. bringing my total to about $800 tax included. I looked up the Blaupunk Omaha 206 on eBay and found out that it sells for $99 including two 6 1/2 inch door speakers. I'm not apposed to people making money, but deceptive sales cannot go un reported. Just beware! read more

WORST ever customer service. I am here to pick up ups package routed to here that need signature. The owner/lady was extremely rude and couldn't find the package even though it's is within 7 days pick up time. After I checked online status and saw the package is still here, I asked her to to double check again, she simply ask "do you want the package or not, just talk to ups yourself ". Anyways if you want some terrible customer service experience, just come to here. read more

Best Auto Radio - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Berkeley, California

This guys not deserve even one star!!!! They are the biggest scam I ever had in my life!! They give you one price and charge you different price!! They are rude and the service so bad Not recommend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! B read more

Without much thought or planning I decided to see about upgrading the car audio of my new used 2011 Honda CRV. Mostly I needed a backup camera, but also intrigued by the full upgrade. They were super helpful and attentive on a Sunday Only negative is price. Product and service is shockingly high for an after-market car audio upgrade. read more

I had a Pioneer radio unit put in a 2014 Toyota Corolla to replace a radio system that had stopped working. Toyota did not have a fix for it. I found Patty at Best Auto Radio off Telegraph in Berkeley to patiently give me my options and, ultimately, get it to work. There are still some bugs, but, overall, I am satisfied with the work. A tricky thing is to get the backup camera to work, as the Pioneer unit did not understand that. Also new is that I have to hook up my phone to get a navigation system on the screen. Like I said above, there are still some quirks that I am trying to understand. The original unit had a navigation system within the radio/screen system. read more

Can anyone explain to me how this place stays in business. Couldn't have had worse customer service. Parie seemed to go out of her way to be disrespectful. What a sad situation they have going on over there. I'm making this post with the hopes that no one else gets treated like that. read more

The team at Best Auto Radio are fantastic! We had a bluetooth issue and Patti not only helped us explore all our options but recommended the cheapest! We eventually went with a full system upgrade and installation was quick and professional, we truly could't be happier! When you find a shop that you can trust, you stick with them and we will definitely be back! read more

DO NOT GO HERE! I REPEAT. DO NOT GO HERE! This lady does not deserve anyone's business. I'll try to be clear and concise but it's hard to put into words what I experienced. I drive an '04 Honda CRV and was looking to upgrade from the factory stereo so I looked up a few local places to get quotes. Got a few quotes and also researched products at Best Buy. Obviously mom and pop shops have difficulty competing with a big corporation so I opted to go with a small business even though it would cost me more. I read the reviews on this place and was hesitant after learning that just picking up a package here was unpleasant. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and called them up. A lady answered and she sounded nice enough so I headed over. Once at the shop we discussed what I was looking for and she listed a few products as well as pricing. I then showed her what it would cost me at Best Buy with installation included. She said she couldn't compete and I acknowledged that fact but still asked how close she could get to that price. She said $186. And that was for a unit without Bluetooth. Best Buy price for a unit with Bluetooth and installation ran about $135. Call me an idiot and you'd be right. I should've said no thank you and walked away at that point. I didn't and agreed on an older Pioneer unit without Bluetooth capability. Flash forward to a couple weeks later when I found out the USB port wouldn't even work with my phone (I have an IPhone). I went back to the shop and I told her it wasn't working so she said drop off the car so the technician would look at it. I did and when I came back all she said was for me to download some Pioneer app that would enable USB functionality. I said okay and went home and downloaded the app. Guess what? Didn't work. Went back again and asked her what she could do for me? I asked to swap out the unit with another at no extra charge. She wouldn't budge and even said I was trying to take advantage of her. The gall on this woman after charging me $186 for an old and dusty Pioneer unit. We got into a bit of a shouting match and I knew she wasn't gonna give in so I caved and agreed to swap out for an old Sony "display" model for an extra $40. The technician literally took it off the display wall. I was out $226 at that point and just said install it and get me the heck outta here. I thought I was done at that point. Nope. The USB function on the Sony unit I left with is now malfunctioning (see pic). Against my instinct, I went back to the shop one final time hoping she'd sympathize and make this right. I was wrong. Dead wrong. When I got there I explained what was wrong and she said pull the car up so the technician could look at it. I refused and offered to return the unit and be refunded just half of my money, just half. She said no and told me to call Sony. I replied that I didn't buy it from Sony, I purchased it from her. She then slammed her office door in my face and proceeded to call the police which I thought was laughable. I gave up and then left (not in a police cruiser) and that was that. In conclusion, do your research and make your own decision. All I can do here is tell you my experience. I'm not some random a**hole just looking to slander this business. I went in there with good intentions and got screwed for it. I think the worst part wasn't even the money. It was the fact she didn't even show sympathy. Not one sorry. She's probably been doing it for way too long and is burned out. I don't know. Gotta cut my losses and move on. If you do decide to come here I'd like to reference an older review about this place: check your pocket for your wallet when you walk out. read more

Best Auto Radio - USB function is on "overload" - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Charged me $280 to install a regular touchscreen stereo + back camera ($200 product). I think that's really expensive. I said thanks, I'll do it myself. read more

Reasonable, punctual and customer-oriented. Completely happy with their installation; very neat and professional. The owner is very kind and helpful and patient. read more

What you see in reviews is a decidedly mixed bag, but what I saw when I went in was what I was hoping for, a small business that knows how to problem solve in context. I had a broken connection in my car radio that would need an upside down soldering job to make 'like new'. The owner said, "I think you'll have to have us remove the whole assembly to do the work, but let's talk to my technician." The technician didn't say anything, just got a zip tie and figured out how to make it work in ten seconds. No up-sell, no charge. He had sized-up my older car and realized that a practical fix was what was called for. I appreciated the 'can-do' quality and would likely return for a more routine job should the need arise. read more

Terrible attitude! Had a UPS package routed here (they provide this service, and are a location where your can pick up packages) and when I went to pick it up, the woman at the counter was extremely rude. She used a very confrontational tone, and made a big deal about me not having my tracking number with me. It almost seemed like she was going to force me to go home for it, but I pointed out that I didn't have time before they closed and that was the last day to pick it up before it was sent back. Once I told her that, it only took a couple of minutes (2 minutes maximum) to find it among the small pile of stored packages there. Was it that hard? They didn't seem organized at all to begin with... Would having the tracking number have made it that much easier? I don't know, but she certainly could have been so much nicer, and being treated like that makes me not want to support them or deal with that place ever again. I have no idea how good or bad their stereo business is, but based simply on her demeanor that day, I would never purchase anything there. When you run a retail business, you have to treat people with respect and kindness if you want to keep customers coming back. For the record, I have picked up packages there a couple of times before, with different people at the pick up desk. I never had any issues with anyone else there, despite not having a tracking number handy at least one of those times. Hopefully this was an isolated experience. read more

I got a new Viper alarm system installed 2 months ago because my old factory one was going off randomly. They did a good job and considering I was a walk in it was nice to be squeezed in on such short notice! I am writing this review so late because when I had an issue the other day, I stopped by and William fixed everything within 15 minutes! I recommend for those looking for a new alarm install! read more

Don't come in here unless you like people screaming at you! Looks like a bunch of fake reviews here too.... Very unforgettable (lack of) customer service read more

I've come here twice to get car stereos put in, and both times it went great! The second time, I even got a back-up camera installed and they did it quickly and I was very happy with the result! The staff there are all very nice and gave me a reasonable price for all of my needs. Everyone there was very knowledgeable, and overall it was a great experience! read more

My 2002 Camry CD player died. Patty helped me choose a new one, installed in an hour by William, looks like factory installed! Sounds awesome, streaming music and taking calls Bluetooth, wish my old one died sooner:) They couldn't be nicer, I had bag of groceries with me,having stopped in on impulse, and Patty put them in their refrigerator for me. Fair price, honest, amazing service. Thank you. read more

Best Auto Radio - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great service and we were in and out hella fast. My car has a breathalyzer installed in it from a person who got q. dUI over five and a half years ago but it's some new thing that even if you don't own a car you gotta put it n something even if it's not your car, hopefully you find someone like myself sulking to put it in one of her vehicles. So they recalibrate it every f******* time you accidentally blow at the wrong time. I don't drink so it's just more of a pain in the ass, ANYWAYS, they charge like 45 buCks for every recalibration so they are expensive but I'm always satisfied with the way they get you in and out real quick like and treat you nicely: read more

I had my stock speakers replaced back in march 2019 and could not be happier. Parie was very helpful and gave me a very good deal on 2 sets of memphis speakers (4 total) with installation. The speakers were installed without any issues (had over 10 months now and no complaints) and sound just like I thought they would. She was also able to get me in within 2-3 days from making my appt. Overall very happy with experience and purchase here, highly recommend. read more

They are the best place in all the bay for Intoxalock devices!!! Those machines are evil and mess with you even if you're sober! A 7 year old dui sentence included 6 month of the blow machine messin with me at worst time possible. Having gun to have it recalibrated like 6 times, again I don't drink so it wasn't because of alcohol, THIS COMPANY SAVED ME! THEY WERE UNDERSTANDING AND ALWAYS TREATED ME WITH RESPECT AND KINDNESS. I recommend their services and I'm working on picking out a new stereo just so i can continue supporting them. Plus I'm using my own fee will not because I had to because of some stupid outdated irrelevant rules and laws. Go here 100% guarantee you won't be disappointed. read more

They treated me with respect and actually looked at my system instead of rushing to sell me something. Patty listened to my pleas of what I wanted and Im so happy with the work William did. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! read more

Great service and very friendly staff! Highly recommend this family-owned business... They fit me in without an appointment and went above & beyond in customer service! Can't say enough good things about them... read more

Awesome job! I was referred here after purchasing a stereo and speakers from an online retailer. The gentleman that installed my system was fast, thorough and very professional. Everything looked like it had come factory installed. No gaps, no scrapes, no loose fittings. He even got the new tweeters into the factory tweeter spaces. Also turns out their prices on stereos, amps, and the like are quite competitive. Definitely my new go-to for car-stereo related items/service. read more

The owner of this place is a nightmare. The workers are all very friendly and I like them but the owner is a very difficult woman. Every time I would try to speak she would talk over me and never let me get a word out. I could not finish a sentence. She did not listen and she made my whole experience here very very unpleasant. I hope I never have to come back here ever again and I would never recommend this place to anyone. read more

I gave them the benefit of the doubt, not knowing anything about stereo quality, cost, or anything. I bought a cheaper Sony package, and was going o have it installed. The woman asks the guy how long he thinks it'll take, he replies "an hour", and I see her add $90 to the bill. At that point, I say I'll install it myself. I'm warned I could break the dashboard without proper tools, but I think I can work it out. Theyre at least nice enough to show me what to do (which was pretty easy). Two weeks later, my stereo gets stolen. Instead of going back, I decide to check online. I find the same stereo I paid $240 for for $99 on amazon, with a listed retail price of $130. I was had. Pros: they're nice and somewhat friendly Cons: you better know your stuff before you go in there. Naivety is not your friend here. For the whole install, it was going to be near $500, somehow. I just wanted a hassle-free experience. read more

Picked up 2 UPS packages at this shop and I plan on sending my mail here next time since packages are so easy to be stolen in Oakland. The hostess dog was really sweet. read more

Best Auto Radio - Hostess - Car Stereo Installation Near Me - Berkeley, California

Just so you know what you're getting into when you come here: They are the kind of place that does not have any prices listed anywhere, so be prepared to aggressively bargain or you will pay way too much. Free installation? Only if you're willing to pay $50 for a wire and a piece of plastic, or if you aggressively bargain with them, because Free Installation is nothing but a buzz word to them. Quality products? I suppose some of them are, and other stereos they sell are the worst. Beware! So, yes, I drove away with a decent stereo for a fair price, but it wasn't easy, let me tell you. If this sounds like the kind of place you like to shop at, then go for it. But for everyone else I would recommend Best Buy. read more

They don't have that many reviews written at their NEW location, interesting to see that Yelp doesn't carry over the good reviews from their old location. I had a good experience at this place. Staff wasn't super chummy with me, but they were very professional, quick, and got the job done as promised, on time, and on budget (within like 10 bucks). I also shopped around at like 3 or 4 shops describing my job and asking for rough quotes, and while most places were reluctant to offer an exact quote for the job without seeing the vehicle (I didn't drive the car to any other place), the few that gave me a ballpark estimate quoted way higher than Best Auto. My job: New double-din dvd bluetooth enabled car stereo (purchased at Crutchfield) Sub box (existing from previous car) Amp (ditto) Aftermarket license plate rear view camera (linked to stereo, purchased on Amazon) All that stuff basically in the trunk still boxed up when I pull in. Installed perfectly, no complaiints. Only thing I had him quickly do was adjust the angle on the backup camera (as I recall, it was pointed a little low). 5 stars. I'll go again. read more

I brought my 65 Buick to get a cassette deck installed. At first they told me they would charge me $60. I gave my atm to the lady there, she swiped it gave me the pad to enter my code for the atm, and I noticed it said $65. I asked her. "Didn't you say $60" No $65 she said. Not cool! Beware of this place. There's another place I was gonna get this done. Unfortunately they were closed. Go to JG at 1435 5th street Berkeley. read more

Been here a couple times and I walked out the last time because I got a bad vibe from them(over pricing) on an amp swap. Makes sense now that I read the bad reviews, which are oddly hidden from the main screen of the yelp page. They never seem to be busy and when they do get customers they look for any angle to remove money from your wallet. I had a bad experience the first time where they charged me $40 for pretty much nothing. I had a issue with my alarm fob and which took them 2 seconds to fix. They would only say it was a "programming issue". I researched it later on(should have done this before) and it turned out the alarm was in valet mode. They could have just fixed it for free and had a customer for life instead of hitting me in the wallet. Additionally, they wouldn't even tell me what the issue was or how I could fix it in the future my self probably in hopes I would have the issue again and pay another 40 for 2 seconds of their time . They obviously are shady like all the other poor reviews state. read more

Based on my experience simply trying to pick up a package as a UPS drop off point, I would never do any business here. The woman working the desk was incompetent and extremely rude. It took two calls to UPS and an intervention from a UPS driver to find out that the package had been there all along. If this is how the business is managed, I wouldn't trust them with anything. read more

BEST AUDIO PLACE EVER ! Best customer service . Best equipment. Got me in and out quick ! Good deals and quality , I recommend this place to all my friends and family ! read more

I came in looking for a sub woofer box for my truck the lady who I believe is the owner was very nice and she had it in stock. She was very knowledgeable and Pleasant. I Then asked her if she had any good deals on subwoofers and amps and she suggested to me the set up I currently have. She gave me a great deal and took care of me right away. Because of her customer service I ended up spending close to $1,000 when I had originally went in there to purchase only the box and slowly piece my audio system together. I highly recommend this business If you're looking for any car audio or video. Beforehand I contacted another shop in emeryville but the guy didn't really seem to want my business... this goes to show to customer service is everything in any business. read more

Words can't explain my frustrations with this place. I would NEVER recommend bringing your car here! I was in a rush and got my car stereo ZIP TIED to my dash... I believe this place has the WORST business practices when it comes to providing quality work done. read more

They did a great job with the car stereo installation for my boyfriend's car. No scratches on the dash, radio was perfectly flush and the system sounded great! And they did the work fast, within an hour. read more

Was excited to go here based off all the reviews I saw. When I got there at 9 They were 15 min late to open. What I wanted was simple four door speakers and a deck. I ask for cheapest parts at which they tell me 400! They were charging me through the roof! Laughed in my face when I said I'd be willing to pay 80$ for a deck and 50$ a speaker. Sad service and prices which is why you deserved 1 star read more

This is one of the two car stereo shops which I found in Berkeley, and I'm glad I went to this one first. When I walked in, the lady who helped me, I forgot her name but I believe she is the owner, was very nice and got straight to the point about what I wanted, and what she could do for me. I was looking to get 2 12" subs, preferably kickers, but walked out with 2 12" Memphis subs which are amazing. She got it all hooked up in my car and I went off within 3 hours and love it. I got a new car, and am waiting for my custom box to come in, but I am definitely going back to have it hooked up to my new car this coming weekend. Will have an updated review also. read more

Being the class-A handy man that I am, I thought it no problem to order a stereo (plus steering wheel control adapter) for my car with the intention to install them myself. Well needless to say, I quickly found myself overwhelmed with a very complicated install, and at the ended up with a nonfunctioning stereo. I woke up the next morning and called Best Auto Radio as soon as they opened. They were able to fit me in immediately, and quickly installed my stereo with no problems. I was so grateful, I was ready to pay about anything, but luckily enough the price was vey competitive. I definitely will definitely be back (since they offer a discount to repeat customers) for any further car audio purchases I make, and I recommend it to anyone considering a trip over! read more

My stereo was not working and I went to a lot of places to have them check why, but all I got was sass. Yet here they welcomed me, charged me a very fair price, and fixed the problems quickly! I wouldn't go anywhere but here they have no ego communicate well and just wholeheartedly want to help! read more