September 2023 by Jesse Soslow
I was really surprised by the awful experience I had with AV Showcase, given the excellent experiences I've had with Big George's Appliances more broadly, from which I purchased all new appliances for my kitchen remodel, including a fridge, dishwasher, oven, microwave, stovetop and more.My experience with the AV Showcase was in stark contrast.First, I paid a fee for a site visit where a technician came to visit my home and talk through options for TV and projector installation. From the moment this technician walked into my home they were bizarrely negative. I'd never had service provider enter my home and be such a negative and unwanted presence before. There was not a mindset of "how do we solve problems creatively," but rather a weird sad sulking around my home. It also seemed that the technician didn't know the types of things that would be expected of them (e.g., whether they sell projectors that have built-in speakers, etc.). Perhaps the Audio Video Showcase has knowledgeable and professional technicians, but the one sent to my home was neither.Second, there are various aspects to my home that make installing the TV where we would like, and a projector where we would like, quite challenging. Though doing so would certainly not be impossible. Following the visit, I got a call from the Audio Video Showcase essentially saying they would like to pass on the project, given these challenges. This is perfectly fine from my perspective -- if they are not interested in creatively problem solving, then I certainly don't want them doing the work. However, I was surprised (and angered) by the fact that they were unwilling to refund the cost for the site visit. They are making the active choice not to give me a quote for a project that is certainly possible to do, and are also choosing to keep my money for the visit. I paid the site visit fee in order to get a quote for installation, but they are choosing not to provide that and keeping my money. I find this type of business practice to be deeply unethical.I would be wary of working with these folks, but if you choose to do so, I hope you have a better experience than me.
