Forum
« Frameless Shower Enclosure Investing in Multifamily Props »
January 5, 2009
ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?
I am getting some great quotes from ABT Electronics that beat AJ Madison and PC Richard. Only it's in Chicago and I feel afraid buying from somewhere not local. Anyone has experience with them?
Comments
I lived in Chicago and ABT has been around for decades. That's all I can say about them though.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at January 5, 2009 12:52 PM
They said they shipped to Brooklyn a lot (and all over the nation). There is also no sales tax (although a shipping charge with them, but the math works out several hundred dollars less). Consumer reports rates them #1 for major appliance sales and they have free tech support and warranty for 1 year. So all that is in their favor, but they are not local. Is it better to go local?
Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 1:10 PM
AJ Madison is "local" in that they're physically located in Brooklyn, but AFAIK they do most of their business through the internet and might as well be an out of town company. Buying anything in person seems to be virtually impossible. The one time my wife and I visited their showroom (a few months ago) we were unable to attract any salesman's attention and get them away from their PC.--worst experience we've ever had at any appliance store.
In any case, I think you'll find better prices at EBA on Nostrand Avenue.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at January 5, 2009 1:16 PM
Bob, you beat me to it—I also recommend EBA.
http://www.shopeba.com/
Posted by: vinca at January 5, 2009 1:29 PM
If you decide to go local then check out J & R on 7th Ave in Park Slope. They meet and sometimes even beat the competition's price and delivery is free. I used them for all the appliances in my reno (2 sets of W/D, 2 gas ranges and 2 refrigerators) and had a positive experience. That isn't to say there weren't problems, but they had to do with the appliances themselves and not J & R. And, the issues were resolved to MY satisfaction. Don't let the name mislead you, they deal with major household appliances too:
J & R Television & Air Conditioning
108 7th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 638-3040
Posted by: herkimermaid at January 5, 2009 1:30 PM
I just got a quote from EBA for the following item...
Frigidaire
Model PHSC39EJSS
Stainless steel
They came it at the lowest price, beat AJ Madison, PC Richards, Sears, etc. They even beat eBay pricing. The item was quoted at $1507.00 I can't find it anywhere cheaper. I also bought my SubZero from them in 2005 at a low price (they beat drimmers pricing as well).
If you go to the store ask for Tom.
Good Luck,
Adam
Posted by: adamkidron at January 5, 2009 2:41 PM
OK, here are the prices I got for my 4 appliances, total with tax and any delivery charges:
AJ Madison: 4980.91
Drimmers 4848.70
EBA 4846.73
J&R 4752.23
ABT 4629
So ABT came in lowest.
But that is because there is no sales tax for ABT.
Otherwise for base price + delivery charges without sales tax, J&R came in lowest, followed by Drimmers, EBA, AJM and then ABT!!
Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 4:15 PM
I don't know about the other stores, but you can often haggle a bit at EBA--don't take their first price as final.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at January 5, 2009 5:01 PM
by local..do you really want to return an appliance to chicago if it is damaged when you uncrate it?...and do you want to spend hours on the phone with tech support instead of having a flesh and blood technician show up?
Posted by: eman1234 at January 5, 2009 6:27 PM
I just spend $30,000 at Drimmers and got a free wine refrigerator!!! WHOooOoOoO!!!!!
Posted by: nybk01 at January 5, 2009 7:07 PM
For cheap dimmers, try one of the Chinatown electrical supply stores and don't be afraid to haggle. Bring your lowest online quote and use it as "proof."
Posted by: IronBalls at January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
eman1234, you made me change my mind. i had actually placed my order and then cancelled it. altho' i have this to say about abt: they really have great customer service. i have spoken to them at least thrice today and they are really courteous, no pressure, helpful. and gave me no hassle about cancelling my order.
i may just go with drimmers having bought from them earlier and try to get them to lower their price. they are a known quantity for us. or j&r which came in lowest.
Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 10:22 PM
also, ABT send out real authorized techs during the one year free warranty that you have with them. i would have breathed easier if i'd known the stuff was coming from somewhere closer rather than all the way from chicago. like eman said, what do you do if its damaged. wait 7 days for the replacement? altho the local store may take that long or longer, it's the psychological fact of the distance that played a major role for me.
Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 10:26 PM
Go to Drimmers...talk them down...ask them for the free wine refrigerator!
Posted by: nybk01 at January 6, 2009 12:06 PM
I bought from Drimmers. Their price was good but service was horrible. They are part of a buying service and have no control over delivery times so there was a one month delay for several of the appliances which caused complications with the contractors. They also do not back up the quality. If something arrives broken (I had this problem with the microwave) they do not replace but require you go to the manufacturer who sends out a repairman.
to boot they caused major damage when completing the delivery that they refused to correct/reimburse.
I would stay away from Drimmers.
Posted by: aabklyn at January 6, 2009 4:00 PM
I've purchased from Abt in the past (note, it isn't ABT, but Abt, which is the family's name). I have even (once) made returns to them on something I changed my mind about. I would not hesitate to buy from them at all. Phone reps are very helpful, give honest advice, have great prices and handled shipping to NY without hassle. Also, no sales tax is charged when sent to NY. Just a satisfied customer.
Posted by: gopher at January 6, 2009 4:51 PM
Just for closure for someone who is reading this in the archives:
I did go ahead and get all my appliances from Abt. They were great and the whole thing went off without an issue. The frig door had an issue and they responded to my concerns, and were willing to replace it or call the company, however, I eventually got Kitchenaid to fix it for me. Same with the stove. But, Abt were among the mst pleasant to deal with and gave me among the best deals (primarily because of no sales tax). The appliances all came in good condition. I contacted eba and J&R who are not authorized dealers for Electrolux, so that could jeopardize the warranty. Drimmer's was pushy and rude. They made me give them proof of the other's prices before they would meet them and then were disgruntled when I did not go with them. AJ MAdison had the highest prices.
So Abt works and I feel much more confident about them and would recommend them.
Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 2:18 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.