Dads have got to be the most difficult people to buy for. Seriously, no hints get dropped and when…read moreasked if there's anything they would like the response is generally something in the realm of "oh, don't worry" or "whatever you think love". Ummmm....not helping Dad! So when my Dad's birthday rolled around in November a familiar dread washed over me, what the heck was I going to buy him? The whole family put their heads together and we decided to look for a new audio system for him and his monstrous music collection. I had walked past Trimira a few times and knew that their specialty was audio integration, so stopped in to see if they had anything suitable for Dad. The small store houses only display items, but the informative gentleman who looked after me said that once you choose the item you like they order it from Sydney and it arrives within 3-4 working days. I found the perfect present! A Geneva iPod dock with a difference, made out of maplewood rather than plastic it was sure to last. I ordered it on the spot. When Dad's birthday approached I was a little concerned that I hadn't received a call saying that the audio system had arrived. When I called them, the shop attendant was very embarrassed and said that they had changed their couriers and that the one I ordered wasn't going to arrive in time. Hmm, not what I wanted to hear. We managed to come to an agreement and he gave me the display model above the one I had ordered for no extra price. Ultimately not the greatest outcome, but I was happy with the compromise. Trimira is quite expensive, but the European designed audio equipment is of exceptional quality, and despite the small glitch in delivery, the service I received was excellent.

From the owner: Trimira provides boutique solutions for all your audio and automation needs from a new speaker…read morecable to furnishing an entire home theatre. By carefully selecting only the world's best brands for our showrooms, we hope to take you deeper into the fascinating world of audio.

This alternative to the big electronic stores with tacky signs is both a superb substitute and a…read morenice place to shop. As the name suggests their specialisation is audio so you won't find much else here. I love the set up though, with speakers and sound systems arranged carefully throughout the former residential house the store calls home. They also have a bunch of second hand stuff that's in great condition. The second hand items are listed on their website, prices and all, so you can conveniently suss it out online before trekking over to the store. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the market for something new to burst your eardrums.

Just experienced the worst customer service of my entire life…read more.. Visited the store today to check out a replacement CD player and listen to one or two. The guys phone manner was a bit rude and short and I figured he was possibly just not good on the phone, well I could not be more wrong He was what can only be described as belligerent and acted like he we doing me a favour having the shop open. When I asked if I could listen to a player he said "oh sure that will be good/fun for you but realistically not what I want to be doing on Easter Saturday..." When I asked how I was meant to decided what CD player to buy he said that reading reviews on forums was all I should be doing to choose my audio gear. I wish I had recorded the conversation as I keep thinking I am exaggerating it in my head, but sadly I am not. And to think his shop stocks high end gear like Arcam, NAD, Naim any of which I would have walked out with today. I could go on but I have wasted enough of my life dealing with that place. Short version... just go anywhere else rather.

Epic Fail by Harvey Norman Fortitude Valley. This is Masterclass of What Not To Do!…read more I made a click and collect purchase through Harvey Norman Fortitude Valley and confirmed the availability of stock. One hour and 45 minutes later, I attended the store to collect my order. Upon arrival, I was informed by a staff member that a "team meeting" had taken precedence and my order had not been picked. After waiting an additional 25 minutes in store, only part of my order was available. That is right, Harvey Norman is actively selling stock they do not actually have. I made it clear to staff that the remainder of the order would need to be posted. Today, I received a call informing me that not only is there still a balance of the order to fulfil, but I would also be expected to pay for shipping; this is despite the error being entirely theirs. I raised this with the staff member and the store manager, I was simply told again about the shipping fee, with zero ownership or customer care. This is not a minor service slip. This is a complete failure of basic order fulfilment, inventory management and customer service. Harvey Norman, your systems are broken, your communication is appalling, and your customer experience is utterly unacceptable. I will be lodging a formal complaint with ACCC. You are knowingly advertising and selling products that are not in stock, failing to fulfil orders, and then trying to shift the cost of rectifying your mistake back onto the customer. Harvey Norman, you need to do better. This is a textbook example of how to lose a customer for life.

Beware, very dishonest sales people, scammers. I went to purchase a laptop this week and spoke with…read more2 sales people: Josh and Matt. I gave them my budget. First, the prices displayed on the laptop don't reflect the sales prices that Harvey Norman online has provided which they should. Josh, in particular, made no mention of the fact that both laptops that I was looking at advertised in the store for $999 and $1299 were each actually advertised on sale for $798 on the Harvey Norman website . This was even though I came in informing him my budget was $800. Instead, Josh specifically informed me that there was nothing in that price range for what I was looking for. When laptop #1 was not in stock, Matt went on the computer to see where else I could find it but failed to mention it was on sale for $798. I asked Matt and Josh if instead, they could give me the more expensive but almost identical laptop (advertised for $1299) at the "same price" of $999. After much conferring between them and spending time on their computer as if they were used car salespeople, they agreed to do give me the other laptop for $999, again failing to mention it was actually on sale for $798. Matt then spent alot of time pretending that he was getting me this great deal, on the computer "searching for discounts" and told me that as I was a government employee, he was able to snag a further deal by including a 3 year warranty without any additional charge. I purchased the laptop for $999 thinking that was the price of the laptop and that he had thrown in the warranty for free (as he had told me). After purchase, I looked up the specs of the laptop on the Harvey Norman website and by chance discovered both laptops were on sale for $798 and I had been charged $200 more. I called the next morning and spoke with a manager "Rob" who told me that Josh had charged me $798 for the laptop and added $200 for the warranty without informing me. I did receive a credit back from Rob after I explained the situation but they've still lost a customer for life. What's also weird is that Rob stated he asked them to remove the sales tags before closing to "make his job easier" and wasn't too worried that the prices were not advertised accurately. The logic of that bewilders me - how it's easier to have the wrong more expensive price advertised....regardless, in anyone's logic, the sales people knew the prices were wrong and were downright dishonest by not telling me the sale prices of the models I was considering. Don't waste your time. What's even weirder is their refund policy is nowhere to be found. Not on the website, not on the receipt. Matt told me that if you open the box for the laptop, (ie even break the seal) it's unreturnable unless it's defective. Go to JB Hi Fi. They are so much easier to deal with and actually have a transparent and decent return policy. I only went to Harvey Norman as they had a better selection of laptops but it's certainly not worth being scammed.

If you've got the money, then I believe Living Sound + Vision is the sort of place you'd like, if…read moreyou're in the market for a HDTV, sweet sound system and everything that goes with those products. I'm not sure where these guys came from, as they seem to arise over night, but it's hardly a thriving store. It seems these guys cater towards a very specific audience - people who care very deeply about their home theatre setup. To be honest, it's not for everyone, as it's about a bazillion times more expensive than, say, golfing - but either way, if you're going to do, might as well do it right! They cater for a commercial market too. I suspect this is the bread and butter of the Living Sound and Vision market. The service is very good and personal - they didn't do the normal sales BS that Harvey Norman do. Very professional and very knowledgeable too!

Been coming here for years, these guys really know their stuff and are happy to spend as long as…read moreyou need to make sure you're happy. Great setup in the store with lots of listening areas and the best home cinema demo room in Brisbane.