What's Wrong With Circuit City

I'm in the market for a GPS device to keep me on the right road when traveling. This way, I'll never need to stop and ask for directions again (which definitely appeals to my Y chromsome). After doing some preliminary research online, I decided I wanted to get a feel for the current crop of GPS receivers, up close and personal. For some things, there is simply no substitute for handling the real thing. Call me old fashioned, but I'm just not comfortable with dropping a few hundred bucks on a new toy without making sure it's not a piece of junk first.

The model that is at the top of my list is the Garmin StreetPilot i3. With a combination of small size, color screen, excellent antenna reception, and $270 price tag, I thought I had found a winner worthy of some suction cup space on my windshield.

Online, I was able to figure out that Circuit City stocked it, and Best Buy didn't. I ventured off to my local Circuit City. I have made an occasional purchase there, but I'm hardly a frequent shopper of the place that boasts "Just what I needed."

Now, before I get dozens of nasty comments, let me make something clear: I know that they sell DVD's and audio CD's at Circuit City as well as the products to play them. As soon as I entered the door, I noted the music was quite loud. I have no idea what was playing; it was nothing I would ever listen to, and it played louder than anything I would listen to at home.

On my way through the store, I stopped at the cordless phone aisle. Incidentally, there are many great options in 5.8 GHz phones that will not interfere with the WiFi network, but alas, I digress. I spotted the GPS gear towards the rear of the store in the auto section. I hoped that it might be a quieter back there so I could hear myself think.

The GPS stuff was displayed on a separate island, near car stereos, radar detectors, and a new car iPod integrator of some sort. I will give Circuit City credit for having multiple GPS units all powered on, and able to be played with. That's really the only way to let consumers see if a piece of electronics will suit their needs.

My excitement quickly diminished as they fired up the car stereos next to me. Of course they were very loud; they had to play them above the already booming house music. The bass was rattling the floor- no exagerration! The sales person was at the stereo display turning the volume up. The whole thing was about as loud as a passing subway train.

What did I learn from the trip? In terms of GPS, the Garmin i3's screen is quite small at only 2.5" diagonally, and the scroll wheel interface is clunky for entry. In terms of the store experience, it's simply too loud. To be able to buy electronics, I need to be able to think. I shouldn't feel like the audio is chasing me away. They should put the car stereos in a separate sound absorbing enclosure, and move the GPS gear further away.

To add insult to injury, the Garmin i3, that goes for $270 on Amazon, had a price tag of $399 at Circuit City. While that was the price tag in the store, online, after $50 of instant savings, and $40 of rebate (we know the hassle of rebates), the price is $309 currently, which still makes it more expensive.

Clearly, Circuit City wants me to take my business online and elsewhere. Between the elevated price, and the deafening audio, I'll be taking my purchases elsewhere, like anywhere else! Also, while the StreetPilot had a great price for a dedicated GPS unit, I think it's better to spend some more money and get one with a bigger screen, and a better entry system than a scroll wheel.

--Jonas