Audiovisualworld Avis 

I ordered the Phoenix Gold Z12AB last week but I was sent an email which said there is no stock available until Monday and that's fine, sometimes products are just in demand so you never know what's out of stock or not.

I emailed the company afterwards asking for a follow up email about the order and they responded quite fast, usually other companies take their time to respond but Audio Visual World sent it within 20 minutes letting me know its back in stock and ready to be dispatched.

Right now I am waiting for the order to be dispatched and I did pay for 24 - 48hrs delivery service which is a true claim because it will arrive in the middle of this week. I really can't wait for the subwoofer to come, this will be the first time I ever install a subwoofer into my car and it will be the first time I actually get some good bass.

I rate this company 5 Stars and I really don't understand the 1 Star reviews since they seem to be just people messing around or just trying to put the company down but in my experience, you should trust this company and they do respond quite quick if you have any questions.

I am looking forward to posting another 5 Star review when the subwoofer comes and I test it out.

Avoid at all costs!! I ordered a bmw audio cable for my new subwoofer (sourced elsewhere, luckily!) this month (August 2026), all paid for with receipt. I then get an email, a week later, informing me that the price had gone up (increase of £20) and they would not send the order unless the increase is paid…despite already paying and having my order confirmed!! I promptly cancelled the order and have ordered the same product elsewhere. Incredibly poor customer service and a VERY poor way of conducting business! Give them a miss before they try and mug you off!

I would recommend not using this company.

UPDATE: Following this review, the company has contacted me asking me to revise my one-star rating to provide what they describe as a “more accurate assessment”.

Unfortunately, their response completely misses the point of my review.

They are suggesting that my dissatisfaction is because the Vibe speakers were temporarily unavailable. It isn’t. I have already told them that I understand stock delays happen and would have had no issue if they had simply told me this.

My complaint is that I was specifically told the speakers had been dispatched on Friday 14th August and should arrive on Tuesday 18th. After I had to ask twice for the tracking information, Royal Mail’s own tracking showed “Sender has despatched item” on Monday 17th August, with delivery expected Wednesday 19th.

Only after I challenged this discrepancy was I told they had actually been waiting for the Vibe speakers to arrive, which had delayed the second consignment.

Their latest response still does not address why I was told the speakers had been dispatched on Friday when the tracking information they eventually provided shows otherwise.

I therefore see no reason to change my review.

I placed an order for speakers and fitting adapters. The order was split into two consignments, but this wasn’t properly reflected in their online order tracking. The adapters arrived first, while I was left with no information about where the speakers were.

Their original dispatch email specifically stated that a follow-up email would provide the consignment number(s) needed to track the delivery. No tracking information was provided.

After contacting them, I was told the second consignment would “follow the next day”. When it still hadn’t arrived and I still had no tracking information, I contacted them again specifically asking for the tracking number.

Instead of providing it, I was told that the speakers had been dispatched on Friday 14th August and should arrive that day.

I had to ask for the tracking information twice before they eventually provided it.

When I checked the Royal Mail Tracked 48 information they supplied, it showed:

Monday 17th August, 14:14 – Sender has despatched item
Monday 17th August, 16:58 – Item received at Greenford MC
Expected delivery – Wednesday 19th August

This clearly contradicts what I had just been told about the speakers being dispatched on Friday and arriving that day.

My issue isn’t simply that the order has taken longer to arrive. Delays happen and I can accept that. My issue is the poor communication, having to repeatedly chase for tracking information that their own email said would be provided, and then being given dispatch and delivery information that was contradicted by Royal Mail’s own tracking.

If they had simply said there had been a delay and the speakers had gone out on Monday, that would have been fine. Instead, I’ve had to repeatedly chase them just to establish what is actually happening with my order.

A very frustrating experience and not the level of customer service I would expect.

Ordered a Subwoofer and Amp got told they don't have in stock tried to send me a different one that was £100 cheaper. Asked for refund then they told me they would have the subwoofer and amp in 2 weeks said no. Asked for refund took 2 weeks for refund.

Ordered item to be told ots not in stock. 3 days later still shows in stock. Took 4 days to get a refund. Avoid like the plague. About as much use as a chocolate fire guard. Only got my refund after stated would involve solicitors. I kept proof of everything so if say fake ill prove them wrong.

Very bad service me and my husband ordered an item which was sent wrong , try and return the item before the 7 day deadline ….impossible, just get ignored nobody answers phone , my advice avoid.

Terrible experience ordered a wiring loom for car didn’t tell me there was 4 different variations so had wrong one, when i tried to send it back before the 7 days is up nobody answers phones replies to messages or emails, just so it takes you over the 7 days , ive never had such a bad experience buying from an online company, i wont be using again or recommending to anyone.

Yesterday, I placed an order on the Audio Visual World website with 24/48-hour express delivery.
This morning, I received an email informing me that my order had been cancelled.
No reason was given for the cancellation, and there was no telephone number provided to contact customer service for further information.
As a trusted company, they should have explained why my order was cancelled—for example, if the item was out of stock.
Keeping customers informed is part of providing good customer service.
Poor customer service...
In the end, I'm glad my order was cancelled.

This company will likely reply to this review with “Fake Review” as it’s their modus operandi.
My son purchased a speaker kit for an E46 but one of the items in the kit was incorrect. One week on, it has taken them several emails to finally understand their mistake, and finally they simply said it can be exchanged. They have not yet responded to a request for a return label. Terrible customer service. We have given up and will buy the correct speakers elsewhere. When will companies realise that prompt and helpful customer care will bring them sales revenue??
Summary - cannot recommend this company.

I’ve made 2 purchases with Audio Visual World. On both occasions the original item I had purchased was listed as “in stock” on their website, but immediately after purchasing I’m notified it has been discontinued.

After attempting purchase a Helix amplifier, I was told the same thing “it’s discontinued”, I opted for a newer but cheaper version of the amplifier I initially opted to purchase.

After the purchasing the amplifier and choosing a speedy delivery service, I still hadn’t received the amplifier after a week. Having just moved house I was sceptical that I may have accidently entered an incorrect shipping address. After checking my invoice the shipping address was correct.

After disputing I had not received my item, they informed me it was shipped to my “billing address”, looking at the shipping terms and conditions and searching high and low to see why they opted to ship to my billing address. I couldn’t find anything stating this.
They informed me it’s “standard procedure” for “insurance purposes”, despite the sender having responsibility to dispatch to the correct SHIPPING ADDRESS.
After numerous emails and also being ignored several time, they decided to keep repeating themselves that it’s sent to the “billing address” and it’s basically not their problem.
Annoyed and £200 out of pocket with no amplifier, I decided to start a reverse charge with my bank as I am still yet to receive my order. The bank has informed me the information/evidence I have submitted supports my claim and I received my money back. The company haven’t provided sufficient evidence to show it was correctly delivered, so the claim is still ‘ongoing’.

Today I received a threatening email from AVW stating “fraud alert”, in this email they are threatening “legal action” that may “impede my credit score”.
After contacting them stating the same facts, they have notified me it was “delivered”… well, I haven’t received it at my SHIPPING ADDRESS….

Yet another response repeating myself for the thousandth time, they decide to ignore my email.. classic move from these guys.

I would say the real fraudsters are these guys. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

awful customer service, wouldn’t recommend

Prospective buyers beware. I ordered an item that duplicated, and while I eventually secured a full refund after months of constant emailing, this business is highly unsafe.They recently deleted a public response where they explicitly listed another customer's full name, home address, telephone number, and email address. Compounding this severe GDPR breach, their response had clear racial and xenophobic intent, maliciously accusing the customer of posting fake reviews in the Urdu language to target them.I have full photo evidence of this deleted response, alongside the complete email trail proving their awful business practices. Using data given exclusively for a purchase to publicly dox and racially target a reviewer is completely unacceptable. This business has no listed returns address, hangs up the phone on customers, and actively uses intimidation tactics. I am submitting all of my photo and email evidence directly to Citizens Advice, Trading Standards, and reporting this malicious, racially motivated misuse of data to the police.
RESPONCE 25/05/2026
If you object to my review, you may report it to Trustpilot or seek legal remedies. As I also run a business myself, I understand the value of a reputation;(5stars by the way) if any part of my review were false, a company with over 30 years of history would have actively removed it. The fact that it remains online proves its factual accuracy. Furthermore, please note that I hold complete documentation regarding this transaction, including your communications with third parties. Following our failed transaction, I successfully purchased the identical item on eBay, and I only pursued a refund with you due to your unacceptable customer service. I consider this matter closed, but if you choose to pursue legal action, I am fully prepared to present my evidence to the court
.

RESPONSE 25/05/2026
Audiovisualworld changed response from provide evidence, which I haven't to fake. my order number is
#1000013281 looking through the reviews you have used this card to many times now
22.06.26
HAD A EMAIL FROM jodie king@audiovisualworld. as follows(considering this is a fake review pmsl)

Should you decline to refrain from posting multiple negative reviews, we will disclose your information to alert other merchants about your practice of ordering goods and subsequently initiating chargebacks. This serves as a formal warning.(the last part was painted in angry red shivers,)

​UPDATE (19/05/2026) See Below.
❌ PREDATORY PRACTICE & UNLAWFUL RETENTION OF FUNDS – AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
​Do not trust Audio Visual World. I placed an order on 26th April, which they promptly cancelled because they were out of stock. Despite my bank confirming the payment of £80.98 went through successfully, this company sent me emails claiming the payment had "expired" and was never processed.
​To make matters worse, while they were holding my money hostage and denying they had it, their sales team emailed me offering a replacement part at nearly double the original price.
​When I provided black-and-white screenshot proof from my bank showing the successful debit, a salesperson named Jodie King simply ignored it and sent me a screenshot of their own internal website dashboard to try and prove the money wasn't taken. They completely refused to do a manual audit of their actual merchant account.
​In the end, they never resolved it. I had to get my bank to initiate a formal dispute to forcibly claw my money back. They are either completely incompetent or intentionally misleading customers to force up-sells. You have been warned.

UPDATE (18/05/2026): The merchant has replied below claiming this is a "fraudulent review" and that I haven't checked my bank statement. This is completely false.

​As of TODAY, 18th May 2026, my bank statement shows the funds have finally returned, but NOT because the merchant refunded me. Because Audio Visual World stubbornly refused to look at their actual merchant statements and insisted they didn't have the money, my bank had to step in. The bank reviewed my black-and-white proof of the successful debit from 26th April, rejected the company's claims, and forcibly clawed back the £80.98 from them via a formal bank dispute.

​Do not let this company gaslight you or call your genuine complaints "fraudulent." They took my money, failed to provide the stock, tried to upsell me a replacement at double the price, and I had to legally strip my funds back through my bank. The bank transaction data doesn't lie; the merchant does.

UPDATE (18/05/2026): MERCHANT CAUGHT LYING IN REAL-TIME
​The merchant has replied below claiming my review is "fraudulent" and that they "only process payments once goods are prepared for dispatch." This is a blatant, provable lie.
​Conveniently, just minutes AFTER I posted this review today (18th May at 17:32), the company finally sent me an automated email officially confirming that Order #1002002 was cancelled and marked "Refunded". >
Why did it suddenly mark as "Refunded" today after weeks of them telling me the transaction never existed and "expired"? Because my bank successfully completed a formal chargeback dispute today, forcing the £80.98 out of Audio Visual World's account and back into mine.
​They didn't process a refund out of the goodness of their hearts; their system was forced to log it because a financial institution found them at fault and clawed the money back. To call a customer "fraudulent" on a public forum while your own automated system is sending emails confirming the cancellation at the exact same hour is embarrassing business conduct. The paper trail doesn't lie. Avoid this company at all costs.
FINAL UPDATE (19/05/2026): As expected, this company has completely ignored my private demands to correct their records and apologize for calling my legitimate complaint a "fraudulent review."
​I now have full black-and-white digital evidence confirming their system registered the cancellation at 17:32 on 18th May—exactly five minutes BEFORE they posted their reply below calling me a liar. They only marked it "Refunded" because my banking institution forcibly clawed my £80.98 back through a successful formal dispute.
​I have compiled a full financial evidence dossier detailing their predatory up-selling tactics and real-time contradictions, which has now been forwarded to Action Fraud and Trading Standards. Do not let this company gaslight you or take your money for out-of-stock items.

Allowed us to place an order for speakers, with their “standard” 28 day delivery. We asked for faster shipping and paid them the extra amount requested. We waited several days and called them and they then told us the speakers were not in stock and they were unable to provide them. Shocking service and a lack of communication.

I ordered a Apple car play facia plate for my qashqai after being messed around by Halfords absolutely excellent customer service very helpful I wouldn’t hesitate to use these again thank you

It's an awful company to deal with, just easier to avoid and go elsewhere even if more expensive. Extremely unfriendly and unclear communication at all stages even before purchase and during shipping. They don't reply to calls or emails when there are issues, such as unclear delayed postage and products I was sent not matching images and dimensions online. Once I started a chargeback process with my bank due to these issues, they refused to engage with it and then started sending threatening emails (debt collection). As the bank had sided with me based on the evidence I submitted and reversed the charge. I couldn't be bothered to fight it further and in fairness I did still have the products they sent (despite the issues) so paid them again, but even that they made difficult! They said the chargeback that I had reversed was not enough and I had to do a direct bank transfer, causing me to need to reverse the chargeback again! I never posted this review I drafted in 2021 and I just came back across it in my notes. But even after years I see they are getting similar complaints so I will include this for others to see. Clearly I was not a perfect customer in this situation, but something about the way they go about doing business should change as they are clearly getting quite a few unsatisfied customers.

Ordered various speakers etc. missing sub woofer, damaged and opened box. Refusing to exchange for a new set. Also still waiting on control switch. Costumer service is refusing a refund. Shop elsewhere.

They substituted my order with a cheaper product saying “at no extra charge!” No refund offered - just ripping me off. Frankly it’s the closest thing you can get to theft. If you’re after car audio equipment - this is the last place you should shop.

I purchased a vehicle interface cable from Audio Visual World. When I attempted installation, the cable was not suitable for my vehicle.
I requested a refund and was directed to their drop-ship supplier, In Car Tec. In Car Tec clearly advised in writing that returns must be sent back to the retailer (Audio Visual World). Despite forwarding this written confirmation, Audio Visual World have repeatedly refused to accept responsibility and insist I return the item to their supplier.
This has now been ongoing for over two months.
Under UK consumer law, my contract is with the retailer, not their supplier. It is the retailer’s responsibility to handle returns and refunds. The continued refusal to resolve this matter has left me with no option but to pursue further action.
Very disappointing experience and poor understanding of basic consumer rights. Avoid.

I see your response to my review. I have been in direct contact with the drop ship supplier you use who have advised me not to send back the item without a returns authorisation that you have not provided. I have explained this to you countless times. Sort yourselves out or I'll see you in court.

Not answering my emails, while intentionally holding on to my money. That is audio visual world. I purchased a amplifier from them. I paid for fast tracked delivery. I contacted them, they said they had no record of the purchase and said, the order had been cancelled and I had to order it again, I told them I had already reordered it 4 day previously, they then checked and miraculously found the order, they then said it would be packaged that day and sent out to me. I asked how long it would take, they said tomorrow or the next day. I waited nothing couriers send you emails to confirm they have your parcel,again nothing. I sent them an email asking what was going on, they said they were waiting to get the amplifier from phoenix gold and then it would be posted to me, so the next day or the day after delivery was a blatant lie. They also said that because I ordered it, it was phoenix gold policy that I couldn't cancel the order. I contacted the makers of the amplifier and they said that I could cancel the order with audio visual world and get a refund. I was also told that they don't deal directly with audio visual world, but another company who then forward to audio visual world. I have contacted audio visual world it has been around a week they haven't contacted me, and they haven't refund my money. I think they are willfully not returning my messages and hold on to my money. If you don't want to be messed around and aggravated stay clear of this nasty vindictive retailers. As you can see from the other reviews I am far from the first person who has been messed around by these nasty people I received a reply. So to put the complaint straight the purchase was made under my partners name nicola wiseman I managed to contact them by phone on the 12th and I was lied to again. I was told by the person I was speaking to that they couldn't do the refund and I had to wait for them to get around to the many emails they had to go through for refunds before they got to mine, which asks the question, how many returns or complaints they have. At this point I was getting frustrated talking to this person so my partner took over the call, and by some miracle he got the order he said he didn't have an then refunded us. All of this could have be done better if they didn't lie on several occasions and answered to the many calls and emails we sent them.