Custom HTI

Ditto to the prior review. I had AJ out for a prior install of speakers and volume control (super easy to do) and he did well with that. He wasn’t on time, however, which is one of my pet peeves with contractors of any type.
While out, he said he could assist me with cleaning up the original wiring project and quoted a very good price. Done…
So he shows up and begins working… he shows up 4 hours late to begin with. After about 5 hours, he says he’s finishing up and I ask him to begin to test the system at which point, I realize he has disabled a very complicated whole-​house IR system. I can now no longer control TVs and components with the $ 400 remotes that worked just prior to his arrival. It’s 10p, so he has to leave and will return «first thing in the AM» and he will cancel a prior job to get this back up and running. He arrives at noon the following day and no progress, but he says that I have a defective IR box ($ 350) that might need replaced. But this worked perfectly before he arrived. Well, maybe it’s the box, but they’d know next week when the box arrives at the supply house.
So in the meantime, I (a non techie) figure out that he has moved an antenna and I get SOME of my IR capability back, but only about 25%. He’s stunned about this when I call to confirm that they’ll be out on Wednesday. Yes, they’ll be there, he says.
So now it’s Wednesday at 5p (one day short of THREE WEEKS since he started this debacle) and I have logged 5 calls in to AJ and no answer. He’s ditching the job and my house has mildly functional TVs in two areas, not five, since he started this job.
THIS GUY IS A WORTHLESS SACK OF CRAP. DO NOT CALL HIM TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU OR YOU’LL BE SITTING AROUND WAITING ON HIM. DUDE, WAKE UP AND PUT DOWN THE CRACKPIPE AND RUN THE BUSINESS LIKE A BUSINESS.

Stay away! There are many installers in the Chicagoland area, look elsewhere if you care about your TV staying up on the wall. I went with Custom HTI because they said they could do 2 TVs for $ 200. I had the installation on the 16^th. Well, first off, they couldn’t get one of them up because it was an articulating mount, even after I had the proper backing needed. They said it was because of the metal wall studs being an unusual size. If they did as many installs as stated, then they should have come across this type I’m sure. I work in AV and see installs all the time, and have helped with some, never has anyone had this much difficulty. I live in a downtown building that’s 10 years old and other tenants have their TVs up. But fine, that didn’t work, so they used my 2^nd TVs tilt mount, and put that up. First problem, it’s not level! One side is half inch higher than the other. It may not seem like much, but it’s noticeable. 2^nd, and the most concerning is that one side of the mount is coming off the wall. I emailed and called multiple times. The fist time I heard back from the person, AJ, he asked if I wanted the 2^nd TV hung for $ 100. I didn’t answer about the 2^nd TV, and said I just want someone to check to make sure the mount is ok. That was August 19^th. AJ said that they’ll have someone look at it. On the 25^th I told him I was free the rest of the week, he asked again if I wanted the 2^nd one hung and said someone would call, no call. Coincidence after I said I didn’t want the 2^nd one hung? 27^th rolls by, I contact him again, no answer back. Another try on the 31^st, no reply. Called again yesterday afternoon, no call back. Oh yes, good luck with them ever answering the phone. Out of all the times I’ve ever called, no one ever answers. When you tell them you’re interested in putting a TV up, they’ll call back. If you check around they have multiple websites with different names, instead of them pointing to one website, which is weird. I should have been more careful. The person on the phone I talked to was AJ, and the person who did the installation was AJ. One of them is AJ Navarrete. Their so-​called «warranty» for workmanship is non-​existent. DO NOT USE CUSTOM HTI!!! Tons of other installers out there for the same price and cheaper, and they seemed more reputable. One (who’s actually cheaper), even after saying I was going with Custom HTI, told me to make sure I had the backing for the articulating arm. When I called Custom HTI about the install, they never even mentioned it. It’s even worth paying a little more for piece of mind that you’re TV won’t fall off the wall. Now I have to pay someone else just to come out and look and make sure it’s ok, and see if they need to reinforce it more. I usually am not big on writing reviews, etc., but if someone doesn’t stand behind their work, that irritates me. If in my job I didn’t stand behind my work, no customer would ever come back or trust me. Pay extra (or cheaper obviously if you can find someone), but make sure they’re someone who stands by their work. This will save you money, and your TV, in the long run.