Was there a recent price drop or something? The KDS60XBR2 is under $2500 at nearly 10 different online stores now. Is the 60 ' XBR2 the king in PQ/Size for your buck?

I am no expert, but check the 2007 XBR forum here and you'll learn what I did-that the 2007's may be VERY different. No "Dumbo ears" and 40% more slender plus other tech improvements I'll let those more knowledgeable explain.

Was there a recent price drop or something? The KDS60XBR2 is under $2500 at nearly 10 different online stores now. Is the 60 ' XBR2 the king in PQ/Size for your buck?

Huh? I checked several price search sites and only one store might have come under $2500 and you'd be a fool to buy from them. So how did you find nearly 10 stores and were they even reputable to bother to mention such a low price?

Huh? I checked several price search sites and only one store might have come under $2500 and you'd be a fool to buy from them. So how did you find nearly 10 stores and were they even reputable to bother to mention such a low price?

Really? I see it at fotospirit.com, zoommania.com, fotoconnection.com, cameraaddict.com, nextstepplasma.com, wilddigital.com, bestofplasma.com, & ibuydigital.com all for under $2499, and as low as $2177

Really? I see it at fotospirit.com, zoommania.com, fotoconnection.com, cameraaddict.com, nextstepplasma.com, wilddigital.com, bestofplasma.com, & ibuydigital.com all for under $2499, and as low as $2177

Are you nuts?

They are nothing but "fell-off-the-truck" fly-by-night grey market wholesalers.

Check out Resellerratings.com:

fotospirit.com. Rating: 0.0/10

Zoommania.com. Rating: 7.5/10

fotoconnection.com. Rating: 2.04/10

cameraaddict.com. Rating: 2.19/10

nextstepplasma.com. Rating: 0.0/10

wilddigital.com. Rating: 2.50/10

bestofplasma.com. Rating: Not listed

ibuydigital.com. Rating: 4.50/10

Try some reputable dealers like 1call, Crutchfield, J&R, etc.

Are you nuts?

They are nothing but "fell-off-the-truck" fly-by-night grey market wholesalers.

Check out Resellerratings.com:

fotospirit.com. Rating: 0.0/10

Zoommania.com. Rating: 7.5/10

fotoconnection.com. Rating: 2.04/10

cameraaddict.com. Rating: 2.19/10

nextstepplasma.com. Rating: 0.0/10

wilddigital.com. Rating: 2.50/10

bestofplasma.com. Rating: Not listed

ibuydigital.com. Rating: 4.50/10

Try some reputable dealers like 1call, Crutchfield, J&R, etc.

Zoommania.com huh here i come!

I should just buy from Sony's official online store..

Oh wait, Sonystyle.com 2.14/10

I should just buy from Sony's official online store..

Oh wait, Sonystyle.com 2.14/10

Sometimes resellerratings can be skewed. I mean BestBuy.com and CircuitCity.com also get under 3. I'm sure it's just because they are larger corparations that don't know how to do good customer service or those bigger stores have way way more customers than some place like 1call, so it's bound to have more problems and more complaints and less personal touch to get things corrected faster. Probably even worse sometimes with direct orders from a company that don't know anything about selling and customer service.

I should just buy from Sony's official online store..

Oh wait, Sonystyle.com 2.14/10
The guy tries to help you out in making, what he thought, could be a big mistake. And you go off being a smarta$$. Go ahead and buy from Zoommania.com and dont post back if you have problems. :rolleyes:

yeah, really not nice. people here are, for the most part, actually trying to help each
other so please don't cop an attitude.

it is generally not recommend making large purchases from unproven online vendors. many are fly by night operations that will rip you off if they can. they certainly will not stand behind the product they sell you, so if it arrives broken or damaged they will not accept a return or refund your money. you bear the risk of shipping damage with no recourse.

why not just buy it at sears for $2900 where they accept a return for 30 days. spend a little more for some peace of mind.

yeah, really not nice. people here are, for the most part, actually trying to help each
other so please don't cop an attitude.

it is generally not recommend making large purchases from unproven online vendors. many are fly by night operations that will rip you off if they can. they certainly will not stand behind the product they sell you, so if it arrives broken or damaged they will not accept a return or refund your money. you bear the risk of shipping damage with no recourse.

why not just buy it at sears for $2900 where they accept a return for 30 days. spend a little more for some peace of mind.


Exactly.....Sometimes a little more might turned out good in your favor.....And that s the reason i go to Best Buy or Fry s.....just in case. And in electronic term?..It does happens a lot too...

Are you nuts?

They are nothing but "fell-off-the-truck" fly-by-night grey market wholesalers.

Check out Resellerratings.com:

fotospirit.com. Rating: 0.0/10

Zoommania.com. Rating: 7.5/10

fotoconnection.com. Rating: 2.04/10

cameraaddict.com. Rating: 2.19/10

nextstepplasma.com. Rating: 0.0/10

wilddigital.com. Rating: 2.50/10

bestofplasma.com. Rating: Not listed

ibuydigital.com. Rating: 4.50/10

Try some reputable dealers like 1call, Crutchfield, J&R, etc.


Hahahaha he just said buy something from Crutchfield. Hahhaha. That made me laugh.

I went to crutchfield, planned on buying the Alpine 12" Typx-X SWX-1243D for $449...then I remembered I'm not an idiot and bought it for $220 on eBay brand new.

I should just buy from Sony's official online store..

Oh wait, Sonystyle.com 2.14/10


You sir are an idiot. :-) Anyone who lists off stores like foto connection and then backs them up like they're reputable with having no knowledge about the stores at all whatsoever should be punched in the face.

I always say go to eBay, no one believes me. Oh well, I could care less. :-)
gear4less dealsouthonline123 plus_101 ronco21

those are some people you can trust:-) They are all above 99.2% positive ratings and have up to 20,000K reviews. That's right.

Hey, if you want to take an eBay gamble with something like a 60" RPTV, go right ahead... no way in heck would I do that.

Now, I'm no eBay newbie; I've been buying and selling since 1998, feedback over 1,200 with 99.6% positive. However, there are just some things you don't gamble on.

Buying a car amp or a set of car speakers on eBay is one thing. Buying an RPTV, that is prone to damage in shipping, is another thing. It's not like you can just throw it in the back of the V-Dub and take it back to the post office if something goes wrong.

I've bought and sold vintage audio equipment on eBay. I've bought and sold high-dollar collectibles on eBay. What do these things have in common? They're not 150-200 pounds, bulky as the day is long, and require multiple people to move.

By all means, spend your money as you see fit, but for large, expensive, bulky items, I believe you have 2 choices:

1. Buy from a *reputable* online dealer.

2. (this is the route I took). If you have a well-established local hi-fi shop (not BB or CC, but an *actual* audio/video dealer), approach them about pricematching online prices. The worst that can happen is that they say "no".

In my case, I approached both of the A/V dealers in the area and broached the subject of pricematching. The 1st dealer, whom I've bought from occasionally since 1986, wasn't enthused about the idea. The 2nd, whom I'd not purchased from, but known one of the owners since he worked for dealer #1, was quite interested, with the stipulation that he would pricematch established mainstream dealers, NOT the fell-off-the truck places. Understandable. He was very aggressive, even suggesting some creative financing and logistical arrangements to get me the best bang for the buck. He and the business co-owner will be delivering my 70XBR2 next week, and taking my 65" Mitsubishi on consignment and selling it for me on their showroom floor.

Could I have saved some more money? Yes. I could have saved another $500-700 by going to a guy selling them off the back of a semi in NYC. However the presence of mind of having someone else deal with shipping liability, delivery, and the handling of my old Mits is well worth it, not to mention local recourse if something happens in shipping.

That's another thing to consider: I don't have room for 2 RPTVs in my living room, nor do I have a place to put my Mits in order to demo it to prospective buyers. Also, I really don't want strangers coming into my house. I don't want to advertise to the world that I have all the A/V equipment I own. Having the dealer sell my set eliminates any potential security issues.

Bottom line is what is a *reasonable* price to pay, given the service you are receiving. Sometimes, depending on the type of commodity involved, it's more than just the absolute bottom dollar you can buy it for on the web site/eBay. There may be other associated "costs" to take into consideration.

Hey, if you want to take an eBay gamble with something like a 60" RPTV, go right ahead... no way in heck would I do that.

Now, I'm no eBay newbie; I've been buying and selling since 1998, feedback over 1,200 with 99.6% positive. However, there are just some things you don't gamble on.

Buying a car amp or a set of car speakers on eBay is one thing. Buying an RPTV, that is prone to damage in shipping, is another thing. It's not like you can just throw it in the back of the V-Dub and take it back to the post office if something goes wrong.

I've bought and sold vintage audio equipment on eBay. I've bought and sold high-dollar collectibles on eBay. What do these things have in common? They're not 150-200 pounds, bulky as the day is long, and require multiple people to move.

By all means, spend your money as you see fit, but for large, expensive, bulky items, I believe you have 2 choices:

1. Buy from a *reputable* online dealer.

2. (this is the route I took). If you have a well-established local hi-fi shop (not BB or CC, but an *actual* audio/video dealer), approach them about pricematching online prices. The worst that can happen is that they say "no".

In my case, I approached both of the A/V dealers in the area and broached the subject of pricematching. The 1st dealer, whom I've bought from occasionally since 1986, wasn't enthused about the idea. The 2nd, whom I'd not purchased from, but known one of the owners since he worked for dealer #1, was quite interested, with the stipulation that he would pricematch established mainstream dealers, NOT the fell-off-the truck places. Understandable. He was very aggressive, even suggesting some creative financing and logistical arrangements to get me the best bang for the buck. He and the business co-owner will be delivering my 70XBR2 next week, and taking my 65" Mitsubishi on consignment and selling it for me on their showroom floor.

Could I have saved some more money? Yes. I could have saved another $500-700 by going to a guy selling them off the back of a semi in NYC. However the presence of mind of having someone else deal with shipping liability, delivery, and the handling of my old Mits is well worth it, not to mention local recourse if something happens in shipping.

That's another thing to consider: I don't have room for 2 RPTVs in my living room, nor do I have a place to put my Mits in order to demo it to prospective buyers. Also, I really don't want strangers coming into my house. I don't want to advertise to the world that I have all the A/V equipment I own. Having the dealer sell my set eliminates any potential security issues.

Bottom line is what is a *reasonable* price to pay, given the service you are receiving. Sometimes, depending on the type of commodity involved, it's more than just the absolute bottom dollar you can buy it for on the web site/eBay. There may be other associated "costs" to take into consideration.
EXCELLENT!! :D

Hey, if you want to take an eBay gamble with something like a 60" RPTV, go right ahead... no way in heck would I do that.

Now, I'm no eBay newbie; I've been buying and selling since 1998, feedback over 1,200 with 99.6% positive. However, there are just some things you don't gamble on.

Buying a car amp or a set of car speakers on eBay is one thing. Buying an RPTV, that is prone to damage in shipping, is another thing. It's not like you can just throw it in the back of the V-Dub and take it back to the post office if something goes wrong.

I've bought and sold vintage audio equipment on eBay. I've bought and sold high-dollar collectibles on eBay. What do these things have in common? They're not 150-200 pounds, bulky as the day is long, and require multiple people to move.

By all means, spend your money as you see fit, but for large, expensive, bulky items, I believe you have 2 choices:

1. Buy from a *reputable* online dealer.

2. (this is the route I took). If you have a well-established local hi-fi shop (not BB or CC, but an *actual* audio/video dealer), approach them about pricematching online prices. The worst that can happen is that they say "no".

In my case, I approached both of the A/V dealers in the area and broached the subject of pricematching. The 1st dealer, whom I've bought from occasionally since 1986, wasn't enthused about the idea. The 2nd, whom I'd not purchased from, but known one of the owners since he worked for dealer #1, was quite interested, with the stipulation that he would pricematch established mainstream dealers, NOT the fell-off-the truck places. Understandable. He was very aggressive, even suggesting some creative financing and logistical arrangements to get me the best bang for the buck. He and the business co-owner will be delivering my 70XBR2 next week, and taking my 65" Mitsubishi on consignment and selling it for me on their showroom floor.

Could I have saved some more money? Yes. I could have saved another $500-700 by going to a guy selling them off the back of a semi in NYC. However the presence of mind of having someone else deal with shipping liability, delivery, and the handling of my old Mits is well worth it, not to mention local recourse if something happens in shipping.

That's another thing to consider: I don't have room for 2 RPTVs in my living room, nor do I have a place to put my Mits in order to demo it to prospective buyers. Also, I really don't want strangers coming into my house. I don't want to advertise to the world that I have all the A/V equipment I own. Having the dealer sell my set eliminates any potential security issues.

Bottom line is what is a *reasonable* price to pay, given the service you are receiving. Sometimes, depending on the type of commodity involved, it's more than just the absolute bottom dollar you can buy it for on the web site/eBay. There may be other associated "costs" to take into consideration.


I wish I could add something to this, but it's already spot on and then some. Well said. Others here would do well to heed your advice.

Hey, if you want to take an eBay gamble with something like a 60" RPTV, go right ahead... no way in heck would I do that.Me either. Well said. :)

Hey, if you want to take an eBay gamble with something like a 60" RPTV, go right ahead... no way in heck would I do that.

Now, I'm no eBay newbie; I've been buying and selling since 1998, feedback over 1,200 with 99.6% positive. However, there are just some things you don't gamble on.

.

This dude Heavyharmonies s definitely got some heavy duty brain, i m gonna try that method today....
Oh, that Ebay stuff can be very risky on these items.......I wouldn t mess with it.

Hey, if you want to take an eBay gamble with something like a 60" RPTV, go right ahead... no way in heck would I do that.

Now, I'm no eBay newbie; I've been buying and selling since 1998, feedback over 1,200 with 99.6% positive. However, there are just some things you don't gamble on.

Buying a car amp or a set of car speakers on eBay is one thing. Buying an RPTV, that is prone to damage in shipping, is another thing. It's not like you can just throw it in the back of the V-Dub and take it back to the post office if something goes wrong.

I've bought and sold vintage audio equipment on eBay. I've bought and sold high-dollar collectibles on eBay. What do these things have in common? They're not 150-200 pounds, bulky as the day is long, and require multiple people to move.

By all means, spend your money as you see fit, but for large, expensive, bulky items, I believe you have 2 choices:

1. Buy from a *reputable* online dealer.

2. (this is the route I took). If you have a well-established local hi-fi shop (not BB or CC, but an *actual* audio/video dealer), approach them about pricematching online prices. The worst that can happen is that they say "no".

In my case, I approached both of the A/V dealers in the area and broached the subject of pricematching. The 1st dealer, whom I've bought from occasionally since 1986, wasn't enthused about the idea. The 2nd, whom I'd not purchased from, but known one of the owners since he worked for dealer #1, was quite interested, with the stipulation that he would pricematch established mainstream dealers, NOT the fell-off-the truck places. Understandable. He was very aggressive, even suggesting some creative financing and logistical arrangements to get me the best bang for the buck. He and the business co-owner will be delivering my 70XBR2 next week, and taking my 65" Mitsubishi on consignment and selling it for me on their showroom floor.

Could I have saved some more money? Yes. I could have saved another $500-700 by going to a guy selling them off the back of a semi in NYC. However the presence of mind of having someone else deal with shipping liability, delivery, and the handling of my old Mits is well worth it, not to mention local recourse if something happens in shipping.

That's another thing to consider: I don't have room for 2 RPTVs in my living room, nor do I have a place to put my Mits in order to demo it to prospective buyers. Also, I really don't want strangers coming into my house. I don't want to advertise to the world that I have all the A/V equipment I own. Having the dealer sell my set eliminates any potential security issues.

Bottom line is what is a *reasonable* price to pay, given the service you are receiving. Sometimes, depending on the type of commodity involved, it's more than just the absolute bottom dollar you can buy it for on the web site/eBay. There may be other associated "costs" to take into consideration.

Your going to go ahead and say thousands and thousands of people are wrong? What do you think insurance and warranties are for? Either way, there are many reputable TV dealers on eBay.

By all means, go spend $1,500 more then you need to. I don't mind.

I wish I would have waited... :(

Amazon has them for $2,910.03. I paid about that for my Toshiba DLP... hey, I'm one day under warranty for the Toshiba... :rolleyes:

Your going to go ahead and say thousands and thousands of people are wrong? What do you think insurance and warranties are for? Either way, there are many reputable TV dealers on eBay.

By all means, go spend $1,500 more then you need to. I don't mind.

1. You're not getting what I'm trying to say. I'm not condemning those who purchase RPTVs on eBay. I'm saying that the risk is far greater than *most* people are willing to accommodate.

2. $1,500? Serious exaggeration. Ok, I'll bite: Show me where I can get an R70XBR2 for $3,300 shipped. The cheapest I saw on eBay right now was roughly $4,200 shipped, and I already alluded to possibly being able to save $500-700 by going with a bargain basement seller. If the savings really were $1,500 then it would be worth closer inspection (in my opinion). For saving $500? Nah. Not enough upside.

The bottom line is that most people don't have your comfort level with buying something of this magnitude on eBay. Some do, most don't. For something of this size, I don't want to deal with a vendor (1) whose policy is "NO RETURNS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES", (2) that have 15-20% restocking fees for ALL returns, or (3) have hidden "insurance" charges that end up being 5-10% of the purchase price (most eBay sellers of these sets fall into 1 or more of these categories). If you feel comfortable doing it, more power to you. While I'm not risk-averse, there are times that the potential downside outweighs the upside. This is one of those situations in my opinion.

1. You're not getting what I'm trying to say. I'm not condemning those who purchase RPTVs on eBay. I'm saying that the risk is far greater than *most* people are willing to accommodate.

2. $1,500? Serious exaggeration. Ok, I'll bite: Show me where I can get an R70XBR2 for $3,300 shipped. The cheapest I saw on eBay right now was roughly $4,200 shipped, and I already alluded to possibly being able to save $500-700 by going with a bargain basement seller. If the savings really were $1,500 then it would be worth closer inspection (in my opinion). For saving $500? Nah. Not enough upside.

The bottom line is that most people don't have your comfort level with buying something of this magnitude on eBay. Some do, most don't. For something of this size, I don't want to deal with a vendor (1) whose policy is "NO RETURNS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES", (2) that have 15-20% restocking fees for ALL returns, or (3) have hidden "insurance" charges that end up being 5-10% of the purchase price (most eBay sellers of these sets fall into 1 or more of these categories). If you feel comfortable doing it, more power to you. While I'm not risk-averse, there are times that the potential downside outweighs the upside. This is one of those situations in my opinion.

Well, one simple soultion for #1 & #2 would be make sure the TV that you buy is the TV that want..you should never have to return it and suffer 20% restocking fee. I think a different personality requires to have the freedom to return stuff within 30 days because I've never once returned anything because I didn't like it or wanted something else. Also, hidden insurance charges? are you serious? one email to the seller and it's solved. $500 is a lot of money. $500? $200 is still iffy, but $500 is a solid chunk of money.



And also yes, $4,200 on the nose is what it costs one eBay shipped. Still, a local best buy is usually around $5,000-$6,000 + tax.
Tax on $5,000 is a huge $365. That's fun. Crutchfield does however have it at $5,000 now. Even still, when they were at $5,500-$6,000 and every other store like Best Buy was $5,500+..eBay had it for $4,300 shipped.

Hey, if you want to take an eBay gamble with something like a 60" RPTV, go right ahead... no way in heck would I do that.

Now, I'm no eBay newbie; I've been buying and selling since 1998, feedback over 1,200 with 99.6% positive. However, there are just some things you don't gamble on.

Buying a car amp or a set of car speakers on eBay is one thing. Buying an RPTV, that is prone to damage in shipping, is another thing. It's not like you can just throw it in the back of the V-Dub and take it back to the post office if something goes wrong.

I've bought and sold vintage audio equipment on eBay. I've bought and sold high-dollar collectibles on eBay. What do these things have in common? They're not 150-200 pounds, bulky as the day is long, and require multiple people to move.

By all means, spend your money as you see fit, but for large, expensive, bulky items, I believe you have 2 choices:

1. Buy from a *reputable* online dealer.

2. (this is the route I took). If you have a well-established local hi-fi shop (not BB or CC, but an *actual* audio/video dealer), approach them about pricematching online prices. The worst that can happen is that they say "no".

In my case, I approached both of the A/V dealers in the area and broached the subject of pricematching. The 1st dealer, whom I've bought from occasionally since 1986, wasn't enthused about the idea. The 2nd, whom I'd not purchased from, but known one of the owners since he worked for dealer #1, was quite interested, with the stipulation that he would pricematch established mainstream dealers, NOT the fell-off-the truck places. Understandable. He was very aggressive, even suggesting some creative financing and logistical arrangements to get me the best bang for the buck. He and the business co-owner will be delivering my 70XBR2 next week, and taking my 65" Mitsubishi on consignment and selling it for me on their showroom floor.

Could I have saved some more money? Yes. I could have saved another $500-700 by going to a guy selling them off the back of a semi in NYC. However the presence of mind of having someone else deal with shipping liability, delivery, and the handling of my old Mits is well worth it, not to mention local recourse if something happens in shipping.

That's another thing to consider: I don't have room for 2 RPTVs in my living room, nor do I have a place to put my Mits in order to demo it to prospective buyers. Also, I really don't want strangers coming into my house. I don't want to advertise to the world that I have all the A/V equipment I own. Having the dealer sell my set eliminates any potential security issues.

Bottom line is what is a *reasonable* price to pay, given the service you are receiving. Sometimes, depending on the type of commodity involved, it's more than just the absolute bottom dollar you can buy it for on the web site/eBay. There may be other associated "costs" to take into consideration.

I bought a K. Kawai CA-40 Grand piano off of Ebay. It is a 6'-2" player piano. Pop in a CD and it plays. I think that this qualifies as big, bulky and easily damaged by shipping. The piano looks new and the sound quality is excellent. Nothing wrong with shopping on Ebay for these type of items. You just need to be careful and have the item and the person that you are buying from checked out. Even after I paid to have it inspected and shipped 1,000 miles I paid less than half what I would have paid if I bought it locally.

I normally wouldn't even say anything, but it's just the fact that 9 out of 10 people here not only haven't bought anything big through eBay and would never do it, but they feel the need to tell everyone else that eBay is horrible for things like TVs and silmilar stuff. Now once people read eBay is bad, they tell other people eBay isn't safe. It's a wonderful tool, you just have to check out who your buying from...when sticking to brand new stuff you can find retailers with over 4K 99% positiver reviews for just about every TV on the current market.


Your much better buying from eBay as opposed to Foto Connection or any other of those online stores.

I wish there was a survey for people who say eBay isn't safe and who actually have bought a TV through eBay. I doubt anyone on this thread who says it isn't safe has actually done it. It's too bad eBay gets a bad rep on avsforum because I'm sure thousands of people would save money if they actually knew the truth about eBay.

And also yes, $4,200 on the nose is what it costs one eBay shipped. Still, a local best buy is usually around $5,000-$6,000 + tax.
Tax on $5,000 is a huge $365. That's fun. Crutchfield does however have it at $5,000 now. Even still, when they were at $5,500-$6,000 and every other store like Best Buy was $5,500+..eBay had it for $4,300 shipped.

That's my point though: By asking a local dealer or reputable online dealer to pricematch, you can minimize the price gap while still retaining a quality level of service. If people pay full list price at BB or CC, yes, then there's going to be a much bigger gap. In my case the choice is $4,200-4,300 shipped from some seller on eBay versus $4,800 net delivered and set up by my local dealer (in addition to what I previously mentioned about their handling the sale of my old RPTV).

Different people are going to have different thresholds and different services that they value. You are obviously concerned about the bottom dollar, period. That outweighs all other possible considerations. I look for a balance of price, service, and safety. We simply have different priorities...


I normally wouldn't even say anything, but it's just the fact that 9 out of 10 people here not only haven't bought anything big through eBay and would never do it, but they feel the need to tell everyone else that eBay is horrible for things like TVs and silmilar stuff. Now once people read eBay is bad, they tell other people eBay isn't safe. It's a wonderful tool, you just have to check out who your buying from...when sticking to brand new stuff you can find retailers with over 4K 99% positiver reviews for just about every TV on the current market.


Your much better buying from eBay as opposed to Foto Connection or any other of those online stores.

I wish there was a survey for people who say eBay isn't safe and who actually have bought a TV through eBay. I doubt anyone on this thread who says it isn't safe has actually done it. It's too bad eBay gets a bad rep on avsforum because I'm sure thousands of people would save money if they actually knew the truth about eBay.

Have you even bothered to slow down and read one word I've written? Stop creating straw men out of my posts.

eBay *might* be safer than dealing with fly-by-night dealers, but it is NOT safer than dealing with established, reputable retailers.

Unless someone is an experienced eBay buyer, and absolutely fluent in navigating the requirements and limitations of both eBay and PayPal, they absolutely should NOT consider buying an RPTV on eBay. The listings in consumer electronics are a minefield of scammers and disreputable dealers, just waiting for the unwary. Yes, there are some legit dealers there, but for the average consumer, buying something of this magnitude is a disaster just waiting to happen.

I've bought and sold merchandise on eBay to the tune of several thousand dollars per item. Even after 2,600+ transactions since 1998, I am extremely wary when it comes to high-dollar transactions. To blithely suggest that *anyone* should look to eBay for a $3,000-5,000 purchase is careless.

Unless you know what red flags to look for, and know under what purchasing and payment circumstances you might be left high and dry, you should not be doing this. Period.

What about the scenario where the set is damaged or destroyed in shipment and the seller says "no returns under any circumstances, take it up with the carrier." Then you potentially find yourself in the middle of a fingerpointing game between the seller and the carrier, while you have taken possession of a crate of broken glass. What if the carrier denies the insurance claim? Then what?

Better yet, what if the set simply arrives nonfunctional (as in it left the seller nonfunctional)? If the shipper cannot determine there was any damage in shipping, they won't pay a claim, and then you're back to dealing with a seller that won't accept returns.

Or: 15 days after you buy the set the lamp/light engine/whatever goes out. With eBay sellers you're on your own to deal with the manufacturer; the seller is out of the loop, unlike with reputable online sellers or local dealers.

Then there's the old "grey market switch" which catches many average consumers simply shopping for the bottom dollar. X months after purchase a problem develops. Buyer contacts manufacturer only to find out they were sold a unit designated for sale in Canada, meaning the buyer has no warrantee.

(in most of the above cases you are protected if you paid via Visa or MasterCard, and will ultimately get your money back, but we're talking about a lengthy process and a lot more hassles than if you buy from a reputable dealer)

YOU may have the experience and diligence to navigate and research all these issues and ensure that you are engaging in a safe transaction. The average consumer does NOT, and should not assume that the process is safe. It isn't.

The above scenarios may be within your comfort zone, but as for me: no thanks.

If, as a buyer, someone feels comfortable buying something like this on eBay, then more power to them, but stop implying that it's a "ho-hum" nothing to be concerned-about environment.

Yes, there is money to be saved by purchasing on eBay. However there are also serious risks involved.

Yes, there is money to be saved by purchasing on eBay. However there are also serious risks involved



Feel ya bro, i bought a Samsung Blu ray player off Ebay 6 months ago, brand new in box, power on but not playing anything......no response whatsoever from the seller....Paid 400 bucks for it?...A great deal back then.....
Now, i m gonna throw it back on Ebay as is, hopefully another fool like me will pick it up.....Buyitnow price s only $220....So, any of you see that player?..Don t buy it, **** s no good.....Just one of my bad experience with Ebay.....Anyway, all my Blu ray movies i ve bought sofar off Ebay saved me a crap load of money..
Bottom line?...Your own risk..

Yes, there is money to be saved by purchasing on eBay. However there are also serious risks involved



Feel ya bro, i bought a Samsung Blu ray player off Ebay 6 months ago, brand new in box, power on but not playing anything......no response whatsoever from the seller....Paid 400 bucks for it?...A great deal back then.....
Now, i m gonna throw it back on Ebay as is, hopefully another fool like me will pick it up.....Buyitnow price s only $220....So, any of you see that player?..Don t buy it, **** s no good.....Just one of my bad experience with Ebay.....Anyway, all my Blu ray movies i ve bought sofar off Ebay saved me a crap load of money..
Bottom line?...Your own risk..

No warranty? Could you not of had it repaired?

No, not from Samsung......
When you mention an Ebay purchase?..Get ready for a 2 hours wait, listen to atleast 20 songs, then they just simply hang up on you....Holy cow...Their products are great but customer service?...Not good.

I bought my xbr1 from digitalkings.com. At the time, they were $1500 less then brick and mortar. Digital kings followed through on the warranty and the set was new, just like I had got it from Sony. In general, I believe buying online is safe. A lot of these on line digital retailers are based out of New York and are owned by a Saudi Sheik who is getting brand new stuff from the manufacturer at a discount and passing it along.

I just called someone on Ebay about the 70".

They want $299 to ship and $347 for insurance. A mere $647 to ship from FLA to OH.

No thanks, thats a bit much.

Last year I bought a 60 xbr1 off of e-bay and saved about 1500$ compared to BB & CC. Sure I was nervous about the deal but the only way for me to afford it was going the e-bay route. It all turned out good and Im very happy with my set. (after the optical block replacement) :)

Ebay is Shakey
for sure
on some items