Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhetor 
It is either feast or famine with Home Direct . . . Or any discount shipper Amazon uses. I had Home Direct deliver twice (had to replace a unit). First time was OK, but they refused to put the TV on its Panasonic stand . . . You havemto sign that the tv was perfect before they leave . . . Hard to check the screen for cracks or scratches and hard to check it to see if it turns n . . . IF IT STILL IS IN THE STYROFOAM INSIDE THE SHIPPEING BOX STILL ON THE FLOOR!!!
The second time, when they had to deliver a replacemnt, only one guy came to deliver my replacement 65vt30, even though it was right n the work order required a minimum of two, especially since we had 12 steps to negotiate into the house! I have a disabled left leg, and the guy showed up 3 hours late, because his "Gps broke.". I inquired why he did not use his cell to call for directions. He said, "Wow, I never thought about that.". Besides the whiskey on his breath, I bet he just left his partner at the bar on the clock to pick him back up on the way through. Now get this, he required me to box up the old one alone . . . (I was told not to by Home Direct, because they. Had to make sure they had all of the stuff back in the box.) then me, the disabled guy, had to help him carry the old one down the stairs because he forgot a furniture dolly. Once at the base of the stairs, he said for me. To stand back, that he could handle it from there. He parked the truck 40 yards down our rock driveway because he just was not good at backing up. I watched as he literally rolled the box with the defective model (four dead pixels in the center of the screen) end over end to the truck and then I helped lift it in. End over end rolled!
Then we got my replacement off the truck, and he said to stand back so he could roll that one end over end to the house! He moaned and complained that I made him Carry his end instead. Somehow, an overweight drunk and my crippled self got it back into the living room and unboxed it . . . When he nformed me it was against his company's rules to help me put it on the stand. Then said, "sign here" and he thankfully left my property.
Amazon simply uses discount shippers . . . Lowest bidders, but, how could I complain? I got the TV for $2387 and no shipping cost. And what makes Amazn so amazing is when I had a problem with the first unit, no questions asked they immediately shipped out a new ne (that arrived in town two days later, but I had to wait another 5 days when the Home Direct said they had time to deliver in my small town--the TV was iterally Bly five miles away for that extra five days.
Amazon also uses Pilot . . . Same thing, feast or famine.
You might actually get white glove service, or you might get the scheister, lazy dupe I last got. That is the world of discount shipping.
So, my recommendation to all is simple: plan for the worst! Invite 2 or 3 of your friends to the four hour delivery window, and grill some burgers and make it fun. Otherwise, if you are not ready for bizzare inadequacy in the delivery person or people, the only choice you will have is to deny the shipment and start all over, if you cannot help carry it or place it on the stand by yourself (which is not going to happen with the 65vt30).
But, how did it turn out? My 65vt30 is the most amazing picture I have ever seen (after running D-Nice's conditioning slides for 200 hours and then putting in his suggested custom settings).
There is a reason discount shippers give a discount . . . They do not hire rocket scientists or geometric engineers to do the grunt work of delivery. Some people have received amazing white glove service for Amazon purchased deliveries and others have horror stories with the very same company. Some people who paid for white glove delivery have horror stories; some people who got the delivery for free from Amazon have amazingly wonderful delivery stories.
Just plan for the worst and be grateful if you get the most competent professional delivery instead. But do not plan to get what you pay for, especially if it is free. It often turns out to be the worst $129 anyone ever pays.
After my Home Direct delivery, "Roll your own" has a whole new meaning in my head!
And, I sure would hate to be the person who bought my old "open box" unit I sent back. After seeing how they return a mildly defective unit on its return to be sold as open box, I will never buy an open box unit ever!
So, when it comes to a big screen tv Amazon purchase, get ready to roll your own!
It is either feast or famine with Home Direct . . . Or any discount shipper Amazon uses. I had Home Direct deliver twice (had to replace a unit). First time was OK, but they refused to put the TV on its Panasonic stand . . . You havemto sign that the tv was perfect before they leave . . . Hard to check the screen for cracks or scratches and hard to check it to see if it turns n . . . IF IT STILL IS IN THE STYROFOAM INSIDE THE SHIPPEING BOX STILL ON THE FLOOR!!!
The second time, when they had to deliver a replacemnt, only one guy came to deliver my replacement 65vt30, even though it was right n the work order required a minimum of two, especially since we had 12 steps to negotiate into the house! I have a disabled left leg, and the guy showed up 3 hours late, because his "Gps broke.". I inquired why he did not use his cell to call for directions. He said, "Wow, I never thought about that.". Besides the whiskey on his breath, I bet he just left his partner at the bar on the clock to pick him back up on the way through. Now get this, he required me to box up the old one alone . . . (I was told not to by Home Direct, because they. Had to make sure they had all of the stuff back in the box.) then me, the disabled guy, had to help him carry the old one down the stairs because he forgot a furniture dolly. Once at the base of the stairs, he said for me. To stand back, that he could handle it from there. He parked the truck 40 yards down our rock driveway because he just was not good at backing up. I watched as he literally rolled the box with the defective model (four dead pixels in the center of the screen) end over end to the truck and then I helped lift it in. End over end rolled!
Then we got my replacement off the truck, and he said to stand back so he could roll that one end over end to the house! He moaned and complained that I made him Carry his end instead. Somehow, an overweight drunk and my crippled self got it back into the living room and unboxed it . . . When he nformed me it was against his company's rules to help me put it on the stand. Then said, "sign here" and he thankfully left my property.
Amazon simply uses discount shippers . . . Lowest bidders, but, how could I complain? I got the TV for $2387 and no shipping cost. And what makes Amazn so amazing is when I had a problem with the first unit, no questions asked they immediately shipped out a new ne (that arrived in town two days later, but I had to wait another 5 days when the Home Direct said they had time to deliver in my small town--the TV was iterally Bly five miles away for that extra five days.
Amazon also uses Pilot . . . Same thing, feast or famine.
You might actually get white glove service, or you might get the scheister, lazy dupe I last got. That is the world of discount shipping.
So, my recommendation to all is simple: plan for the worst! Invite 2 or 3 of your friends to the four hour delivery window, and grill some burgers and make it fun. Otherwise, if you are not ready for bizzare inadequacy in the delivery person or people, the only choice you will have is to deny the shipment and start all over, if you cannot help carry it or place it on the stand by yourself (which is not going to happen with the 65vt30).
But, how did it turn out? My 65vt30 is the most amazing picture I have ever seen (after running D-Nice's conditioning slides for 200 hours and then putting in his suggested custom settings).
There is a reason discount shippers give a discount . . . They do not hire rocket scientists or geometric engineers to do the grunt work of delivery. Some people have received amazing white glove service for Amazon purchased deliveries and others have horror stories with the very same company. Some people who paid for white glove delivery have horror stories; some people who got the delivery for free from Amazon have amazingly wonderful delivery stories.
Just plan for the worst and be grateful if you get the most competent professional delivery instead. But do not plan to get what you pay for, especially if it is free. It often turns out to be the worst $129 anyone ever pays.
After my Home Direct delivery, "Roll your own" has a whole new meaning in my head!
And, I sure would hate to be the person who bought my old "open box" unit I sent back. After seeing how they return a mildly defective unit on its return to be sold as open box, I will never buy an open box unit ever!
So, when it comes to a big screen tv Amazon purchase, get ready to roll your own!
Funny (in hindsight; I'm sure it wasn't at the time)... I agree delivery can be completely hit-and-miss.
An alternative solution is to just not get too invested in the delivery date and get impatient. If that guy had rolled up without the second person, the moment I saw him want to start ruling it end-over-end I would have officially declined the delivery, called Amazon and told them to get their act together and send someone better. Then I would have escalated to a manager just to be sure I got my message across, and probably gotten a free credit for my trouble, then waited for a new delivery date. If they blew it again, same, and more, escalating free credit. As long as you're patient, eventually you'll either get lucky or someone at Amazon or the delivery company will figure out it's costing them a lot and they have a squeaky wheel in me and they will take the trouble to make sure I get the real "white glove" service. In the mean time, I would keep effectively reducing the purchase price for my trouble. I can't tell you how much credit I have gotten from vendors and service providers over the years for my "trouble." I don't have to yell, just be doggedly persistent and insistent.
