[Justanopinion]

Buying online Pro's :

1. Save money over the usual stores ( Best Buy, Circuit City, etc ), can really add up. Maybe no sales tax, free shipping.

2. TV arrives everything is OK and life is good.


Con's :

1. If TV damaged during shipping possible return hassles

2. Shipping delays

3. TV is DOA or has problems, online return policies can be complex and a hassle 4. Problem after 30 day return policy expires, they wash their hands of you and you have to deal with manufacturer service warranty

5. Using a CC to pay online to the online seller ( Say....Amazon ) risks of ID theft

6. You don't like the set when you get home for some reason ( you fill in the blank ) you want to send it back, but are stuck with shipping charges and may or may not get a credit.


Is it still worth shopping online just to save the $$$$ ?


Opinions please....What are your experiences ?

 

[chrisherbert]

The amount that you save is so huge that yes, I'd say it's worth it. Depends on the person though.


I don't think ID theft is a real issue with a legit site. A clerk at a retail store is probably just as likely (or rather, unlikely) to steal your card number.

 

[snobgoblin]

I like to shop for things over the web.. But I'm really glad i bought my TV with a price match at best buy..


I returned two tv's in one day because i didn't like the picture on them at all..


That would have cost me a lot in shipping the TV back and forth to an online store.

 

[crheinish]

I would not. I have to see the picture quality before I buy.

 

[LonghornDave]

and would you buy the extended warranty from online site? If yes, longer or shorter term?

 

[Yankee_In_TX]

I've had to deal with remote manufacturors/companies as warrantors (Dell and WaCA), and frankly the experience was not fun. In fact, their poliocies and procedures are seemingly to screw the consumer out of what they're entitled to.


Dell - I had a laptop with a problem, that if you Googled you found limitless threads about the problem (even in Dell's own chat forum). Yet Dell never recognized it as an "official problem." They replaced my laptop twice, replaced every part it in while the whole time I was trying to explain it was a design flaw. This included being home for delivery guys and repair guys 9-5 and they refused to send me shipping labels, I had to wait for pick-ups 9-5. Took me over a year and countles hours on the phone and waiting at home to finally get the problem fixed.


WaCA (the warranty company of many only electronics resellers) - took my camera in. I called THEM and they said they were trashing it, if I signed a release they would send me a check. The release even said as soon as I faxed the paper in they would cut a check. The release further said "you need not send the product back."


I sent it in. I followed up a week later and they had "no record of my claim." Without a UPS tracking number, I wasn't getting squat. I tried to explain I had a contract saying the check was in the mail, but nooo. So rather than spending countless hours getting angry at supervisors, I HAPPENED to still have the UPS tracking number. They weren't interested in the letter they had sent me. When I called w/ the tracking number, they suddenly had my full record and a copy of the letter.


In short, IMO, some times it is better to be able to walk into a retail store close by, when YOU chose, when you product is broken. Real people can't put you on hold or transfer you. To me, it's worth paying more. Warranties are only as good as the company behing them.

 

[saturnotaku]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Justanopinion /forum/post/0


Is it still worth shopping online just to save the $$$$ ?


Opinions please....What are your experiences ?

Before settling on my Toshiba LCD, I went through three other sets that had various issues, each time returning the sets to Circuit City who took them back, no questions asked. That alone was worth any price premium I would have paid for comparable sets at retail vs. online.

 

[jagmonster]

Well maybe I've just been lucky but after buying 3 different tv's online I could not be happier. Thet arrived in great shape in about a week and the monry saved was HUGE!!! Picked out what I wanted (at BB,CC), see if they would come down close, no way not in the same ballpark. Worse part is the wait and sweating the whole shipping thing.

 

[JimSD]

I think it depends on how much you're saving. 4 years ago when I got a plasma the difference was $1000 or more between online vs. B&M. Nowadays the difference is usually no more than a few hundred dollars. Some of us would rather buy locally if the difference is that small for something costing several thousand dollars and others will say $200 is $200 and get it online.

 

[neo1]

I usually buy through PriceGrabber.com. I wanted a Sony KDL-46XBR3. I read the reviews of the lowest priced sellers and they were filled with horror stories when it comes to flat panel TVs except for one company with a pure 5 star rating that sells a lot of them online. I do not know if it is OK to mention specific sellers but mine just arrived from www.**********.com . Everything was smooth and customer service was great. Read the reviews for yourself but I would buy from them again.

 

[Intercooler2]

I bought my cheaper one at CC due to an incredible deal and the fact it can't be bought on-line. It was also nice being able to go there, feel it out and know that if it tanks you can return it ASAP without issue.

As for the big one I went to every store possible to view the pieces I was interested in but CC and BB couldn't get within $500 of what I could buy it on-line. Kind of rolling the dice since if it tanks it could get expensive shipping it back (I have a FedEx account which they do up to 150 lbs... and it is cheap enough). I already viewed it in the stores and hope it arrives okay. If it was only $200 I would have bought local but the savings gets me some other equipment I need for this unit.

 

[Higherthought420]

Personally I've had better experience with large purchases online than in B&M.

I purchased the following online from various web-sites at substantial savings.

Sharp 52" LCD saved $1200.00+ over the B&M lowest sales price + extras

2x 37" Olevia LCD again saved about $500.00 over the B&M price + extras

2x upconvertion DVD players no savings but I got what I wanted paid no sales tax

2x Onkyo 604's saved $600.00 over the B&M

aswell as two different 5.1 speaker setups all @ really excellent savings.

Also I've made many many smaller purchases as well without any trouble All items came as expected shipping was fast customer service was excellent and responsive. Unlike the vast experiences I've had with terrible customer service at B&M and general lack of concern for the customer. So, my vote is definetly to order online from reputable sites. But, YMMV. I hope this helps.