Recommendations on Online Vendors, major purchase

[Seeker47]

I'm leaning toward buying a flat panel LCD tv from an online vendor, and wanted to get some comments from anyone here who has done this. (And yes, I am familiar with Epinions, Bizrate, and other sites where you can look for such info.) On the one hand, the cost runs to hundreds, not thousands, or I probably would not consider it at all. But we are talking about a hell of a lot more money involved than just ordering some blank media. There are certain advantages to getting an item like this from a local brick & mortar. I've never been a fan of CC or BB, though.

Are restocking charges nearly universal, if there has to be a return ? (The shipping charges are just going to be a writeoff, I know.) I have some concern about getting a bad unit, or if there are stuck pixels, or something of that nature. Surely, some of the online vendors must be more accommodating and dedicated to customer satisfaction than others ? I've purchased from OneCall before, and might well have done so again in this case (despite their not having one of the best prices), but they seem to be out of stock indefinitely on the model I was looking for. Costco, which is both online and B&M, would have been a slam dunk on all counts, due to their very favorable customer policies, but they don't happen to carry that model. So, I'm kinda sorting through a list that includes Amazon, along with less familiar ones like BuyDig.

[budz]

IMHO it would be better to buy a LCD monitor from your local COMPUSA, BEST BUY, CIRCUIT CITY, OFFICE DEPOT, OFFICE MAX or STAPLES. Online vendors have what they call DEAD PIXEL policies. Some of those policies state the LCD has to have more than 8-9 dead pixels before you can return for a refund or you have to directly deal with the manufacturer of the LCD to get a replacement.

By going to your local stores you can always return the LCD if you don't like it or if there's dead pixels. I refuse to buy a LCD mointor from a online vendor because of the dead pixel policies some online vendors have. Should you decide to buy online make sure you read their policies very closely. Just my 2 cents!

[Scooter_NJ]

I have to agree. I buy a LOT of stuff online, but some things you are best off at a B&M. I only ever bought 1 projector online, but that was from an outfit that was a HUGE fan of H.T. Medical Video Systems.

[ricoman]

Amongst the most reputable (I have bought from all) are Newegg, Tigerdirect & Buy.com. Check with resellerratings.com for ratings or ripoffreport.com complaints for any vendor.

[Des]

I have a story to tell (pull up a chair or walk away) -

Last November I decided to order a 32inch Olevia LCD TV from Zip Zoom Fly. I had dealt with them in the past and they had a great price on the TV. A week later the TV arrived and it had a line of dead pixels through the middle of the screen. I called Olevia, they said it would be covered by their warranty but I had to pay to ship it to them. I called Zip Zoom Fly and they immedeatly issued me a FedEx return label.
I packed the TV up and brought it to the FedEx center. Three days later FedEx delivered THE SAME TV to my door. I called Zip Zoom Fly, they were as confused as I was (no where on the box did my address appear at this time!). They issued me a new FedEx tag, I put a huge address label on the box.
About 10 days after this I received a new Olevia 32 inch TV via FedEx only this time there was a Big Hole in the front of the box (yup, where the screen sits) and the back of the box was crushed in. Sure enough the screen was shattered.
I was pissed (really greatly disappointed, but pissed is what came out).
I called Zip Zoom Fly, tok the head off of the poor guy who answered the phone. He told me he would hep me anyway he could. I appologised for jumping all over him when clearly it wasn't his fault. I asked for a refund. He issued me one and a FedEx pickup/inspection tag. Asked me to photograph the box and TV and email them to him.
I did.
Went out that evening to my local Office Depot who happened to be having a TV sale (my brother pointed me there) and for $100 more than the 32 inch set from Zip Zoom Fly I bought a 37 inch Olevia from Office Depot. We even opened it in the store to make sure it was working.

At the end of the day, what I learned is that these things aren't packed to be shipped, the box had no protection for the screen. Fed Ex took responsibility (and apparent had video of the box coming off of a belt wrong). Zip Zoom Fly put up with an angry customer and made him happy.

I love my Olevia 437

The End.

--dES

[TBoneit]

I have to say I would never buy a TV set without trying it out in the store.

Nor would I buy a car without test driving it.

DVD Burner or player no problem. Something I'll be staring at long term and hating the image. Just one stuck on pixel can can be a glaring problem once you've noticed it.

If you are the type of person that will be obsessing once you notice a tiny defect or even something so simple as the way the remote works and feels then buy from a store.

How long will a LCD TV last, Hopefully until the Fluorescent panel goes bad.

Also Some LCD panels seem to be prone to light leaking in at the corners and edges. I've seen some LAptop displays and portable DVD players that have a lighter image around the edge because of that. What sort of waranty policy do they affer for that?

[ricoman]

I bought a 32" Olevia HDTV online. It was considerably cheaper, no taxes and free shipping and had it in 2 days. It is a terrific TV. If you buy it with a credit card or Paypal, you usually get insurance with it. Anyway, it is just the other side of the coin. Good luck with your decision.

[Seeker47]

Thanks to all responders for their experiences and comments. Food for thought. I still don't much care for the idea of doing this purchase from CC or BB (the two remaining titans of Brick & Mortar), or Fry's, but I will check around for any local alternatives that appear to make sense. Besides the higher prices, B&M can have some of the same deficits as an online purchase: one higher end place that has a couple locations here and advertises regularly on the radio clearly mentions a 15% restocking fee on their website. That would probably disqualify them in my book, even if they carried the brand I'm interested in, which they don't.

[budz]

then buy one online then go through the hassles of problems if the lcd tv you buy is damaged/defective. going to a BB or CC would be so much easier if you have a problem with the lcd tv set.

[oldandinthe way]

In my opinion, if you do not care for CC or BB, you should consider a membership in Costco. Good selection and great prices on TVs in their warehouses and Costco.com. Attractive returns policy (no restocking fees), good toll-free support hotline. Even non-members can see the prices on Costco.com, but there are often other items in the stores.

Second-best in my opinion is Sam's Club.

Last I checked Costoco and Sam's had the same "best price" on Vizio TV's - the best selling brand of LCD-TV in America.

If you don't think its worth the membership fee, you should check your local Walmart. The selection differs store to store but the quality of the LCD TVs I have seen in their stores meets or exceeds brands like Olevia.

In our area Staples has a special this week on a 32" Mag for $499. 15 day return without restocking fee on technology. P.S. MAG = Viewsonic and a bunch of other labels.

[SCDVD]

I have always found Costco to be a mixed bag on pricing. You can find good deals there but you have to be aware of competitive pricing. Just because it's Costco doesn't automatically mean that the price is good on any particular item. If you want to look around in the store before you decide to pay for a membership, you can look around first if you are a little bit sneaky. When you enter a Costco, you will be asked to show your membership card. You can just tell them you are going to the Membership Services counter. After you are in, you can look around as much as you want. Just don't try to buy anything because you have to show your membership card when you checkout. If you see something that you want to buy, just buy your membership card first and then checkout. If you don't intend to be a regular Costco shopper, you need to add the cost of the membership to your purchase to get an idea of the price you are actually paying.

[Des]

Chances are you might know someone who belongs to Costco and go with them to make the purchase. One thing, Costco only accepts cash, Amex or Debit cards and the cards have to belong to the club member.


BJs is also good if you have one in your area and I beleive they will stil give a 'one day pass' so you can buy without becoming a member. They take visa, MC and discover card too!

--dES

[lordsmurf]

I'm not a Best Buy fan either, but at least I know who I'm dealing with. 30 day return policy, good financing offers, price matching, $50 delivery, etc. My most recent DLP had an issue (damaged in transit, probably), and Best Buy will be exchanging it with no hassles. You won't get that from www.buyourcheaptvsets.com or whoever.

Some things still need to be bought in a store locally.

[dun4cheap]

Costco.com bar none. Even with there new return policy which is 90days not to mention that you get a 2 year warranty automatically. Then look at the Vizios which actually use Philips screens.

www.costco.com

[oldandinthe way]

BJs has an inferior selection and rotten customer service. There's a reason they're number 3 in the warehouse clubs.

My price experience at Costco is that if they are competitive in a given category, they are great unless someone has gotten a one-shot manufacturer's deal.

Would never buy a PC at Costco (too high priced). Have bought digital cameras, TVs, DVD recorders, DVDs and CDs, (prerecorded not blank - they sell TDK media at a noncompetive price). NSF compliant shelving (like the restaurants use - way below anywhere else), garden plants, and a variety of great food items.

Typical food finds are Carnegie Deli Pastrami, Shashimi grade Tuna, some of the best steaks around. A recent WSJ article about how to make a steakhouse quality steak began the process with a chef's recommendation to first - buy your steaks at Costco.

Sam's is trying really hard to be as good as Costco.

[Seeker47]

In my opinion, if you do not care for CC or BB, you should consider a membership in Costco. Good selection and great prices on TVs in their warehouses and Costco.com. Attractive returns policy (no restocking fees), good toll-free support hotline. Even non-members can see the prices on Costco.com, but there are often other items in the stores.

Yes -- I've been a member there for years, and they would probably top the list, but they only carry one model in the line I had decided on . The price on it was fine, and would be a sure purchase for me, but unfortunately it is going to be a bit too large for the bedroom. They don't carry the one that seems to be the ideal size. Seeing as they already carry one model from that line, I asked if they do any special orders, but it seems they don't. I've been rather unimpressed with the Vizios and the Olevias -- even the Samsungs came up short for me. And you have to watch out for special models (which are for Costco or Walmart only), like a Sharp Acquos that was on special at Costco but got bad reviews here and elsewhere due to puny 2W speakers and other deficiencies. I wouldn't buy a very overpriced Sony Bravia (no matter how good they may be), because Sony is on my All Time Shit List for a lot of egregious corporate behavior. I will take another look at what Panasonic has out these days in a 26" size, but suspect I will wind up sticking by my earlier choice. In various side-by-side comparisons, the Toshiba Regza just flat out bested the competition in PQ and the features I was looking for.

[Seeker47]

. . . and a variety of great food items.
Typical food finds are Carnegie Deli Pastrami, Shashimi grade Tuna, some of the best steaks around. A recent WSJ article about how to make a steakhouse quality steak began the process with a chef's recommendation to first - buy your steaks at Costco.

That is a very interesting section of the store. If only the sizes weren't all geared towards catering the Company picnic.
It may be an even better resource for smaller restaurants than Smart & Final.

[oldandinthe way]

Seeker

A thought on picture quality. Have you adjusted the models on the floor. One afternoon a friend of mine and I had lunch at Costco, then looked at the TVs. Amazingly the pictures appeared to be good, better, best along with increasing prices. We adjusted the two lower priced 32" models until their pictures were indistinguishable from the highest priced model.

Relative to reviews, have you verified the defects in the reviews. One review of Vizio TVs complained of a lack of brightness and contrast adjustments on a model. In fact the reviewer had missed that the brightness and contrast were adjustable from a menu. I have more than once purchased equipment after reading a review which has actually had the features a reviewer claimed it lacked - perhaps they write their views from promo material without actually exploring the equipment.

[Des]

Quoath: oldandinthe way

I have more than once purchased equipment after reading a review which has actually had the features a reviewer claimed it lacked - perhaps they write their views from promo material without actually exploring the equipment.

Actually that's more true than you think. Quite often the reviews are based upon press releases and press images/videos. Often in the photo industry (what's left of it) the reviews are based upon 8-20 minutes of having a demo model in your hand at a convention. In this enviroment reviews sometimes get skewed by how the reviewer may or may not have been treated by the manufacturers representative...

The Vizios are nice but some other brands seem to spec better at the same price. Still, the truth is always in the eye of the beholder.

--dES

[dun4cheap]

I purchased the 47" LCD Vizio from costco and my friend bought the 32" model from their. They are great TVs with a lot of features for a great price. When I bought my 47" it ended up having a dead pixel, so I took it back to costco and got a new one. No questions and no problems. It ended up rewiring the hole living room with Cat5e and made some component video cables, a DB15 for the computer and some audio cables. It looks nice not having any cables on the wall. TV just hangs on the wall with a couple of speakers.

I have my backlight set to degault 50% and it looks nice. Of course the 47" is now $1499.

[lordsmurf]

When I went shopping for a tv set, I took a light meter with me, so I could compare ambient light in my house to that of the showrooms.

[budz]

The Vizios are nice but some other brands seem to spec better at the same price. Still, the truth is always in the eye of the beholder.

--dES

When I'm asked what brand of LCD/PLASMA tv's is the best to buy. My answer to them is to go to the store and compare the brands by themselves because everyone's eyes are different. I was just at BB this afternoon and this guy asked me about 32 inch LCD''s because he just returned a WESTINGHOUSE set that he didn't care for once he got it home. I suggested he look at the PANASONIC TC-32LX700 which was hanging on the wall next to a SONY, SAMSUNG, SHARP & TOSHIBA LCD's. He liked the PANASONIC TC-32LX700 because his eyes said it looked better than the other brands.

[oldandinthe way]

When I'm asked what brand of LCD/PLASMA tv's is the best to buy. My answer to them is to go to the store and compare the brands by themselves because everyone's eyes are different. I was just at BB this afternoon and this guy asked me about 32 inch LCD''s because he just returned a WESTINGHOUSE set that he didn't care for once he got it home. I suggested he look at the PANASONIC TC-32LX700 which was hanging on the wall next to a SONY, SAMSUNG, SHARP & TOSHIBA LCD's. He liked the PANASONIC TC-32LX700 because his eyes said it looked better than the other brands.

The reason I told the story of an afternoon visit to Costco, is that what your eye sees can be manipulated by sales people. The high end model was a Sony Bravia and the low end models were extremely close to its picture once they were properly adjusted.

It is common practice in consumer electronics showrooms to adjust the pictures to promote a particular model (not always the post expensive). Use your eyes and your hands.

[Seeker47]

Seeker

A thought on picture quality. Have you adjusted the models on the floor. One afternoon a friend of mine and I had lunch at Costco, then looked at the TVs. Amazingly the pictures appeared to be good, better, best along with increasing prices. We adjusted the two lower priced 32" models until their pictures were indistinguishable from the highest priced model.

Relative to reviews, have you verified the defects in the reviews. One review of Vizio TVs complained of a lack of brightness and contrast adjustments on a model. In fact the reviewer had missed that the brightness and contrast were adjustable from a menu. I have more than once purchased equipment after reading a review which has actually had the features a reviewer claimed it lacked - perhaps they write their views from promo material without actually exploring the equipment.

The CRT I'm replacing was purchased in 1988 . . . so, I keep some gear a long time. In view of that, I'd rather get this right the first time, and not make a mistake. Some things, like how many of which inputs a particular set has, vs. the competition, is quite objective. I read every review I can find, bearing in mind that several of them may not be based on legitimate testing. And as far as viewing them, it's a case of many visits to a lot of different places. Basically, whenever I'm going by a showroom or a tv dept. and I have a few minutes to spare, I take a look and take notes. Lighting conditions vary. A lot of sets may not be adjusted to best effect. In places like Fry's where I know a DA is feeding the same signal to multiple sets, I have to think that very factor is probably not a good thing. (If they don't have a really good DA setup.) So, it comes down to taking this all into account, figuring that the random factors will equalize out in a large sampling, and arriving at a cumulative personal judgment,.

The CRT hasn't croaked yet, and I haven't seen any staggering sales going on, so I'm not in any big rush.

[oldandinthe way]

I am currently still using an even more ancient Zenith 27" CRT monitor. In my opinion, the movies and TV programs I watch are superior in appearance to any 42" LCD monitor I have seen. The physical space it is in will only accomodate a 32" LCD monitor and I have rejected that size as a major downgrade.

I understand your reticence to move precipitously. But I do wonder if given where you are coming from, it is possible to avoid compromise.

Given the small number of manufacturers of the LCD displays used in these TVs, I wonder just how much difference there actually is. In my own tests I haven't seen a lot.

[lordsmurf]

You'll be hard pressed to find a better television than a high-end Sony (one of the ones that has 120Hz and tons of filters to clean up video). I refer to the XBR4 LCD line or the KDH-xxA3000 DLP line.

It's the first set I've ever seen that did not make SD material look worse. In fact, with the filters engaged, it can look a tad better than the source! Comparable to how JVC DVD recorders clean up VHS.

How sad that Sony can't put the same tech into a high-end DVD recorder. What's wrong with them!

[TheFamilyMan]

The physical space it is in will only accomodate a 32" LCD monitor and I have rejected that size as a major downgrade.

I have the same problem: modern TV <=> refurnished livingroom

(Though not to whine too much, the picture quality of our toshiba 27" CRT TV we got 2 years ago for $240 is stellar with DVDs and pretty darn good with OTA stuff.)

[Seeker47]

You'll be hard pressed to find a better television than a high-end Sony (one of the ones that has 120Hz and tons of filters to clean up video). I refer to the XBR4 LCD line or the KDH-xxA3000 DLP line.

It's the first set I've ever seen that did not make SD material look worse. In fact, with the filters engaged, it can look a tad better than the source! Comparable to how JVC DVD recorders clean up VHS.!

You must be referring to models that are more than 26", no ? I think even a 32" might really be pushing it, for the space I am dealing with in this instance. (It will likely compromise access to clothes closets on either side.) And I definitely don't want to reward Sony for their rootkits and other obnoxious behavior.

[budz]

When I'm asked what brand of LCD/PLASMA tv's is the best to buy. My answer to them is to go to the store and compare the brands by themselves because everyone's eyes are different. I was just at BB this afternoon and this guy asked me about 32 inch LCD''s because he just returned a WESTINGHOUSE set that he didn't care for once he got it home. I suggested he look at the PANASONIC TC-32LX700 which was hanging on the wall next to a SONY, SAMSUNG, SHARP & TOSHIBA LCD's. He liked the PANASONIC TC-32LX700 because his eyes said it looked better than the other brands.

The reason I told the story of an afternoon visit to Costco, is that what your eye sees can be manipulated by sales people. The high end model was a Sony Bravia and the low end models were extremely close to its picture once they were properly adjusted.

It is common practice in consumer electronics showrooms to adjust the pictures to promote a particular model (not always the post expensive). Use your eyes and your hands.

The PANASONIC TC-32LX700 price was the cheapest compared to those other brands that were hanging next to or near it. My conversation with this guy was between just us. No BB salesman around. He could see for himself which 32 inch LCD set looked better.

I used to be a SONY fan back in the 80's & 90's. But now their quality control sucks just as much as some other manufacturers. I wanted this PANASONIC TC-32LX700 LCD but when my old XBR 32 inch CRT was dying a slow painful death I had no choice but to buy the lower model of the PANASONIC 32 inch LCD's. At that time no store here in Honolulu had the PANASONIC TC-32LX700. I'm still satisfied with the lower end model. Only difference is the PANASONIC TC-32LX700 has the 120hz. PANASONIC also released in Japan a 37 inch LCD tv.

SONY LCD XBR's are nice but then again they had the "CLOUDING ISSUES" on some of their sets. Granted SONY admitted to it some consumers had to go through 2-3 sets before they got one decent one. At least BB was aware of that situation. I questioned one of the sales guys back in June to see if knew about it. He said they were well aware of it and that SONY supposedly fixed the problem. It was sets that were manufactured last year up till Sept. or Oct.

Seeker47 So have you decided on what you'll be purchasing? LCD? PLASMA? size? Online or Local Store? Just curious!

[Seeker47]

[Seeker47 So have you decided on what you'll be purchasing? LCD? PLASMA? size? Online or Local Store? Just curious!

Plasma isn't really an option (cost aside) since they start at around 42" -- way too large for this room. Unless I come across a Panasonic 26" LCD model that (in my estimation) beats out the Toshiba 26HL67, it will probably be the latter. How soon, I'm not sure -- maybe not until Jan. or Feb., unless the CRT crumps. The folks here have pretty much convinced me to try to do this locally. I'm hoping that Costco might possibly add that model; right now they only carry the 32"-er. If not, there may be some decent local alternative to BB or CC. I'll look around., when I have the time.