Buying Sony from Costco, Sams Club/Wallmart (1 Viewer)

[CB750]

I was in a local Sony Style store the other day and was discussing prices and sets in the Sony line with a store manager. He told that for example the 52" Sony KDL-52W4100 that he was selling as well as other retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City is different than the same "W" series Sony that is sold by Costco, Sam's Club, and Wallmart. He said that Sony builds a special line that it sells to the warehouse clubs. I asked him what was different and he said they have the same panels but components in the Bravia engine are not as good and therefore the lower price.

I have heard this talk for years from electronic retailers who won't honor their lowest price guarantees. They will tell you the set that is sold down the street is not the same. But that is the first time I heard it from someone who appeared to speak directy for Sony.

I know for example the John Deere tractor sold at Lowes or Home Depot is not the same John Deere Tractor sold at a John Deere dealter. Webber does the same thing with it's grills. But in these cases you can clearly distinguish the differences in the products.

So what's up with these Sony sets sold at the warehouse clubs?

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

They just drop features ... not quality. One HDMI instead of 2 .. two component video instead of 3 ... and so forth. Lesser wattage on speakers and so forth.

Given how these warehouse stores force Sony to take back anything that is returned ... building to a lower quality level does not benefit them at all.

 

[CB750]

Thanks Michael,

This really means you have to keep a heads up and really do some comparision shopping at warehouse clubs as the model # appear to be the same.

I belong to Costco and they have very liberal return policies. A few weeks ago I purchased a 23" Samsung PC monitor. I asked about the return policy for dead pixels. The manager said that on electronices Costco has a 90 day full refund return policy and I could return the monitor for any reason even if I didn't like the black stand.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

Usually the model numbers change slightly. A BDP-300 versus 301 ... to avoid the price matching. And you find that the 301 is missing an S-video output on a BD player let's say.

regards

 

[CB750]

Looks like the words "Buyer Beware" apply. I would assume this applies to most of the electronics manufactures not just Sony.

You could do hours of research on your purchase to get things right then find out something is missing.

This brings back memories of a famous Chevrolet salesman in Detroit from the 1960's and 70's named Joe Girard known as the worlds greatest salesman. One of Joe's tricks would give you the lowest price on a car in Detroit. When you came to pick it us he would have the mechanics remove the back seat. When you asked where the seat was Joe would tell you the back seat was $500 more. You paid the $500 because you still got a great deal just not as good as one as you thought.

 

[funkdoktor]

does this apply to sears and best buy?

 

[CB750]

The manager at Sony Style mentioned Costco, Sams Club, and Walmart by name as Wearhouse Clubs who Sony made special runs LCD's for. He named Best Buy, Circit City, and Sears as examples of outlets that carried the regualr Sony LCD's.

I never did a side by side comparision of all of the features like number of outputs and inputs, and who would know if any of the internals are different.