Where to buy to get best deal... (1 Viewer)

[Southpaw]

After extensive research, I've finally decided on purchasing a Sony SXRD 55 or 60A2000. I purchase a lot of things online and actually I purchased my last DLP about two years ago from a B&M/online merchant. I didn't have any problems but I consider myself lucky. I kind of lived on pins and needles for a while just waiting for an inevitable defect. I don't think I want to go through that again and I certainly don't want to deal with a defective TV combined with an online purchase. This TV has had green blob issues and I want to be able to exchange it if need be.
So....the two retailers in my area are CC and BB. I was wondering if anyone knew of any online coupon codes or a way to get additional $$ off of their price. They have a 10% off sale this weekend but I was looking for that something extra. Will CC or BB price match any online prices? Has anyone had experience with haggling with them?
Thanks for the input.

 

[Frank@N]

I'd also like some strategies on getting the best deal...

 

[Alon Goldberg]

At the big box retailers, here's one strategy that may work... Select your TV with a salesman, and ask what other accessories they recommend such as cabling or surge protection. They are likely to lead you towards $150 Monster HDMI and component cables and $300 Monster surge protectors (these are all marked up 300% or more). After picking out the cables and surge protection, tell the salesman that you didn't realize the cable pricing was so high! Ask if there's anything they can do on the price of the set, and they are likely to give you a bigger discount.

When it comes time to pay, decide not to purchase the cabling or surge protector.

Of course if this doesn't work, try another big box store and repeat.

 

[Southpaw]

I was just checking around and Amazon has it for $150 less than CC plus no tax wheras CC will charge me tax so the savings is more than $300. I will haggle with CC over this but if they don't budge, that might be a big enough difference that it would be worth taking the chance. Amazons policy if something is wrong with the TV is no returns but they will send a Sony tech to the house to try and fix any problem. I wonder if they will replace at that point if they can't fix the problem....
Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[TonyD]

jason do you have tweeter in your area

they have a great return and warranty service.

 

[Southpaw]

No, I don't have a Tweeter where I live.

 

[Arthur S]

Jason

From what I have read about the "green blob" problems that were something of an issue with the first generation of SXRDs, Sony does not replace the set. They were replacing the light engine. I have a strong sense that they will replace all kinds of internal parts, but that getting an exchange is very, very difficult. Having said that, I think you are far more likely to arange for an exchange (of the same model), or for a different TV if you buy from your local CC rather than from Amazon. $300 is a nice saving, but peace of mind is priceless. Go to your CC and talk to them about exchanges.

 

[Nick:G]

Okay, so what kind of price were you expecting to pay? In my unfortuntate years of working at Best Buy while getting through college, they've always had a policy NOT to match most online prices. B&M stores have overhead to deal with (which is why they push the hell out of accessories); online outlets have hardly any. A lot of online retailers peddling TVs at insanely low prices buy their products through distributorship and are not necessarily authorized resellers. What this means to you is that the manufacturer normally won't honor the factory warranty should you need service or even have simple questions on the product.

I totally agree that piece of mind is priceless, and I've learned over the years that most of the time it is worth the extra bucks. I've been in this business quite a while and if you really want to work out a better deal, try the quality mom and pop outlets. Big box chains like BB and CC have non-commisioned employees that generally don't care whether they make a sale or not because they're getting paid exactly the same regardless. In fact, their managers care more about selling extended warranties and subscription services than actual product (oops, did I offend anyone?). You might think most commissioned salespeople are snakes, but quality B&M outlets do exist with knowledgeable staff that will take good care of you, even if they have to cut a deal to close the sale.

 

[Gregg Loewen]

Not true. 100 % mark up would be at the extremely high end