not sure if this is the right forum or not for this, but i was wondering if anyone here has bought a new HDTV from amazon.com? i'm a little afraid of buying such a big (size and cost wise) item from an online vendor without the comfort of being able to run it back to the store if something is wrong with it or something happens to it within the first 30 days or so... does anyone have any praise or horror stories i should know to help me make my decision? thanks in advance!
Use your head. If something goes wrong don't you at least want the option to get your hands around someone's neck (figuratively speaking only of course). HeHe Think of the possible nightmare involved to save a few bucks. Brrrr! I buy many, many, things from Amazon and even had to send something back once (I ordered the wrong thing). Never a problem. But a Big Ticket electronics item like you're thinking of buying? It will probabably go perfectly, but.....Brrrr!
thats what i'm afraid of... i've ordered from them a bunch too with no problems either.. but never something big and electronic.. my luck, the one time i do something would go wrong and i'd be screwed somehow.. but has anyone else on this forum ordered a tv from them? i find it hard to believe that noone has.. thanks
I think buying from a reputable online vendor is a great way to save money, at the very least there is no tax through Amazon. I ordered my set from Vann's online 2 years ago. They were great. I had a problem with my set that was cosmetic and ended up being the way the set is designed. They had my first set picked up and a new one delivered free of charge. They even refunded $100 when Amazon dropped their price of the same set 1 week after I bought it. Also, crutchfield.com sends out their sets with little devices on them that give info about whether the set was tipped, banged or dropped during shipping.
thanks for the info.. thats actually pretty impressive for cruthfield.. i never heard of vanns but i'll check it out.. sounds legit thanks
It may or may not be cheaper but at many online retailers you don't pay sales tax. Amazon = No sales tax, even on a $5000 new set.
Yeah, they seem to be reputable. They're chain in Missouri I think. Not just some fly-by-night e-tailer. That's where I got my set, as I mentioned above. Good customer service.
One thing about amazon.com that you should be aware of: as of September 1st, they will no longer price match even when their own price drops. I bought a small ticket item last month and within four days of my order while the item was still in transit to my home address, their own price dropped by 33%. I called their customer service line and was told that they would not match their own lower price which meant I was SOL. So much for buying with confidence from amazon.com Good to hear that other reputable on-line merchants like Vann are still honoring this consumer protection policy!
One thing no has mentioned is what happens to the package after it leaves the online warehouse. UPS will usually deliver it. They are known to roughly handle some packages. Just takes one guy having a bad day. I have bought computer parts and drives online but they are so well package that they could be thrown onto a trunk. Never had a problem but I wouldn't buy a HDTV online. Would you buy an expensive set of china that way?
As I mentioned above, Crutchfield goes to great lengths to ensure the pachage gets there safely. They have a little device that registers tilt, drops, etc of any set.
@chiKLitl And how does that Crutchfield devise insure safe shipping. It just covers their arse, saying look the shipper mishandled the package. You think Jo Blow knows there's a device inside or even cares if he does.
In their catalog it looks like the device is attached to the outside of the box and is available to give the consumer/recipient info on how the package was handled during transit. It is there I suppose to give the purchaser peace of mind as to the handling during shipping. I'm no spokesman for Crutchfield, but they have a great reputation, consumer reports top rated this year, etc. My purchases have always gone well, including any mishaps. They replaced something for me for free that wasn't even damaged. I just goofed the install and thought it was defective. BTW, how do most people get their sets home from brick and mortar stores? Either they have a truck/van and do it themselves, heaven forbid it doesn't fit standing up and they set it on it's side. Or they have it delivered from the store. Do you feel that delivery people from Best Buy/Magnolia would be any more careful with your goods than those from an online electronics store?
@ChikNLitl I didn't realize the customer could actually read the shipping indicator. Cool. My bad and i wasn't dssing Crutchfield at all. I just bought 42 HDLCD TV today and it fit inside the car. At the time I bought, I ask the dude would it fit in the car. And he said yeah they could lay it down! I looked incredulously at him and he said it was okay to lay an LCD down just not a plasma. Guys is this correct. It stood up the whole way home.
@garmoon No sweat. Like I said, I have no stake in the company. I can't give specifics about the device from experience, only what I read and saw in their catalog. About setting tv's on their sides, I only mention that because UPS (Hopefully) will transport it standing up. I cant say with any degree of certainty but I didn't think it was the best idea to have it sideways. I could be the vicitm of some sort of urban legend though as I've heard it both ways-o.k. to do, not o.k. to do. Either way I don't think you'll do any major damage other than potentially loading the glass panel if you have it flat. If it works when you get it home you're golden.
It never got laid down once I got it. I assume Circuit City never laid it flat? UPS have no idea? Won't know if it works until Xmas-wife's Xmas present. I asked the dude, if CC was going to be around for a year, of course he said yes.
