Good place to buy HDTVs from?

[rvk2]

Hi everyone,

I was a proud owner of a Samsung LNS-241D HDTV. I am returning it to Best Buy tomorrow due to a dead pixel on the screen. Luckily, it is still under the 30 day warranty.

I am not sure where to purchase my next TV from. I've found that 26" is just about the right size for my needs (TV & PC). Where did most of you buy your TVs from?

I'm thinking of getting it from Best Buy again, or Newegg.com, Circuit City, or maybe Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Faudio-video-portable-accessories%2Fb%3Fie%3DUTF8%26node%3D1065836&tag=dvdhd-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325) (and amazon has the most variety of Samsungs but I don't trust the sellers). Would anyone recommend a place? I'd like to buy from a place where I can return the TV with no hassle if dead pixels are found. Any input would be appreciated from you guys. I live in New Jersey if that helps you in any way.

[mjones73]

Nothing wrong with using Best Buy if you already know what you want when you go in there. Figure out what make and model you want and see what reputable dealers around you or online will give you the best deal on it.

[ohheck]

Personally, although there is a potential price advantage when buying from an online retailer, I would stick with your local B & M stores. You should have no trouble returning your set to BB within the 30 day time period. If indeed it does go smoothly for you tomorrow, that should give you confidence to buy from BB again. However, if you want a longer return limit you might look at Costco if you have one in your area. Although they no longer have an unlimited return policy for tvs, but they do have a 90 day return.

I've purchased from CC, BB and Costco in the past and have never had a problem returning anything within their set time limits. Selection wise, BB and CC will be better than Costco. :grandpa9:

[rvk2]

Yes, I agree with what you say. The online retailers seem to offer a bigger variety of selections, but the drawback is that if I need to return something, I could face a lot of headaches. Meanwhile, the B&M stores don't offer much of a selection compared to online stores, but at least I can just drive there and exchange for a new TV. I'm hoping Best Buy doesn't screw me over, they said they were going to refund my $ for the TV & the service plan.

On a side note, is the service plan worth it? I keep hearing negative things about it on the net, people saying it's a scam...is it really not worth it?

[redman733]

I agree 100% about buying something as big as a TV locally.
I recently bought my 52"Mits from Circuit City but it wasn't that easy..
I 1st bought a 50"Hitachi LCD from them and when I plugged it in it had a large black mark across the screen and they took it back no questions asked..
My next choice was a Mits onsale at CompUSA it worked fine for 15 minutes before the read light came on :(
I loved the picture while it worked but when I returned it it was the last on they had in stock..returned it with no problem and no restocking fee's...

I then called C.C. and they had the same Mits and were willing to match the price I had at CompUSA so I picked it up and have been very happy since...

I am sooooo glad I decided to buy locally and couldn't imagine if I bought online and had these problems...

[Knicks4973]

Before you return the tv, double-check Best Buy's return policy when it comes to TV's. Although you should not have a problem, make sure they don't have a policy regarding dead pixels and if they do, what is it. You're better off checking out the return policy carefully then not knowing it and having a problem later.

[jobob313]

As a former home theater specialist ( I worked for HH Gre**) I will tell you that the extended warranties are almost never worth it. We called these warranties CHEESE as they were a tasty extra from a sales standpoint. And most of these warranties run concurrently with the manufacturers warranty so If you buy a 3 yr plan you really only get 2 years as you were covered by the manufacturer the 1st anyways. But I did purchase an extended warranty on my new Olevia LCD. But through the manufacturer. It was reasonable and took my coverage to 3 years of in home service! I paid for only the 2 extra.

[rvk2]

How do you get an extended manufacturer's warranty? I didn't read anything like that in the booklets/manuals.

[Ratman]

did you check the website? ;)
http://www.olevia.com/jsp/support/extended_warranty.jsp

[mrhdtv]

rvk2,

Check out HDTV Reviews (http://www.the-top-ten.com) . That's where I bought mine from. Good Luck!