Never shop at Best Buy

[Sheep]

Looks like I was right.

Yeah, except I would have been fired for reason 1 alone.

Better luck next year.

SheepStar

 

[Mort Corey]

Getting back to the topic, try getting in touch with your state department of consumer affairs (if your state has one). I had a problem, filed an on line complaint with the state bureau, and had a personal phone call from a high mucky-muck in the corporation causing the problem within a week. I was actually kind of surprised that a bureaucracy could be of any help.

Mort

 

[Bigsilvs]

Getting back to the topic, try getting in touch with your state department of consumer affairs (if your state has one). I had a problem, filed an on line complaint with the state bureau, and had a personal phone call from a high mucky-muck in the corporation causing the problem within a week. I was actually kind of surprised that a bureaucracy could be of any help.

Mort

Thanks, I might give that a try if the "Buy back" doesn't go through. I am also filing with the Better Business Bureau so more people can see the insanity. I will also write a letter to the Corporate Headquarters as another member suggested.

 

[goodman]

Uh, what is "flip the clip"? Is that like "bait and switch"?

 

[Sheep]

Uh, what is "flip the clip"? Is that like "bait and switch"?

You know all those clip boards BB employees have? Flip the Clip is a pre-set way of confronting customers. Those boards are designed to attached as many things to a core item as possible.

SheepStar

 

[Tsunamii]

Depending on what state you live in you can go after them under the "implied warntee". Regardless of the manufactor you have an implied warntee. It says your new device should act as intended for a resonable amount of time. If not the consumer has the choice of replacement, return or repair. In Mass thats the way its written anyway.

 

[davo]

The mouse that roared.

You can't beat a phone call to the manufacturers local head office with exact details of your ordeal followed with "I don't know about you but personally I hate people screwing up my good name." This gets said company on your side and they ring BB(with the managers number you supplied) to kick some ***.

It actually worked for me with Kenwood. I even got them to extend my warranty for the time my amp was down.

 

[stratman]

You can shop at BB or CC or anywhere, just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. I never buy extended warranties, I buy products that are proven (do research), when I bought my 42" Panny 2 years ago the salesman was adamant that I should buy a warranty because according to him plasma was an untried technology and it was in my best interest to protect my investment (2700.00). I knew plasmas were going to be getting cheap, my 42" right now is available for 998.00, and at that time ( I had been researching almost 4 months before purchase) that particular Panny was voted one of the top plasmas around in various publications including Consumer's Digest, C-Net, various a/v sites, etc. The extended warranty went for 500.00, Panny's warranty stipulated that for 1 year Panny would come to my home if anything went wrong, they also gave me a direct 800 number. In less than one year that tv dropped 600.00, the tv has turned out to be bullet proof. I'm still ahead of the game.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I was at SEARS last night buying some Nintendo games for Christmas, and I had to wait for the salesman to finish talking to another couple so he could unlock the display case.

"So you're saying I should buy a DLP set?"

"Oh yes, the plasma sets just get ruined here. Once the temperature gets below freezing all the gas escapes from the screen and thats not covered under warranty."

It was painfully funny. Kinda like when 5 year olds try to explain where babies come from.

PS: I don't know how all the Tvs were hooked-up, or what the media used was, but I have never seen such a godawful display of TVs in all my life. You think they were demo'ing a VHS tape or something. The Samsung sets were so universally bad that I honestly believe they are sending those displays a composite-cable signal, just to make the Sony sets look that much better.

The Blu*Ray demo w/ Sony Bravia TV (movie trailer demo disk) was also pretty brutal. It's show a good transfer (something exploding, I think Stealth), then it'd flip to Blue Crush which looked simply awful.

The HD-DVD demo was slightly better. (Toshiba flat panel): Willy Wonka looked amazing, even resting your eyeballs on the screen, but The Chronicles of Riddick was plagued with super-sharp CGI and fuzzy looking real people. It was like like watching a bizzaro Who Framed Rodger Rabbit.

 

[Bigsilvs]

You can shop at BB or CC or anywhere, just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. I never buy extended warranties, I buy products that are proven (do research), when I bought my 42" Panny 2 years ago the salesman was adamant that I should buy a warranty because according to him plasma was an untried technology and it was in my best interest to protect my investment (2700.00). I knew plasmas were going to be getting cheap, my 42" right now is available for 998.00, and at that time ( I had been researching almost 4 months before purchase) that particular Panny was voted one of the top plasmas around in various publications including Consumer's Digest, C-Net, various a/v sites, etc. The extended warranty went for 500.00, Panny's warranty stipulated that for 1 year Panny would come to my home if anything went wrong, they also gave me a direct 800 number. In less than one year that tv dropped 600.00, the tv has turned out to be bullet proof. I'm still ahead of the game.

To be honest, I didn't do as much research as I should have. I am also a little angry with Best Buy, after talking with numerous employees, that no one mentioned anything about 1080p one year ago, much less deter me from purchasing a Philip's. If someone would have mentioned something about 1080p, I would have waited. I did do research on HDMI, DVI, and resolutions, but it wasn't enough it turned out.

A couple months after my purchase I learned about 1080p, mostly because of the PS3. I have been reading Audio/Video mags, Audioholics.com, and other sites almost everyday. The mistake made me more into an Audio/Video nut, which is about the only good thing to come out of this. If Best Buy let's me exchange for a HDTV of my choice what do you guys think of these? I am suppose to have the "Replacement Department" call me tomorrow...

Sharp Aquos
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7992684&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050040&id=1155069968903
Might go with the 46" though

or

Sony Bravia
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7941212&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050041&id=1152227795761
I don't like the silver panel with the glass around it and it's only a 40"

 

[stratman]

Big,

If it comes down to a new unit, stop whatever you're doing, go online and start researching before you step into another pile of caca.....get a copy of Consumer's Digest, go to C-Net, go to bookstore look at different magazines,check this site, after a while a pattern will emerge, write down models that interest you, see what manufacturers CONSISTANTLY rate high, write down manufacturers and model numbers. Take a DVD you're familiar with, go to BB , CC, Tweeters, anyone that has the units that you've narrowed down on your list, audition, audition, till your eyes bleed. Once you've established which unit you really like go nuts and try to cut your best deal. Make sure while researching to go to manufacturer's web page and check out their warranty. This is how I did it, and 2 years later I'm super happy with my Panasonic.

 

[WmAx]

Sharp Aquos
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7992684&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050040&id=1155069968903
Might go with the 46" though

or

Sony Bravia
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7941212&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050041&id=1152227795761
I don't like the silver panel with the glass around it and it's only a 40"

If you are going with LCD, I would take the Sony Bravia XBR you linked. That is the best image quality I have observed on a LCD television as of this point. I compared the Bravia XBR that you linked side by side with a Sharp AQUOS, and the AQUOS did not seem to come close, in regards to tonal range linearity, when compared directly with the Bravia XBR. I adjusted the Sony extensively, trying to figure out what it could do. However, I must note that I did not do much in the way of adjustment to the Sharp, because it seemed so inferior, initially, compared to the Bravia. However, in my haste, I may have missed critical options that would equalize this comparison. In regards to warranty, I believe XBR products come with 2 year labor/parts on-site warranty from Sony. However, I have no clue of the reliability of these Sony LCD televisions. Double check the warranty terms for length and Internet forums for reliability issues.. One other interesting thing about the Bravia LCDs is that they have the finest pixel pitch of any LCD television that I have noticed; making the cells invisible from about 2-3 feet away from the screen. With most LCD televisions, I can still see the cell outlines from much farther away.

-Chris

 

[kleinwl]

I'm a Sharp fan but look on AVSforum. Many people have reported banding problems with the 46"/52" D62. It's hit and miss, and Sharp has been replacing tvs... but it's still a risk.

BTW: The 42" has inferior specifications to the 46"/52".

 

[Bigsilvs]

I'm a Sharp fan but look on AVSforum. Many people have reported banding problems with the 46"/52" D62. It's hit and miss, and Sharp has been replacing tvs... but it's still a risk.

BTW: The 42" has inferior specifications to the 46"/52".

After researching AVSforums and other sights I have found many interesting things about some 1080p LCD Flat panels.

The Sony Bravia 1080p models have numerous problems like ghosting and cloudiness in the backgrounds.

As far as the Sharp Aquos 42/46/52" 1080p LCD's go, it was hit or miss. The Sharp Aquos 42'' 1080p was made at a separate warehouse and don't seem to have any of the horrible problems that the 46'' and the 52'' do, just inferior specs. Your right that the banding issues on the Aquos are so bad that it is better not to take the risk and buy one.

The JVC 46" 1080p LCD LT-46FN97 does not accept 1080p signals only outputs in 1080p...

So, I decided to go with the Samsung 46" 1080p LCD LN-S4095D. I couldn't find any issues and people that purchased this particular model were extremely happy. The only downfall about this HDTV is the 8ms response time...(The Sharp Aquos was reporting 4ms). It is only $50 more than what I paid for my Philip's.

On Thursday 12/21/06, I am going to take my Philip's back to my local Best Buy store to FINALLY get this problem over with. Of course, noone from the Best Buy Service Center called me about what was going on, I had to call them 2 weeks later. I called Best Buy today and spoke to one of the "Geek Squad" guys and he wanted to give me another Philip's in return (one of the newer models because the model that I had). I told him that I was allowed to pick any HDTV up to the amount I spent on my Philip's. Why would I want another Philip's after all the problems I had? He also said that it would have to be a comparable HDTV. So I doubt I will be able to get this 46" 1080p LCD Samsung without an arguement...

 

[Autofac]

Sorry to hear about this mess.

I've never purchased from Best Buy since there are none out in this wing of the country, but I have purchased a lot from Future Shop, which is pretty much the exact same store.

The problem we had was with my father's laptop, they wouldn't back up the warranty, said it "changed" and that the warranty and agreement he paid for and signed 3 years ago changed, and they don't honour it anymore- despite the fact it was something that both my father and the store SIGNED.

The whole ordeal ended up costing him hundreds of dollars, and they had the laptop away for a month and a half when they said it would be 2 weeks.

Needless to say we are never buying another warranty, or computer from them again and we've told the story to anyone who will listen.