NY_Guy

Because I live in Manhattan, I did not want to pay NY sales tax AND shipping, since 90% of the online stores are in New York. The stores that would allow me to pick-up the unit (Sony KDF-E50A10) in Brooklyn, however, wanted cash, which meant I couldn't use my Visa card and get free extended warranty (1 year on top of manufacturer's), or $120 for 3 years or $190 for 5 years (which is much less expensive than any warranty company offers). Even the bulb is covered for two years and it costs me nothing (since I’ll pay off the balance). Plus I get miles with American Airlines.

So I tried buying out of state, but there were ALWAYS hidden charges-- either freight or that scammy "insurance" fee (freight includes insurance). I even ordered from one company in Florida, got an email receipt which showed the unit price and shipping, only to find out later they wanted an additional $153 for insurance. I cancelled that order.

I finally ordered from Amazon because their price came down ($1950), the shipping is reasonable ($150 for "white glove service"), there are no hidden fees, and I don't feel like I'm being constantly lied to. For example, you can buy extended warranty from any dealer for typically MUCH less than where the TV is purchased, though almost everyone tried to say otherwise. Amazon was also upfront about delivery dates, while many of the online stores hid the details (a statement in bold that orders typically shipped within 1-2 business days, until you checked the fine print in another part of the web site and found the “holiday exclusion,” which warned that it could take up to 3 weeks). I've bought a lot of stuff from Amazon over the years and have never been disappointed.

NY Guy