recent online purchasing success and failure stories please post here!

radimaging · 01-18-2005, 07:20 PM

If you've recently purchased a TV online, I'd appreciate you letting me know of your experience. I've thoroughly read the pro's and con's thread, and now I'd like personal experiences. In particular, please list what web store you used.

Thanks!

radimaging · 01-19-2005, 09:50 PM

Nobody??

Is everyone buying from the brick and morter stores?

jojojojo57 · 01-19-2005, 10:21 PM

Onecall is absolutely the best!! I will give a full report soon.

wdgang · 01-20-2005, 12:04 AM

My story is here Panasonic DLP ?

TMMerlin · 01-20-2005, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radimaging

If you've recently purchased a TV online, I'd appreciate you letting me know of your experience. I've thoroughly read the pro's and con's thread, and now I'd like personal experiences. In particular, please list what web store you used.

Thanks!

I saw all the ritzy claims and user opinions of the "on-line stores" and their fabulous words of "being there for the customer" but remained unconvinced that if the " sheee'it hit the fan" and I needed help or the product was defective ...who was going to solve my problem ... them or me and more $$$$

Crutchfield is in my opinion the best consumer electronics store for on-line transactions. I base this statement on "you get what you pay for" ..! It is also the best on-line store for the consumer to have a near perfect buying experience with a company dedicated to "keeping their customers" and getting them exactly what they want.

If one thinks that Crutchfield is "too expensive" .. well, as I said, "you get what you pay for" .. !

In a perfect world of "zero defects" .. the discounting super dupper on-line stores with low-low prices are the "perfect consumer outlet" for bargain prices.....BUT .... how many posts have you read in this forum where the folks have problems with their gear ? ...many-many...posts and a lot of frustration.

I recommend Crutchfield for:
- competitive pricing (maybe not the lowest)
- superior product lines
- absolutely the best customer service department in the world !!
- simple on line buying experience and all the transaction details you could possibly want
- a "customer only" hot line to "smart" tech support staff
- Bill Crutchfield himself, makes the final decision on customer problems or complaints that go hay-wire and he "makes your problem go away" ...period ...

OK .... now for the buying experience

I bought my Samsung LTN406W TFT-LCD HDTV from Crutchfield in November, 2004. It arrived in 6 days by motor freight and they delivered it into my living room. The driver was so happy for me. He pointed out that there were no holes in the packing boxes and the secure handling indicator was still "green", meaning the box was not mistreated nor turned upside down. He opened the top of the box for me to make sure the TV was still perfectly enclosed in the packaging material and he asked me " are you OK with the this" ... I was OK with it and he said "enjoy"..

I had the new Sammy up and running in about an hour and spent the rest of the afternoon "reading the manual" and "playing with the buttons".

My son came over that night and was amazed at the PQ and said to me "how long will it take before you have this hooked up to the stereo system" ... "I turned on the stereo system and we sat down and watched Return of the King" .... it was fantastic.

He also commented that ..."yah know Dad .. prices are gonna drop like a rock in January" ...! I thought Ooooops ... but I just got $1,000 off already on the Sammy for the "special sale" and figured I would be safe for at least 6 months to a year. Needless to say, I was paranoid on pricing until early January and then .....yup, Best Buy dropped prices down another $1,000 below Crutchfield's cost.

To make my long story short, I called Crutchfield and we went through the " I have an issue here" and "they do not do price matching" ... but now "I am an unhappy customer" !

WE found a happy medium ... they offered me a $500 account credit good towards any future purchase or after I suggested it, some free product. They agreed (actually Bill agreed) to send me a new Denon 2910, a 5-year service agreement and some new cables (total value in consumer dollars about $740) and we both were happy !!

On two occasions I called the tech support hot line and was speaking to a smart techy in less than a minute ..! Both times they had not just the answer but an explanation as to the "why" and some cool hints for me as well .. !!

All in all ..... I am very satisfied with Crutchfield .. !!

radimaging · 01-20-2005, 11:00 AM

Excellent reply. Thanks!

WebSpyderz · 01-20-2005, 11:28 AM

Ordered my Panasonic 50" DLP from Abe's of Maine for $2388.00 which included shipping ($900.00 cheaper than my local retail options) arrived within 6 days (including the weekend) in perfect condition.

Trucking company brought it in my house and took it out of the box for inspection. I honestly could not be happier with Abe's of Maine and would highly recommend them to anyone. They've been in business since like 1979 and have a 5 star customer rating through Cnet which was one of the selling points for me.

Good luck!

Shane

DKNY · 01-20-2005, 12:00 PM

Bought a Sony KDF-42WE655 from http://www.pcmall.com. They have pretty good prices and they're an authorized Sony dealer. Their customer service is decent.

The trucking company that they used, Watkins, (http://www.watkins.com/) was pretty garbage though, after 2 failed deliveries, I ended up driving to the truck company depot to pick the TV up myself. First they didn't show up on the day of the appointment. They were suppose to come between 9 to 11am, when noon came around, I called them, they said it would come in the afternoon. Then at 5pm I called them again and they said the TV wasn't going out today due to some malfunction with their lifts. $@#%@%@ Wasted a day doing nothing waiting for a TV that wasn't coming.

Then I rescheduled for a Friday delivery, they showed up on Thursday when no one was home and didn't bother calling me and didn't come on Friday. So I got their address and drove to the depot to pick the TV up.

Ordered my DVD player from pcmall.com too, that went without any problems since it was shipped via UPS.

jojojojo57 · 01-20-2005, 07:52 PM

I dont think they could get one more "FRAGILE" sticker on it. Thanks ONECALL. Perfect....

radimaging · 01-20-2005, 08:04 PM

wow, that box doesn't have a single ding on it.

radimaging · 01-20-2005, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKNY

.... First they didn't show up on the day of the appointment. They were suppose to come between 9 to 11am, when noon came around, I called them, they said it would come in the afternoon. Then at 5pm I called them again and they said the TV wasn't going out today due to some malfunction .....

So ironic. I just got a call from a guy coming out to fix our roof. Said the tire on his truck just fell off...

jojojojo57 · 01-20-2005, 08:34 PM

I broke down sunday after going to sears they would come close to the price but not close enough ,So I phoned onecall and took a chance and ordered the kdf55wf655, this was sunday at 3:00pm .It arrived WED AT 3:00PM 3 Days WOW !!Shipped fedex freight.I could track its every move.

n3xt · 01-24-2005, 11:29 AM

Thanks JoJoJoJo57 for the pictures, they are worth a thousand words and more. I've been leary about purchasing online up to now, but seeing is believing and Saturday I placed my order for a Sony KDF-55XS955 from OneCall.com

My first impressions dealing with them have been excellent. Patrick took my order, did not hard sell me on any accessories or service plans, and indicated that my order would arrive quickly as in 3 to 5 days.

Price was as listed, I enquired about the white glove service, which due to an additional $250, he discouraged me from taking.

Only dissappointment thus far was that Patrick indicated that the sale would be processed on Sunday and that I would be able to see status that afternoon. Called and got Ralph who indicated that the person who normally processes weekend orders was out on Sunday. Hopefully it won't delay the process. Since my birthday is on Wednesday, I'm hoping to get out of work early and have the HDTV experience I've waited 21 years for. I know I was bugging my local dealers about HD sets way back in 1984 right after HD had been announced and before standards discussions had even been started.

I'll post my experience with OneCall as it evolves here, but so far so good.

daleb · 01-26-2005, 11:37 AM

I have not read of a lot of returns, but ENOUGH to make me still a bit leary of online ordering. Although, I can not say enough good things about onecall either, for smaller items. Of course, a 90 lb DLP is a bit less hassle to return than a 220 lb Wega, but.....

n3xt · 01-26-2005, 01:16 PM

Yes Daleb, but my Grand Wega only weighs 117lbs. Even with the pallete, the total is only 132lbs to ship.

My 55XS955 at last look was in Grand Junction and should be in Denver today. My delivery appt is now scheduled for Friday. I'll be taking the day off to get my baby up and running!

01-18-2005, 07:20 PM	#1
radimaging My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 9	recent online purchasing success and failure stories please post here! If you've recently purchased a TV online, I'd appreciate you letting me know of your experience. I've thoroughly read the pro's and con's thread, and now I'd like personal experiences. In particular, please list what web store you used. Thanks!

01-19-2005, 10:21 PM	#3
jojojojo57 gaffer Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: So.Calif. Posts: 350	Onecall Onecall is absolutely the best!! I will give a full report soon.

01-20-2005, 12:00 PM	#8
DKNY I have a Sorny TV Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 9	F^$%@$# Watkins trucking company Bought a Sony KDF-42WE655 from http://www.pcmall.com. They have pretty good prices and they're an authorized Sony dealer. Their customer service is decent. The trucking company that they used, Watkins, (http://www.watkins.com/) was pretty garbage though, after 2 failed deliveries, I ended up driving to the truck company depot to pick the TV up myself. First they didn't show up on the day of the appointment. They were suppose to come between 9 to 11am, when noon came around, I called them, they said it would come in the afternoon. Then at 5pm I called them again and they said the TV wasn't going out today due to some malfunction with their lifts. $@#%@%@ Wasted a day doing nothing waiting for a TV that wasn't coming. Then I rescheduled for a Friday delivery, they showed up on Thursday when no one was home and didn't bother calling me and didn't come on Friday. So I got their address and drove to the depot to pick the TV up. Ordered my DVD player from pcmall.com too, that went without any problems since it was shipped via UPS.

01-20-2005, 08:34 PM	#12
jojojojo57 gaffer Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: So.Calif. Posts: 350	Thanks Onecall and FedexFreight I broke down sunday after going to sears they would come close to the price but not close enough ,So I phoned onecall and took a chance and ordered the kdf55wf655, this was sunday at 3:00pm .It arrived WED AT 3:00PM 3 Days WOW !!Shipped fedex freight.I could track its every move.

01-24-2005, 11:29 AM	#13
n3xt What is HD? Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4	Now it's my turn Thanks JoJoJoJo57 for the pictures, they are worth a thousand words and more. I've been leary about purchasing online up to now, but seeing is believing and Saturday I placed my order for a Sony KDF-55XS955 from OneCall.com My first impressions dealing with them have been excellent. Patrick took my order, did not hard sell me on any accessories or service plans, and indicated that my order would arrive quickly as in 3 to 5 days. Price was as listed, I enquired about the white glove service, which due to an additional $250, he discouraged me from taking. Only dissappointment thus far was that Patrick indicated that the sale would be processed on Sunday and that I would be able to see status that afternoon. Called and got Ralph who indicated that the person who normally processes weekend orders was out on Sunday. Hopefully it won't delay the process. Since my birthday is on Wednesday, I'm hoping to get out of work early and have the HDTV experience I've waited 21 years for. I know I was bugging my local dealers about HD sets way back in 1984 right after HD had been announced and before standards discussions had even been started. I'll post my experience with OneCall as it evolves here, but so far so good.

01-19-2005, 09:50 PM	#2
radimaging My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 9	Nobody?? Is everyone buying from the brick and morter stores?

01-20-2005, 12:04 AM	#4
wdgang High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 45	My story is here Panasonic DLP ?

01-20-2005, 11:00 AM	#6
radimaging My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 9	Excellent reply. Thanks!

01-20-2005, 11:28 AM	#7
WebSpyderz PT-50DLD64 & RX-V750 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tampa Age: 34 Posts: 37	Ordered my Panasonic 50" DLP from Abe's of Maine for $2388.00 which included shipping ($900.00 cheaper than my local retail options) arrived within 6 days (including the weekend) in perfect condition. Trucking company brought it in my house and took it out of the box for inspection. I honestly could not be happier with Abe's of Maine and would highly recommend them to anyone. They've been in business since like 1979 and have a 5 star customer rating through Cnet which was one of the selling points for me. Good luck! Shane

01-20-2005, 08:04 PM	#10
radimaging My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 9	wow, that box doesn't have a single ding on it.

01-26-2005, 11:37 AM	#14
daleb High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Clovis, CA Posts: 7,296	I have not read of a lot of returns, but ENOUGH to make me still a bit leary of online ordering. Although, I can not say enough good things about onecall either, for smaller items. Of course, a 90 lb DLP is a bit less hassle to return than a 220 lb Wega, but.....

01-26-2005, 01:16 PM	#15
n3xt What is HD? Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4	Yes Daleb, but my Grand Wega only weighs 117lbs. Even with the pallete, the total is only 132lbs to ship. My 55XS955 at last look was in Grand Junction and should be in Denver today. My delivery appt is now scheduled for Friday. I'll be taking the day off to get my baby up and running!