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General discussion

which on-line dealer

Dec 14, 2005 4:01AM PST

I want to buy a 42 inch plasma and have seen the lower prices advertised on-line. Im sold, but i dont know how to tell if the company is reputable. I have looked at DTV city and Plasma Depot, but neither is mentioned in CNET's reviews. I have not been able to reach anyone by phone at DTV city, so its probably not a good choice. Also, I dont know if the reviews I read are by people within the company or actual customers. Any help, tricks, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This is my first major onine purchase and dont want to get ripped off.

Thank you,
Steve

Discussion is locked

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You can try....
Dec 14, 2005 4:34AM PST

....going to http://www.pricegrabber.com or http://www.pricerunner.com. Those sites have ratings of the vendors. Sure, there can be "shill" posts praising the vendors that were actually placed by the vendors themselves, and there can also be bogus complaints that were actually placed by the competition. Look out for patterns in the language, comments that sound more like advertising than a real person's experience, that kind of thing.

One very important thing with all online electronics vendors is to make sure they're offering you products intended for sale in the US. Often prices that seem unusually low are for products known as "gray market goods," which were intended for sale in other countries. Sometimes these products are perfectly fine and you can save some money, but other times there can be differences. Additionally, gray market goods would not be covered by a warranty.

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NEVER EVER Buy From Anywhere Located In Brooklyn....
Dec 14, 2005 4:52AM PST

...Or probably anywhere in NYC. Find the "Contact Us" tab on the website and click it. If it lists a Brooklyn address or has any phone number with a 718 exchange RUN FOR THE HILLS.

I had a wonderful experience buying my 42" Sony plasma from Vanns.com. HIGHLY recommended! Located in Montana and in business from 1961. No tax or shipping and they are an "authorized dealer" for all major brands.

My TV arrived in perfect condition 6 days after I placed my order. Knowledgeable and very friendly and helpful salespeople.

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I've bought stuff from Brooklyn dealers....
Dec 14, 2005 5:20AM PST

....and not had any problems. I've got a receiver en route to my house right now from one. You do have to be careful though.

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Why do you think buying products from NY is bad?
Dec 14, 2005 6:01AM PST

Why do you think buying products from NY, especially Brooklyn, is bad? I recently purchase a 23 inch Samsung LCD HDTV from Plasmahouse.com, which is located, ironically, in Brooklyn, NY, and everything turned out fine. Also Plasmahouse.com is certified by CNET. It was shipped to my house, which is located in Florida, within the period of time specified by them. There wasn't any kind of damage to the product or anything.
The only thing that I had a problem with is the freakin UPS. The UPS driver just made a slight knock on my door, which I would not heard but my dog started to bark, and went back to his/her truck. He/She didn't even make sure someone came to the door to pick it up. The UPS person left the TV on my doorstep with the side of the box that has huge numbers and letters displaying "23 INCH LCD HDTV", so if I wasn't home, I'm sure someone would not have hestitated to go up to my doorstep and steal it.

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Online Fun,,,,well not allwise.
Dec 14, 2005 6:07AM PST
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even more confused
Dec 14, 2005 10:23AM PST

I have been looking around and have found that DTV city and plama depot are owned by the same parent company. I investigated them online through the Better Busines Bureau and they do have a satisfacory rating. However, I cannot find any other sites to cross-check the reliabilty of the site (ie no reviews). Sponsered sites like tiger are rated unsatisfactory by the BBB. After reading reviews of sites on price grabber and price runner it seems all sites are scamming you. Should I give up and go back to my regular Best buy, Circuit City, etc. Loosing faith.

Steve

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online buying
Dec 14, 2005 10:56AM PST

Steve,
I know how you feel about the whole online buying process. I, too, at first, skeptical about buying my LCD TV from an online. To tell you the truth, I would still be skeptical if I made a big purchase again. Thankfully my order shipped fine. I bought from plasmahouse.com and they seem like a good online dealer and it is also CNET accredited.
Reading some site reviews where the online dealer messed up the order or shipped a defective product doesn't help the decision process. Also it's a little nerve racking when you spend closed to a grand on a product purchased online. My advise to you is ,if you don't feel comfortable about the whole buying process and you don't mind spending a few hundred dollars more, then go to Best Buy or Circuit City to buy.

Hope this helps

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even more confused,,,,,
Dec 15, 2005 12:19AM PST

Yes I can understand that. The stores that I listed in the previous post I have been doing business with for many years and ordered thousands of $$$$ from them. One thing to keep in mind is the shipping cost from a online store for a HDTV can be $99~300.
If there is somthing wrong with it shipping it back can be a hassel.
IF you get it from BB or CC you can just take it back.
I will buy mine from a local store. John

P.S. www.newegg.com