Best Buy rip-off?

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Just a short post as I was trying to remember what I read on this forum
about prolonging the life of my Sony projection TV's contrast settings.

When we purchased the TV BestBuy (hereafter referred to as BB) sold us on
the extended warranty. One of the benefits was the calibration they would
do, as RPTVs need that - so I've read, so we've been told.

When you get into the myriad of touch-tones for warranty work, NO - they
will not come do the calibration.

You can, however, make something up to get them on-site, however that is not
the point.

There is another issue, financially, where BB is a complete and utter
rip-off like so many other mass merchandisers selling electronics just
waiting to go out of business, but that's off topic.

The original question I was looking at an answer for was the
warm-cool-standard-pro "settings" for my Sony. Understanding that I should
pick the setting that I like best, I want to also be conscious of one of
those setting being worse than another for my TV's life. I think the "cool"
setting is the *worst*, is that right?

Mr. Curious

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Jeff Rigby" <jeffg212@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:zZCdnaq28JVQNmfd4p2dnA@comcast.com...
>
> "ng_reader" <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> newsI2dnfcyF_b-P2fdRVn-tA@comcast.com...
> > Just a short post as I was trying to remember what I read on this forum
> > about prolonging the life of my Sony projection TV's contrast settings.
> >
> > When we purchased the TV BestBuy (hereafter referred to as BB) sold us
on
> > the extended warranty. One of the benefits was the calibration they
would
> > do, as RPTVs need that - so I've read, so we've been told.
> >
> > When you get into the myriad of touch-tones for warranty work, NO - they
> > will not come do the calibration.
> >
> > You can, however, make something up to get them on-site, however that is
> not
> > the point.
> >
> > There is another issue, financially, where BB is a complete and utter
> > rip-off like so many other mass merchandisers selling electronics just
> > waiting to go out of business, but that's off topic.
> >
> > The original question I was looking at an answer for was the
> > warm-cool-standard-pro "settings" for my Sony. Understanding that I
should
> > pick the setting that I like best, I want to also be conscious of one of
> > those setting being worse than another for my TV's life. I think the
> "cool"
> > setting is the *worst*, is that right?
> >
> > Mr. Curious
>
> If you mean tube life, cool would cause the blue tube to age faster. But
> considering the price of tubes took a 100% drop in price last year, that's
> no longer as much of an issue. CRT tubes used to be $320 wholesale for
> Hitachi for instance, they are now $160.
>


Isn't that a 50% drop. A 100% drop would mean they're free.

Bearman


> Make something up to get the service man there will cost you. IF the Set
is
> within specs the factory will not pay for the service call and YOU are
> responsible for the call.
>
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

bearman wrote:
> "Jeff Rigby" <jeffg212@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:zZCdnaq28JVQNmfd4p2dnA@comcast.com...
>>
>> "ng_reader" <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> newsI2dnfcyF_b-P2fdRVn-tA@comcast.com...
>>> Just a short post as I was trying to remember what I read on this
>>> forum about prolonging the life of my Sony projection TV's contrast
>>> settings.
>>>
>>> When we purchased the TV BestBuy (hereafter referred to as BB) sold
>>> us on the extended warranty. One of the benefits was the
>>> calibration they would do, as RPTVs need that - so I've read, so
>>> we've been told.
>>>
>>> When you get into the myriad of touch-tones for warranty work, NO -
>>> they will not come do the calibration.
>>>
>>> You can, however, make something up to get them on-site, however
>>> that is not the point.
>>>
>>> There is another issue, financially, where BB is a complete and
>>> utter rip-off like so many other mass merchandisers selling
>>> electronics just waiting to go out of business, but that's off
>>> topic.
>>>
>>> The original question I was looking at an answer for was the
>>> warm-cool-standard-pro "settings" for my Sony. Understanding that I
>>> should pick the setting that I like best, I want to also be
>>> conscious of one of those setting being worse than another for my
>>> TV's life. I think the "cool" setting is the *worst*, is that right?
>>>
>>> Mr. Curious
>>
>> If you mean tube life, cool would cause the blue tube to age faster.
>> But considering the price of tubes took a 100% drop in price last
>> year, that's no longer as much of an issue. CRT tubes used to be
>> $320 wholesale for Hitachi for instance, they are now $160.
>>
>
>
> Isn't that a 50% drop. A 100% drop would mean they're free.
>
> Bearman

Well, if they were originally $160 and went to $320, that is a 100%
increase, but you are correct in the 50% drop.....!

>
>
>> Make something up to get the service man there will cost you. IF
>> the Set is within specs the factory will not pay for the service
>> call and YOU are responsible for the call.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 12:23:26 -0400, "ng_reader"
<wilgrow_co@hotmail.com> wrote:

>When we purchased the TV BestBuy (hereafter referred to as BB) sold us on
>the extended warranty. One of the benefits was the calibration they would
>do, as RPTVs need that - so I've read, so we've been told.
>
>When you get into the myriad of touch-tones for warranty work, NO - they
>will not come do the calibration.

I'm surprised. I know Sears does that in their extended warranty and
I think CC does too (annual, in-home calibration, internal cleaning
and diagnostics/repair service). BB can't be far behind if they're
gonna hang with their competitors.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"ng_reader" <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:YIedncaUYI52ZGfdRVn-ug@comcast.com...
>
> "GPF" <nospam@yahoo,com> wrote in message
> news:rOGdnYrBeMRBWmfdRVn-jw@comcast.com...
> >
> > "ng_reader" <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > newsI2dnfcyF_b-P2fdRVn-tA@comcast.com...
> > > Just a short post as I was trying to remember what I read on this
forum
> > > about prolonging the life of my Sony projection TV's contrast
settings.
> > >
> > > When we purchased the TV BestBuy (hereafter referred to as BB) sold us
> on
> > > the extended warranty. One of the benefits was the calibration they
> would
> > > do, as RPTVs need that - so I've read, so we've been told.
> > >
> > > When you get into the myriad of touch-tones for warranty work, NO -
they
> > > will not come do the calibration.
> > >
> > > You can, however, make something up to get them on-site, however that
is
> > not
> > > the point.
> > >
> > > There is another issue, financially, where BB is a complete and utter
> > > rip-off like so many other mass merchandisers selling electronics just
> > > waiting to go out of business, but that's off topic.
> > >
> > > The original question I was looking at an answer for was the
> > > warm-cool-standard-pro "settings" for my Sony. Understanding that I
> should
> > > pick the setting that I like best, I want to also be conscious of one
of
> > > those setting being worse than another for my TV's life. I think the
> > "cool"
> > > setting is the *worst*, is that right?
> > >
> > > Mr. Curious
> > >
> > >
> >
> > One didn't read the plan conditions and one can't follow the owner's
> manual
> > directions on how to calibrate so it is naturally BB's fault?
> >
> I was too busy reading the prospectus for my future stock purchases.
> <sarcasm>
> You, sir, are a Complete JACKASS!
>
>

Ah, the power of intellect.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

JamesMason wrote:
> What's happend is that the real money makers for these guys (e.g.
> things such as the extended warrenties and the mail-in rebates) are no
> big secret anymore. High school kids are working at Best Buy and have
> been for about ten years now, the technique of selling extneded
> warrenties and betting against the customer mailing in a mail-in
> rebates has been around much longer, but in the information age
> information gets around. The average consumers know these tricks and
> the average consumer knows they can go ont the web and do a Froogle
> search or hit www.pricewatch.com and pay 25-50% less than what Best
> Buy has to offer. The markups can't really be hidden anymore.

Great stuff here James, but I'd like to add in some stuff from my own
experience from working in retail and such.

While you and I might understand all of this, you would be amazed at how
many people don't. There are more than enough people out there who think
that Best Buy is indeed the "Best Buy" out there despite the fact that as we
both know there are many places that sell the same type of items for less.

While the average consumer is starting to learn a little, most people aren't
going to abandon places like Best Buy sadly simply because a good chunk
of people I talk to still feel uncomfortable about buying products online
(credit card/identity theft being a BIG concern), and the factor of buying a
product sight unseen scares some people off enough.

> Frankly I hope they go out of business. These people don't deserve to
> be in business they simply aren't smart enough to adapt.

I can second with you on that.

--
Brian The Demolition Man Little
TNAImpact.com Columnist & Message Board Mod
Want "Fullscreen DVDs"... Buy VHS and get your
filthy hands off of my Widescreen DVD! Widescreen.org

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Didn't your mother tell you NEVER get the extended warranty. BTW I got
a projection TV from Circuit City and he tried to sell me a warranty.
He did say that the warranty did not cover calibration. BTW I've had
my set two years and it still looks good to me. (Never been calibrated
and proud of it)
On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 12:23:26 -0400, "ng_reader"
<wilgrow_co@hotmail.com> wrote:

>extended warranty

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Be Advised, the Service Contract does cover calibration, to the original
Factory Manufacturer Specifications Only!! Being a Field Service Technician
for C/C I have been asked numerous times to do the setup using after market
dvd, computer generated screens etc. However, many times the original
settings, done by the manufacturer at the assembly plants, is sufficient.
This is what the original warranty covers as does the ESP from Circuit City
Stores, Inc.
"Leonard G. Caillouet" <lcaillo_ns_@devoynet.com> wrote in message
newskDLc.3585$yF.1160@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
>
> "David" <XXlaserman@direcpc.com> wrote in message
> news:s8ltf0l15el8hu69t84n6u1fmu59klj3fv@4ax.com...
> > Didn't your mother tell you NEVER get the extended warranty. BTW I got
> > a projection TV from Circuit City and he tried to sell me a warranty.
> > He did say that the warranty did not cover calibration. BTW I've had
> > my set two years and it still looks good to me. (Never been calibrated
> > and proud of it)
>
> Generally your mother's advice is good, but as with most things there is
> more to the story. Many of the newer technology items will be far too
> expensive to repair because of the high level of integration and the
density
> in design of the circuits. Extended warranties may make sense on some of
> these products, but one must look at the cost of the product, the cost of
> service, the coverage of the warranty, the cost of the warranty, and the
> quality of the provider. To reject a class of product offhand without
> considering all of the information can be dangerous.
>
> Leonard
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Leonard G. Caillouet wrote:

> "David" <XXlaserman@direcpc.com> wrote in message
> news:s8ltf0l15el8hu69t84n6u1fmu59klj3fv@4ax.com...
>
>>Didn't your mother tell you NEVER get the extended warranty. BTW I got
>>a projection TV from Circuit City and he tried to sell me a warranty.
>>He did say that the warranty did not cover calibration. BTW I've had
>>my set two years and it still looks good to me. (Never been calibrated
>>and proud of it)
>
> Generally your mother's advice is good, but as with most things there is
> more to the story. Many of the newer technology items will be far too
> expensive to repair because of the high level of integration and the density
> in design of the circuits. Extended warranties may make sense on some of
> these products, but one must look at the cost of the product, the cost of
> service, the coverage of the warranty, the cost of the warranty, and the
> quality of the provider. To reject a class of product offhand without
> considering all of the information can be dangerous.

I agree, but in considering an extended warranty, make sure you're armed
with the knowledge that these warranties carry an extremely high markup,
and that this kind of "add-on" product (cables are another example)
provides the store with most of its profits.

The likelyhood that the warranty will pay for itself is extremely low.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Jim Gilliland <usemylastname@cheerful.com> wrote in message news:<c8mdncjg7ZTMPmLdRVn-ig@adelphia.com>...
> Leonard G. Caillouet wrote:
>
> > "David" <XXlaserman@direcpc.com> wrote in message
> > news:s8ltf0l15el8hu69t84n6u1fmu59klj3fv@4ax.com...
> >
> >>Didn't your mother tell you NEVER get the extended warranty. BTW I got
> >>a projection TV from Circuit City and he tried to sell me a warranty.
> >>He did say that the warranty did not cover calibration. BTW I've had
> >>my set two years and it still looks good to me. (Never been calibrated
> >>and proud of it)
> >
> > Generally your mother's advice is good, but as with most things there is
> > more to the story. Many of the newer technology items will be far too
> > expensive to repair because of the high level of integration and the density
> > in design of the circuits. Extended warranties may make sense on some of
> > these products, but one must look at the cost of the product, the cost of
> > service, the coverage of the warranty, the cost of the warranty, and the
> > quality of the provider. To reject a class of product offhand without
> > considering all of the information can be dangerous.
>
> I agree, but in considering an extended warranty, make sure you're armed
> with the knowledge that these warranties carry an extremely high markup,
> and that this kind of "add-on" product (cables are another example)
> provides the store with most of its profits.
>
> The likelyhood that the warranty will pay for itself is extremely low.


What I find interesting here is that someone will pay thousands of
dollars for a TV set, WITHOUT a warranty, yet would that same person
buy a car WITHOUT a warranty? I am a person who always buys the
extended warranty when I buy or lease a car. And when I pay more than
$5000 for a TV, I am certainly going to get an extended
warranty...whether this is from the store or from the manufacturer
directly, I will do research and make the best choice I can. But to
say it is a good idea to shell out 5 grand and have no warranty after
a year or 2 is pretty risky in my opinion.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Larry Bud (larrybud2002@yahoo.com) wrote in alt.tv.tech.hdtv:
> Do you honestly think anybody would sell extended warranties if they
> didn't come out ahead in the deal? Doesn't that indicate to you that
> it's a BAD deal for the consumer?

Although extended warranties are quite often a poor buy for the consumer,
your questions aren't really a good indicator.

Stores sell all sorts of things (like DVD movies) that make the store
money yet are good deals for the consumer (my wife and I can't go see
a movie for less than $15, yet I can often buy the DVD for less than that).

--
Jeff Rife |
SPAM bait: | http://www.nabs.net/Cartoons/Zits/Merging.jpg
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov |
uce@ftc.gov |

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 07:21:29 -0400, Jim Gilliland
<usemylastname@cheerful.com> wrote:

>Extended warranties may make sense on some of
>> these products, but one must look at the cost of the product, the cost of
>> service, the coverage of the warranty, the cost of the warranty, and the
>> quality of the provider. To reject a class of product offhand without
>> considering all of the information can be dangerous.
>
>I agree, but in considering an extended warranty, make sure you're armed
>with the knowledge that these warranties carry an extremely high markup,
>and that this kind of "add-on" product (cables are another example)
>provides the store with most of its profits.
>
>The likelyhood that the warranty will pay for itself is extremely low.

I can't speak for other extended warranties, nor can I personally
validate the accuracy of this information but as a salesman at Sears,
I am told that when a customer who purchases the extended THEN
actually uses the built-in annual (complimentary) preventative
maintenence/cleaning/re-calibration feature of it on high-end TV's...
Sears loses an average of $150.00 per customer.

On the other hand, I'm told the VAST majority of extended warranty
customers at Sears will only demand/excercise the annual, preventative
maintenence portion of their agreement once or twice under the
extended, which is why Sears makes buttloads of money on extendeds.
If everybody utilized the preventative maintenence clause of a Sears
extended warranty religiously, Sears would be faced with the task of
either eliminating them entirely or raising the price considerably on
them.

A couple of months ago, my manager overheard me telling a customer
that I personally do purchase the extended when I buy an expensive
electronics item at Sears due to the preventative maintenence clause
(and that I USE it), and that if he did purchase it, to utilize that
option or don't bother. I explained to him that Sears will actually
lose $150 on the deal and his TV might actually last longer because
the annual cleaning alone will remove dust and extend the life of the
set if he actually called the 1-800 number annually for this right
under his agreement.

Turns out my manager thought I may have "overemphasized" the $150.00
loss to Sears and should have put more emphasis upon the fact that
lightening strikes, blah-blah-blah, etc. being covered should have
been emphasized more.

Anyhoo, my 2 cents is that if you're going to spend over $500 and the
price of the extended is reasonable, AND the extended covers
lightening strikes (I live in the South - lots of lightening here),
AND if it offers (and you intend to use) the annual preventative
maintenence/re-calibration/etc. feature, do it. Some of those plans
allow you to cancel at any time for a full re-imbursement (pro-rated)
of the unused portion. Ours does for sure but I've heard our
competitors are beginning to add both the annual preventative and the
cancellation feature these days, too.

Like the one guy said, READ and most of all, get some word of mouth
feedback from other extended warranty customers of that particular
retailer in your specific area, if possible. HTH -

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Chris Fiorentino wrote:
> Jim Gilliland <usemylastname@cheerful.com> wrote in message news:<c8mdncjg7ZTMPmLdRVn-ig@adelphia.com>...
>
>>Leonard G. Caillouet wrote:

>>>Many of the newer technology items will be far too
>>>expensive to repair because of the high level of integration and the density
>>>in design of the circuits. Extended warranties may make sense on some of
>>>these products, but one must look at the cost of the product, the cost of
>>>service, the coverage of the warranty, the cost of the warranty, and the
>>>quality of the provider. To reject a class of product offhand without
>>>considering all of the information can be dangerous.
>>
>>I agree, but in considering an extended warranty, make sure you're armed
>>with the knowledge that these warranties carry an extremely high markup,
>>and that this kind of "add-on" product (cables are another example)
>>provides the store with most of its profits.
>>
>>The likelyhood that the warranty will pay for itself is extremely low.
>
> What I find interesting here is that someone will pay thousands of
> dollars for a TV set, WITHOUT a warranty, yet would that same person
> buy a car WITHOUT a warranty? I am a person who always buys the
> extended warranty when I buy or lease a car. And when I pay more than
> $5000 for a TV, I am certainly going to get an extended
> warranty...whether this is from the store or from the manufacturer
> directly, I will do research and make the best choice I can. But to
> say it is a good idea to shell out 5 grand and have no warranty after
> a year or 2 is pretty risky in my opinion.

As I said, just make sure you understand what you are buying -
insurance. I would never buy an extended warranty for a car or any
other item - I prefer to take the risk myself. Why? Because overall,
it costs me less money.

Insurance should be purchased to cover the kinds of catastrophic
failures that you REALLY can't afford to repair yourself. But buying
insurance to cover routine repairs is almost always going to cost you
more money than it will to just pay for the repairs yourself.

Now it's certainly possible that you will buy one "extended warranty"
for some product or other that winds up turning out to your advantage.
But what about when you look at all of your "extended warranties" taken
as a group? You'd have been much better off financially without them.
Even if one or two of them paid off.

Keep in mind that stores like Sears, Best Buy, Circuit City and others
make enormous profits on these extended warranties. Yes, they have to
repair a few sets. But most purchasers never need these repairs. It
doesn't take any rocket science to see where those profits come from.

These stores have actuaries who carefully study the statistics of
failure for these sets and calculate the expected cost per set of
non-warranty repair. They know exactly how likely a set is to fail
during years two through four of its life, and they price the warranty
at some multiple (and its higher than you might think) of the expected
average cost of repair. As I said, it's VERY profitable for them.

If a set is going to fail, it is very likely to do so within its first
year, maybe even its first month. If it gets through that period, there
is still a risk of failure, but it is much lower in those next several
years. Once you get past year four, the risk starts to increase again.
So those extended warranties cover EXACTLY the period of time in
which the set is least likely to fail. That's no accident.

You used the words "pretty risky". That's exactly what it is - risk
management. If you take the risk yourself, on average you save money.
If you pay someone else to take the risk, they'll charge you for it. In
the case of car insurance, home insurance, liability insurance, health
insurance, it makes sense to pay someone else to do it - both because of
the catastrophic costs that may be involved and also because the
industry is well-regulated. But in the case of consumer products, it
really doesn't make a lot of sense.

Some people buy extended warranties just for the peace of mind that they
get from knowing that repairs are covered. That's fine, there's nothing
wrong with that - as long as they understand that it is costing them
more in the long run. If it feels good, go for it. Just don't pretend
that it's a good financial decision. Not every decision has to be
financial.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Jim Gilliland" <usemylastname@cheerful.com> wrote in message
newscydnXFXk9z6YJ3cRVn-uQ@adelphia.com...
> As I said, just make sure you understand what you are buying -
> insurance. I would never buy an extended warranty for a car or any
> other item - I prefer to take the risk myself. Why? Because overall,
> it costs me less money.
>
> Insurance should be purchased to cover the kinds of catastrophic
> failures that you REALLY can't afford to repair yourself. But buying
> insurance to cover routine repairs is almost always going to cost you
> more money than it will to just pay for the repairs yourself.
>
> Now it's certainly possible that you will buy one "extended warranty"
> for some product or other that winds up turning out to your advantage.
> But what about when you look at all of your "extended warranties" taken
> as a group? You'd have been much better off financially without them.
> Even if one or two of them paid off.
>
> Keep in mind that stores like Sears, Best Buy, Circuit City and others
> make enormous profits on these extended warranties. Yes, they have to
> repair a few sets. But most purchasers never need these repairs. It
> doesn't take any rocket science to see where those profits come from.
>
> These stores have actuaries who carefully study the statistics of
> failure for these sets and calculate the expected cost per set of
> non-warranty repair. They know exactly how likely a set is to fail
> during years two through four of its life, and they price the warranty
> at some multiple (and its higher than you might think) of the expected
> average cost of repair. As I said, it's VERY profitable for them.
>
> If a set is going to fail, it is very likely to do so within its first
> year, maybe even its first month. If it gets through that period, there
> is still a risk of failure, but it is much lower in those next several
> years. Once you get past year four, the risk starts to increase again.
> So those extended warranties cover EXACTLY the period of time in
> which the set is least likely to fail. That's no accident.
>
> You used the words "pretty risky". That's exactly what it is - risk
> management. If you take the risk yourself, on average you save money.
> If you pay someone else to take the risk, they'll charge you for it. In
> the case of car insurance, home insurance, liability insurance, health
> insurance, it makes sense to pay someone else to do it - both because of
> the catastrophic costs that may be involved and also because the
> industry is well-regulated. But in the case of consumer products, it
> really doesn't make a lot of sense.
>
> Some people buy extended warranties just for the peace of mind that they
> get from knowing that repairs are covered. That's fine, there's nothing
> wrong with that - as long as they understand that it is costing them
> more in the long run. If it feels good, go for it. Just don't pretend
> that it's a good financial decision. Not every decision has to be
> financial.

The point that I keep trying to make is that while you are correct about the
warranties generally being a poor value for the consumer (we almost never
sell any), there is a new level of risk in the purchase of newer
technologies that is far beyond what we have seen in the past. So much of
the service on DLP, LCD, LCOS, PDP, etc will be very expensive board level
repair that people will be shocked when they have a set just a few years old
that is not worth repairing. The point is that people need to understand
the risks and many have no clue. Also, many extended warranty companies
have been pricing the product based on history with older technology
televisions and haven't caught up on the cost yet. For now the cost can be
reasonable on some of them. It is certainly worth a look on a very large
purchase.

Average repairs on a DLP or PDP will be several times that of a conventional
CRT based set. Hopefully they will be more reliable. Many have, so far,
and some seem to be breaking more than we expected.

Leonard

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 08:37:49 -0400, "Leonard Caillouet" <no@no.com> wrote:

}technologies that is far beyond what we have seen in the past. So much of
}the service on DLP, LCD, LCOS, PDP, etc will be very expensive board level
}repair that people will be shocked when they have a set just a few years old

Been there, done that! Fourteen months ago, I bought a $2400 Panasonic HD
40" rear projection LCD from Best Buy (great picture). I did some research
before the purchase and found the lamp was the main weak spot. They last an
average of 5000 hours (do the math -- about 12-18 months) and cost $300
each. When I went to Best Buy I asked if their extended warranty ($300)
covered the lamp -- not once but at least 3 separate times. Each time the
TV department manager assured me it was -- that "if anything broke or even
smelled funny to call and it would be fixed no charge."

Sure enough, 366 days later (to the day) the picture went black (bulb
fried). I called and had the BB tech come out and was told they used to
cover the lamps but had decided just that week corporate wide it was
costing them too much and they no longer covered them. Best Buy now
considers them 'consumables' and are exempt under the extended warranty. He
said he could order us one at their cost -- $165. I was LIVID to say the
least. Not only was my fancy TV dead for well over a week but it was going
to cost me $165 even under the extended warranty.

Surprisingly, the tech called back a few hours later and said he called the
store manager direct and explained what happened -- that his sales manager
(not an employee but the department head of their store) had misled me. The
store manager agreed to replace the bulb "this time" but not in the future.
I figure I got the warranty price back but would never had bought this type
TV had the warranty not covered the lamp.

To make a long story short, I picked up a new lamp off eBay and now have a
spare for next time it fries. The point is even reading the fine print does
no good if they write it vague enough to change the terms later!

Think about it, if ANY part fails often enough then they can call it a
consumable since it quickly failed....

The sad part is Panasonic covered the lamp up to a year too. I bought the
TV but waited over a week for delivery. Panasonic considered the purchase
date as to the start of the warranty and NOT the delivery date (I was still
in that window). Since there was no specific TV assigned to the purchase,
how can that work? If it was backordered a month do you get a 11 month
warranty -- apparently so....


Later,
Dave

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 17:52:33 -0400, "Leonard G. Caillouet"
<lcaillo_ns_@devoynet.com> wrote:

}Actually, Panasonic will take the installation date as the start of the
}warranty period, if you have documentation such as a deleivery invoice.

Not in this case. Panasonic was sympathetic and said that we still had a
small window to work through considering the time frame. They referred me
to the local service center. I called them and the service center rep
called Best Buy and confirmed the sudden change in coverage and was
offering to 'sell' me a new lamp for a discounted price. Of course I still
had to pay for the service call since they had to come out and confirm it
was the lamp (I explained the BB tech was already out) which was something
like $85 + the reduced price of the lamp. What a deal! They did refer me
back to the factory to see if a lamp could be shipped to me direct. I don't
know what it would have cost me in the end since it went no further when I
told them the BB tech called back and said they agreed to replace the lamp
this time. Still, I was not thrilled with the factory's attitude either.
Their set had not been in my home a full year yet they still said the
warranty period was over.

I had a 10 minute conversation with the Panasonic service center over when
the warranty coverage started (I have a delivery receipt showing the
delivery date). They held firm saying it always goes from the date of
purchase... I am not saying exceptions aren't made but apparently not in
this case...

Later,
Dave

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Never buy the extended warranty - it's pure profit for BB, why do you think
they push them so hard. They will lie to you and do whatever it takes to
get you to buy them. All departments and stores are judged on how many
extended warranties they sell. Look at the front of any BB there are
several numbers on the wall behind the register that show the store percent
of warranties sold. It's a huge scam.




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

insurance only makes money when you dont
End higher ticket prices! Go to local college games!

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"L Alpert" <alpertl@xxcomcast.net> wrote in message
news:lriNc.176835$JR4.74480@attbi_s54...
> Klaus wrote:
> > Never buy the extended warranty - it's pure profit for BB, why do you
> > think they push them so hard. They will lie to you and do whatever
> > it takes to get you to buy them. All departments and stores are
> > judged on how many extended warranties they sell. Look at the front
> > of any BB there are several numbers on the wall behind the register
> > that show the store percent of warranties sold. It's a huge scam.
>
> Never say never. I have one on my fridge, and in the first two years I
had
> 'em out 5-6 times for various reasons after the mfg warranty would have
> ended. Ice maker froze up, defroster coil and thermocouple went
bad.....on
> and on....
>
> All is well for the past year......(with fingers crossed)

Yep, it's up to the individual to decide. I bought an XBox and got two
years peace of mind for $20. I also bought a standalone DVD recorder and
for $25 I knew it was just a trade-in at CompUsa if it went belly up.
Generally I don't buy extended warranties but there are cases where I do.
Actually I think buying the warranty ensures that it won't break (don't
know how they do that). I burnt up blender after blender (in just a few
months) making smoothies until I paid the extra $5 and got the extended 1 yr
warranty. After that the blender lasted for nearly two years.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

HDTV-slingr wrote:

> The right answer is
> to do some research, product by product and weigh the costs and the
> rights/options offered under the extended warranty against the failure
> rates of those products and make your decision with all the facts out
> in the open before deciding.

Just keep in mind that the vendor has already done exactly that, and
then has priced the warranty at about three to four times the expected
average repair costs. You might as well take advantage of their research.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Don't you feel silly now that DVD players are $25 to purchase new.....




"FLY135" <FLY_135(@hot not not)notmail.com> wrote in message
news:5gjNc.15554$f4.6788@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> "L Alpert" <alpertl@xxcomcast.net> wrote in message
> news:lriNc.176835$JR4.74480@attbi_s54...
> > Klaus wrote:
> > > Never buy the extended warranty - it's pure profit for BB, why do you
> > > think they push them so hard. They will lie to you and do whatever
> > > it takes to get you to buy them. All departments and stores are
> > > judged on how many extended warranties they sell. Look at the front
> > > of any BB there are several numbers on the wall behind the register
> > > that show the store percent of warranties sold. It's a huge scam.
> >
> > Never say never. I have one on my fridge, and in the first two years I
> had
> > 'em out 5-6 times for various reasons after the mfg warranty would have
> > ended. Ice maker froze up, defroster coil and thermocouple went
> bad.....on
> > and on....
> >
> > All is well for the past year......(with fingers crossed)
>
> Yep, it's up to the individual to decide. I bought an XBox and got two
> years peace of mind for $20. I also bought a standalone DVD recorder and
> for $25 I knew it was just a trade-in at CompUsa if it went belly up.
> Generally I don't buy extended warranties but there are cases where I do.
> Actually I think buying the warranty ensures that it won't break (don't
> know how they do that). I burnt up blender after blender (in just a few
> months) making smoothies until I paid the extra $5 and got the extended 1
yr
> warranty. After that the blender lasted for nearly two years.
>
>




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Klaus" <klaus9000@hottmail.com> wrote in message
news:4106a3ee$1_3@corp.newsgroups.com...
> Don't you feel silly now that DVD players are $25 to purchase new.....

Don't you feel silly that you replaced the word "recorder" with "players".

> "FLY135" <FLY_135(@hot not not)notmail.com> wrote in message
> news:5gjNc.15554$f4.6788@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> >
> > "L Alpert" <alpertl@xxcomcast.net> wrote in message
> > news:lriNc.176835$JR4.74480@attbi_s54...
> > > Klaus wrote:
> > > > Never buy the extended warranty - it's pure profit for BB, why do
you
> > > > think they push them so hard. They will lie to you and do whatever
> > > > it takes to get you to buy them. All departments and stores are
> > > > judged on how many extended warranties they sell. Look at the front
> > > > of any BB there are several numbers on the wall behind the register
> > > > that show the store percent of warranties sold. It's a huge scam.
> > >
> > > Never say never. I have one on my fridge, and in the first two years
I
> > had
> > > 'em out 5-6 times for various reasons after the mfg warranty would
have
> > > ended. Ice maker froze up, defroster coil and thermocouple went
> > bad.....on
> > > and on....
> > >
> > > All is well for the past year......(with fingers crossed)
> >
> > Yep, it's up to the individual to decide. I bought an XBox and got two
> > years peace of mind for $20. I also bought a standalone DVD recorder
and
> > for $25 I knew it was just a trade-in at CompUsa if it went belly up.
> > Generally I don't buy extended warranties but there are cases where I
do.
> > Actually I think buying the warranty ensures that it won't break (don't
> > know how they do that). I burnt up blender after blender (in just a few
> > months) making smoothies until I paid the extra $5 and got the extended
1
> yr
> > warranty. After that the blender lasted for nearly two years.
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
> -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Guy Gordon" <gordon@NOSPAMwhite-crane.com> wrote in message
news:brodg0l7vvhecssa3bgamiccud2rvndmhd@4ax.com...
> HDTV-slingr <NOSPAMMERS@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 10:57:25 -0500, "Klaus" <klaus9000@hottmail.com>
> >wrote:
> >>Never buy the extended warranty -
> >
> >Bad advice.
> >
> >There are times it makes sense to buy the extended. There are also
> >times when it makes no sense to buy the extended. The right answer is
> >to do some research, product by product and weigh the costs and the
> >rights/options offered under the extended warranty against the failure
> >rates of those products and make your decision with all the facts out
> >in the open before deciding.
>
> This would be good advice *IF* there were both good deals and bad
> deals out there in extended warranties.
>
> I've never seen even one example of a good deal extended warranties.

$20 on a $200 XBox for 2 years seems like a good deal to me. I had reasons
for believing it might fail in that period based on reported problems.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Larry Bud (larrybud2002@yahoo.com) wrote in alt.tv.tech.hdtv:
> IOW, extended warranties are a gamble, and like all gambling, the
> house comes out ahead over the long run.

This is correct, but it is *far* different from the questions you asked
that I replied to. Just because the store makes a profit on an item does
not automatically make it a bad deal for the consumer.

--
Jeff Rife | "It's amazing the advances the Swedes have made
SPAM bait: | in the science of furniture...especially
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov | considering they have only one known tool."
uce@ftc.gov | -- Tommy Solomon, "3rd Rock from the Sun"

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Guy Gordon (gordon@NOSPAMwhite-crane.com) wrote in alt.tv.tech.hdtv:
> No. But when the store makes a *huge* profit on an item -- so much
> that they tell the sales people to pressure the customers -- then yes,
> it *is* automatically a bad deal for the consumer.

By that definition, *every* plasma display (and most other "flat" HDTVs)
are bad deals. The typical profit on a high-end HDTV is 30% or more--
$1,500 to $4,500. This is *far* more than a store can possibly make on
a $500 extended warranty.

Yet, if the display accomplishes what they want (showing high-quality
images, etc.), it's obviously not a bad deal for the customer.

--
Jeff Rife | "What kind of universe is this where a man can't
SPAM bait: | love his fake wife's mother's best friend?"
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov |
uce@ftc.gov | -- Ned Dorsey, "Ned and Stacey"