If you owned an expensive TV that stopped working, and you were years out of warranty, you’d assume the manufacturer would have nothing to do with you, correct? LG doesn’t play that game—Tim’s experience with them when his LG set went kaput is a mind-blowing example of a company practically coddling its past—and almost certainly future—customers.
tvs
Deep HDTV Discounts From Best Buy This Week
By 8.29.09
People just aren’t buying ginormous TVs like they used to. At least not from Best Buy. That’s why there’s going to be some great deals this week at Best Buy on large-screen HDTVs. HDGuru got an advance copy of their Sunday circular, which advertises discounts that bring the big TVs down to an almost reasonable price!
Funai Knows TV Broke Under Warranty, Hopes You Go Away
By 8.12.09
Back in February, Funai put a Consumerist reader on hold for two and a half hours before telling him that there was nothing they could do about selling him the entirely wrong DTV converter box. Now Funai has decided to head those long hold times off at the pass, and their warranty division has stopped answering the phone entirely.
Watch Out For Best Buy's Extended Warranties
By 7.30.09
HD Guru took a deeper look at the extended warranties and service plans Best Buy pushes on customers who buy expensive electronics like hi-def TVs. You probably won’t be surprised to find out that the fine print negates a lot of what the person or pamphlet on the sales floor will try to promise you—but you might be surprised at just how useless these plans can be when you get right down to it.
Televisions Now Dominant Life Form In United States
By 7.23.09
If televisions are plotting to overthrow their human masters and take their rightful place as rulers of the United States, it’s time. A Nielsen study shows that there are now more TVs than people in America.
Dell Charges Customer $300 More Than He Authorized
By 4.3.09
Matt is having some trouble getting Dell to sort out its billing mistake with his new TV purchase. It’s an interesting story because for the most part, Dell employees or outsourced CSRs are trying to be helpful to Matt, but nothing has actually been accomplished yet over email, chat, or the telephone. Matt wants his $300 back, and Dell wants Matt to just return the TV set if he won’t pay the non-discounted price. We think he may have a case here for disputing the overcharged amount.
Now Is A Good Time To Haggle Over A TV
By 3.29.09
Between weak holiday sales and the pending arrival of new models, this an excellent time to haggle with your local electronics store over the price of a new TV. In a normal year, prices dip before the holidays and again before the Super Bowl. This year, with the recession clamping down on bank accounts, nobody’s buying. With new models arriving soon, retailers just want to clear out their showroom space, meaning you can walk in and save a few hundred dollars on that dream set you’ve always wanted.
Don't Buy 1080p HDTVs For The SuperBowl
By 1.29.09
For those of you thinking about buying an HDTV for the SuperBowl, just remember that you don’t need to be springing for that 1080p. This game will not be broadcast in 1080p and no SuperBowl ever has. For The Big Game viewing purposes, a 1080i or 720p will do just fine. It’s just an unconfirmed rumor at this point, but I’ve also heard that analog sets will be able to receive the SuperBowl signal as well.
Helpful Information For Those About To Impulse Buy A TV For The Superbowl
By 1.27.09
We know you just can’t handle the thought of watching the magnificent Arizona Cardinals in standard def, so before you run out and buy the biggest TV at the store — here is some information from Consumer Reports that will help you be set up and ready to go by the time your Larry-Fitzgerald-jersey-wearing friends show up.
Sears Calls Several Days After Purchase To Upsell Unnecessary Protection Plan With Lies
By 1.25.09
Sears tried to scare Anthony into buying an unnecessary protection plan several days after he purchased a new plasma tv. The sales rep who called explained that Anthony’s new plasma would need to be recharged every five years, which isn’t true. According to Consumer Reports: “There is no such thing as recharging a plasma TV with new gas. It is sealed at the factory.”
TVs Will Be Cheap, But Will Anyone Buy Them?
By 11.3.08
Everyone seems to agree– this year will be the year of the cheap big-screen tv. The only question remains… will anyone buy them?
UPS Randomly Delivers Unordered, Damaged TV, Charges You For The Pleasure
By 8.30.08
Matt didn’t order a broken 42″ plasma TV, and he didn’t ship one either, but that didn’t stop UPS from plopping a big box with a broken TV on his porch, a service for which they charged $120.12. UPS explained that the TV Matt didn’t ship was being returned to him by the recipient because it was damaged, and it was now his responsibility to arrange for re-delivery. “If I was the shipper,” asked Matt, who lives in Ohio, “why would the package have come from Ontario, CA, not Medina, Ohio?” The TV sat in the rain overnight, and it wasn’t until Matt reached the local depot, where his father worked for 27 years, that he convinced someone to take back the mystery box. Two weeks later, a bill arrived…
Morning Deals
By 8.4.08
- Amazon: 3 months of Amazon Prime free with $100 worth of textbooks in cart (No actual purchase necessary)
- Froobi: Refurbished SanDisk Sansa e270 6GB MP3 Media Player w/ FM/Voice Recorder for $55.95
- Amazon: “Narrow Stairs” by Death Cab For Cutie, $5 DRM-free MP3 album
Highlights From Dealhack
- REI: Summer Sale: Up to 40% or More off Apparel, Footwear, & Gear
- Staples: Envision 22-inch Widescreen Dual Input LCD $200 Shipped
- Design Within Reach: Save 15% off Upholstered Furniture & Free Shipping
Highlights From Bargainist
- Headsets.com: Free Bluetooth headset if you get cited driving while on phone (a promotion that incentivizes breaking the law, um ok)
- Yves Rocher: 50% off select beauty products
- Busted Tees: After Christmas in July Sale: Select shirts $10
Dish Telemarketer Fined $75,000 For Hanging Up On Customers
By 7.16.08
The FTC fined a Dish Network telemarketing firm $75,000 for hanging up on customers, reports the Deseret News. The company used teleautobots to dial peoples’ homes, which were then supposed to connect to a live telemarketer when someone picked up. However, the system would sometimes get more live customers than there were telemarketers, leaving some customers with a silent line. Federal regulations stipulate that if you use teleautobots, you have to connect the customer to a person within two seconds. The FTC made this law because people, in particular women and old people, were worried they were being stalked when they answered the phone and no one was there.
Big Box Retailers Fight Back Against FCC's Recent Fines
By 5.20.08
Best Buy, Circuit City, and Sears are all contesting the FCC’s recent fines against them for not properly following analog transition rules in their stores, reports Ars Technica. Last week, Best Buy submitted a 41-page response (PDF) that claimed among other things that the FCC has no authority to fine them.
By 5.5.08
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Just in time for your rebate and stimulus checks, industry insiders predict price drops of 20-25% on HDTVs in May. [HD Guru via Gizmodo]
Bank Of America Won't Let You Access Your Money
By 2.24.08
Silly Bill. He thought Bank of America would let him spend $5,800 on a home theater system just because he had over $10,000 in the bank. He tried to charge the system to his Bank of America Visa Platinum Check Card but was declined. Confused, Bill called Bank of America customer support for an explanation and had the sort of conversation that makes you want to drive a fork through your ear.
