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Best place to buy a Television?

I am going to be buying a Television next month. My question for you guys is, not what TV is good for me, but where is the best place to buy one. I don't want to buy it online. I will buy a warranty if i need to. If there is a problem in a year or 2 I want the store to come and fix the problem. I don't want to have to send the TV to the manufacturer. The only really places in Oregon that I know about are Bestbuy, Costco, Fry's, Sears, and Walmart. Does anyone know if any of those places are good for buying televisions. Thanks for any info.

I just want a cheaper television, but i need it to be 50". I am only going to use $650
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A.B.Mult.Horror

Back in the day Costco was the place to go to buy a TV. I don't know if they are as good as they use to be, but I'm sure they are still high on the list. I also really like Fry's, but I'm not sure how returns go with them. Best Buy would most certainly be on the bottom of the list.

In my area there is no Fry's or Costco. The only place to buy a TV is Best Buy or a major retailer like Sears or similar. Unless you buy online.

Costco is where I'd go. I've gotten a couple smaller HD-TVs there in the past year. I'd go with an item that has a significant coupon savings when possible. I like Best Buy, too, when something's on sale. I like specific brands, so I stick to them--Samsung and Vizio mostly.

If you can, I suggest that you wait just one more month, for Black Friday to roll around. You can usually pick up some screaming deals on TV's then. Last year I didn't even have to leave the house. Amazon price-matched someone else's BF price so I ordered it from them and it arrived a few days later.

Costco. Hands down. They used to have an unlimited return/refund policy, but people abused it running rent-to-own businesses. (they would buy a TV, rent it out for a year, then return it for a full refund) As a result, Costco changed the electronics return policy to 90 days. (still longer than most places)

But despite the change in general policy, I have found them to still be very helpful, and rather lenient. I bought a Philips 46" after the policy change, and it developed a problem at 13 months. Costco automatically extends the manufacturer warranty to 2 years, so I contacted them for help in getting it fixed. (they also provide free tech support for 2 years, and coordinate any warranty claims) To my surprise, they offered me the option to return it for store credit, which given price changes, allowed me to buy a much nicer 55" Sony.

My experience with Best Buy has been exactly the opposite. Much shorter return policy, restocking fees, "warranty" extensions that are almost a bad joke, and good luck if you ever have a problem.

If you already know what you want, then the source doesn't really matter. It's just a matter of finding that model locally, and then choosing the store with the best price.

Not much else matters but the bottom line.

Store policy for returns will vary from store to store, but the return policy is only needed if there is a defect when the unit is first used. After the return policy ends, the manufacturer warranty takes over. This warranty will be the same, regardless of the purchase location, and is honored by the manufacturer, NOT the purchasing location.

Now, if you want onsite service, you will most likely need to purchase the "extended warranty". I've only had experience with Best Buy and I have no complaints. Also, many manufacturers also provide additional coverage.

I'd suggest going to the stores that have your model, comparing prices AND comparing the extended warranty pricing.

I will also point out that many stores get models specific to their store, which means you won't find the "same" model elsewhere to price match (or whatever). For example, you may want a Sony 55XR. Sony Direct will have the 55XR, Best Buy will have the 55XR-BB, Costco will have the 55XR-CO, etc. This doesn't affect warranty, just something to keep in mind when shopping and trying to compare pricing.
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Google is your Friend

Another vote for Costco here.

This is the best way to get a TV...

1) Research the TV you want, and/or the features.
2) Get the best price. I found AbesOfMaine.com (In New Jersey) has amazing prices.
3) Print out that price.
4) Bring it to PC Richard (if they are in your area) or some other store like PC Richard that does price matching on Brick and Mortar stores.

PC Richard sometimes (like now) has free shipping and will remove your old TV.

I bought a 65" high end Plasma and had to get a very heavy 56" rear projector out of the house so free shipping with free removal from PC Richard was great.
PC Richard price was $2900. AbesOfMaine: $2300. PC Richard matched the price.

Best Buy sucks when it comes to TVs. Read Yelp on them.
CostCo is not an Electronics store and really can't help you if you have questions.

Good Luck,
JedK

I've had great experiences with Costco. I bought my first 47" big screen television from them in 2007, before the new policy limiting returns to 3 months. I returned it in 2011, got my $1799 back and bought a larger, LED TV for $1369 there. My wife also returned her 37" TV. We buy lots of stuff there, and they have very liberal return policies. That goes for anything that breaks, including the cheap Chinese desk lamps and electric fans that fail early. You really do get your moneys worth at Costco.

While Costco isn't big on pre sales they have a superb concierge service which provides telephone support during your period of ownership.

PC Richard usually has knowledgeable staff. If one guy doesn't know he/she will ask an associate. I was asking about Ghosting, Black Levels, and Plasma vs LED, and I had a good conversation. Try that at a big box store.

Usually I know what I want before I go in, but it's nice to hear what a salesperson has to say. PC Richard works on commission while Best Buy doesn't.
There was a time Best Buy guys knew their stuff, but those days are over.
I actually once wrote an email to Best Buy praising a young geeky salesman. The salesman called me and thanked me.

It's so easy to bring in an advertisement to PC Richard and get the delivery (if you need it) and the removal (if you need it).

Check the prices at AbesOfMaine.COM BUT DON"T BUY THERE. Just get the prices and use that for negotiating.