[…] HD Guru has a great writeup on how to negotiate, haggle and snag the “best buy.” […]

$12 at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007MWE2S

Works perfectly with my Panasonic 42″ and Xbox 360.

Any idea as to how to find a non-chain-type store where I may be able to haggle over a price? All I know about are the big chain stores: Best Buy, Circuit City (both alliterations, oddly enough), et al. If any readers are in Wisconsin (Milwaukee area), please reply with some suggestions!

[…] Go to the author’s original blog: Getting The Best HDTV Price […]

Note: Visa also permits you to purchase an extended warrantee thru them for some card plans, see.

“Visa Performance Guarantee Pricing - non-computer products”

http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/credit/visa_signature_benefits_wm.html

The price for the additional 3 years, to 5 years for a purchase of $ 2,001.00 - 2,500.99 is:

$ 267.99

Note also, this may not be available on all VISA cards, only those that VISA handles directly not through the bank, If you are interested you have to ask your bank and possibly change to another one that does offer this service.

[…] You should also be wary of overpriced warranty, accessory, delivery and installation charges that salespeople try and tack on to the end of a sale to recoup lost profits. So, if you are interested in any of these services, try and get the information before negotiating on the price of the set. In the end, these tips will be most effective for those who are inexperienced or are a bit on the timid side when it comes to haggling. For the full list, hit the HD Guru link. [HD Guru] […]

Also, get the warranty right away then bargain like crazy on the other items. They will be more willing to bargain because you are getting the warranty. Then come back the next day and return just the warrenty

YOU GUYS MAKE ME SICK!!!!! I can’t believe you would condone taking money out of someone’s pocket. do you realize that most sales guys or gals on commission make on average 15-35 dollars on a tv sale these days. so go ahead, try to haggle on price and expect the red carpet treatment from your sales person and see what happens next time you walk through the door. If you came to me and asked me to sell you a tv a few dollars below what my company paid for it, you can bet that when you call 45 minutes later when you don’t understand how to configure your cable box to output 1080i for your recent “great buy” or how to program your 5 remotes to work everything with only one that I will tell you to call the manufacture and let you sit on death hold for hours only to get frustrated with the level of service you are getting. so go ahead…… get the best deal you can. and as for extended warranties…..just freaking get them!!! they will save your butt more than once, especially if you buy a cheap flat panel or rear pro. *nudge, nudge.

dschaivone: You sure sound bitter. Would you like some cheese with that?

MH: Only if it’s cheddar.

sorry if i sound bitter. i was one of those guys. and I hated customers like that. if you bought a tv from me and paid the sticker price, I would give you the red carpet treatment. do you know how many hdtv’s I have seen running off of a 480i picture because cox or some other cable company set things up wrong. I have gone out to several customers houses after work ( my time ) to help them hook up their tv’s. did I charge them, no. because that was the level of service and expertise they expected when they walked in the door of my store. just as an example…….. a sony 46xbr4……I made 22 dollars. and that was the commission i made off a tv sale. would you want to work commission when people want to take money out of your pocket? next time you walk into a commission store, pay regular price and ask for service, not a great deal, and you might get what you paid for.

[…] I saw this article over at hdguru.com and thought it was worth a post.  The article explains how to research and haggle the HDTV of your dreams to an affordable price.  The members over at hdguru.com are not fans of extended warranties, accessories like overpriced Monster HD cables, or any of that nonsense.  Apparently, local and regional chain stores are the best bet as the salesmen are paid on commission.  Here you can actually haggle the price if you walk in the store knowing exactly what you want.  They all want to make a sale so chances are they will work with you.  Keep in mind, they’ll lower the price of the HDTV to lure you in but make up that lost profit by trying to sell you the extended warranty, delivery, installation, accessories, etc.  Read the article over here for more. […]

dschiavone: them’s the brakes. You don’t like the rules then go play another game.

If I ever found-out a sales person had that attitude toward me as a customer, I’d be talking to the manager in a heart-beat demanding his head on a platter. If you showed me less respect the next time I came through the door, I’d just give the sale to one of your compadres. I wonder how your boss would feel view the decrease in sales that resulted from your shit attitude?

Given that, as you claim, you make only a few dollars on each sale, I’d say it’s pretty pathetic of you to go out to a person’s house afterward and help them setup their TV. All in all your comments have only served to reinforce for me that commissioned salesmen are total douchebags.

Good commission salespeople are the cream of the crop. They are the folks that can guide the novice to the right product, be it a tv, washing machine or a new roof. Treat them with respect and they will do the absolute best job of getting you the right product for a fair price.
By the way, extended warranties ARE WORTH THE BUCKS!
Nothing these days holds up like it should. When somebody tells you not to purchase the warranty, be sure to get their phone number, so that you can call them to do the repair when the product goes bad.
Yes, as you have guessed by now, I am a commission sales person and proud of it. By the way, I receive calls every day from customers whose Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic and Mitsubishi tv is anywhere from a week to two years out of manufactures warranty and just died, and the repair will cost them a arm and a leg AND their first born.
Buy the warranty.

Buy the warranty? Right. Tell that to Consumer Reports and every other consumer advocacy group on the planet.

Much research has been done on the subject, and they’ve found that buying an extended warranty is a TOTAL waste of money. Don’t take my word for it though: Google the subject.

I’m sure most people reading this already know that though.

For something that costs $2500+ I think an extended
warrantee is a good idea.

When my set was almost out of the extended warrantee, I called in and had a tech come out
to check out a very minor convergence issue which was rectified as well as getting a “mini” IFS
calibration at the same time.

The receipt for that service added greatly to the resale of the set when it was time for it to go as it indicated the set was well within factory specs.

It looks like opinions are pretty split 50-50 over Extended Warranties on this page. I agree with GETTING THEM! I’ll admit, I work for a major chain store in NZ and even as an employee, I buy them. One of the reasons is the obvious extended period of time during which you get your expensive appliance fixed. We even have a deal that if its a small apliance, you get a straight replacement off the shelf, and that’s for 5 years!! The other reason depends on where you live. Where I live, most of the stuff has to get sent away to another city to get fixed and that costs a fortune, the extended warranty saves you that hassle.
That’s my view as a Buyer.
As a salesperson, I absoloutely hate customers who think that I am only out to empty their bank account and that they are spending all that money on something they don’t want. If you didn’t what quality why not shop at a Warehouse store? Commission staff will always work that extra bit to provide quality service and people who live in NZ will know the difference between Smiths City and Noel Leeming for example. If you have done the research on T.V. prices and know what you want then I also suggest you look at the constant issues that most people report about with every item there is on the market, lest you should be a statistic.

@ keith
I bet you are one of those people who look to squeeze every drop of service out of someone for the lowest price. but that aside, all commission salesman are douche bags huh. remember that when you walk into a high end av chain next time. or maybe you are better off buying everything off the internet at the lowest price so you can sleep well at night. and as for going out to a customers house to help them hook up their tv, it’s not pathetic…..IT”S SERVICE. you know, that thing where you are nice to someone to have them think of you when they need some other piece of electronics for their home. I guess you just don’t understand the value of customer service.

As someone who works in the Apple Retail Channel (but not for Apple themselves), we get this a lot too. Put it this way: if you’re happy to do your own research, I’ll pretty much sell you a product for any $$ above cost, so long as you a) cost me nothing in time (as this article advocates) and b) the product is not in constraint (i.e. don’t expect a discount on the latest Apple machine when we can’t get enough stock and c) don’t expect any advice / service down the line that is ‘above the call of duty’. Yep, that means if you made an error in your product selection because you didn’t ask my advice, I can’t help you. If you need a hand working something out, I’ll give you Apple’s number.

There are two types of customer in EVERY retail setting. The one who knows exactly what they need, and wants nothing from me but to purchase the product, and those that need my advice.

I firmly believe that the former is entitled to haggle to the levels described in this article. The latter is not. If you want my advice and knowledge, you pay for it… (this really shouldn’t be rocket science).

And as for the people who waste time at one store, always intending to buy the cheapest price online? You are the scum of the earth. What you are doing is unethical - unless you are in a shop owned by the MANUFACTURER - ergo a marketing expense for them (think Sony, Apple USA, etc).

And no, I’m not on commission.

Oh, and P.S.

If you’re going to buy an Apple computer, and keep it longer than 1 year (or 2 if you buy on a Gold MasterCard etc. as I do), BUY APPLECARE! Trust me, products are NOT built the same way as they used to be!!

@ john

THANK YOU!

Hmm… Wasting salespeople’s time just to buy an item a few bucks cheaper online, negotiating a deal that includes the warranty and then returning the warranty later, and grinding the price down to the point that the commission is nearly nothing and STILL expecting world class customer service from a salesperson who’s practically working for free at that point.

Sounds like the customers are slimier than the salespeople in a lot of cases.

[…] You should also be wary of overpriced warranty, accessory, delivery and installation charges that salespeople try and tack on to the end of a sale to recoup lost profits. So, if you are interested in any of these services, try and get the information before negotiating on the price of the set. In the end, these tips will be most effective for those who are inexperienced or are a bit on the timid side when it comes to haggling. For the full list, hit the HD Guru link. [HD Guru] […]

Why pay sales tax? When you buy online, most of the time you don’t have to pay sales tax. If I buy a $2500 tv then I am saving $175.

Re: Justin
Posted on 29th May, 2008
Any idea as to how to find a non-chain-type store where I may be able to haggle over a price? All I know about are the big chain stores: Best Buy, Circuit City (both alliterations, oddly enough), et al. If any readers are in Wisconsin (Milwaukee area), please reply with some suggestions!

Try Flanner’s in Brookfield…very knowledgable people and I’m pretty sure that they are commissioned based. You can also try American TV & Appliance…I’m not 100% sure if they are commissioned sales people but they will definitely either match or beat a competitor’s price. Hope this helps.

[…] You should also be wary of overpriced warranty, accessory, delivery and installation charges that salespeople try and tack on to the end of a sale to recoup lost profits. So, if you are interested in any of these services, try and get the information before negotiating on the price of the set. In the end, these tips will be most effective for those who are inexperienced or are a bit on the timid side when it comes to haggling. For the full list, hit the HD Guru link. [HD Guru] […]

I work at a non-commissioned store, and all it takes is for a friendly relationship that is reciprocal between the customer and the sales person. If you shit on the sales person, the sales person will throw it right back on your door step. I’ve seen numerous customers say that the extended warranties cost to much or they think that they don’t need it. It’s either because they read something on the web, a consumer reports type of magazine told them, a news report from tv said so; etc. When you average out the cost of the tv or other products, take into account the diagnostic testing, and the cost of the parts..IT’S WELL WORTH IT!! IT’S A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE THEN HAVING TO BUY THAT PRODUCT ALL OVER AGAIN! ..Then the customer comes in and says that their product messed up and they wished they had purchased the warranty. Also, the sales people in non-commissioned stores will also be flexible with accessories, warranty, installations; etc if the customer is also being flexible. In order to get what you want, you have to commit to spending money!

Wow! A few of the Punks on this post are full of enough BS to make a seasoned professional want to pack up and choose a different industry. If you think that you know it all and do not need any of the assistance of a seasoned PRO then….install your own darn HDTV and Surround Sound…..fill your own cavities…. build your own house……represent yourself in Court…….and while you are at it…….remove your own appendix when it begins to fail! Have fun Mr. DIY!

LMFAO

Salespeople are there to serve. Remember this when you are shopping.

Salespeople’s job is to sell a product for as much profit as possible - both personal and for their employer. Remember this when you are shopping.

You are the customer and you are in TOTAL CONTROL of the sale. Remember this when you are shopping.

Salespeople have chosen to be salespeople. Remember this when you are shopping.

In the eyes of a salesperson, your needs will NEVER outweigh those of the salesperson’s. Remember this when you are shopping.

…

Please note that I am not suggesting sales people should be treated poorly as a matter of course. I’m suggesting you do exactly what the salesperson is doing: Be as nice as you have to be to get what you want.

In my experience, to get the very best price you need to burn at least one bridge. So, my final tip: Never go to where you want to actually purchase a set until you have gauged the market elsewhere.

See, if salespeople where upfront about street prices and always sold items at the cheapest possible price (which actually goes directly against how our market system works!) all of these tips wouldn’t be necessary.

Welcome to capitalism.

@Keith:

Next time you’re out shopping, observe the interactions between the customers and the salespeople. Note how the nicer customers get the better treatment. Know why? Because salespeople, commissioned or no, are PEOPLE. If you’re treating them like something unpleasant you found on the bottom of your shoe, you’re bound to get the impression that they’re all douchebags; treat them like one, and I guarantee you’ll be treated like one in return.

Any store managers out there care to weigh in on how “the customer is always right” is a big, steaming, fallacious pile of BS? Keith, companies are starting to wise up to customers like you, and they’re slowly starting to quit taking it. You want that salesman’s head on a platter? You SERIOUSLY expect his manager to fire or punish him because you feel you didn’t get rock star treatment? Brother, they’re laughing at you behind your back, and they are definitely talking smack about you when you leave. Whether they’re right to do it or not, the fact is that that salesman is making the store money, which makes him, his time, and his job satisfaction more valuable than your cheap-customer snit.

The grammar nazi in me can’t resist this one last snark: “found out” and “heartbeat” don’t get hyphens.

Finally, no, Keith, I have never been a commissioned salesperson. Emphasis on PERSON.

well, well, well. someone has actually sounded even more incompetent than everyone else! you are in total control. Right. I will bet you any amount of money that if you walk into any store and ask for a tv below cost because joe shmoe.com has the tv for that price, I wonder how long it will take them to tell you that they can’t do it for that price. REMEMBER, you are a consumer, if you want to buy it cheap, buy it online where you don’t waste someone’s time. because I can think of a few people who will gracefully, politely, and in a friendly way tell you to go pound salt because it isn’t worth their time to sell you the tv you chose your self (which is probably wrong for your application) for 5 bucks. As for those websites, they do not have any brick and mortar overhead. so they can sell their stuff at that price. do you want those pro av stores there when you need something like lets say installation? if everyone were to buy all of their stuff online, those brick and mortar stores eventually will go under and will not be there when you want them to be.

Chew on that…….

i’ll say this about extended warranties.if you buy an extended warranty at circuit city or best buy, many have performance guarantees. meaning that even though the tv works, the color may be off or something happens that diminshes the performance. with the warrenty, they’ll come out to service that t.v. many warranties states if they can’t get it working properly, then they’ll replace it with the same of of equal value. so many times a person has a good chance of getting a new tv.

i’ll tell you once thing. if i buy and extended warrantee and it’s about to end, i’ll make sure my tv get some type of power surge that will damage it pretty good, i’ll make sure that i’ll use that extended service.

i uses to work at a nice camera store and people were coming all the time wanting an online price. i told them straight up to go buy it there. i told them if they buy it from, they can walk in to talk to me if they had a problem. buying it online can be cheaper, but depending on what you get, i would rather buy somewhere local. at least i can complain in person to the manager.

I work at a electronics chain, no commission, and the only reason I suggest warrenties is because EVERY day…a customer comes in with a claim number…sometimes written on a napkin. They get to pick out a new TV. Why? Because you can’t replace the screen like you could an old tube, when a pixel freezes (sony). You can’t get a new power supply after just two years (on a panasonic)…I could go on.
Research the web all you want. I see folks getting brand new TV’s for free each and every day. Why? You can’t fix these damn things. You can’t replace the “tube” and the parts are not available after months, not years.
And I DO hear from the customers stuck dealing with factory service and refurbs from top brands…they come back in and tell me they wish they had bought an extended warranty.
But ask the folks as they watch a new tv loaded in their SUV. Ask THEM what they think.

Anyone who purposely destroys a product right before an extended warranty is about to expire is a weasle and a thief. I know that the warranty policy cannot prevent people from doing it, so in some people minds it makes it okay.
Deep down though, folks know it’s wrong and if they truly see nothing wrong with it, then they have more issues to deal with about being an honorable person than dealing with some TV warranty.

Dschiavone, seems you were having a go at my comments: I have a Kuro. Name an application it isn’t good for, mate.

And seriously, why on earth would I listen to a salesperson’s opinion. You aren’t actually experts on what you sell, you are experts at selling stuff.

Any body with half a brain researches their purchases themselves. See, when you do your own research it is unbiased. The TV with the biggest commission doesn’t rate a mention.

And anyway, what kind of an education do you need to be a salesperson, exactly?

Still LMFAO

@ Justin.

Milwaukee electronics retailers. There’s a ton around if you look. My favorite is Flanner’s in Brookfield, across Bluemound rd. from Brookfield Square. There’s also Grand TV and Appliance, a little further west down bluemound rd, and there’s Colders at HWY 100 and 94 and there’s American TV at 164 and 94.

hmmmmm……let me think…..A SUNROOM!!! even then I can’t deny that the pioneer elite won’t work. it’s a sweet tv! congrats. but if everyone bought one then us sales guys would be happy because they are awesome. I’m not trying to tell people to buy a tv at full price just to make us sales guys happy, I’m simply arguing that this article is very wrong when it comes to telling people what to do. it is very misleading. it is a pet peeve of mine as well. people pay for service and should. as for education, there is no formal education for selling home theater stuff, but i bet you not everyone can design and install a full distributed audio system with hd distribution and control. I can, can you.
I don’t want to turn this into a pissing contest. when you see day in and day out dozens of tv’s in dozens of applications you tend to figure out what tv’s work better than others in a particular application. I never sold a tv based on commission, I sold them based upon the customers needs. sounds like you had a few experiences with horrible sales people. I am truly sorry.

and if you think all sales people are not experts on what they sell, you are sadly mistaken, mate.

Interesting discussion. Are there sales types out there who only think of their commission when dealing with customers/clients? Sure. Are there also sales types who actually determine their client’s needs, and then make a recommendation based on those needs? Yes. Some people absolutely despise sales people because of a fear of being taken advantage of, which is not an irrational emotion. However, there are many people in sales who are professional and do what is right for their client, not what is right for the sales guy.

I’m in a profession that is 100% commission, and I manage quite a lot of money for my clients. I can assure you that my focus is on doing the best for my clients. Give the sales guys (especially at retail stores) a break. Their job isn’t easy, their pay ain’t all that, and most are trying their best to help you. If you get intimidated by the sales guy at a Best Buy or Circuit City (or wherever) you’re actually pretty lame - you probably also get your ass handed to you when you buy a car.

yes. there are sales guys out there who only sell an item based upon how much they will make on it. but what they don’t understand is that they stand to make alot more bu taking care of the customers needs. I had received many referrals that way. and the people who work at those commission based stores most always keep the customer’s needs in mind. it’s when you walk into the big box stores where some snot nosed kid gets told by his manager at a Saturday morning meeting to push a particular tv because it is on special is when you get sold what will make them the most money. don’t abuse the experts, they are very valuable and will go out of their way to help you.

If the price is the same everywhere, then it is good service that earns the sale.

And as for being experts - come’on. You might get a few hours here and there to have a play with a set during a quiet day - or at best get half a day of propaganda.. err.. product training from one of the manufacturers.. but surely classing the average TV salesman as an expert is pure fantasy. Sure, you see a lot of sets and you know which ones are returned the mos often but experts is a bit rich.

Now I’ll qualify that by agreeing that some salespeople do know their stuff - mainly because their interest may lie in the field they work in - but having said this, I would go on to suggest that this is more coincidence than anything.

I’ll go even further and give you that some salespeople are *less motivated* by commission/sales targets. What I won’t do is accept that a salesperson is going to look after a customer to the degree that it affects the salesperson’s or the store’s personal finances!

The only person who has the buyer’s interest *completely* at heart is the buyer. Surely this is not rocket science!

To a savvy customer, salespeople are just one of a number of information tools that must be critically assessed. This is the same for forums, reviews and idle comments from those you know, even this blog!

Now having said this, if one salesperson is particularly helpful or insightful I will always go back to him/her to make the deal. What I won’t do - ever - is take a financial hit for this courtesy I am extending.

I’ve read all the arguements to both sides and wanted to get a word in if I could. I was a commissioned sales guy for a Small Chain that sold electronics such as TV’s, Surround, etc… And you are all kinda right in a way.

I always looked out for my customers best interest. Just because I’d get an extra $100 for selling one TV over another doesn’t mean I sold it. I’d do what was right by the customer everytime. I also didn’t buy into the “Sell whats in stock” mantra. I would negotiate with a customer and give them a better deal then they’d get at a big box. I’d sweeten it more if they were getting sound, or a warranty, cables etc…
What I would not do is go below cost or lose myself or the company money. I didn’t need to make $100 on every sale if I could make $75 and sell 3 times as much. Which can be done by not wasting time squabbling over a few dollars. (which is normally what it comes down to)
I would help my customers on the phone, or have them stop in with questions. I was their guy when they needed things.
But with that in mind I do have kids to feed and a life to live. So these guys coming in with Internet pricing from some weird place Ive never heard of. I’d tell them straight up. Go buy it there then. I can’t touch that price. What I can do is give you a better price then you’ll find at any retailer within 50 miles and I’ll guarantee that price for 60 days. If they said yes, great. If they said No, great! Neither of us wasted any more time then we had to.

Yes there are bad salespeople, but thats why they make other stores to shop at. There are bad customers and thats why they make other stores for them to shop at. In the end. If a customer feels they got a good deal. And the salesperson doesn’t get raped and goes home with a fair commission everyone is happy and should be.

On warranties…They can be beneficial or they can be a waste. Depends on the price and whats covered and for how long. Consumer Reports is a waste on pretty much everything but cars these days. Receivers are covered for 5-10 years so no one needs an extended on them. Speakers it depends on the price. As far as TV’s go. Almost everytime they are worth it in periods of 3 years or more. Less then that I wouldnt waste your time or money. Plus with some chains you get benefits with a longer term you wont get on the shorter ones. Free bulb replacements for projections, a tech to come out once a year and check over things for you etc…Either way stay away from cheap TV’s. I won’t name names but you know what I’m talking about. If it seems to good to be true it probably is. A lot of them don’t even make replacement parts for their TV’s and have no service available after your 90 days or 1 year. It pays to get a better TV with a long term plan.

Message to the salespeople. If you have a bad customer who is too demanding and is just shopping back and forth to keep the price going lower and lower to where as it doesn’t make sense financially for you or the company. FIRE YOUR CUSTOMER! They have Walmarts so people like that can go buy a 3rd tier manufacturers product. They aren’t good business. They will rack your brain for knowledge and take your time and go buy online anyway.

For the customers. Commissioned salespeople are not all bad. And I truly believe on average we care more about the customer then your big box stores. Our jobs and lives depend on it. We want you to be happy and come back. But within reason. If you arent being reasonable about it go shop somewhere else that is more fitted to your needs.

Sorry it was long-winded but you all have valid points. And we’ve all been screwed at some point in time. Play nice kids.

I just purchased a Sharp 32″ LCD (on 5/24) and got the price I wanted on it by comaparing pricing on the internet first. Then I call the store negiated the price I was willing to pay. Saved about $600 on the set. This articale is very good instructional on how to get the best price. Everything he stated in the articale is how I did it when I purchased my LCD.

Be sure to make sure the commissioned people will price match. I work at a company where we don’t price match, customers get pissed off all the time and storm out.

Wow, amazing responses here. My take on it:

I was a commissioned salesman in the retail music business. Commission was 1.9% so yeah, we worked our tails off. I have no problem with someone coming in and saying “I know what I want, can you beat it?”. At least that’s straightforward - I’ll take that any day over the wanker that’s going to take up my time and then buy across town. People trying to get the lowest price are NOT evil - it’s called being a smart consumer. Some businesses include an extra level of sales support, others don’t. I was often asked by the buyer to go to a customers house to set up their equipment; this service was not offered by our company and I told customers that I could do it on my own at a flat rate of $50 (it was the 1980’s at the time).

Some of you guys seem like prima donnas, resentful that customers would dare try to seek the lowest price. Is that to say that you don’t try to do the same when you’re shopping for yourselves? Most folks are not trying to take $ out of your pocket; of course there are jerks who would waste your time, and you should send them packing, they’re just not worth it. I’m not talking about value-added extras like your personal consulting on behalf of the customer but I think some folks here expect their customers to come in and bow before them, and that just isn’t going to happen. Hopefully, the good folk will appreciate your expertise and you’ll even develop a long-term relationship with a customer who will return to you time and again, as they once did for me.

I was a commisioned salesman for 2 years and I have seen numerous people purchase and not purchased extended warranties. I have seen many of the people return with smiles on their faces because they did purchase the extended warranty. I have also seen many people who bought those warranties never return. I get a warranty depending on the product (not brand, they all break the same) I buy and the money that I spend. We all have car insurance, but not all of us have collision insurance. Insurance just as a warranty is a gamble. It is that simple. It is a gamble, sometimes you win sometimes you lose. That is my 2 cents on extended warranties.

As for nickel and dime-ing the salesman/store for the lowest cost I am for it. The store/salesman is there to get as much money from you as it can as well as you are trying not to give them as much money. It is called capitalism, free markets. I never feel bad when I knew I am screwing someone, nor does the person who screwed me. The rich live off the back of the poor. We should not be screwing each other but figuring out ways to screw the rich. How can I feel bad that I screwed the salesman out of any amount of money? If the salesman get hosed it is his fault. First he took the job, second he kept the job, and third he is not as smart as I am to get a better price. Don’t like the deal tell me to walk. Forth, he should complain to the company he works for to pay him a high commission or high base wage. We fight for pennies while the owners of the companies play with the dollars. If he does not make enough money from me then he should start a union and get the store to pay him higher commission. Sure that may raise prices but that is how the economy works. I am not saying I agree with it I am just saying that this is how it works.

I am entitled, just as any person who has or ever will person something, to get the best deal I can. If you have a weak will and a big heart you are going to pay more at the store for it. Let us be open and honest about it. Consumer does not want to spend too much money and the salesperson wants to makes as much money as they can.

I think telling the salesman that you are going to buy the extended warranty to get a better price on the product, whether you return the warranty or not is a great idea. People are upset that we are screwing over a salesman for $22 or whatever amount…. Just remember the poor Chinese person gets paid $22 a month to make the product. It is the poor Chinese person we should feel sorry for. The salesperson that drives around in a fancy car and has all the fancy gear, whether they do or don’t, can feed themselves, the Chinese person cannot. There are people starving in Africa and you want me to feel sorry for you because you lost money on a business transaction, look at the bigger picture.

This venomous exchange has left me with the conclusion that it’s best to buy online.

As a person who works in a big retail chain and in a leadership position I see the “online” price shopper everyday.
If your just shopping price go to WalMart or SamsClub. Although our listed prices are negotiable I will never sell a product at cost. If a customer states they are buying online, I simply ask them “what are you doing in my store, wasting the time of my salespeople?” I guess I’m old fashioned in a sense where I value the knowledge and experience of my sales people.
Commissioned or not, most of the people in the customer service industry really do enjoy helping people.
I agree with a previous post that buying a extended warranty on some items, (Audio) isnt worth it but on tv’s it should be a no brainer with the way these tvs nowadays seem to breakdown.
The information on Cnets website is invaluable but in this case this may be the worst entry I’ve ever read.
I dont fault the consumers for trying to get the best deal but at the sametime dont waste my time trying to get help when your online retailer cant help you or when your on hold for hours with someone with a Indian accent.
Accessories as a whole are typically overpriced but what isnt nowadays. If you want to buy $3 Hdmi cables for your $2500 tv online go nuts!

When I decided to buy my Pioneer Elite after doing extensive research on my own, I went to Magnolia and I spoke to a commissioned salesperson. I had two questions for him; what signal are they using to demo their TV’s, Blu-ray or 720p, and how were their TV’s calibrated. You read all the reviews but then you want to see it in person. Not a single store in my area was setup correctly to allow you to view the true picture quality and do some comparison on these high end TV’s. No way to know if 1080p was $2000 better than 720p. The salesperson was friendly and tried to help but couldn’t give me what I needed. I knew about the product more than he did and I just wanted to see it with a good signal and optimal setting. The signal was horrible and no attempt what so ever was made to make the picture quality look descent. I expect more from a high end store than B&M store. I made him an offer of $100 less than the competition and he declined it. The next day, I went to their website and found the email to their most seasoned salesperson and sent him an email with an offer for $200 below the competitor’s price. He accepted it and I picked up the TV few days later. He made the easiest sale ever and I got the deal I wanted.
The question is, and hopes some of the commissioned salespeople at high end store can answer, why doesn’t anyone bother to try to calibrate these high end TV’s so the type of customers they attract, high end consumers, can have a way to see what they are shelling out top dollar for? Many of the settings are available on many websites like CNET and AVS Forum. Is that too much to ask for? I will be willing to pay more for that kind of service.

If its a Magnolia inside a BestBuy they are not commissioned.No excuse for not having the displays showing 720p programming but there have been instances in my store, where the weather has wreaked havoc on our Directv signal and our OTA antenna. Only thing we can do to the settings is the what the manufacturer recommends. Which is take it out the box and hang it on the wall.We have about 100 tv’s on the wall in my store and calibrating or optimizing every single tv is just not feasable. If you came to me and wanted to see the best picture, I would of done 2 things, 1. Hook up a Blu-ray, 2. Put the tv in Optimum mode.
Its arguable whether you would see a difference in 1080vs720 especially in the Pioneer’s but thats a whole other argument lol.
There are different lvl’s of customer service regardless of the industry and there will be times where the store is willing to take the deal. I personally because I am not on commission will just about take any reasonable deal. I hope your enjoying your Pioneer Elite, very good choice in television JD.

JD……. The store I worked at had a 720p feed coming from DirectTV and Comcast and routed to all the TV’s on the wall. Your cable providers do not offer 1080p. They try and trick a lot of people with the whole 1080i bit. But as we all know it pretty much looks the same as 720p.

However when I worked at the store it was very important for us to get some of our TV’s hooked up to Bluray (or HD-DVD at that time) so customers could see the difference at a full 1080p. This went for our higher end Pioneers and Sony’s mostly. That also helped with the Plasma/LCD arguements.

Here’s why we didnt tune everything optimally. We left things at the factory default. This is usually a fair setting and a great way to compare manufacturers. Even though you can adjust hue, tint, contrast, backlight etc… on a given TV. It’s not going to make a low-end Panasonic look like a high-end Pioneer.

But the reason a lot of your big box stores dont convert is simple. Money! Chances are their HD streams are being sent from a central point and all their TV’s are wired through component cables. Switching it all over to HDMI would be expensive. Especially in a high end store. How can we sell you the high end cables if the great signal were showing you is going through a $10 cable we bought on the net?

See there are consolations I will give. Buying the $350 cable vs buying the $10 one. The quality difference is usually unnoticeable. Now granted the build quality is better and the cable is less likely to snap or have connectors break off. But it’s not worth $340 more by any means.

Where I wont give consolations is buying a shoddy TV to begin with. Or the going back and forth trying to knock down the price by a few dimes. It wastes time and eventually we’ll just get sick of dealing with you. And you’ll get sick of us too. It always goes both ways.

What I hated most was agreeing to someones deal (offer) then after that having them go give that offer to another store. If you did that you had burned your bridge with me and you were more then welcome to go look at Walmarts HD sets playing The Little Mermaid at 480i.

MisterX: The Magnolia that I purchased my TV from is an outside of BB store.

Chris: I am very loyal to a salesperson who tries to make some effort to give me a deal. The salesperson who I ended up buying from told me the price is guaranteed for 60 days. I will never bother with that. I don’t mind seeing salespeople make money and help rejuvenate our economy. I asked the first salesperson to drop the price by only $100 lower than the local competition and he declined. If he said yes, the deal would’ve been done right then. Once the second salesperson accepted my offer, I was done shopping. This was a 720p and was being discontinued and I was sure they just wanted to liquidate their inventory because everyone wanted a 1080p and I wasn’t sure how much better the Elite is and that’s why I lowered my offer.

I completely understand the difficulty and the limitation by the manufacturers for setting up all the TV’s correctly. The problem is asking to make any changes to the exiting setup seemed complicated and would take a long time. I felt that I am the only one that cared about picture quality so didn’t want them to go through the hassle just for me. Otherwise, all TV’s would be set somewhat descent because consumers would demand it all the time. In some cases, the two TV’s would be in separate rooms. I think if I want to see a good comparison in the future, I would just have to ask and pay a little more. That’s fare.

Thank you guys for responding, it was very informative.

Ok, we live in America.

Sales Reps will sell you any product for the highest price they can, no matter how many other product artifacts are required to sell the initial product. That’s there Job, and they are pretty good at this.

Customers are three types.
1. I know exactly what I want because I have spent time figuring out everything there is o know about the initial product. They should also know what additional product artifacts they want. They should know exactly what they want to pay for all of it or any part of it.
2. This customer doesn’t know squat. He is exactly why we have professional sales reps. There are some products you just can’t know everything about. Your sales rep is there to help, but these customers should acknowledge to pay for such service and usually do one way or another. If they can’t take the time to read before shopping, they probably don’t know how to deal with Sales Reps either. They are what the Sales Rep look as the golden goose.
3. The customer who is just browsing, because there wife is in another department. They are there to pass time because they have so much to waste. Even though there intensions are good, they end up getting in everyone’s way. The chance of them really buying something is about 10%. They waste everyone’s time while there wasting there own.

My point is, either be educated enough to get your best price by buying online or watching and waiting with the sales until you get what you want. THAT’S called CAPITALISM.

At the same time, Sales Rep’s have their place too and nothing derogatory should be said about them or their profession. There are customers that need them, and want to pay for their service. So kudos’ to the Sales Rep who will even go and help after work. Not everything in this world is tied to money, some is just excellent service. A rare commodity these days.

And last, but not least, the warranties. These are good for those who don’t have gold/silver credit cards and or bad credit. If you fall in here, and you feel you have bad luck, buy the extended warranties.

For everyone else, ignore the extended warranties. Most times they are way overpriced and are just a tool to regain lost sales $$$. I might buy one on a car, but not on a $2000.00 TV, which will now cost that much more and I don’t even know if I will need it. Extended warranties play of fear. A true American once said “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself”.

One last thing, some people need to take Blog edicate 101. Blogs are not the right place to bring your life problems and spill them all over in a rude manor just because you don’t agree with someone else. Like we have all heard, these people need to “Grow Up”.

MP

Marco you missed the all important 4th customer type. Surprising that you missed it.

Type 4 - The customer who has read everything from everywhere. They’ve talked to “Sales Reps” at your big box stores. And have either become more confused, got bad advice, or are incapable of finding the right information. They believe everything in Wikipedia and everything told to them by a CC or BB “order taker”. Yet they think they know it all. They firmly believe Comcast delivers in full 1080p same as DirectTV. They think Bluray is something from the Empire Strikes Back and surround sound is nothing more then Quadrophonics at best.

Thats about 80% of the customers in the area I used to work.

Also I completely disagree with your first comment. I would not sell a “customer any product.” I’d sell them what they wanted and if they had to wait a week or two for it to come in then so be it. And I rarely sold anything at “retail” Generalizations like that are generally bad.

As far as warranties I’ve had many customers spend more on their systems then they did on their car. 50k was not unusual and I’ve seen some whole house systems cost as much as the house. I wouldnt sell warranties on the cheaper sets because cost wise it didn’t make sense for them. But when people are spending an avg of 5,000 a trip I dont think 10% of their cost for 5 years covering everything is a bad deal.

[…] You should also be wary of overpriced warranty, accessory, delivery and installation charges that salespeople try and tack on to the end of a sale to recoup lost profits. So, if you are interested in any of these services, try and get the information before negotiating on the price of the set. In the end, these tips will be most effective for those who are inexperienced or are a bit on the timid side when it comes to haggling. For the full list, hit the HD Guru link. [HD Guru] […]

I love how even the guru himself thinks all salespeople try to tack on things just because we want to make extra money. Then again The Guru (and most of you) dont actually sell TV’s. He just makes a living writing about them. And he’s entitled to his opinion as we all are. However without people selling them, he’d have no need to write about them. So take it easy on us…we do on you.

No company loses profits on TV’s and stays in business long. They don’t need to recoup that much no matter how great of a deal you get. But after taking 100 or so calls in an actual store. About TV’s that are broken out of warranty, and hearing people complain about how expensive it’s going to be to fix it. You really start to see the value in warranties/service plans. Sure, not everyone is going to need them. But when you do, you’ll be glad you have it.

Also, I guess when we sell surround sound we’re just “tacking” things on. Or when we sell Blu-ray with a 1080p TV we’re “tacking” things on. Seriously?

This is why you go to a doctor when you have a heart attack…and not blindly searching for your answers on webmd.

–No offense directly to the Guru. But some of us offer those things to protect our customers and our own eardrums later.

I hate these sales persons. These guys have no clue on TVs but try to dump TVs for max profit. I always go to these stores to look at TVs, spend a lot of time with these dump salespersons and then buy online. That makes me soo happy. These dod heads are soo nice until you buy TVs and are soo rude once you buy it. I want every guy in US to do this same thing so that these dumb sales guys loose their job and do some real stuff. Come on guys, online is the way to go. Look at amazon. 2008 is online. Dump these BM stores and buy online

Moral of the story,
Be a smart shopper
Research at BM stores. Get those lazy salesperson to do the work for you
Review TVsat BM stores
Economy is not good. Get the lowest price possible
Shop online. Like amazon. They are more professional.
Buy online, get free shipping, get tax free.
Enjoy your TV.

ATTN: Gary Merson

I am a producer at a news station in Las Vegas, and would like to speak with you for a story. Would you please send me an email when you have a moment? Thanks!

VJ…Wish I could respond to you with some intelligence. But I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t get it anyway.

Hey VJ, let’s see how motivated you get to help a customer when a prick that does what you do when you are only getting paid $8.50 an hour. If a customer walks genuinely asking for help, salespeople will take the time to help them get them what’s right for them. But when you come in, dick around and waste everyone’s time and say, “Sorry but I’m going to go buy online…” How do you expect to be treated?

Take it from experience, buy it locally and inspect for dagames at the store and then again when you get home. Double check asap. Leared the hard way what happends with damaged products.

The best way is to buy from Amazon. The most professional reps when you call. Unlike those kids in WorstBuy and CC. When you have to return or exchange a TV from amazon, NO QUESTIONS asked. So be a smart shopper. Buy online. The following are the great things from Amazon. That’s where I got my 52 Inch XBR

NO Tax
NO Shipping
NO need of a SUV to haut TV home
White-Glove shipping. They will take TV back if there is a problem
One phone call to get refunds on price Gurantee
Exchange is no pain. They pick up TV from home
No arguing with reps for returns/Exchange. The reps are highly professional and return/exchange is a breeze
The best price. Sometimes 50% less than BM stores.

So why would anyone buy from BM stores these days. Only those who have no computers at home or those who or just plain stupid.

VJ…Since you are apparently brain-dead I’ll break it down for you. There are more stores then CC or BB. Most people here didn’t even mention those two for professional advice because they are horrible. The store I worked at was smaller, more specialized and did all the same things you mentioned in your last post. We also matched Amazon’s pricing on almost all items. Sometimes we even beat it.

Also with us you didn’t have to wait for your TV to come. We’d let you take it with you or drop it off. We’d also install it for you if you couldn’t do it yourself. We did things in people homes that would make your infantile little mind spin.

Then to insult anyone who doesn’t shop with Amazon by calling them stupid? It’s the pot calling the kettle black. Use a spell check next time.

Chris, you price matched amazon ( and let go tax !!!) and dropped the TV home for free??. You must be on drugs. You guys must have charged people another couple of hundred dollars.
I have been to those small stores and exactly know how you commission minded reps work. We need more people like HDguru to tell people how to shop online and ignore weeds like you

I did my research a year ago, and came up with the JVC 1080p 61″ …I was deffinetly pleased, and still am with my pick. ..Just make sure you check it out in the store first. I was pretty scared at first purchasing a TV online , I went with beachcamera. The service was great …the TV did end up having a problem internally, and I had to get it fixed, all under warranty..did not purchase extended.

If you skipped the delivery service in our store and didn’t mind dropping it off for your customer you avoided that cost. Amazon isn’t that much cheaper generally for a new item. They still have to work with a margin just like a sales rep would.

And I’m glad you had a great experience with Amazon. But not everyone does, and I’ve heard the stories. What happens once you are out of warranty and need a repair? Guess you haven’t gotten to that point and I hope you dont. You got a decent set btw regardless of where you bought it. But if you do have an issue it will be much more difficult for you then going to a local smaller store who actually cares. Because we don’t work on smaller margins and make it up with more sales. That means we have to look out for you and keep you coming back.

Weed? Really? That’s pretty low rent, but exactly what I’d expect from you based on your earlier posts.

I did care about my customers, period! And a lot of us do. Another disadvantage of buying online. Especially with TV’s is that you can’t see the actual picture. So most customers go into a store and check them out and then get online to buy. Problem here is that if everyone does that. There won’t be stores left to view them at. Some people also still like knowing help is only a phone call and a few miles away. Knowing that they are getting accurate information from someone who does nothing else.

And I seriously doubt you know how commissioned minds work. Have you ever worked a commission job? Or do you settle for an hourly rate/salary? The more I helped customers, the more customers I got. If I treated them well and they got the best possible price I made more money in the long run. Maybe if you actually applied yourself in life. Stopped bad-mouthing things you don’t understand rather then learning about them. You’d be enjoying a Kuro instead of an XBR.

Since my May 30 post I have spoken with three consumers that purchased a plasma and two DLP’s that went south. One had extended service, two did not.
Guess which two went nuts and said that they would have purchased the warranty if offered? They swore that we did not offer it to them (we ALWAYS offer it) and demanded to have the tv repaired at no cost to them. Fat chance.
Buy the warranty, folks.

Carl
Do you still recommend extended service for those who purchase high end products like Pioneer Elite, which comes with a 2 year warranty? Isn’t true that if a TV doesn’t break in the first or second year, then most likely it will not break after that? How long does extended warranty covers a product (3 - 5 years?) and what happens if it break after it expires? Is it possible that you purchase the extended warranty and still be in the same situation as the people who didn’t buy it after it expires? One reason that I don’t buy it is because it always starts on day 1 not after the manufacturer warranty has expired. So if I would buy a 3 year warranty on the Elite, it is really just 1 year. If I am wrong on that you can clarify.

The warranties we offer run concurrently with the mfg. warranty for the first year, then cover the product 100% for up to five years, whichever the customer chooses. During the first year, if the mfg. does not adequately help the customer (which does happen) we will contact the rep for the customer.
Many products have problems after the first year, no matter if they are tv’s or washing machines.
Also, if you call the mfg on your tv and it is determined that a circuit breaker tripped, you will probably have a trip charge. Not with our warranties.

Not sure where Carl works. But where I worked it was very similar. You’d be surprised how much isn’t covered during the mfg warranty depending on the company. Which is why ours started on day one as well.

We offered 3 and 5 yr protection programs that covered everything 100% and we gave you a loaner TV (of the same model or equivalent) to use until yours came back at no charge as well.

And the part about if nothing happens in the first year or two is an old wives tale. Statistically most problems with televisions happen in the 4th year.

Pioneer has one of the best mfg warranties out there. But once you are out of that warranty they are also the most expensive to repair. Hopefully most people never have to use them. But if you do run into problems in year 3, 4 or 5. You will wish you would have spent the extra but on peace of mind.

After reading this entire thread it seems to me that there is quite a bit of mis-information coming from the sales side. I would like to add my “two cents” here.

Most of the sales people I have come across in my 40+ years of making major purchases fall into the category of knowing far less than I do about the product I wish to purchase. In addition those same people will try to steer you toward an inferior product compared to the one you wish to purchase because, maybe, they will make more on that item or the store has told them to push it. Please note that I have found, at times, very knowledgeable sales people who do try to help and seem to have your best interests in mind, but they appear to be in the minority.

I have NEVER purchased an extended warranty. The few times a product I purchased has broken down, (my guess is less than 1%), it has been during the original warranty period. There has only been one time that an item I purchased failed after the original warranty ended, (it was a ZIP drive many years ago), and that was taken care of by the extended warranty that my credit card gives me.

One fact that sales people seems to keep from the customer about the extended warranty is that it starts from day one. For example, if you purchase a television with a one year warranty and you purchase an extended 3 year warranty, you are really only going to get two years additional since the first year is already covered by the manufacturer. If your credit card company doubles the manufacturers warranty (usually up to an additional year) the cost of the extended warranty you purchased is really only paying for one additional year.

Another fact the sales people will not tell you is that it is not the store, or chain, that is covering the additional years. Those warranties are usually through third-party companies. Only if the company that handles the warranty goes out of business or denies your claim will the store you purchased it from tell you that information.

Consumer Reports has no ax to grind about extended warranties but they say these warranties are not necessary.

As a side note, about 3 years ago I purchased an item from either Circuit City or Best Buy (sorry but I don’t remember which one). The cost was around $30.00. The sale person wanted to sell me a 2 year warranty for something like $24.00. When I mentioned to him that it would make more sense to just purchase a second unit for $6.00 more he thought about it for a few seconds before deciding that I was right. This episode tell me that these warranties are simply being pushed on people without the store giving thought to if they are even cost-effective.

VJ, how long have you been off of your medication?

JN,

There was no hiding from the fact that our warrantie started from day 1. It was in my post directly before yours. It was never something that was hidden because there are many circumstances that mfg warranties do not cover. However ours did. We filled in the blanks for them. Also mfg’s dont give you loaners while yours is out on repair. And also a lot of mfg’s only cover parts for a year. Labor and parts on a lot of TV’s really only runs 90 days.

And again I must point out that your idea that all warranties are not handled by the actual company but a 3rd party is off. The company I worked for had our own repair division. Customers units were sent there to be fixed, tested and returned. So your blanket statement doesn’t always hold up. Although it is certainly the case with the big box stores.

Lastly trusting consumer reports is a horrible idea. I have worked with electronics for many many years. Not just TV’s but computers, cell phones, peripherals and the list goes on. I remember back in the old days when they said Epson printers were the best. However from working in the store we all knew this was not the case. Same goes for today. They are very good on cars but horrible on the electronic end. Always have been, always will be as long as advertising pays their salaries.

But to end on a good note. That guy does need to take his meds. haha

Chris

Chris;

When I said that the sales people don’t tell the customer about when the warranty starts I was speaking about when they are pushing it at you. You normally don’t find that out until you purchase the policy and then read it at home.

I never made a blanket statement about the none of the warranties being “in-house”. My actual statement was “Those warranties are usually through third-party companies.”

Your quote “Always have been, always will be as long as advertising pays their salaries.” when speaking about Consumer Reports is baffling to me because they have NO advertising in any of their publications. I have a funny feeling you are thinking about Consumers Digest which I never trusted because of the fact that they sell advertising space in their magazine.

Just to let you know, I have shopped at more stores than just CC or BB and what I have said in my previous post applies to all of the places, not just the “terrible twins”.

I’m going to start from the top and work my way down the list of arguments.haha. First i would like to say there are two types of salesman.
1- they needed a job and its the only place that is hiring.
2- They have huge intrests, know their stuff and love doing this all day everyday.
I would consider myself a 2. I work at a a/v retailer because i love it.There is alot to know about everything and it takes alot of work so i would consider myself and other serious tv salesguys, pro’s.We have 100 different tv’s as well as receivers, speakers,keypads, surge protectors, remotes, cables, installation, lcd over plasma, led or dlp. Thats a whole mess of knowledge that has taken me years to build and I take my career very seriously.I have been sent away to trainging sometimes weeks at a time to catch up on the latest and greatest. A sales person’s job is not to sell you the biggest and priciest. There job is to take your needs, your wants and your budget and find the best possible product to match exzactly that. If I were to sell what I made most money on no one would come back in return i would lose money. If I sell somthing thats good for the customer at a good price and the customer is happy, then I will see them again. I have customers that have dealt with me and only me for years because i never over sell them. I put all there options and price on the table and narrow down there search and recomend a few similar products and they always make the final call. Most people coming in are referred by a previous customer or have no clue what they want and are looking for an experts opinion and installation. As far as price haggling, of course theres mark up’s on products. Somebody as to sell it right!! I will gladly match any local competitor and always check into the internet pricing. Of course sometimes it is possible and other times it is not. Every item has a different margin.If someone comes in saying they can get a set 500$ less from jacobsdiscount.screw I generally cant do much. But from a place like amazon i will do my best to match with a mgr’s approval. Of course adding other items to the ticket will help you get that better price. If someone wants a tv and only a tv -vs- a customer who would be a repeat shopper or looking into surround sound to complete the picture and a blueray, that guy has ten times the better chance of getting a better deal. It works this way like everything else in the world so dont make us look bad for it. As far as the warranties go thats another story. How many of you have car insurance??? thats right every single person!!! how many ppl have gotten in an accident and needed that insurance. I know i never have but yet its there in the event that anything does happen. I have my own service center and my own tech that comes to YOUR HOME and services the set on spot. that cuts down the time you are without your set. it is also less frustration for the customer who has a 60″ on a cantaleiver bracket and cant get it off the wall. Some people never have to use it but at the same point many do and are sure glad they have the extended warranty. Yeah it may start the day of your purchase but it avoids haveing to call samsung or sony or sharp ect… and just give us a call, i will have a tech in your home within a week. NO run around, we will cover everything except physical damage. So with the cost generally being between 100 and 400 dollars its a good investment. Some parts by themselves are double that!- i would consider the warranty, you never know when you get a lemon until its to late. Treat your sales guys the same way youd expect to be treated.

@ Chris

Just because the compay you work(ed) for had its own repair division doesnt mean the insurance plan (not legally or actually a warranty) isnt provided by a 3rd party (usually a major insurance provider such as AIG)company. Usually the the company that sells the plan gets a commission for selling these plans just like an auto insurance salesperson would. The repair devision covers the cost of the repair with money from the insurance provider. Read any “extended warranty” and you will almost never see the name of the store you purchased it at anywhere in the guarantee literature.

Commissioned Sales is really a dated practice. Im not trying to offend anyone but i would say that 90% of commissioned salespeople are far from experts on the products they are pushing. Most of the time you can get equal or often better information then they have to offer through independent research without having a salesperson trying to bully you. This is why before the Internet became common in most households you had commissioned salespeople in most stores and now they are scarce outside of the auto-sales business. Wal-Mart, BB, and CC dont use commissioned sales people because it just isnt profitable to pay someone who might be an expert or might not. These companies sell more electronic equipment than any retailer that utilizes commissioned salespeople and have bigger profits. If people felt like commissioned salespeople equaled a better shopping experience and a more informed purchase they would demand them in big box stores but they dont.

But they do, Best buy, tweeter, are comissioned sales and they do know there stuff, some of the guys anyway. Theres also a big difference between selling a 32 inch lcd and a 80,000 doller crestron job throught out your entire home. Which is where a salesman is needed, I’d love to see you try and put anything like that together. I didnt say we used ourselves for the contracts and insurance i said we have our own service center. meaning the same company who hires salesguys also hires services techs so the same company will come to your home and service the set in home so learn how to read the txt before you try and act smart about somthing you obviously didnt understand you moron. yes i’m talking to you H. And yes sales guys are more informational and you can learn the same things from the internet but lets face it. Not everyone is computer savy hence why they come into stores, period. They dont understand electronics they just want to enjoy them. And bullying customers wont make you a sale so obviously you are stuck in the old days because thats not the way salesguys run things. Talk to a pro sometime you might learn somthing usefull.

Matt:

Your comparison with auto insurance doesn’t make sense. For one thing auto insurance will pay for physical damage. That, by your own statement, is not covered by your policy. In addition auto insurance pays for medical bills, theft and other events. The one thing a standard auto policy does not cover is if your vehicle breaks down. The insurance you push only covers you if the product stops working correctly.

If someone were to purchase a home theater system from you I am sure you would try to push extended warranties on each item the person was purchasing. In reality the chances of those components all having a problems are extremely small. The best thing that a customer could do is put all of the money he or she would have spent on all of the extended warranties into a savings account. They could earn a bit of interest on their money and if they had a problem with one of the components after the original warranty was up, they would have the money to repair it. Also don’t forget that most credit cards double the original warranty up to an additional year.

Extended warranties just equate to huge additional profits for the stores that sell them.

With everything you have said, including the name calling, I really doubt you are the “pro” you say you are.

I THINK MATT WAS GETTING AT THE FACT THAT EVERYONE HAS AUTO INSURANCE YET SOME NEVER HAVE TO USE IT,BUT WHEN SOMETHING BAD DOES HAPPEN ITS SURE NICE TO BE COVERED. NOT THE TECHNICAL PORTION OF IT. YOU ARE READING WAY TO DEEP INTO IT AND JUST TRYING TO PICK MORE ARGUMENTS. 150 BUCKS FOR A WARRANTY FOR A FEW YEARS COVERAGE OR 120 DOLLARS JUST FOR A INHOME VISIT IS A BIG DIFFERENCE YOUR THEORY ON PUTTING IT INTO A SAVINGS IS A PRETTY POOR IDEA. UNDERSTAND THE FACT OF A WARRANTY AND STOP TRYING TO PICK MORE PROBLEMS. IF ITS A 32 INCH FOR 600 BUCKS ITS PROBABLY NOT NEDDED BUT YOU BUY A 50 INCH PLASMA FOR 4 GRAND ITS PROBABLY NOT A BAD INVESTMENT, OR ON A DLP WHERE YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE BULB EVERY FEW YEARS

JARED:

I believe that Matt is big enough to speak for himself and he can probable do it without resorting to using the “Caps Lock” key.