You have finally chosen an HDTV. Now you’re now ready to decide where to make your purchase, either on-line or from a brick and mortar (B&M) retail store. Before you choose, you should be aware of some potential problems you may encounter. The HD Guru’s research will save you time, aggravation and perhaps even save you from buying a flat panel set that will prove to be both unusable and not returnable. Did you know that many sellers will not allow you to return a set, even if it is defective! Others charge hundreds of dollars in “restocking fees” that get deducted from your refund.

Risk/Reward

The internet is a great place to purchase consumer electronics. Doing your homework can save you money, starting with The HD Guru’s Internet shopping link under “Check Prices” on the right side of this page. The lowest price is not necessarily the best price. It’s important to learn which retailers have anti-consumer policies that can turn a lowest price dream into a high cost nightmare. Look out for the following:

Bad Online Retailer Return Policies

Don’t assume your lowest price “etailer” takes returns, because many don’t. Even among the etailers that do accept returns, a number of them tack on a mandatory “restocking” charge. The restocking charge varies among etailers, but it’s generally around 15% of the purchase price, meaning if you do return a TV, you will be refunded just 85% of what you paid. Be sure to return the set in the original carton with all supplied packing materials and accessories. Some retailers surveyed will provide a full refund unless you leave out an item such as the owner’s manual, if you do 15% of the purchase price gets deducted of you refund, so make sure you keep and repack everything that was in the box when you first opened it.

Etailer Defective TV Policies

As a rule, if you order an HDTV from an online retailer, be sure to have someone on hand to accept delivery and inspect the set to make sure it hasn’t suffered any shipping damage. If there is any, you must refuse delivery. Accept an LCD or Plasma with a cracked screen and, believe it or not, you’re stuck with it because none of the etailers we surveyed will take it back and the manufacturer’s warranties do not cover physical damage! The cost of replacing a cracked plasma or LCD screen will exceed the cost of the new HDTV.

What If You Don’t like the Picture On Your New HDTV Set?

The HD Guru encountered three etailer return policies: no refund under any circumstances, returns accepted (with original packing and accessories) but you absorb the freight charges, and returns accepted minus delivery and return freight plus a mandatory restocking fee. The HD Guru warns: READ THE ONLINE RETAILER’S RETURN POLICY BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER!

Here are written policies of six online retailers (these are copied from the respective websites).

Buy.com (No Return Policy -27” and Larger)

“Oversize televisions (27 inches and larger) may not be returned at all. Be advised that the following responsibilities are yours upon taking delivery of your oversize television.
You must carefully inspect the box your TV comes in before the shipper leaves your premises. If you discover damage, or an incorrect item, refuse delivery. The shipper will remove the oversize TV and we will credit your order.
Do not sign the shipper’s release form unless you have inspected the TV. Your acceptance of the TV constitutes your acceptance of the condition of the TV as delivered, and you understand that you cannot return the TV.
After delivery, contact the manufacturer directly or check any applicable warranty you might have”

LCDTVs.com (A No Return Policy)

“ All of these items come with full manufacturers warranties, and most include in-home service. These items are not returnable to LCDTVs.com. A defective item must be serviced by an authorized service technician, which LCDTVs.com can help you locate.
Upon delivery of any of these items, it is your responsibility to fully inspect the item to ensure it is not physically damaged. Do not sign the delivery manifest until you have inspected the item. Once you sign for the item, you are acknowledging acceptance of the product physically as-is, and you will not be able to refute the charges for a physically damaged item from that point forward.
If the merchandise is damaged, make a notation on the delivery manifest and have the delivery person sign it as a witness to the damage.
If the merchandise is not damaged and you refuse delivery, then you are responsible for paying the shipping, handling and insurance charges both ways. A refund will be issued only for the cost of the product, and you will not be reimbursed for the shipping, handling and insurance charges.”

Clubmac.com (No Return Policy)

“ClubMac does not warrant that any product will meet the customer’s requirements, or that the operation or use of any product will be uninterrupted or error-free. Except for personal injuries, customer’s damages will be limited to return of the purchase price or license fee even if ClubMac has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim against customer by another party…..
If, after delivery, the television does not work, all returns, in-house servicing (if applicable), and warranty repairs are handled exclusively by the manufacturer. Televisions 27 inches or larger cannot be returned to ClubMac.

Abes of Maine abesofmaine.com (No Return Policy)

“Please be informed that there are NO returns or exchanges on any televisions”
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Buydigg.com (No Return Policy)

“All DVD players, Recorders, Scanners, Cell Phones, Fax Machines, Printers, Receivers, TV’s, TV Wall Mounts, TV Furniture and Home Theaters are not returnable after box is opened. All inquiries to manufacturer.”

Newegg.com (Restocking Fee)

All returns for a refund are subject to a 15% restocking fee.

Butterfly Photo (no returns on any “big screen televisions” they don’t define the word “big” )

“These items are special orders and only can be cancelled prior to the shipment of the order. Customers cannot cancel an order that is en route. All of these items come with full manufacturers warranties, and most include in-home service. These items are not returnable to ButterflyPhoto.com. A defective item must be serviced by an authorized service technician, which ButterflyPhoto.com can help you locate.
Upon delivery of any of these items, it is your responsibility to fully inspect the item to ensure it is not physically damaged. Do not sign the delivery manifest until you have inspected the item. Once you sign for the item, you are acknowledging acceptance of the product physically as-is, and you will not be able to refute the charges for a physically damaged item from that point forward.
If the merchandise is damaged, make a notation on the delivery manifest and have the delivery person sign it as a witness to the damage.
If the merchandise is not damaged and you refuse delivery, then you are responsible for paying the shipping, handling and insurance charges both ways. A refund will be issued only for the cost of the product, and you will not be reimbursed for the shipping, handling and insurance charges. “

What About Buying From a National Retail Store?

I spoke with the customer service departments of Circuit City, Best Buy and Sears/K Mart. The results were quite surprising.

Defective HDTV

I asked the customer service department rep (CSR) of the three companies what their policy is regarding a damaged HDTV flat panel with a cracked screen. Only the Circuit City representative stated that if you take the HDTV home and discover it is damaged, it can be returned to the store for a full refund or exchange. The Best Buy CSR told me the TV must be inspected and accepted by you prior to leaving the store, because if you attempt to return it as damaged (for example the screen is cracked) Best Buy will not take the set back and consequently will not provide any refund! I could not find any sign or policy in the Best Buy store I visited alluding to this (unwritten) policy.

Ironically, an executive for a major Best Buy HDTV vendor told the HD Guru that the company accepts cracked screen returns from Best Buy for full credit! Apparently Best Buy prefers losing customers to bothering to take back damaged sets.

Sears/K Mart CSR told me that they will not provide refunds if you attempt to return an HDTV with a cracked screen, because you should have inspected and accepted it before leaving the store!

What If You Open the Box and For Any Reason Decide to Return the HDTV?

While Sears and K Mart have a “Satisfaction Guaranteed Or Your Money Back” policy, there are exceptions for certain items including—you guessed it—HDTVs.

The Sears website states on top of the page that, “you have Satisfaction Guaranteed Or Your Money Back”, however if you read further down you will see that Sears really means only 85% of your money back because the HDTV must be “unused” Once you open the carton and remove it, it is deemed “used” by a Sears Customer Service representative I spoke with and Sears will deduct 15% of your purchase price from your refund upon returning the merchandise. Here is the policy copied from the Sears Website

“Our goal is that you are completely satisfied with your purchase. If for any reason you are not satisfied, simply return your purchase in its original packaging, with your original packing slip and sears.com Order Confirmation E-mail Receipt within 90 days of your purchase, 30 days for Home Electronics and Mattresses for a refund or exchange. If you are not satisfied with your purchase after these time periods, please let us know. Your satisfaction is important to Sears.
A 15% restocking fee applies on Tires, select Home Appliances, Home Electronics, Home Improvement, Household Goods, Lawn & Garden, and Automotive products not returned in the original box, unused, and containing all original product packaging and accessories.”

According to a Sears/K Mart the customer service rep I spoke with, K Mart has similar policies. Best Buy and Circuit City, however, will accept non-damaged HDTV returns and won’t charge a restocking fee, provided all accessories and the original carton and packing materials are included. Otherwise they will charge a 15% fee.

Regional Stores

I checked two regional HDTV retailers in the NY metro market area where I live and they too have “no return” policies on large screen sets (30” or larger at one, and 32” or larger at the other). Both required physical damage inspection prior to the set’s leaving the store, and unlike Best Buy, I witnessed inspections at these retailers. All policies also require factory service, with no exchanges permitted on large sets that prove to be defective, even out of the box.

What Should You Do?

Do your homework. To help you pick the best set for your needs and budget, be sure to read reviews and recommendations here, and at review sites and magazines. Before making any purchase read the return and exchange policies of the etailer or retailer you are considering.

When you picked a specific etailer or retailer, check the HD Guru’s PriceGrabber site’s dealer ratings. Next, check with the merchant’s local consumer affairs department and Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if there are any pending or unsatisfied complaints against the company.

If you prefer purchasing from an etailer or B&M store that has reasonable return policies (without a restocking charge) they are out there! For example, Circuit City, BJ’s and Costco warehouse clubs accept (for a limited time) returns of HDTVs for full refunds. JR.com (an etailer) accepts them too, without a restocking fee (freight charges are not refunded). Check out stores’ respective websites for written information.

Remember: low price is important, but it is not necessarily the most important, considering the possible negative consequences resulting from consumer un-friendly exchange and defective policies. Finally: never lay a Plasma panel flat. It must be upright when being transported or installed or it may crack, and never put any pressure or weight on an LCD or Plasma panel to avoid cracking it.

Copyright ©2007 HD Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.