Circuit Citys Chity Cervus

[scottpA_GS]

I purchased this  HDTV at the Johnstown, PA Circuit City. Brought it home and noticed that the box had been re-taped and the packing in side was damaged. We set the TV up and it was broken... the picture looked like it had been stored next to a giant magnet. I took it back and they didn't have any more in stock. They would not offer a discount for selling me a DAMAGED USED TV.

I find it unacceptable that Circuit City would sell DAMAGED / USED merchandise to its customers as "new" and not offer any compensation or discount to remedy the situation. 

I think I am entitiled to some kind of discount or something  for lugging home and setting up a giant TV only to find it was damaged and covered up? Then I lug it back only to find you have no others and wont discount it if you did?

I duno.. had to rant. What do you guys think?

[NightRyder]

Yea, that is total crap. I would return it and not get another.

Or.. talk to the manager. Explain in as calm a way as you can, what happened. Then suggest some compensation for the effort. I mean, it's not like they don't have a bit over markup on it that they can't cut into.

Oh, and which tv was this? Your this ain't cutting it.

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

I could have told you that. I worked for a little over a year at an HHGregg, which is a competitor of BB and CC. I highly recommend you go to an HHG over either of those two, if at all possible (not sure if we have stores in your neck of the woods).. but our customer service is second to none (IMHO). That sucks that they won't take care of you. I can tell you that on most big screen HDTVs, the retailer is looking at a markup of at least $150, on up to over $1000, just depending on the manufacturer and the selling price. (Unless, of course, you buy the bottom of the line RCA or something.. those we actually take a LOSS on every one we sell!  )

Talk to a manager. Tell him that you'll wait for more to be in stock, but you expect a discount. Or, ask calmly if he'll upgrade you to the next better model for the same price, or a (very slight) increase. I know my managers had to do that for several customers who weren't happy for some reason or another. Anyone who knows business knows it's better to take a small profit on a nicer TV than to take a big profit on a cheaper TV and lose that customer forever.

Just my $.02 YMMV

[john]

Never accept a box that appears opened or has damage.  Period.

Walmart has 32" HD LCD tv's for under $900.  Sweet  (I like the Sanyo, but the Polaroid has gotten some good reviews from users)  Now you can go get one of those.

[Gisser]

I purchased this  HDTV at the Johnstown, PA Circuit City. Brought it home and noticed that the box had been re-taped and the packing in side was damaged. We set the TV up and it was broken... the picture looked like it had been stored next to a giant magnet.

Just to get this out of the way, you gotta be aware that HDTV's have several zoom/aspect modes in which the picture is displayed.  Any 4:3 Standard Definition input which is stretched to full-screen is going to have distortion.  Another thing is that we the consumer have been spoiled rotten by the liberal return policies of Walmart and the like.  People think nothing of buying a $3000 TV and then returning it a day, a week, a month, or (in the case of Costco) years later with no manufacturing defect for a full refund.  Who pays for that? 

Also, if the TV is damaged, why would you want to keep it (even with a discount)?   


     

[Gisser]

BTW, I finally pulled the trigger and bought a HDTV last week.  That's what I been doing.

Had a hard time deciding (I always do).  I make lists to weigh the options...it never helps.  Sat on this decision for a month.

What does help is when the neighborhood box has a Memorial Day sale offering one of the options (Panasonic 56DLX25 DLP) for an uneffingbelievable $1388!  That's about $1000 off list and exactly $500 off the current on-sale price. 

It was a classic no-brainer.  This is not the discounted junk that you find at Walmart.

Features

* QAM/cableCARD
* Split screen
* Photo viewer
* HD3D Dolby audio
* PC port
* HD2+ non-wobulated DMD chip

That's a lotta bang-for-the-buck and the humongus 56" viewscreen provides ample wow-factor.

I was apprehensive about DLP (Duped by Lamp Pirates?) reliability & maintenance but resident electronics sales-guru NiceGuysFinishLast reassured me that this technology wasn't a consumer rip-off.  The $300 HID lamp does come with an industry leading 18-mo warranty and I don't see why it should last 1 minute longer.     However, the pricey 42" plasma and lcd flat panels I was also considering are likely far more economical (and stylish) in the long-run.

Yep, if not for NiceGuy's guidance & counsel, my living room today wouldn't now resemble the bridge of a Federation Starship.   

 

[Gisser]

Coincidentally, I also received an invitation to join the Nielsen family last weekend.  Expect to the see ratings for Speed, Grand Slam Tennis, HGTV, Sci-Fi, Fox, NBC/CBS/ABC -HD, Bonanza(TV Land), and the first 3 seasons of Charmed(TNT) reruns to take a mild upturn over the coming season.   

[Alphamazing]

Coincidentally, I also received an invitation to join the Nielsen family last weekend.  Expect to the see ratings for Speed, Grand Slam Tennis, HGTV, Sci-Fi, Fox, NBC/CBS/ABC -HD, Bonanza(TV Land), and the first 3 seasons of Charmed(TNT) reruns to take a mild upturn over the coming season.   

We did that too! They asked us to do it for the radio, and then for television about 2 weeks ago. I still have my crispy dollar.