Screwed by Circuit City on HDTV deal (or "WTF?")

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Methadon

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Ok, I had to share this experience with my fellow CAGs.

I've been shopping for a HDTV for a while now. I don't have a large budget, but I've managed to save about $700. I wanted something fairly big, but didn't want to spend too much, or lose too much quality.

In browsing, I had found one I could live with. The 50" 720p plasma TV by Element (fyi, same manufacturer as Polaroid's TVs). I was also thinking of the 42" 1080p LCD by Insignia, and the 32" 720p LCD by Sharp (Aquos).

All these TV's would get 10% off and $300 off w/ DTV for a total of about $400 off (listed on sd and fw); all TV's are advertised for $999, except the Aquos is on sale this week, but they could markup to $999 to make the price the same as the others.

Quick specs:
Element 50" 720p Plasma - 15,000:1/1366x768/no burn-in
Insignia 42" 1080p LCD - 1200:1/1920x1080
Sharp Aquos 32" 720p LCD - 1200:1/1366x768/really good picture

At 6:30pm I went to Circuit City and talked to an employee and confirmed I could get the $300 off, as well as the 10% off. I proceeded to purchase the TV and we got to the DTV signup process. After giving all my information as well as having a credit check ran, I am asked for a setup fee that wasn't advertised. I tell her I'm not prepared to pay it, as I only brought enough with me to buy the TV, and do not have a credit card. They said I was in the system and could call back later with a credit card (even though they waived the fee).

Apparently, they didn't give the CC guy a necessary code to get my $300 off, and he called and called and couldn't get any info. He talked to his manager, and they agreed to give it to me anyway. I get to the check-out, and it's about $950.

What?

$947, iirc. They said that the $999 price is some online thing, and couldn't be done (despite it saying available for in-store pickup on the website), so it was more.

It was now 9pm.

As soon as I got home, I called their 800 number and complained. The rep assured me that they would be attempting to resolve this matter for me. I'll update if I get any progress, of course.
 
I was at a circuit city once trying to buy a shuffle with gift cards. I was there 2 1/2 hours because they accidentally erased one of my cards and I was not leaving without either my shuffle or my money back. Hopefully you get everything resolved.
 
[quote name='Methadon']


$947, iirc. They said that the $999 price is some online thing, and couldn't be done (despite it saying available for in-store pickup on the website), so it was more.

It was now 9pm.

As soon as I got home, I called their 800 number and complained. The rep assured me that they would be attempting to resolve this matter for me. I'll update if I get any progress, of course.[/quote]

Just because its available for instore pickup in the store doesn't mean its not an online only price. You fault for not bothering to read the ad. Also most coupons don't even apply to sales prices, if you read them yours probably say the same.
 
[quote name='Brian9824']Just because its available for instore pickup in the store doesn't mean its not an online only price. You fault for not bothering to read the ad. Also most coupons don't even apply to sales prices, if you read them yours probably say the same.[/QUOTE]I wouldn't be a dick, have you seen the ad or the coupons yourself?
 
[quote name='Malik112099']plasmas can get burn in....[/quote]
This one has some white screen (or something similar called) that doesn't leave an image behind. Several reviews verified it, and I was free to return it if it didn't work right.

[quote name='Brian9824']Just because its available for instore pickup in the store doesn't mean its not an online only price. You fault for not bothering to read the ad. Also most coupons don't even apply to sales prices, if you read them yours probably say the same.[/quote]
That's why I *asked* the rep before going through with the deal, so nobody's time would be wasted. After assuring me a deal that never occured, I feel as though it was falsly advertised. Everybody in CC still got paid for the entirety of the time. I wasted 2 and a half hours and had a troublesome 3 year old to keep under control, as well as recieving a credit check (can affect your credit), only to leave the store when it closed, with nothing but time spent.

Seriously, if you ask and they say yes, why should it be ok for them to turn around and say no?

** EDIT - I updated the original post with links to the website for each TV (in the spoiler tag).
 
[quote name='Methadon']This one has some white screen (or something similar called) that doesn't leave an image behind. Several reviews verified it, and I was free to return it if it didn't work right.[/quote]

just did about 15 minutes of searching online and found nothing about this tv that made it burnin proof .... you need to do some research before you plop down this much money for something that has a non-existent feature

EDIT: a little more searching found that some people calling for tech support were told that this plasma was on a return to vendor list....

EDIT: found the review that verified you burn in statement - it was a customer review on cc.com (some verification that is)...apparently the tv has an option at the menu that flickers a white screen to remove burn in....so guess what? that tv CAN get burn in just like any other plasma....



great tv and quality for the price...
Reviewer: hunky from central PA on Nov 24, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
don't let one bad review keep you from this tv. the ease of set up is awesome....picture was fantastic right out of the box...sound is a little funky but i will hook up my home theatre system to it anyway.
talk about quality...for a no name tv this is the best i have seen in awhile...the only thing plastic on this set is the bezel and screen... the back is metal and the stand is solid metal, and at 20 pounds it will really hold this one up for you.
they even give you a screw driver to put it together with.
my only complaint is it tells you you have closed captioning but you do not... there is nothing on the menu for you to set this. in its place is a white screen effect to clear any burn in . if you are looking for a low priced 50 inch plasma, this is the one to get.... i will recomend it to anyone that asks me about mine....
 
[quote name='TimPV3']I wouldn't be a dick, have you seen the ad or the coupons yourself?[/quote]

Beat me to it...

Also, while burn-in is not nearly as big as issue as it once was, I'd be a bit concerned about gaming on a lower-tier plasma.
 
[quote name='TimPV3']I wouldn't be a dick, have you seen the ad or the coupons yourself?[/quote]


Didn't take long for the first "Don't be a dick customer" post. ;)
 
Here is where people rag on the tv he purchased and he has to defend it and we go WAY off topic.

Good luck getting the deal you deserve OP.
 
[quote name='LuisRM']Here is where people rag on the tv he purchased and he has to defend it and we go WAY off topic.

Good luck getting the deal you deserve OP.[/quote]

Thanx. I'm not counting on it, though. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since they said a team looks into customer disputes and tries to handle them quickly, etc, etc. If they don't make at least a valiant effort, however, I may boycott the store.
 
Success! I kept calling back the 800 number to check the progress on the case, and nothing. I called again today, and they talked with the manager, and then connected me to the manager (of the local store). I went in, and we didn't see why the deal wouldn't go through in the first place, unless the original clerk simply rang it up wrong. They were out of new models, but were able to sell me the floor model, as well as apply an extra discout.

Total cost for 50" 720p (and 1080i) plasma - $680.37 and a week of waiting :p

When I got it home, it did seem to have some burn-in, but it's gone now (wasn't bad, they just left a menu on forever). I'll probably purchase the warranty before my 30-day warranty expires, just to be safe.

Either way; in the end, CC came through for me. I was about to purchase a 50" Samsung plasma from BB, but I would've spent 300 more dollars (but got triple rewards points- about $75) and it just plain didn't look as nice (picture and the set). Of course, they only had it hooked up to an upconverting DVD player, but I'm VERY satisfied with the performance of this set hooked up to both my Xbox 360 and my Playstation 3. Haven't figured out how to remove black bars on blu-ray playback without losing part of the picture (zoom) yet, though.
 
not bad...also if the contrast ration is close and the resolution is the same (720p, 1080p, etc) your eyes wont see a difference in picture on either tv with the same input
 
[quote name='Methadon']Success! I kept calling back the 800 number to check the progress on the case, and nothing. I called again today, and they talked with the manager, and then connected me to the manager (of the local store). I went in, and we didn't see why the deal wouldn't go through in the first place, unless the original clerk simply rang it up wrong. They were out of new models, but were able to sell me the floor model, as well as apply an extra discout.

Total cost for 50" 720p (and 1080i) plasma - $680.37 and a week of waiting :p

When I got it home, it did seem to have some burn-in, but it's gone now (wasn't bad, they just left a menu on forever). I'll probably purchase the warranty before my 30-day warranty expires, just to be safe.

Either way; in the end, CC came through for me. I was about to purchase a 50" Samsung plasma from BB, but I would've spent 300 more dollars (but got triple rewards points- about $75) and it just plain didn't look as nice (picture and the set). Of course, they only had it hooked up to an upconverting DVD player, but I'm VERY satisfied with the performance of this set hooked up to both my Xbox 360 and my Playstation 3. Haven't figured out how to remove black bars on blu-ray playback without losing part of the picture (zoom) yet, though.[/quote]

Wait, the tv had burn in when you brought it home? They didn't give you a brand new tv?
 
That's why he said floor model.... He knew what he was getting into. However, what they didn't tell him was that the TV was discontinued according to Malik and they were desperate to get rid of it @ near full price instead of ridiculus close-out pricing when people complained about the brand and burn-in.

I'd get the warranty - and use it.
 
Image retention is not a big issue, that's what you're seeing now. Burn In, on the other hand, is when IR goes to the extreme. Just read some threads on AVS forum about how to properly break in a plasma, and I'm sure you'll be fine.


That extended warranty is not going to cover burn in most likely. Make sure, if it does, that you actually see it in writing.
 
my little trip to CC looking at LCd tvs was not fun after about 30 mins of standing around there an employee asked me if I had any questions (he may have been 18-20 if that)
I told him im only looking for LCD not plasma because I have to much light in my living room and I dont want to deal with the glare and it is alot more expensive to repair those. He said fine and I asked well im not going into HD gaming or watching HD movies so would it really matter if I just got one with a max of 720(P or I ?).

His response was well why not just spend the few hundred dollars more and get the full HD tv. I said well im on a budget and that would be going over it so he said well we have this HD tv on sale this week and would be in your budget window and you get all options along with 1080.

I thought ok well this guy is being helpful, so he walks me over to the TV and sure enough it is plasma. I got mad and asked him if he was even listening to me because about 10 mins ago I said I did not want plasma at all.
He then said oh im sorry I have been here since store open and im really tired
(which the store opened at 10am and it was around 12) I said ok thank you and I left.

All they seem to think about is the sale there and do not seem to care or listen to anything you say...

I have not been in to a CC since black friday and really have had no interest in going back if I ever see anything that interests me in the ad I just PM it at another store...
 
[quote name='superstevedogg']Image retention is not a big issue, that's what you're seeing now. Burn In, on the other hand, is when IR goes to the extreme. Just read some threads on AVS forum about how to properly break in a plasma, and I'm sure you'll be fine.


That extended warranty is not going to cover burn in most likely. Make sure, if it does, that you actually see it in writing.[/QUOTE]

New plasmas have very little chance of burn-in. Hell, I fell asleep watching an X Files DVD, and it went to the menu, which is completely black with bright white words (a nightmare for burn-in) and though the image retained for a short while, it completely vanished after a few hours of playing. And believe me when I tell you it was a stark black/white contrast for about six hours...the burn-in issue has just about been eliminated from most newly manufactured plasmas...
 
[quote name='superstevedogg']Image retention is not a big issue, that's what you're seeing now. Burn In, on the other hand, is when IR goes to the extreme. Just read some threads on AVS forum about how to properly break in a plasma, and I'm sure you'll be fine.


That extended warranty is not going to cover burn in most likely. Make sure, if it does, that you actually see it in writing.[/quote]

Ok, someone else had told me that it wasn't burn-in, but they said it was ghosting (which is having 2 simultanious images with artifacts in different positions).

I'm gonna go check out if there's anything else I should be doing in the break-in process. Thanx for the advise.

[quote name='Derrick1979']my little trip to CC looking at LCd tvs was not fun after about 30 mins of standing around there an employee asked me if I had any questions (he may have been 18-20 if that)
I told him im only looking for LCD not plasma because I have to much light in my living room and I dont want to deal with the glare and it is alot more expensive to repair those. He said fine and I asked well im not going into HD gaming or watching HD movies so would it really matter if I just got one with a max of 720(P or I ?).

His response was well why not just spend the few hundred dollars more and get the full HD tv. I said well im on a budget and that would be going over it so he said well we have this HD tv on sale this week and would be in your budget window and you get all options along with 1080.

I thought ok well this guy is being helpful, so he walks me over to the TV and sure enough it is plasma. I got mad and asked him if he was even listening to me because about 10 mins ago I said I did not want plasma at all.
He then said oh im sorry I have been here since store open and im really tired
(which the store opened at 10am and it was around 12) I said ok thank you and I left.

All they seem to think about is the sale there and do not seem to care or listen to anything you say...

I have not been in to a CC since black friday and really have had no interest in going back if I ever see anything that interests me in the ad I just PM it at another store...[/quote]

Ouch, I'd want to punch that guy.

Another thing to remember, however, is that 1080p shouldn't be called 'Full-HD'. In a year or two, the 2160s will be out, and there will be something new after them.

A *REAL* salesman will be much less pushy, and help you find what you want. Unfortunately, most salesmen we meet are uneducated about how to sell.
 
I had a pretty horrible experience at the CC in north Raleigh, NC. I was looking at an LG 42" LCD. There was a 10% off coupon code that you could use on the web site to do instore pickup. I was about to pull the trigger on the TV, but then I had to leave town for the weekend and couldn't get back to a PC until Sunday when the TV went off-sale.

So then I found that my local Tiger Direct retail store had the TV for about the same price as the previous week's CC sale price, but the manager at CC refused to price match. He made up several excuses such as "we don't price match Tiger Direct, they're a wholesaler" and "all Tiger Direct products are refurbs". The second one really got me. TD sells plenty of new stuff and they label their refurbs. I asked how we could verify the TD price and condition and he says something like "you'll just have to go over there and see". The guy was a complete douche and basically told me to go fuck myself.

It's really amazing how employees who have no real interest in selling products end up managing retail stores.
 
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