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PHSJason
02-09-2005, 01:21 PM
I was hoping that a few of us could post Internet shopper horror stories as a way of creating a go-to place for people looking to save a few dollars.
The only requirement is that it must be one YOU personally witnessed/took part in so if anyone wants to hear it straight from horses mouth, this is the place.

Jason

PHSJason
02-09-2005, 01:24 PM
A customer of ours saved $400.00 on a DLP by driving 2 1/2 hours each way to get it from a big box competitor. Four months later, when it was no longer a current model, it had a stuck mirror. No service center locally for DLP. He had to drive it 2 1/2 hours back up to the store, drop it off, come back two weeks later, drive it back home, and then pay hourly to have it removed and re-installed. If he would have bought that TV from us, we would have taken care of everything for him and given him a loaner if needed.

Jason

vwpower44
02-09-2005, 03:23 PM
I heard this from the fujitsu rep. Customer ordered 10k 50" plasma from the internet for 8k. When it arrived at his house he open the box to find only four sheets of drywall cut perfectly to fit inside the box. The company he bought it from said that the TV was in the box when it left their warehouse, the shipping compnay says they have cameras, and would have notice somehting like that. No one is taking responsibilty and the guy lost his 8k.

Mike

PS: I that were me, I would at least hang my $8,000 sheets of drywall above my fireplace and get at least a few laughs.

ejfiii
02-09-2005, 09:15 PM
Builder client of mine wanted me to do his model/show house. He decides to save $1k by buying a NEC 50 inch plasma online. Gets last years commercial model when he could have gotten the current model residential with me. Wont have any warranty support if it goes down.

LOL at the Fujitsu story.

Shadowman68
02-09-2005, 11:34 PM
One of my reps told me a similar story regarding Plasma rip offs. It was after last years Cedia show. Except the boxes were filled with perfectly sized sheets of plywood. I cant recall whether they were fujitsu, for some reason NEC rings a bell. But they could not prove who did it. They assume it was the trucking companies that haul from the trade shows.

ejfiii
02-10-2005, 05:46 AM
I didn't see it, but I heard Fujitsu puts on display at CEDIA some of the letters they receive from end users about problems with internet sales and Fujitsu's response that they have no warranty coverage. That would be funny to see.

RobbieS
02-10-2005, 07:49 AM
I've got 2 stories for you.

We had a guy several months back that wanted an Optoma 65" DLP. He called us all of the time wanting specs and info on it. He also called the distribution company all the time as well as our direct rep for Optoma. If I remember correctly it was just as the New Models with HDCP DVI inputs were coming out. Anyways he demanded that he see the picture on it before he would purchase. We have a small custom showroom and happened to have a 50" Optoma in one of the rooms. He came in and looked at it but that wasn't good enough. He wanted to see a 65". We told him it would look just like the 50" only larger and that if he would like to purchase a 65" we would be happy to order one for him. Long story short (I know it already seems long but I could go for days about this guy) He ordered one off the net, got shipped a last year model. Called us and said since we were Optoma authorized we had to help him with his problem. We laughed and told him to go jump in a lake. He called our direct rep. He laughed and told them to go jump in the lake. Don't know what happened after that.


2nd Story:

Customer wanted new surround receiver to replace dated HK that was in his system. We weren't looking forward to this job because whoever did the orignal install did not use an equipment rack and there was no rear panel access. There were 3 complete surround systems along with sat, dvd, cd, vcr, mini-disc, and cable components all crammed into a built in entertainment center.

Anyways, We quoted the new receiver he wanted. A couple days later he says he can get it $600 cheaper on the net and wants to know if we will still install it. I said yes but we did not warrant anything and the labor will be slightly higher. He said fine and ordered it. Went out to install it. Took it out of box noticing that it was a B-Stock unit. Now a little red flag should have went up but it didn't. Got it installed, pressed the power button, NOTHING. Made some checks. Unit was DOA. He immediately calls place he bought it from. They send a new one after he sends old one back. This time I'm a little smarter and make sure it powers on and seems to be functioning. Install it. Turns on and here the radio tuner. Cool..... This one will not switch inputs. No matter what input you put it on all you got was the radio tuner. Ha Ha Ha........ Third one shows up. We take it to shop and bench test the entire thing before installing it. Well this one worked but the funniest part about it is.

Between the "great deal" price he paid for the original receiver, the shipping he paid twice to return defectives, and Our Labor for 3 installs of the same receiver he spent way more than he ever would have originally if he would have bought a new one from us.

Kelly
02-14-2005, 05:10 PM
I posted this on another forum some time back. Didn't happen to one of my customers, but it was here in town, and made the local CBS 6pm, and 11pm news.

Seems a local guy thought he could save a few thou on a HD plasma by buying on Ebay, so he bids, bids and bids.

Unfortunately he doesn't win.

The next day he sends an email to the seller asking if he can buy "direct" from the seller rather than through Ebay, which should get him an even better price, since the seller won't have to pay the Ebay fees.

Of course the seller replies with a "sure!, that'll be fine" message. Tells the buyer where to send the check, or money order for payment.

And of course, our village idiot promptly sends a $3000.00 check off to merry old England where his plasma sits just waiting to be shipped.....(rrrright).

Yup. NO plasma at all. Ebay won't help since he circumvented them, and the NC state attorney general explains that they have no jurisdiction in England.

He's just out his 3k, and is left with an empty spot on the wall (which matches the empty spot in his head.....lol).

Toronto122
02-14-2005, 05:56 PM
Oh gee, where do I start...

An Onkyo reciever with a dead audio input...bought online, refurbed, came to me for warranty...LOL :twisted:

Two identical instances of refurb pronto screens being DOA...came to me for warranty...LOL :twisted:

The famous Plasma with a cracked panel routine...also came to me for warranty...LOL :twisted: :twisted:

On the other hand though...I've had clients show me equipment they want on the web, from a good source, that happens to be below my cost. How is that possible??

In Canada there's another issue. Equipment bought in the US is not warranted in Canada. It has to be sent back to the US.

I always tell my clients..."buyer beware" I may be more money than the same thing off the net, but when it's broken, your computer and the internet can't come and service it.

As great a tool that the internet is, it can be a total pain in the ass sometimes.

Also, why would a reseller not want to make money??? I don't get it.

Bandar
12-18-2005, 03:35 PM
internet sales not that much over here but here is the story.
We had a customer who wanted Plasma and HT system, the Plasma line we mainly carry is Panasonic but he said he wanted the NEC since its cheaper so I gave him our price and he said he can buy it from big electronic store for less, we told him our policy is to install the items we sell only so he bought the HT from us and the Plasma from the big store.
My people went and installed HT (small 5.1 system) in one day and he asked us to come tomorrow to connect the picture to the new Plasma.
My people went there @ 2 pm since the Plasma should be there by 10 am and they waited till 4 pm and called me and said the other companies having problem with installing the Plasma I told them to leave and when the plasma is installed they can go back.

At 9 pm the owner called and asked me for help with installing the Plasma, I reminded him about our policy and we will help him but he have to pay for it and its not our responsibility in the future if anything goes wrong, he agreed and my people went there next morning to find out that the Plasma wasn't leveled and was shaking when you touch it, they couldn't secure the Plasma to the wall because it was concrete and they using drill for wood and I asked them to clean up the mess and re install the plasma, they did this in one hour and at the end it cost the customer 300$ more what we offered him.
by the way the different between our price and them was 150$ only