Buy off showroom floor? - Blu-ray Forum

eyekyu · 04-07-2010, 05:16 AM

Would you buy the TV off show room floor?
My parents did, the very last TV RC Willey had in stock...
KDL-40Z5100 for $695.99

The guy said its the last tv and they want to get rid of it ASAP. my parents also bought the extended warranty as well

is that a good deal? would you buy it?

Their old set was KD-34XS955 that just went out, they had it for 6 years roughly. huge upgrade!

Nick4Blu_81 · 04-07-2010, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyekyu

Would you buy the TV off show room floor?
My parents did, the very last TV RC Willey had in stock...
KDL-40Z5100 for $695.99

The guy said its the last tv and they want to get rid of it ASAP. my parents also bought the extended warranty as well

is that a good deal? would you buy it?

Personally I probably wouldn't. Showrooms have a tendency of leaving them on for hours and hours on torch mode. This will really limit the life of the display. Ive read many threads of people buying display models, getting them home and then looking at the hour log in the tv menu and finding out that the tv has been on the equivalent of 6 months. Display/Floor/Showroom models are not for me. Even if they say there gonna discount it. Price wise for that model, it looks like a fairly good buy.

Batman1980 · 04-07-2010, 05:28 AM

I have to agree on not buying those, they tend to have a shorter life than ones out of the box. That's why my Bravia will be brand new when I buy it, hopefully.

eyekyu · 04-07-2010, 05:29 AM

how do u find out how many hours are on the TV.... im gonna tweak the set for them

Nick4Blu_81 · 04-07-2010, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyekyu

how do u find out how many hours are on the TV.... im gonna tweak the set for them

Im not entirely sure. Ive never done it myself. Just read about it.

wesnah · 04-07-2010, 06:45 AM

Last year I bought my Misu 60" off the floor From BB and saved $500. I got the 4 yr service agreement for protection. And 0% for 36 mths. And I'd do it again in a minute.

Mr. Joshua · 04-07-2010, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyekyu

Would you buy the TV off show room floor?
My parents did, the very last TV RC Willey had in stock...
KDL-40Z5100 for $695.99

The guy said its the last tv and they want to get rid of it ASAP. my parents also bought the extended warranty as well

is that a good deal? would you buy it?

Their old set was KD-34XS955 that just went out, they had it for 6 years roughly. huge upgrade!

Don't do it man! That TV has been playing for hours and at a bright setting. I had a friend by a ProScan Tube TV off the floor some years back and he was so proud of his cheap purchase and it even had the sticky thing with the cord for the remote so no one would steal the remote. He actually liked he could stick the remote on the TV LOL!

Steve · 04-07-2010, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyekyu

how do u find out how many hours are on the TV.... im gonna tweak the set for them

If I'm not mistaken I think alot of TVs will show you how many hours they've been running in the service menu. You may be able to use Google to find out how to access the service menu for your particular model.

Grand Bob · 04-07-2010, 02:59 PM

Not a chance.

naturephoto1 · 04-07-2010, 03:28 PM

I took the chance going back to the early part of 2000's when I purchased a floor model of a 32" Panasonic TAU CRT TV. It is still running strong to this day.

I have also purchased many audio demo units from my Audio stores with no issues in the past. These have included my Thornens 125 MKII that I used for over 30 years, my Krell KAV-250a/3 amp, Acuphase E-202 Integrated Amp, my Carver C19 Preamp, Proceed AVP Pre/Pro, etc. I just retired the usage of the Thorens last year when I purchased my Teres Certus 450 turntable. I used the Acuphase Integrated Amp for at least 10 years, the Carver preamp for quite a number of years, and the Proceed for at least 5 years.

Rich

bhampton · 04-07-2010, 03:31 PM

It depends.

Sometimes, It's a good deal.

Usually,... it's been used so hard it's nearly ready to fail when you buy it.

Now,... A clearance of a particular set that includes a few more un-opened ones at a big discount is usually a terrific value.

Most of my HT gear is refurbished or used including my projector.

My Best Buy has a 60" SXRD set that I really like. It's been "open box" for years running non stop 11+ hours a day... I check in on it whenever I'm there. (Just checking it out, I don't want to purchase it.) My step father bought the same model set elsewhere for much cheaper new than they have it for currently used and it's now very murky green. I think it needs it's Optical Block replaced which is still under extended warranty but still.

-Brian

JimShaw · 04-07-2010, 03:35 PM

I would IF it was a great buy AND they included an extended warranty

ManUtd · 04-07-2010, 03:39 PM

For a TV definitely no, if it was speakers or other electronics (ex. amps) maybe.

bhampton · 04-07-2010, 03:40 PM

And... I forgot to mention... My friend bought an open box HDTV at Best Buy and several months later it had a audio problem. He returned it to Best Buy and they gave him a new one off the shelf. He wasn't even able to find the receipt but ... my Best Buy is just nice like that. The box showed it came from Best Buy and they just issued store credit which was enough to get a new unit because the price had dropped and the new one was currently on sale.

-Brian

steve1971 · 04-07-2010, 08:28 PM

Being a former employee of Sears I wouldnt touch it because I know what those tv's go through. Set on Tourch mode all day long and on for long periods of time. Too much of a risk.

Lush23 · 04-07-2010, 08:53 PM

There are a lot of factors here.. I bought my Panasonic G10 as a floor model and paid $1000 for it. I also got a two year service warranty from them. I checked the hours in the service menu and it had about 2200 hours. So it wasnt too bad. My particular model was in a show room and most of the time it would only have the screen saver up and they had it in THX mode. I havent had any issues with it and if I do, I will just call Panasonic within the year and have them exchange it.

A tv repairman once told me that if you call the manufacturer while its under warranty and just say "the tv isnt as bright as it used to be and the picture quality has gone down" then about 90% of the time they just replace it. Do some research and try and find out how many hours its been in use and the picture settings they use before buying it...

AKORIS · 04-07-2010, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

Not a chance.

+1 I workled in an electronics store for 5 years-- do not buy a demo.....

of anything!!!

Canada · 04-08-2010, 12:36 AM

I bought my Toshiba used from A&B Sound I have no problem with it.

eyekyu · 04-08-2010, 07:21 PM

thanks everyone, i see most are pretty tent on not buyin showroom models. my parents did get an extended warranty, which if anything happens they'll get store credit towards another set. i went a head and calibrated it, its got a little flashlightin goin on but other than that great model

HeManster03 · 04-08-2010, 07:47 PM

Honestly, I have worked in retail for about 5 years off and on, and I would buy things off of display. There are definately a few things to keep in mind though when doing so. Make sure all the stuff is with it. Generally if the stuff is all still there then you can pretty much guarantee that the product has been reasonably taken care of. I won't buy speakers off of display if they are in an audio room that actually gets used, because I've seen speakers broken by customers and not tell anyone and you know the rest. If you are able to check how long something has been on displayed as well, I would do that. We used to put a sticker with the date that a tv went on display at Circuit City, so I could tell you how long it had been out and how long it had been running. I wouldn't worry to much about an LCD/LED or Plasma off of display, but would definately be cautious if you were to grab a DLP, if people still look for those.

04-07-2010, 05:16 AM	#1
eyekyu Active Member Top contributor Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Las Vegas Home Theater Gallery:2 4K collection:31 Blu-ray collection:272 DVD collection:182 Trading Score:6	Buy off showroom floor? Would you buy the TV off show room floor? My parents did, the very last TV RC Willey had in stock... KDL-40Z5100 for $695.99 The guy said its the last tv and they want to get rid of it ASAP. my parents also bought the extended warranty as well is that a good deal? would you buy it? Their old set was KD-34XS955 that just went out, they had it for 6 years roughly. huge upgrade! Last edited by eyekyu; 04-07-2010 at 05:18 AM.

04-07-2010, 03:31 PM	#11
bhampton Blu-ray Count Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:981 Blu-ray collection:2537 DVD collection:67 Blu-ray reviews: 6 Trading Score:18	It depends. Sometimes, It's a good deal. Usually,... it's been used so hard it's nearly ready to fail when you buy it. Now,... A clearance of a particular set that includes a few more un-opened ones at a big discount is usually a terrific value. Most of my HT gear is refurbished or used including my projector. My Best Buy has a 60" SXRD set that I really like. It's been "open box" for years running non stop 11+ hours a day... I check in on it whenever I'm there. (Just checking it out, I don't want to purchase it.) My step father bought the same model set elsewhere for much cheaper new than they have it for currently used and it's now very murky green. I think it needs it's Optical Block replaced which is still under extended warranty but still. -Brian Last edited by bhampton; 04-07-2010 at 03:34 PM.

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04-07-2010, 05:28 AM	#3
Batman1980 Blu-ray Jedi Member since:Feb 2009 Location:District 13 Home Theater Gallery:8 4K collection:146 Blu-ray collection:394 DVD collection:57 Blu-ray reviews:22 Trading Score:48	I have to agree on not buying those, they tend to have a shorter life than ones out of the box. That's why my Bravia will be brand new when I buy it, hopefully.

04-07-2010, 05:29 AM	#4
eyekyu Active Member Top contributor Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Las Vegas Home Theater Gallery:2 4K collection:31 Blu-ray collection:272 DVD collection:182 Trading Score:6	how do u find out how many hours are on the TV.... im gonna tweak the set for them

04-07-2010, 06:45 AM	#6
wesnah Active Member Member since:Sep 2009 Location:Illinois Blu-ray collection:3 DVD collection:4	Last year I bought my Misu 60" off the floor From BB and saved $500. I got the 4 yr service agreement for protection. And 0% for 36 mths. And I'd do it again in a minute.

04-07-2010, 02:59 PM	#9
Grand Bob Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Seattle Area Home Theater Gallery:9 Blu-ray reviews:1	Not a chance.

04-07-2010, 03:28 PM	#10
naturephoto1 Blu-ray Ninja Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Breinigsville, PA Home Theater Gallery:260 4K collection:21 Blu-ray collection:263	I took the chance going back to the early part of 2000's when I purchased a floor model of a 32" Panasonic TAU CRT TV. It is still running strong to this day. I have also purchased many audio demo units from my Audio stores with no issues in the past. These have included my Thornens 125 MKII that I used for over 30 years, my Krell KAV-250a/3 amp, Acuphase E-202 Integrated Amp, my Carver C19 Preamp, Proceed AVP Pre/Pro, etc. I just retired the usage of the Thorens last year when I purchased my Teres Certus 450 turntable. I used the Acuphase Integrated Amp for at least 10 years, the Carver preamp for quite a number of years, and the Proceed for at least 5 years. Rich

04-07-2010, 03:35 PM	#12
JimShaw Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2008 Location:Menifee, CA 4K collection:49 Blu-ray collection:1069 Trading Score:141	I would IF it was a great buy AND they included an extended warranty

04-07-2010, 03:39 PM	#13
ManUtd Blu-ray Count Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:In my HT Home Theater Gallery:1 4K collection:15 Blu-ray collection:829 Blu-ray reviews: 5 Trading Score:5	For a TV definitely no, if it was speakers or other electronics (ex. amps) maybe.

04-07-2010, 03:40 PM	#14
bhampton Blu-ray Count Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:981 Blu-ray collection:2537 DVD collection:67 Blu-ray reviews: 6 Trading Score:18	And... I forgot to mention... My friend bought an open box HDTV at Best Buy and several months later it had a audio problem. He returned it to Best Buy and they gave him a new one off the shelf. He wasn't even able to find the receipt but ... my Best Buy is just nice like that. The box showed it came from Best Buy and they just issued store credit which was enough to get a new unit because the price had dropped and the new one was currently on sale. -Brian

04-07-2010, 08:28 PM	#15
steve1971 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Saint Paul Minnesota. 4K collection:15 Blu-ray collection:352 Blu-ray reviews: 119 Trading Score:1	Being a former employee of Sears I wouldnt touch it because I know what those tv's go through. Set on Tourch mode all day long and on for long periods of time. Too much of a risk.

04-07-2010, 08:53 PM	#16
Lush23 Active Member Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Charlottesville, VA Home Theater Gallery:44 Trading Score:6	There are a lot of factors here.. I bought my Panasonic G10 as a floor model and paid $1000 for it. I also got a two year service warranty from them. I checked the hours in the service menu and it had about 2200 hours. So it wasnt too bad. My particular model was in a show room and most of the time it would only have the screen saver up and they had it in THX mode. I havent had any issues with it and if I do, I will just call Panasonic within the year and have them exchange it. A tv repairman once told me that if you call the manufacturer while its under warranty and just say "the tv isnt as bright as it used to be and the picture quality has gone down" then about 90% of the time they just replace it. Do some research and try and find out how many hours its been in use and the picture settings they use before buying it...

04-08-2010, 12:36 AM	#18
Canada Blu-ray Archduke Top contributor Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Victoria, BC Home Theater Gallery:17 4K collection:305 Blu-ray collection:1201 DVD collection:37 Blu-ray reviews:42	I bought my Toshiba used from A&B Sound I have no problem with it.

04-08-2010, 07:21 PM	#19
eyekyu Active Member Top contributor Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Las Vegas Home Theater Gallery:2 4K collection:31 Blu-ray collection:272 DVD collection:182 Trading Score:6	thanks everyone, i see most are pretty tent on not buyin showroom models. my parents did get an extended warranty, which if anything happens they'll get store credit towards another set. i went a head and calibrated it, its got a little flashlightin goin on but other than that great model

04-08-2010, 07:47 PM	#20
HeManster03 Senior Member Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Northeast Ohio Home Theater Gallery:49 Blu-ray collection:4 Blu-ray reviews:1	Honestly, I have worked in retail for about 5 years off and on, and I would buy things off of display. There are definately a few things to keep in mind though when doing so. Make sure all the stuff is with it. Generally if the stuff is all still there then you can pretty much guarantee that the product has been reasonably taken care of. I won't buy speakers off of display if they are in an audio room that actually gets used, because I've seen speakers broken by customers and not tell anyone and you know the rest. If you are able to check how long something has been on displayed as well, I would do that. We used to put a sticker with the date that a tv went on display at Circuit City, so I could tell you how long it had been out and how long it had been running. I wouldn't worry to much about an LCD/LED or Plasma off of display, but would definately be cautious if you were to grab a DLP, if people still look for those.

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