Finally... Sold my LCD, buying a Kuro this week!

[blarneyrubble]

Originally Posted by nugent

I bought my 151 from a authorized Kuro "retail" dealer via eBay.
Would do it again in a second! Personally IF the price was right and I was getting it in a factory sealed box I would buy from a "non authorized" dealer. Just make sure you are buying from someone that has good feedback and a history of selling expensive items.

If it works out of the box you are most likely good to go. Square Trade warranties can be had to give you full coverage for several years as well.

Also be sure and examine the set BEFORE you sign ANYTHING from the freight company.

My risk level is higher than a lot of people but just throwin' in my two cents.

You are much braver than I man. As btf1980 points out you have no warranty unless you bought one. They say about 2% of electronics are defective off the line but I have had to have my Panasonic TV serviced(under warranty), my Wii(under warranty), and my XBOX 360 twice(no surprise, but under warranty). I recommend purchasing from an authorized dealer.

[nugent]

Originally Posted by btf1980

Pioneer can revoke dealer status for that. It's a clear violation. Whomever that dealer is can get in trouble.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...ternet+Dealers

Which is why they don't use their dealer name anywhere on eBay. They don't routinely sell them via eBay. They had one 151 and one 141 they sold via that route. I just stumbled upon the listing and had them call me with the particulars. I guess since Pioneer was exiting the plasma biz they weren't really worried about losing their dealership status. Based on the rest of their business it really didn't seem to be a major part of their sales income.

Despite having the best plasma on the market their heavy handed business practices designed to keep their prices high it didn't allow them to make enough profit to allow their continued viability in the plasma market, hence their exit.

Ironically if they would not have been so hard nosed about keeping prices elevated via non market driven methods they might have sold more than their minuscule market share which drove them out of the TV business.

[nugent]

Originally Posted by blarneyrubble

You are much braver than I man. As btf1980 points out you have no warranty unless you bought one. They say about 2% of electronics are defective off the line but I have had to have my Panasonic TV serviced(under warranty), my Wii(under warranty), and my XBOX 360 twice(no surprise, but under warranty). I recommend purchasing from an authorized dealer.

Very true, if I present a eBay receipt for warranty to a pioneer service center you got nada!

Doubtful I will ever need one but if I do my receipt is from the brick and mortar store with no mention of eBay. I have two years plus my credit card company tacked on a third.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post I would have paid a little more from a authorized dealer but since there wasn't one within' hundreds of miles of me I wasn't going to trek all over the country and pay top dollar for one just to have to haul it home myself or pay to have it shipped.

Technically by Pioneers rules I couldn't even own one that would be covered by warranty since they stipulate you are to live within' 200 miles of the authorized dealer. By that "logic" I would have had to go with a Panasonic, Samsung or some other brand.

[blarneyrubble]

Originally Posted by nugent

Very true, if I present a eBay receipt for warranty to a pioneer service center you got nada!

Doubtful I will ever need one but if I do my receipt is from the brick and mortar store with no mention of eBay. I have two years plus my credit card company tacked on a third.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post I would have paid a little more from a authorized dealer but since there wasn't one within' hundreds of miles of me I wasn't going to trek all over the country and pay top dollar for one just to have to haul it home myself or pay to have it shipped.

Technically by Pioneers rules I couldn't even own one that would be covered by warranty since they stipulate you are to live within' 200 miles of the authorized dealer. By that "logic" I would have had to go with a Panasonic, Samsung or some other brand.

Glad to hear it. I thought you had no warranty and I know I would be scared to even turn it on. It would be like going skiing without health insurance; I have done it but I was way more cautious. Peace of mind is nice.

[nugent]

Originally Posted by blarneyrubble

Glad to hear it. I thought you had no warranty and I know I would be scared to even turn it on. It would be like going skiing without health insurance; I have done it but I was way more cautious. Peace of mind is nice.

Oh no, I totally agree! I would never suggest buying something this expensive with no warranty of some sort in place. This is why I suggested if buying from a known non authorized dealer to be certain and get the Square Trade warranty for a few hundred dollars so you are covered.

I have a higher than usual risk level but I would never tie that much cash up in something with zero warranty.

I made sure my "I"s were dotted and "T"'s crossed.
I actually even had them put my friends address, who live in the same town,
on the sales invoice. Should I ever need warranty I simply "moved" after I purchased the TV.

[TheZoof]

You guys are making it difficult to buy the tv.


Is the bestbuypcs.com guys authorized dealer??? Does that count for warranty?

I almost bought it about an hour ago but I am freaking out now!

[btf1980]

Originally Posted by TheZoof

You guys are making it difficult to buy the tv.


Is the bestbuypcs.com guys authorized dealer??? Does that count for warranty?

I almost bought it about an hour ago but I am freaking out now!

Authorized online dealer list.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...n+the+Internet

[TheZoof]

Originally Posted by btf1980

Authorized online dealer list.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...n+the+Internet

Thanks.

[TheZoof]

Well Authorized online dealers suck. None of them have the KRP600m that I could see.

I am starting to not like Pioneer. What a pain.


What is this online service for warranty? Do they cover Canada? Do they work well?

[gotBlu]

just bought a krp-500m off ebay, price was too good to pass up, and then i got 10% instant bing cash back. free stand too.
seller is a very long time ebay seller with high feedback and excellent DOA policy.
planning to get a square trade warranty. 3 years for a little more than $100 with discount promo code.

[TheZoof]

Originally Posted by gotBlu

just bought a krp-500m off ebay, price was too good to pass up, and then i got 10% instant bing cash back. free stand too.
seller is a very long time ebay seller with high feedback and excellent DOA policy.
planning to get a square trade warranty. 3 years for a little more than $100 with discount promo code.

I was looking at that exact one. Great deal for sure...

I think I amgoing to buy KRM-600 from bestbuypcs.com and get there warranty. I shared a few emails and they said they take care of everything...

[RRman]

Originally Posted by TheZoof

I was looking at that exact one. Great deal for sure...

I think I amgoing to buy KRM-600 from bestbuypcs.com and get there warranty. I shared a few emails and they said they take care of everything...

Hey, I'm glad I found this thread. I was researching BestBuyPCS.com as well. I talked to one of their reps (guy named Angel) yesterday and he was very nice. They definitely have some of the lower prices for Kuros and they have a lot of positive reviews on Pricegrabber.

I think I'm going to pull the trigger and get a 500M from them. A buddy of mine ordered a Samsung UNB8000 from them and it arrived without any problems.

Also, one myth about "authorized dealers" to clear up is that the manufacturer somehow won't honor a warranty if you buy your product from an "authorized dealer". That is BS as they are legally REQUIRED to honor basic product warrantees no matter where you buy your equipment from (provided it's delivered factory sealed). It will take more of a fight with customer service to get them to help but you can insist. I had to do this with Panasonic when my old 50" commercial model died on my with the "7 blink" problem. It took a lot of cajoling and talking to supervisors but ultimately they stood by the product.

Anyway, good luck with your purchase. My advice is to just go with the cheapest dealer that has 4 or 5 star feedback on the review sites (and a lot of reviews). Generally if 100's of people have a good experience it's safe to bet that you will too.

[OCI]

one myth about "authorized dealers" to clear up is that the manufacturer somehow won't honor a warranty if you buy your product from an "authorized dealer".

I absolutely agree, RRMan.

I used to work for a high-end manufacturer. I can tell you they roll out this myth all the time. Why?

Because some big, lazy dealer always calls to complain! Say you're a dealer, let's call him Mr. Fancy Dealer, with a big showroom, snooty staff and fancy clients. You don't want to concede any discounts...frankly, with your overhead, you can't afford to.

Let's say you are about to close a deal on a $80,000 home automation project for some big executive. And let's say that Mr. Big Executive is reading the itemized list of electronics on the Mr. Fancy Dealer's bid.

Now Mr. Big Executive is no dummy, so he starts to Google the items on the bid sheet to see if he can shave a few bucks. (After all, $80,000 is a lot of money and this year's bonus wasn't that great).

So, after furious Googling, Mr. Executive sees that Mr. Fancy dealer is charging $9,000 for an item (Pioneer Kuro 151FD) that Mr. Executive can by at the on-line reseller you mentioned for $4688. {Note to RRMan: good price by the way }

Anyway, Mr. Executive prints out the web page with the discount price and takes it to Mr. Fancy Dealer and demands a similar discount!

Of course the dealer grumbles and caves, which "costs" him money. (I love the way these guys think its 'their' money to start with).

Anyway, Mr. Fancy Dealer then angrily calls the factory rep, or the factory, to whine and demand that the manufacturer put an end to all Internet sales!

What a joke! Really, manufacturers can't effectively dictate where products are sold (although they strongly try and influence it based on dealer agreements). Bose does the best job of policing this. The trade off is volume vs. profitability: too many units chasing too few consumers and the market collapses. Some manufacturers try to limit their distribution to prevent oversaturation of the market and an unsustainable business model. Dealer's profits are a reflection of this analysis...not the sole focus.

A warranty is a legal contract between the consumer and the manufacturer. Read it. Nothing in there about limitations and restrictions based on where you buy!

While a factory can't legally nullify a warranty contract, about the only thing they CAN do is strongly imply that the warranty might be jeopardized when a consumer pays anything less than full retail!

Next time you visit a consumer electronics manufacturer's site, read carefully the "Internet Sales Warning". They never quite explicitly say that your warranty will be invalidated. They just hint at it to scare you or make you think twice. They do this to "protect" the dealer's profits and to prevent an oversaturated, over distributed market. Hence you might hear that a brand of home theater gear is a "protected" line.

Protection in the form of a loud, barking guard dog with no teeth. Not protection as in Tony Soprano.

If you want to give Mr. Fancy Dealer all your cash on an item that sells for thousands less, fine. But you are getting the same factory warranty, regardless of where you buy the item.

Manufacturers charge dealers a dealer price. So the actual retail selling price to you, the consumer, is not really an issue for the manufacturer. It becomes a matter for the dealer to decide how much or little profit they'll accept. The "S" in MSRP is still just a suggestion.

My advice is to pick the best price on the item you want to buy, then do your research and carefully study the on-line resellers terms and conditions! Watch the reviews and star ratings.

Save your money and tell Mr. Fancy Dealer to stuff it.

OCI

PS: On the topic of extended warranties, I think Consumer Reports did an article a few years back about the merits of buying an extended warranty. For all but a few categories, generally such policies are not worth the cost. However, for plasma TVs and projectors, they actually recommended buying an extended warranty. Again, from personal experience, I can tell you about absolute service nightmares with some plasma TVs that go bad. It can take months to resolve these issues and factories are notoriously cheap about such matters, especially when they're faced with a "bad" model. The few bucks spent on an extended warranty is priceless compared to the agony of dealing with a difficult and reluctant manufacturer who won't (or can't afford to) stand behind the "factory" warranty.

[TheZoof]

That is some great information guys!

I am going to pull the trigger on my KRP600M very soon. I actually just ordered a new entertainment unit(tv holder) so I will wait for that to arrive and setup... then I will pull the trigger.

Hopefully I will have a KURO on the way by early next week.

Can't wait!

[wafi]

Originally Posted by TheZoof

That is some great information guys!

I am going to pull the trigger on my KRP600M very soon. I actually just ordered a new entertainment unit(tv holder) so I will wait for that to arrive and setup... then I will pull the trigger.

Hopefully I will have a KURO on the way by early next week.

Can't wait!

Wait...if you have decided to go for the 600M why wait til the entertainment unit gets to you...what if wherever you are getting it from runs out by the end of this week

[btf1980]

There is a gross oversimplification of warranty implementation here. We all love to save a buck, including me, but as always caveat emptor.

A company is not legally obligated to cover a product purchased from anyone simply because it is sealed. That is not true. Time and time again, people unbeknown to them buy sealed b-stock items from unauthorized dealers all the time. Ebay is heaven for this. How would they know? It looks and functions like brand new. You are sorely mistaken if you think that this purchase comes with a full manufacturers warranty legally since it is sealed.

Another problem is people buying goods from different countries, despite the fact it is made by the same company, if the product was manufactured elsewhere and was purchased on the gray market, the manufacturer reserves the right not to cover it. I see this all the time with receivers and displays when Canadians buy gear designated for sale in the US. The warranty is only applicable to purchases in their native country. Many people sidestep this. It's a chance many are willing to take.

I live in NYC, and this is a massive problem, not so much with HT but with camera equipment. Brooklyn is the gray market kingdom. I can't list the number of gray market dealers (most of whom have ebay stores and were powersellers, perfect feedback etc) that went bellyup and disappeared due to whatever reason. You think the aftermarket warranty you purchased has any validity or will be honored when Jimmy Electronics Shack decides to close his basement shop, ebay store and move? Good luck.

[TheZoof]

Originally Posted by wafi

Wait...if you have decided to go for the 600M why wait til the entertainment unit gets to you...what if wherever you are getting it from runs out by the end of this week

You are right. I shouldn't wait... but I am trying to put it on the credit card for 'next month' so that I don't have to pay it off until September. I have the money now but I am like that.

That being said don't worry I will buy shortly.


--- I am going to buy at Bestbuypcs.com. They ahve their own warranty and I expect them to honor it.

[gotBlu]

I don't know about the specific seller mentioned above or their warranty -- they may be really great -- but in general I would NOT base my optimism on the extended warranty based on how "nice" the salesman was. It's very common for salesmen to hype up a warranty (commission). They know that by the time you would use the warranty, it would be your word against theirs if bad promises were made - they know you're not going to read the fine print yourself.
Also, be sure the warranty does not require you to return the tv at your own cost. They should either allow you to repair locally or they should pay for round trip shipping (fat chance).
The old Circuit C. stores come to mind, the salesperson would sell the extended warranty promising it would cover bulb replacements which would pay for the price of the warranty, when people tried to get the bulb replaced under warranty, they found out they were lied to.
Most big box stores make it very difficult to get anything replaced with their extended warranties - at the very least you'll wait a long time for repairs. Customer Service AFTER the sale is of no importance to them (have you ever tried to return something to one of those places )
I'd only go with square trade, they have a reputation. They don't require you to ship a large item like a tv to them for repair. Their prices are much lower. They are less likely to go out of business than some sellers.
Regarding the "sealed box" thing, I have some doubts. They would just have to take your word for if the box was sealed upon arrival or not. If comes down to just having to go on your word to get the warranty, I'd put your odd's of a successful warranty claim pretty low.

[saprano]

Originally Posted by TheZoof

You are right. I shouldn't wait... but I am trying to put it on the credit card for 'next month' so that I don't have to pay it off until September. I have the money now but I am like that.
That being said don't worry I will buy shortly.


--- I am going to buy at Bestbuypcs.com. They ahve their own warranty and I expect them to honor it.

Haha! i do the exact samething! i always wait for the next billing cycle.

[lojack1976]

Originally Posted by btf1980

There is a gross oversimplification of warranty implementation here. We all love to save a buck, including me, but as always caveat emptor.

A company is not legally obligated to cover a product purchased from anyone simply because it is sealed. That is not true. Time and time again, people unbeknown to them buy sealed b-stock items from unauthorized dealers all the time. Ebay is heaven for this. How would they know? It looks and functions like brand new. You are sorely mistaken if you think that this purchase comes with a full manufacturers warranty legally since it is sealed.

Another problem is people buying goods from different countries, despite the fact it is made by the same company, if the product was manufactured elsewhere and was purchased on the gray market, the manufacturer reserves the right not to cover it. I see this all the time with receivers and displays when Canadians buy gear designated for sale in the US. The warranty is only applicable to purchases in their native country. Many people sidestep this. It's a chance many are willing to take.

I live in NYC, and this is a massive problem, not so much with HT but with camera equipment. Brooklyn is the gray market kingdom. I can't list the number of gray market dealers (most of whom have ebay stores and were powersellers, perfect feedback etc) that went bellyup and disappeared due to whatever reason. You think the aftermarket warranty you purchased has any validity or will be honored when Jimmy Electronics Shack decides to close his basement shop, ebay store and move? Good luck.

This is very true, but at least on Ebay you can buy your warranty from SquareTrade at very reasonable prices. That's what I'm doing on the KRP-500M that I just bought. The 3-year warranty is only $120 and if the set dies I'm covered and I will be reimbursed the full purchase price.