Best place to buy a TV

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ThankYouJack
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Best place to buy a TV

Post by ThankYouJack »

I'm planning to buy a TV, probably online because even Best Buy doesn't have it in their store. Do all major online retailers charge sales tax now? Do any sites offer rebates (like ActiveJunky except for electronics and not sporting goods)?
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DanMahowny
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by DanMahowny »

Bought my tv's at Costco.

Good prices, used cc for cash rebate, excellent return policy, and doubled the warranty.
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Iliketoridemybike
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Iliketoridemybike »

Second Costco.
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Watty
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Watty »

+1 on Costco.

Normally Costco gives a 2 year warranty on their TV's and if you buy it with a Costco credit card they will double that to four years.

One thing I noticed when I bought my last TV there was that they had more models on the warehouse floor than what they were showing on the internet so it is worth going into your local Costco.
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Alexa9
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Alexa9 »

Costco, Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon all have good prices. Easy to compare online once you narrow down what TV you want.
VegasBH
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by VegasBH »

I bought my last tv from amazon because i get free delivery and setup.
ellvizzle
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by ellvizzle »

I bought my last two tv's at Costco, too--great price for the quality. Have also found good deals at Target.
Mudpuppy
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Mudpuppy »

ThankYouJack wrote: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:04 pm I'm planning to buy a TV, probably online because even Best Buy doesn't have it in their store. Do all major online retailers charge sales tax now? Do any sites offer rebates (like ActiveJunky except for electronics and not sporting goods)?
I assume that since you say Best Buy doesn't have it, that you are looking for a very specific TV model. I would suggest plugging that model into a search tool like Google Shopping, see what vendors sell the TV, and then do some web searching to see what sort of deals you can land for those vendors and/or that brand of TV.
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Doom&Gloom »

I bought all three of my plasma sets online--from three different retailers. You just have to shop around for the best prices for the set you want. All three had free delivery and none charged sales tax. Nowadays some online retailers charge sales tax, but others don't. You often need to place the item in your "cart" to see if taxes or other fees are added. I never had a problem with a delivery.
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ThankYouJack
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by ThankYouJack »

Thanks for the replies. Yes, it's a specific model and all the prices seem to be about the same (within $3) from reputable retailers. I didn't see it on costco.com. It looks like abt.com has free shipping and no sales tax so I'll probably go with them.
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Toons
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Toons »

Sams
Costco
Amazon
Walmart
:happy
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Murgatroyd
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Murgatroyd »

So you know, Abt is a large and very reputable company.
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Doom&Gloom »

You are probably already aware, but some credit cards extend your warranty on such purchases--as well as offering cash-back.
bob60014
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by bob60014 »

No problems with ABT, it's our go to place in the Chicago area.
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pfrank
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by pfrank »

Crutchfield. They price match. They have very knowledgeable staff and free tech support for life. Free shipping. No tax outside of Virginia. I live in MA and I get my items from them within two days.

When I was buying my new TV, I was surprised that all of the places I looked at (Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Crutchfield, local tv/appliance store) had similar prices. Everyone was pretty much within $10 on a 60” 4K TV. Crutchfield stood out because of their excellent sales staff.
Bacchus01
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Bacchus01 »

If you want the latest and greatest, Best Buy or online.

If you want the best value while still getting high performance? Costco. Getting a 4-year warranty when you use the Costco CC is amazing.
Broken Man 1999
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

Costco!

First, the standard one year warrantee is doubled. Then, if purchased on Costco Visa card, two additional years added, for a total of four years.

When I bought my last TV, Costco had best price, and a couple of months later gave me $200 back as they cut their prices.

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otinkyad
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by otinkyad »

IMHO, if the delay and hassle of paying the sales tax next April is worth it, your TV is too expensive. ;-)
Big Dog
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Big Dog »

costco
Dottie57
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Dottie57 »

I bought a 19 in led tv for my mom from Walmart online. I was pleasantly surprised that everything went so sell. Not a state of the art tv, but works well as kitchen tv door my mom.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by TomatoTomahto »

Murgatroyd wrote: Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:41 pm So you know, Abt is a large and very reputable company.
Crutchfield was out of stock on the TV I wanted (Sony 85” 900F). So, I figured that sales tax at Amazon would be offset by my 5% Amazon card. As it happens, I got free shipping from Abt, they don’t charge sales tax in MA, and I got the 5% off from Amazon. Wheeee!

PS. having just paid the extortionate sums to get MA driver’s licenses, cars registered, deeds registered, etc., it might slip my mind to pay the use tax.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
BogleMelon
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by BogleMelon »

ThankYouJack wrote: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:04 pm Do all major online retailers charge sales tax now?
FYI,
If you live in a state that has sales tax, even if you the online vendor didn't charge you taxes, probably you will be legally obliged to pay the taxes when you file your taxes (Use Tax).
If you live in a state that is tax exempt, or have a lower tax rate than the vendor charge, you can get this tax back when you file
"One of the funny things about stock market, every time one is buying another is selling, and both think they are astute" - William Feather
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ThankYouJack
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by ThankYouJack »

BogleMelon wrote: Sun Apr 08, 2018 6:43 pm
ThankYouJack wrote: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:04 pm Do all major online retailers charge sales tax now?
FYI,
If you live in a state that has sales tax, even if you the online vendor didn't charge you taxes, probably you will be legally obliged to pay the taxes when you file your taxes (Use Tax).
If you live in a state that is tax exempt, or have a lower tax rate than the vendor charge, you can get this tax back when you file
Good to know (I guess :o ). Oh well, I'd rather live here, even with our complex tax code and pay our taxes than live else where.
BogleMelon
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by BogleMelon »

ThankYouJack wrote: Sun Apr 08, 2018 8:13 pm
BogleMelon wrote: Sun Apr 08, 2018 6:43 pm
ThankYouJack wrote: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:04 pm Do all major online retailers charge sales tax now?
FYI,
If you live in a state that has sales tax, even if you the online vendor didn't charge you taxes, probably you will be legally obliged to pay the taxes when you file your taxes (Use Tax).
If you live in a state that is tax exempt, or have a lower tax rate than the vendor charge, you can get this tax back when you file
Good to know (I guess :o ). Oh well, I'd rather live here, even with our complex tax code and pay our taxes than live else where.
I was not suggesting that you leave. Only saying that getting charged (or not charged) by sales tax by an online vendor at the time of buying, shouldn't be a factor in your decision, because your state will (refund/charge) you in all cases.
Good luck!
"One of the funny things about stock market, every time one is buying another is selling, and both think they are astute" - William Feather
inbox788
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by inbox788 »

You asked where, but I'll answer what and when first. I'm assuming it's not a 65" 4k OLED or 88" QLED, but something more modest.

Right now, 4k TVs are all the rage, and they may be the future, but I'm not convinced buying one now is the right time. By the time 4k becomes relevant, it may be time to upgrade the TV, so for now. I'd avoid the extra cost of the 4k sets. Unfortunately 4k seems to have crossed the midpoint and the majority of sets I see on sale are 4k and cost more. And the reduced supply of non-4k sets seems to be on the downturn.

Also, Black Friday and end of year seem to bring the best TV deals, so if you can wait 6 months, you can probably get a better set for less. Besides the usual online places, don't overlook Target and Walmart for the better brands (avoid no name or budget brands). I'd look at low end low spec LG/Samsung/Sony, maybe TCL/Vizio/Sharp. Insignia is also a brand to consider.

https://www.consumerreports.org/lcd-led ... -cheap-tv/
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tennisplyr
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by tennisplyr »

Just bought 2 TVs at Costco.
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dbltrbl
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by dbltrbl »

Specific Model number will be different at COSTCO. Look at your details from Samsung or LG or whatever model you have in mind. Than look at Costco with details not model number. You will likely pay sales tax . With ABT no sales tax.
wolf359
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by wolf359 »

I buy at Costco using the Costco credit card just for the extended warranties. I also got the Square Trade Extended warranty, with stretches the whole thing to 7 years. While normally I consider extended warranties a waste of money, it is important when buying Samsung televisions. The warranty policy is to repair at home or replace the unit. The television we bought is too big to take back to the store easily. Samsung has horrible customer service and doesn't honor their warranties. Costco and Square Trade do, which gives me an effective warranty which I don't get from the manufacturer.)

We found the same unit at Best Buy for the same price, but minus all the warranties. You can get a sales person at Best Buy to provide an additional discount (depending upon the item and the sales person, and maybe your negotiating skills.) That would make the Best Buy price lower. However, Costco delivered to the house for free, and Best Buy did not.

(The Costco free home delivery is done by calling for assistance. They switch the order to Costco.com and have a truck delivery scheduled.)
tigerdoc93
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by tigerdoc93 »

Check out Woot.com. Basically Amazon clearance website. I’ve purchased Samsung TV, chromebooks, IPhones on the cheap. No problems yet. You do have to be patient and check website frequently cause deals change daily. Also has free shipping for Amazon prime members
Serie1926
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Serie1926 »

Bought all our 4k XBRs from East Coast.

https://www.eastcoasttvs.com
CrossOverGuy
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by CrossOverGuy »

I got a wonderful Samsung 49" 4K TV with HDR from Amazon. I went into Best Buy and PC Richards to check out various tv sets in person a number of times (and at different stores) and to try to decide the best size, picture, etc. I also wanted to inform myself about things like connections for HDMIs to blue-ray players and cable tv, and for older electronics I still have like a combo DVD/VCR and for antennas in case I want to get rid of cable tv. I also did research by looking at Consumer Reports (some libraries like NY Public Library have subscriptions that allow you to access it on-line for free) and looking up things like best times to buy tvs on the internet. I ended up buying about two weeks before the Superbowl, which besides around Black Friday and thereabouts, is considered one of the best times to get good prices before the new models for next year come in, which are usually showcased at the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. The reports were that the newer sets, except maybe for the highest end sets, weren't all that much different in features from the ones that were already out. So I waited a few weeks and Best Buy, PC Richard and Amazon's prices went down the closer it got toward the Super Bowl. I ultimately went with Amazon which was least expensive, plus the Best Buy's Geek Squad warranties were much more expensive than the Square Trade one I bought on Amazon at the same time I bought the tv. Plus Amazon didn't charge for delivery or taxes from the state it originated in, so the money I saved on that pretty much covered the cost of the warranty. I charged the tv on my credit card which doubles the initial warranty and the additional policy I bought will cover it for 2 years past that.

Plus, my credit card had price protection. I kept up with the price on Amazon for a few weeks after I bought my tv, found a lower price, followed all the rules my credit card company required for evidencing the different prices, and got a check for the difference. Mine was a mid-range tv, and I'm enjoying it very much, especially since I see it was listed at $200-300 more than what I paid for it.
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Bammerman
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match

Post by Bammerman »

I bought my expensive tv from Best Buy. When they reduced the price by $100 within a week, I went in and got that $100 back too. And I also immediately started searching online for the exact brand/model tv I'd just purchased, and found it advertised somewhere for several hundred dollars less. So I filed a claim with my credit card company -- price match guarantee -- and within 10 days received a check for $250 (the maximum under the terms of the c.c. agreement). Moral of the story: use the terms of your credit card to the max -- the burden is on you to do the research and the claim, but you might get back hundreds of dollars.
Bacchus01
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Bacchus01 »

wolf359 wrote: Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:47 am I buy at Costco using the Costco credit card just for the extended warranties. I also got the Square Trade Extended warranty, with stretches the whole thing to 7 years. While normally I consider extended warranties a waste of money, it is important when buying Samsung televisions. The warranty policy is to repair at home or replace the unit. The television we bought is too big to take back to the store easily. Samsung has horrible customer service and doesn't honor their warranties. Costco and Square Trade do, which gives me an effective warranty which I don't get from the manufacturer.)

We found the same unit at Best Buy for the same price, but minus all the warranties. You can get a sales person at Best Buy to provide an additional discount (depending upon the item and the sales person, and maybe your negotiating skills.) That would make the Best Buy price lower. However, Costco delivered to the house for free, and Best Buy did not.

(The Costco free home delivery is done by calling for assistance. They switch the order to Costco.com and have a truck delivery scheduled.)
You also got credit back on your card
Dakotah
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Dakotah »

If you have access to it, AAFES is a great option.
Bratbill
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Bratbill »

Looking for a 75 inch at Costco.....but Vizio or Samsung or LG ?
TCL gets best reviews..but not sold at Costco....
Read lots of reviews from experts ...made me realize I know little about pixels,coloring,etc 🙂
Monsterflockster
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Monsterflockster »

Bratbill wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:59 pm Looking for a 75 inch at Costco.....but Vizio or Samsung or LG ?
TCL gets best reviews..but not sold at Costco....
Read lots of reviews from experts ...made me realize I know little about pixels,coloring,etc 🙂
I’ve seen TCL Roku TVs at Costco.

Best Tv I’ve ever had was a Sony Bravia Plasma. The picture was awesome as were the colors. My kids ended that as I found a nice crack down the middle. Since I’ve gone with a TCL Roku as we have cut the cord and a Samsung. Both are good but I miss my Plasma. (Though it put out some good heat, which was nice come winter, ha).
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Bogle7
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Local

Post by Bogle7 »

My local AV retailer/installer.
Price for LG OLED TV was $10 less than Amazon.
Installation/removal was $200. The old TV was a plasma so it weighed a lot.
Sonos Arc was $10 less than Amazon.
I feel confident that if something goes wrong, they will make it right as they have done in the past when our TV died 1 day after warranty expiry.
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2tall4economy
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by 2tall4economy »

Research the heck out of it, then buy online at lowest price.

I’ve bought a few at abt. Some direct from mfg, some from Best Buy... all depends.
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ensign_lee
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by ensign_lee »

Costco is definitely great, but if I'm going to buy a TV again new, I'm going with Greentoe. Their prices are often 20% or better more AND you can use the Costco Credit Card to extend your warranty by 2 years anyway, so you'll have 3 years of warranty.

This is doubly true if you want an OLED. I'd highly recommend it.
lazydavid
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by lazydavid »

ThankYouJack wrote: Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:21 pm Thanks for the replies. Yes, it's a specific model and all the prices seem to be about the same (within $3) from reputable retailers. I didn't see it on costco.com. It looks like abt.com has free shipping and no sales tax so I'll probably go with them.
Highly, highly recommend Abt. We buy nearly everything from there, for the past 25+ years. From a TV perspective, currently have two Samsungs, a Sony, and a Toshiba purchased from there, as well as two Vizios from Costco/Sam's Club.
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Bogle7
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Bogle7 »

LG OLED65CXPUA
LG List Price = $1900
Amazon = $1897
ABT = $1897
Costco = $1850
Best Buy = $1900

Does it really matter where you buy it?
Old fart who does three index stock funds, baby.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by TomatoTomahto »

Bogle7 wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:14 am LG OLED65CXPUA
LG List Price = $1900
Amazon = $1897
ABT = $1897
Costco = $1850
Best Buy = $1900

Does it really matter where you buy it?
Abt doesn’t charge sales tax iirc. Up to you if you think that’s ethical or not, but apparently it’s legal.

ETA: I get 5% off with Amazon store card, so it’s a close call for me.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Lee_WSP
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by Lee_WSP »

ensign_lee wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:54 pm AND you can use the Costco Credit Card to extend your warranty by 2 years anyway, so you'll have 3 years of warranty.

This is doubly true if you want an OLED. I'd highly recommend it.
:oops: Wish I read this last week. :oops:

Although the LG OLED's are currently out of stock.
furwut
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by furwut »

B&H Photo will rebate the sales tax when purchasing with their store credit card - PayBoo.

The fine print:
The tax-equivalent loyalty reward offer is not valid in Alabama, District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. If shipping to these jurisdictions, enter your shipping zip code here to check for available Payboo Card savings.
The tax-equivalent loyalty reward offer is not available on orders shipped to any jurisdiction that does not require B&H to collect and remit state and/or local sales or use tax (Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Montana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Puerto Rico, as of September 2, 2020).
rec630
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by rec630 »

lazydavid wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:05 am
ThankYouJack wrote: Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:21 pm Thanks for the replies. Yes, it's a specific model and all the prices seem to be about the same (within $3) from reputable retailers. I didn't see it on costco.com. It looks like abt.com has free shipping and no sales tax so I'll probably go with them.
Highly, highly recommend Abt. We buy nearly everything from there, for the past 25+ years. From a TV perspective, currently have two Samsungs, a Sony, and a Toshiba purchased from there, as well as two Vizios from Costco/Sam's Club.
Second this. Also a fan of ABT.
soxfan10
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by soxfan10 »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:35 am
Bogle7 wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:14 am LG OLED65CXPUA
LG List Price = $1900
Amazon = $1897
ABT = $1897
Costco = $1850
Best Buy = $1900

Does it really matter where you buy it?
Abt doesn’t charge sales tax iirc. Up to you if you think that’s ethical or not, but apparently it’s legal.

ETA: I get 5% off with Amazon store card, so it’s a close call for me.
Be pretty surprised if this is still true (dont doubt it was true a few years back). Almost everyone collects sales tax now that economic nexus is the clear law.
fsrph
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by fsrph »

soxfan10 wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:45 pm
TomatoTomahto wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:35 am
Bogle7 wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:14 am LG OLED65CXPUA
LG List Price = $1900
Amazon = $1897
ABT = $1897
Costco = $1850
Best Buy = $1900

Does it really matter where you buy it?
Abt doesn’t charge sales tax iirc. Up to you if you think that’s ethical or not, but apparently it’s legal.

ETA: I get 5% off with Amazon store card, so it’s a close call for me.
Be pretty surprised if this is still true (dont doubt it was true a few years back). Almost everyone collects sales tax now that economic nexus is the clear law.
I did a test and ABT did charge sales tax on checkout.

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bubbadog
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by bubbadog »

ensign_lee wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:54 pm Costco is definitely great, but if I'm going to buy a TV again new, I'm going with Greentoe. Their prices are often 20% or better more AND you can use the Costco Credit Card to extend your warranty by 2 years anyway, so you'll have 3 years of warranty.

This is doubly true if you want an OLED. I'd highly recommend it.

+1

I purchased a fairly expensive TV 2 years ago (77 inch OLED) and had a great experience with Greentoe.

If I remember correctly, the TV was $6,999 at my local Best Buy at the time and I purchased it for $4,500 all in through Greentoe.
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UncleLeo
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by UncleLeo »

A bit of an off-topic question but still related to TVs (didn't want to open a dedicated thread just to ask that):
Thinking about snagging a black Friday deal and shipping the TV to family members in a European country (A friend has some extra space in a container)
Which brands sell TVs in the US with dual-voltage/110-240v power supplies?
Any downsides of operating a modern TV with a step-down voltage converter?
inbox788
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Re: Best place to buy a TV

Post by inbox788 »

UncleLeo wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:56 pm A bit of an off-topic question but still related to TVs (didn't want to open a dedicated thread just to ask that):
Thinking about snagging a black Friday deal and shipping the TV to family members in a European country (A friend has some extra space in a container)
Which brands sell TVs in the US with dual-voltage/110-240v power supplies?
Any downsides of operating a modern TV with a step-down voltage converter?
What country? What will they be watching?

I would imagine most TVs today are using switched power supplies that can handle various voltages, but check the specific model you're looking at. Do you have a model in mind? Look at the spec sheet. Might have to find the manual, sometimes online. Certain brands may be less region specific, especially lesser global brands (i.e. not Samsung). I looked up a TCL, but it had 5 lines in the manual for specs and no power.

Another consideration is broadcasting standards.

http://en.dtvstatus.net/

HDMI?

Service will be an issue if anything goes wrong. Might be simpler to keep the tv yourself and send something else instead.

FYI,
This Samsung spec only lists 110 and ATSC.
https://www.samsung.com/us/televisions- ... xza/#specs

Compare to another model with AC100-240V 50/60Hz, DVB-T2S2 that's designed for EU and other parts of the world.
https://www.samsung.com/levant/tvs/qled ... q60tauxtw/

I checked a few units and didn't find any universal power supplies, so in the US it may be safer to assume 110 unless otherwise.
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