Where To Buy: Mass Merchant

The Best Buys, Circuit Citys and CompUSAs of the world. If you already know what you want and price is the priority, this is the place to put down your $$ and walk away with a box. We offer some hints for walking away happy.

Convenience
If you're like some of us, instant gratification is a huge factor. Why, just the other day a friend of mine decided he must have a 42" plasma, and he absolutely had to have it right then and there. He went to Costco, read the fact tags (more accurately, the price tags), on a few models and without any assistance, picked out a plasma TV, had it home and up and running in time for kickoff. Likewise, for my sister's annual New Year's bash this year, she decided she wanted to hook up speakers-good speakers-to her computer in order to forgo her annual task of making mix CDs for the party, instead playing "Party Mix" from iTunes. We headed over to Best Buy, picked up a nice Polk sub-sat speaker system, and were connected before the guests arrived. Oh, and did I mention, we also picked up a Polaroid camera, some film, a couple DVDs to go with her Las Vegas theme, a power strip, an optical mouse and a few new CDs to add to her iTunes library. It was great. A one-stop shop.

Product Mix
That is why these mass-merchant big chains like Best Buy, The Good Guys, Circuit City, Fry's and so on are available in every neighborhood. They are in demand. They're convenient, fast, have one of everything from the low- to mid-range price categories and offer instant gratification. How many times have you actually waited for an out-of-stock product at a mass merchant? Chances are slim that you have, because if one product is out of stock-unless you have your heart set on it-there is bound to be another one down the aisle that is frighteningly similar. And this is where these mass merchants focus: midmarket goods that either are, or are on their way to becoming, commodities. Mass merchants also have all the various flavors of digital products-camera, audio, video, gadgets for the on-the-go lifestyle, photo and computing, so you can, as I mentioned earlier, do all your digital product shopping in one place. However, note that because they don't do a lot of specialization, some types of products, such as line scalars or video processors, may not be available.

Low Expertise
Because the big chains usually deal in low- to mid-level products that aren't highly specialized, and because they are focused on selling commodities, they typically don't invest a lot in training their employees (some are worse than others), hence their rep for having the stereotypical pimple-faced teenager trying to sell you a TV and not knowing anything about said TV.

Sometimes, even finding a salesperson in the store can be a challenge. When I went to shopping for my sister's New Year's party, I asked one clerk if he could help me find the type of speakers we were looking for, and he responded, "This isn't my section." Then, there was no one to be found in the speaker section, leaving us to make our own decision, which is fine, since I work in the CE industry and could help her along. But if you don't know anything to begin with, you may be left in the dark. That's why it is good to do a bit of research before you shop. Read Home Theater magazine or browse reviews here on ConnectedGuide.com to get a sense of what you are going to buy.

Low Prices
The large national chains drive sales volume, which causes price drops. New products take their place in the higher price tier, while last year's wundertech products become more affordable. It's a fascinating cycle. Remember $900 DVD players? To the dismay of smaller AV specialty dealers, the retail prices of products that feature the hottest new technologies (plasma, MP3, etc.) have plummeted. Many manufacturers, even those that offer esoteric brands, include mass retailing in their business plans. It's no surprise that their sales projections call for a large chain's clout. Whether you're a fan of mass merchants or not, we must credit them with producing sales volume to help bring about these large price drops. At least from a price standpoint, consumers always benefit in this cycle. A large segment of the consumer-electronics market has been relegated to volume sales and not esoteric specialty gear. So support your local superstore!

If you see an ad for an item that you know is usually priced higher, jump on it. This type of blitz ad is only good for one or two days. Or, you could look for another retailer with a low-price guarantee who will match competitors' prices, provided that they have the unit in stock. Storewide sales can create a juicy list of items in onesy-twosy quantities. If you have to wait five weeks, pass. Don't pay in full in advance; a good-faith deposit should be sufficient. The last available unit may be their floor model. Is it safe?

Floor Models-Helpful Hints If the retailer has a good reputation and the store appears well maintained (clean and organized), buying a floor model can have its advantages-namely, quality control. You know that the unit works, which is something you can't always assume of a new, unopened piece. Units such as receivers, hard-disc video recorders, preamps, tuners, CD burners and DVD players aren't generally in continuous daily operation. The amount of "flight time" (actual use) these units get is usually limited to a few minutes of demonstration, and there is very little that could have been done to break them, although it's still possible. If it's a current model that comes with the box, warranty, manual, and accessories and is not shopworn, buying a floor model at the right price can be a good thing. Make sure that the return and refund policies apply.

With speakers, you should be more careful. In high-traffic environments like mass merchants, there's very little supervision, so a browser could easily crank up the volume to the poor speakers, which have no choice but to reproduce the distorted signal. It only takes an instant to wipe out a speaker. Tweeters are especially delicate; woofers tend to be more resilient. Then again, subwoofers are particularly susceptible to abuse because consumers like to pump up the bass.

You can tell whether a speaker has been blown pretty quickly. Play some music that has a consistent rhythm and volume. Turn it up to a healthy but less-than-loud level and listen for any buzzes, rattles, or distortion. Also, make sure that all of the drivers are working: tweeters, midranges, and woofers. Look for punched-in tweeter domes. In a specialty AV store, it is far less likely that the floor models are abused, as the employees are usually also equipment junkies who care for the merchandise.

With video products like big-screen and glass-tube TVs, floor models can be a safe buy. Keep in mind that phosphor CRTs have a limited life span and that displays that use them fade over time-especially if the contrast is left at the factory's maximum setting. Specialty retailers might at least adjust the picture to within more-reasonable limits. Make sure that the price reflects the amount of time the set's been used, particularly since most floor-model TVs are on roughly 8 to 10 hours a day. Your local retailer may not have lots of a particular model in stock and might regularly sell floor models at a discount. In some cases, due to frequent model changes, these sets have not been used for months on end. Browser abuse is possible but not likely. In this instance, any problems with the set are more likely due to the fact that the set was never adjusted properly.

Mass merchants are notorious for feeding TVs with a poor-quality signal, hooking them in an endless chain of cheap cables and splitters. Ask to see the set with the cleanest signal in the place and find out if the set has been properly adjusted since it was first plugged in. Check for phosphor-burn spots or areas of the screen on which a stationary image has burned a permanent imprint. Make sure that the blacks look really black and that the whites look really white, rather than yellow. Also, double-check the cabinet: These suckers are heavy, and delivery can be a bear. Buy an extended service policy. Here's why....

Extended Service Plans: Help or Hype?
"Yeah, they just wanted to sell me a warranty to make more money." Pssst: If we were only concerned with how much money people made from us, we'd never buy anything. The fact is, equipment can break, no matter how well built it is. That's why God invented service shops. Some people buy warranties for everything they own, and some people never buy them. "I've owned hibachis for years, and I've never had a problem." Fair enough. But the story you may not hear is the one in which a widescreen TV breaks three or four times and is deemed irreparable, so the company replaces it. It happens often enough these days that you should strongly consider protecting an expensive purchase. Maybe it's due to quality-control, assembly or design issues, or maybe it's because new digital circuitry is more sensitive. TVs, in particular, come with limited warranties, most of which only cover labor for 90 days. This limits the manufacturer's liability and should tell you something about the number of repair requests they get. You may never need an extended service plan, but you'll kiss yourself on the cheek when your out-of-warranty repair is covered.

Depending on the type of store you visit, you may experience high pressure to buy an extended warranty. You've said no 10 times, but the salesperson won't quit. Here's why. In the big "box mover" stores, salespeople are graded on their performance, including the percentage of their overall sales that reflects service policies. If a salesperson doesn't meet a minimum-sales quota over a specified period of time, he or she is terminated. Sucks, huh? Look past all of that, though: Does it make sense to protect yourself against potentially costly repairs? It may be appropriate for some products but not for others. Find out what the plan actually covers (power surges, in-home service, tube wear, three-time-lemon exchange, etc.) and whether it's a good value. Beware of cheap policies that will refund the amount you paid but not replace your unfixable lemon. Read the fine print. Service plans are basically insurance. The costs are determined by the actuarial tables that tell policy providers which items are most likely to break. Prices are set accordingly. As a rule of thumb, it makes more sense to purchase a warranty on an item that is too expensive to replace if it should break.

Open-Box Units
If you visit a store and spy a stack of unsealed, ragtag goods with marked-down prices, these open-box units are most likely returns or exchanges. Generally, the original salesperson didn't accurately determine which item would most closely match the customer's needs. The product is then returned, and the stack builds over time. You'll mostly see these stacks on tables in mass-merchant-type stores, although returns can pile up in even the best shops. If you see an open-box stack every time you visit a store, it tells you that there's a lack of sales training. You may rightfully wonder whether your salesperson will poorly qualify you, causing your purchase to end up on the open-box stack, as well. It also tells you that management puts pressure on the sales staff to sell anything to anyone instead of taking the time to make a proper match. Rather shortsighted, no? Retail isn't pretty.

Open-box goods may be a store manager's nightmare, but they can be a bargain hunter's dream. They must be marked down and sold fast, especially at month's end. While the product may not have been a match for its first owner, it could be perfect for your needs. You'll never know its background. Was that DVD player the last floor model or was it really used only on Sunday mornings by a little old lady for the purpose of watching religious movies? Ask the salesperson to let you inspect the product thoroughly and test it to make sure it works. Check for dings. A few surface scratches may be acceptable to you, but huge gouges can mean that the equipment has been abused. Are repair-shop stickers or paperwork anywhere in evidence? Is it a current model? Does it have the features you want? What's the warranty? All of these factors affect the unit's desirability and price. What's the exchange policy? Get proof…in writing.

Occasionally, a factory-fresh box may need to be opened for a legitimate reason and resealed immediately. However, some unethical dealers reseal worn or damaged demonstrator goods and pass them off as new, hoping you won't notice. How do you know you're buying a factory-fresh piece? If possible, compare the box with others from the same batch. Does the sealing look different? Have staples been removed? Is the packing tape a different color? When you open the box, is the internal packing fresh? Have the plastic bags that house the manual and accessories been opened? Is the unit missing anything? Are there any scratches? Has the serial number been scratched off the box and a new one handwritten? A credible retailer will reject boxes that have sustained clear shipping abuse. Inspect your boxes before you leave the store. If your purchase appears to be less than pristine, ask for a different box or a price concession.

Sales Techniques
As a profession, saleshas its own language. Its reputation is generally tainted by the greasy salesperson stereotypes we see in movies. The craft suffers from the widely held perception that you will be voodooed into buying something you don't want, hence the defense: "No thanks, just looking." Salespeople are trained to discover the customer's needs, demonstrate products and ask for the sale. A well-performed sale is a thing of beauty, and precious few people can do it well. Things go awry when a salesperson doesn't execute these steps.

As mentioned earlier, if a salesperson doesn't take a genuine interest in your needs, he or she may not be able to match you with the best product. And, if a salesperson can't sufficiently demonstrate a product's performance in the store, you may not be happy with it at home.

So, here's what to do. First, learn to distinguish the good from the bad. Some salespeople can't wait to tell you everything they know. If you find yourself listening to a long-winded sales pitch, politely get it back on track. Don't wait to be asked-offer your personal information up front. Mention your seating distance and room characteristics, your favorite kind of music or viewing, whether the whole family or just you will be using the system, your price range, future expansion plans-anything that will help the salesperson match you with the right gear. A good salesperson will be able to explain why he or she chose a certain product for you. You're entitled to good answers. Don't waste your own or a salesperson's time if you aren't genuinely interested. Get your hands on the products, especially the remote control. If you have any questions or concerns, bring them up. Poor salespeople use as many shortcuts as they can and may dismiss the issues you raise. In conventional sales training, they are taught to "overcome objections" or argue away your reason for not buying. Still, it's always better to discover obstacles up front than to schlep your purchase back for a refund. Remember, you're the boss. Just don't be obnoxious. After all, people have to make a living.

Closeouts: Good Value or White Elephant?
A closeout is an item that is being discontinued. No matter what you read in Internet chat rooms, closeouts are generally not created because someone discovered a major design flaw. This isn't to say that some products don't misperform or break. Some brands have higher defect rates than others, but let's be realistic. By now, the world's consumer electronics manufacturers have the process down cold. Major recalls are uncommon, and models typically don't change significantly from one year to the next. Closeouts can generally be a great value. But move fast: Timing is everything. You won't find tons of last year's products sitting around.