My house came prepared for a big screen TV over the fireplace. Since my husband and I did not currently own a big screen TV, one of the things we wanted to purchase before the end of the summer was a big screen TV. One rainy day we went to Sears just to see what type of TVs were on the market. We wanted to buy – and save money – on a big screen TV.
We quickly realized that a store such as Sears or Best Buy was not the place to save money on a big screen TV. In order to justify a purchase, we needed more than just a 15% off coupon. This is especially true in our area, as sales taxes are close to 10%. We really wanted to purchase a Sony, but could afford a Sylvania. Disheartened at what was available for the price we could afford, we came home.
I got online as usual. For some reason or another I headed over to Amazon to see what they had for sale. It was then that I realized that to save money on a big screen TV, I needed to buy the TV online.
A Bravia V series at Sears was priced at $2,299 for a 52 inch big screen TV. That price isn’t too bad, but then you have to pay extra to have the TV installed. In addition, you have to buy the wall mount which can cost anywhere from $50-$200 depending on the size of the TV and what you desire (flat versus tilting).
I found a brand-new Bravia W series on Amazon’s website. The price? $1,995. This was an even better model than the one we saw at Sears, at $300 less. Now THAT’S saving money on a big screen TV.
You may think that ordering a big screen TV on Amazon wouldn’t be that convenient. That is not the case. The TV was delivered via a “white glove” delivery service. They came in, dropped the TV off and let me inspect it, then left. If I was going to put the TV on a stand, they would have taken the box to throw it away for me. Since I had someone coming in to do an installation, I asked them to leave the big screen TV secure in its box.
When you order a big screen TV on Amazon, they have recommended installers listed on their site. Out of the two, I picked Zip Installation. I called them and sat up a time for them to come install the TV. The cost was $399.95, but that included the bracket. In addition, the installers installed both our Blu Ray and digital cable box.
I purchased a 52″ Sony Bravia W series TV, a brand new Blu Ray player, and HDMI cables for $2,300. That included everything. If I would have bought the same items at Sears or Best Buy, I would have paid about $3,300 after taxes. This includes a $2,500 TV, $300 Blu Ray player, $150 bracket, and a $20 HDMI cable. Installation was the same at both places after you factor in the cost of a bracket.
So there you have it, my friends. In order to save money on a big screen TV you need to buy it online at retailers such as Amazon.com
