Tuesday, December 02, 2008

CE Pro Editor Hosed On Amazon TV Deal


Senior CE Pro Editor Julie Jacobson bought a TV through Amazon.com, and blogs about what a hassle it's been.




So How Does White Glove Delivery Work?
The ad on Amazon.com says, "After your purchase, an agent will call you within five days to arrange delivery."I wasn't exactly sure how that would work, so I called TigerDirect — the reseller that sold me the goods through Amazon.As detailed in my original story, TigerDirect — which charged me $62 for the so-called free delivery — said the onus was on Amazon, not Tiger, to cover the white glove service.In turn, Amazon claimed it was up to TigerDirect.


Ironically, the biggest and costliest consumer horror shows happen when shoppers try to cut corners and "save a buck."


In the past, when potential clients have tried to shake me down for a rock bottom discount, I've told them that there are two types of installation companies: ones that will cut their own throat to make a deal, and ones that will finish the job properly; the choice is theirs.


As an expert at what I do, I believe in hiring experts to do things that I can't or won't do. When I had tile and laminate laid down in my house last year, I hired a reputable flooring company, selected the nicest materials I could afford, and paid for the labour for expert flooring guys to install it. They were done in a week, and it was money well spent. Given my basic philosophy, it would have been hypocritical of me to cut corners in the name of "saving a buck."


By contrast, I know some cheapskates who tried to cut corners on their home renovation by having their uncle's sister's cousin who's a contractor do the work on his days off with materials that may or may not have fallen off of a truck. Two years later, their house is still in ruins, and their contractor relative only returns their calls intermittantly. Way to save a few bucks guys.

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