dbg@u1100a.UUCP (D B Grooms) (01/02/86)
I am shopping in the central NJ area for stereo components (receiver,
turntable, speakers, cassette deck) in the mid to upper price range.
I would like to get recommendations for stores that offer good discounts
on stereo equipment. Are NY city prices significantly lower than in
this area? If so, I would also like recommendations for NY stores.
Please send mail and I will summarize if there is sufficient interest.
Thanks.
Dave Grooms
Bell Communications Research
{ihnp4,bellcore,pyuxww}!u1100a!dbg
201-699-3944dbg@u1100a.UUCP (D B Grooms) (01/20/86)
A couple of weeks ago I posted an article (included below)
requesting info. on places to shop for stereos. The results are
summarized below. First is a summary of the general recommendations
followed by a list of the places that were listed as good or bad.
I tried to send mail to respondents, and I hope I didn't miss anyone.
Thanks to all those who responded.
Dave Grooms
Bell Communications Research
{ihnp4,bellcore,pyuxww}!u1100a!dbg
201-699-3944
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>I am shopping in the central NJ area for stereo components (receiver,
>turntable, speakers, cassette deck) in the mid to upper price range.
>I would like to get recommendations for stores that offer good discounts
>on stereo equipment. Are NY city prices significantly lower than in
>this area? If so, I would also like recommendations for NY stores.
>Please send mail and I will summarize if there is sufficient interest.
>Thanks.
General recommendations:
- NY city prices are lower than in central Jersey.
- May be a problem with service (repairs) from NYC stores.
- Ask whether the USA or Japanese warranty is offered. Can be
a real pain to get fixed under Japanese.
- Ask about surcharges for credit card orders, and
shipping/handling/insurance charges.
- Some places give better deals for cash.
- If you buy in NYC, have it shipped to NJ to avoid NY sales taxes.
- Try mail order.
Good:
Wall St. Camera. NY
Abe's Electronics. Maine
NY Camera. NY
Olden Camera. NY
Warren Video. Brooklyn
Bryce. NYC
Uncle Steve's. Canal St. NYC
Rabson's. 199 W. 57th or 59th in Manhattan
????. 42 E. 33rd St. Manhattan
Crazy Eddie's (beats any price, including mail order)
Drucker Discount Warehouse. Metuchen NJ, etc.
Tops. Edison NJ, etc.
Brick Church. Edison NJ, etc.
Leonard's Radio. Paramus NJ.
Bad:
Digital Centers of America. Plainview NY
LaBellewjh@bonnie.UUCP (Bill Hery) (01/21/86)
> - If you buy in NYC, have it shipped to NJ to avoid NY sales taxes.
Not legally. When you file your NJ income tax return, you will be asked
to pay the NJ (6%) sales tax to NJ for any merchandise purchased out of state
for use in NJ. If you do this, you only save the difference (8.32-6=2.25%),
which is probably less than the cost of shipping and insuring. And of course
all of you are going to pay that with your NJ income tax.
Even worse (for the tax beaters) is that because this is abused so much, NY and
NJ are in the process of passing cooperative legislation so that each will collect
taxes for the other: if you buy in NY and ship to NJ, you will pay the NJ tax
at the time of purchase, and NY will forward the money to NJ.passaro@acf4.UUCP (Mike Passaro) (01/23/86)
It seems like this might be a dead issue, but since I recently spent quite a bit of money on an entire new stereo system (speakers, receiver, turntable, cd player), let me offer my humble opinions. I bought everything at Lafayette Circuit City. (In Manhattan, I think there are two stores, one on Broadway at E. 4th St. -- across from Tower Records -- and one on E. 45th St.) Their prices are lower than Crazy Eddie's, Rabson's, and a number of places on Canal Street. For example, the receiver that I bought at Lafayette was $30 more at Crazy Eddie's, and the turntable $20 more. Also, Lafayette has some deal whereby, if you see the same item you purchased from Lafayette at another local reatiler, they will refund the difference PLUS 10%, providing you have written proof. (They stick to their word--I saw my receiver at another Lafayette store for $10 less. I asked the sales manager to write down the price. I marched into the store where I bought it, and immediately received a credit.) Most of all, the sales people are helpful, and the store atmosphere is pleasant. This is the reason I refuse to buy from Crazy Eddie -- the people who work there, as well as the atmosphere -- is sleazy and disgusting. Not being the most technically-minded person, I had some trouble connecting my speakers to my receiver. I called the sales person who I bought the units from at Lafayette. She talked me through the procedure and was a great help. I doubt if anyone at Crazy Eddie would even answer the phone, it such a nuthouse there.
cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) (01/27/86)
> . . . I refuse to buy from Crazy Eddie -- the > people who work there, as well as the atmosphere -- is sleazy and > disgusting. . . . I doubt if anyone at Crazy Eddie > would even answer the phone, it such a nuthouse there. I read something in the New York Times that confirmed my suspicions about Crazy Eddie. The Times article said that Crazy Eddie makes so much money because four out of five people do not ask Crazy Eddie to beat the lowest price they've found -- they just pay the price Crazy Eddie asks. In my first experience with Crazy Eddie, I went into the store and asked what a particular radio costed. The saleswoman quoted me the manufacturer's suggested LIST PRICE! ($60). When I said that my friend just bought it there for $45, she gave it to me for that price, no questions asked. But it was then that I learned Eddie's secret: Advertise that you will beat any price, and your customers will think that your *established* retail prices are the lowest around, and come to you first without comparison shopping. Carl Blesch
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (01/28/86)
[] I'll tell you (again) why I don't buy at Crazy Eddie's anymore. 1. Show them a really low price and will they beat it? Nope, they'll just shrug their sholders and walk away. 2. They bait and switch. One Christmas I was in a panic to deliver on a promised car stereo for the second biggest boy of the house. In a snow storm I called CE in New Brunswick and asked for a particular model availability and price. They "won't quote price" over the phone, but the salesman took the time and effort to call the back room and assure me they had one in stock and would hold it for 2 hours in my name. Out into the snow and storm with the diesel rabbit, onward, onward thru the drifts, into the lowering dark. Whew, stomp, stomp, I made it. Did they have the model in stock at any price? What do you think? Haven't bought a thing there since and that was ...6 or 7 years ago. I use the New York "mail order" stores almost exclusively. -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg
tpl@hou2b.UUCP (T.LEE) (01/28/86)
Second to no-buying at Crazy Eddie, any reputable mail-order shop is better than that place. Read net.consumer to save us so many unnecessary hard lessons. T. Paul Lee