Buying electronics can be fun; but it can also be stressful. It’s fun to see all of the new gadgets and think about adding a large flat screen to the man cave. It is also very confusion as well. Do I get the warranty? How do I know if I need these accessories? Especially because of the economic condition, retailers are trying to cross-sell and up-sell any chance they can.
Take for instance, that 50″ LCD HDTV you want to buy. You go to the store to start your search. Once you have decided on the TV that you want, there all sorts of other things to fret over. The sales person starts out by trying to sell you everything in site.HDMI cable, safe power plug and maintenance plan. All these are perfectly fine products but also much cheaper online.
The Store will try and charge you anywhere from $60 to $80 for the HDMI cable when you can get the same thing online for about $20, which includes shipping. The safety power plug helps protect your TV from electrical surges, but most homes are already equipped with surge protection in their electrical wiring. You can also get this much cheaper online, or never get it at all.
The TV comes with a standard power cord. So why would they equip the TV with a standard power cord when you supposedly need a special power plug? And why does the special plug cost so much? It’s just not necessary.
The important thing to remember when shopping for electronics is to make sure you get a quality product that will last; but don’t get caught up in all the extras. Experts say, especially of warranties – most of them are not needed. They’re just another way for the company selling you the product to make some extra money. Most of the time, because the products outlast the warranty, you will never actually use the warranty; making the warranty a big waste of money