Electronics shopping? Look online for bargains

Herb Weisbaum • Profile • E-mail

Here’s some good news for everyone who has electronics on their holiday shopping list. Chances are you’ll have a pleasant experience looking for that MP3 player, flat screen television, or computer – especially if you shop online.

In its November issue, Consumer Reports says shoppers are “very satisfied” buying electronics, “more so than for most other services we regularly cover.” For most electronics purchases shopping online rated higher than going to a brick and mortar store.

The results are based on responses from more than 20,000 Consumer Reports readers who recently bought a TV, digital camera, camcorder, DVD machine, PDA, or audio equipment.

Anthony Giorgianni, the magazine’s associate finance editor, tells me he was surprised that so many readers preferred shopping online for electronics.

“We thought that people might have concerns about delivery when it came to things like big screen TVs. And believe it or not, they didn’t,” Giorgianni says. “It means that you really can shop online and get satisfaction.”

Why buy electronics online?
Other than books, Todd Farrar of Seattle normally doesn’t buy a lot of things online. But he recently ordered two keyboards from Costco.com and was glad he did. Farrar says the price was “great” and the site was “easy to use.”

Millions of people are now buying electronics online. And based on Consumer Reports survey, most of them are happy they shopped this way. Why?

Because the Web offers something no walk-in store can match – price, selection, service, and detailed product information. It’s just so easy to research products and comparison shop online.

Plus, at a virtual store you won’t have to put up with what Consumer Reports calls “a prime irritant” of in-store electronics shopping: the pitch to buy an extended warranty.

Giorgianni tells me you are three times more likely to buy an extended warranty if you shop at a walk-in store. He says that indicates “the kind of pressure” often used to push these service contracts. Consumer experts recommend against buying extended warranties for most products.

Extendend warranty? Just say no! Most electronic products are likely to outlive the period of an extended warranty without a problem. And if there is a glitch after the manufacturer's warranty expires, the cost of repair or replacement isn't likely to be much more than the amount you'd pay for extended coverage. Further, when respondents in a recent Consumer Reports survey tried to use their extended warranties, fewer than 60 percent said they were highly satisfied with the coverage. There are two cases in which we recommend considering an extended warranty: — When buying an Apple computer — When buying a rear-projection TV. (Consumer Reports is currently reviewing the projection-TV recommendation and expect to report findings in the December 2007 issue.) Source: Consumer Reports, November 2007

And the winners are …
Both of the top-rated electronics stores in the Consumer Reports survey are e-tailers: Crutchfield.com and Amazon.com. Costco.com, which was number three, rated average for customer service.

Amazon was the online price leader. Crutchfield rated higher for service; something it actively promotes. You can e-mail questions to Crutchfield’s customer support team or call a toll-free number to talk to a sales advisor. The site is loaded with great information, including how-to installation videos and hundreds of “learn about” articles on everything from home theater to satellite radio.

Both Crutchfield and Amazon get high marks for the quality of their sites, the selection of merchandise, and their customer-friendly return policies. Consumer Reports notes that Amazon is one of the few top-scoring Web sites that will let you return any computer it sells. Remember: the third-party merchants that sell on Amazon have their own return policies, which may be less impressive.

MORE FROM CONSUMERMAN

ConsumerMan Section Front

ConsumerMan: Get a cheap cell headset ConsumerMan: Don't gab and drive ConsumerMan: Digital converter offer a scam ConsumerMan: Dark side of reward cards ConsumerMan: Think before selling gas hog ConsumerMan: Backyard grilling guide ConsumerMan Section Front   Add ConsumerMan headlines to your news reader: