Buying a used HDTV on Craigslist?

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rocketkidd777

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Mar 22, 2008
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Craigslist makes me nervous, but this post is 30 minutes away, and he said he would sell for $850. Should I shy away from a used TV?

http://reading.craigslist.org/ele/937089789.html The model of the TV is- 47pfl5432d/37

Spec sheets show a 5ms response time, and full 1080P.

I'm pretty sure hes legit about the warranty... he said there's a little under a year left. If i pick it up from him, I'd verify everything though anyway.
 
Can't you get a new one for close to that or a bit more? Just doesn't seem like that good of a deal.
 
Did you offer him a lowball price?

I would have

might teach him two lessons

A - Don't buy electronics thinking its an investment or will have some inherent resale value

B - Don't get married
 
haha Well he needs the money badly, so maybe I could go lower. $850 isn't terrible tho is it? That's what I offered him.
 
Phillips is less familiar to me than, for example, Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic.

Is this a good TV? What do professional reviews say?
 
Call me a curmudgeon, but electronics are things that I like to buy new or recertified from the manufacturer, not second-hand from an individual. You should calculate mileage/gas into the equation, especially since you get free shipping deals all the time on the internet.
 
Phillips sold their US distribution rights to a taiwanese company, I think Mitac? Good luck with that changeover and warranty service.
 
Don't even think about wasting $850 on a 47" bottom of the barrel, 1 year old used philips brand LCD. Keep in mind you can buy a new, slightly smaller, quality brand name plasma for much less (for example).

Research this forum for a week or two before buying a television, you'll thank us later: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9 ;)

Note: my local craigslist is very busy with lots of postings (NY/NJ area), but for some reason people feel compelled to charge a fortune for their used LCD televisions, sometimes more than what new LCD's are going for... caveat emptor
 
The percentage of LCD that develops significant issue is rather low (like 3%).
Therefore, I would feel comfortable with buying a used LCD but I recommend the following
1) Do not be shy to fully test the HDTV ( a) Look for dead/stucked pixels; b) Look for backlight bleeding; c) Test all the input (HDMI); d) Test the remote)
2) Ask for the original invoice. It could be useful for warranty purposes and you want to make sure that the item is not stolen.
3) Transport may be an issue. Make sure that your car is large enough. You could also ask a friend for some help.
4) Negotiate!
 
SJetski71 said:
Don't even think about wasting $850 on a 47" bottom of the barrel, 1 year old used philips brand LCD. Keep in mind you can buy a new, slightly smaller, quality brand name plasma for much less (for example).

Research this forum for a week or two before buying a television, you'll thank us later: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9 ;)

Note: my local craigslist is very busy with lots of postings (NY/NJ area), but for some reason people feel compelled to charge a fortune for their used LCD televisions, sometimes more than what new LCD's are going for... caveat emptor
Click to expand...

I suspect SJetski is right about this...
 
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