Buy display model?

[aaronc879]

Is there any reason not to buy a display model? I'm thinking specifically about an HDTV but this could apply to anything like a computer, car, or piece of furniture. I was just browsing at wal-mart before getting groceries and saw several HDTV's at a discount of about $100 if you buy the display model vs. a boxed model. Any reason not to buy the display model?

 

[dex]

It depends on the product.
I would buy a "Pet Rock" display model.
A TV has a limited number of hours of use - you don't know how long that TV was on.

 

[Coach]

Make sure the display model is complete -- I picked up a TV at a decent price, but the remote was missing.

Coach

 

[Midpack]

It depends on the product.
I would buy a "Pet Rock" display model.
A TV has a limited number of hours of use - you don't know how long that TV was on.

Or what shoppers might have done to it before you bought it. For example, I don't think touching an LCD screen is good for it, and I'd assume some children and adults have poked it just for fun...YMMV

I'd agree, it depends entirely on the product, there are some products that I would not hesitate to buy the display (and have).

 

[ls99]

TV display models usually run at full brightness, not a big issue with LCD. Projector and Plasma types get reduced life. On the plus side they are "burned in", past infant mortality.

 

[CuppaJoe]

I splurged one year and bought two expensive pieces of furniture. I admired one of them so long at the store that by the time I went to buy it it was the only one left, a beautiful discontinued display model at about 75% off. There is a small nick in the finish and one off the drawers requires a knack for closing. No regrets.

 

[Texarkandy]

The DLP TV's have a quite expensive bulb in them that burns out after X thousand hours - you might want to take that into consideration considering how many days/weeks it's been sitting on the floor turned on for 12 or 16 hours per day.

 

[bubba]

The thing about buying display models of electronics is that kids play with them and so forth in the stores. Honestly, I'd pass unless they were practically giving it away.

 

[Meadbh]

I would buy the display suite if I were in the market for a condo, because they usually choose the nicest one and add upgrades. I would stay away from anything with electronics. It's equivalent to buying used.

 

[novaman]

Some stores actually mark their display models with a date stamp that tells you when the item went on display. I picked up a nice TV that was put on display only 1 week before I bought it.

 

[Walt34]

I bought a display model 5 hp Briggs & Stratton outboard motor. It's basically a beefed-up lawn mower engine on an outboard lower half. I wanted the air cooled engine because the north Potomac has a lot of weeds that might clog the intake of a water cooled engine. It had been run a few times but I have had no troubles with it.

 

[Goonie]

Is there any reason not to buy a display model?

I quit buying the display models of electronic gear years ago. I didn't have much cash available back then, and so I'd usually pick up the display models when the newer models of stuff came onto the market. Whatever it was that I purchased usually turner out to be about half worn-out or slightly damaged....and I was more often than not disappointed with it after a short time. Of course back then it was always from our local Radio Shack, and most of their stuff sucked anyway due to poor quality....even stuff fresh out of the box.

So I finally decided to quit buying display cr*p. I also decided to quit buying at RS...unless it was real brand name....and not their own 'brand'. And I found that I could get much better quality, for not that much more cash, at the local electronics and stereo stores.

Ditto to what the others have mentioned about not knowing how long the thing has been turned on, or what the devil those mischievous kids AND adults have done to the display models!

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

All of the above advice also applies to those models in car shows.

 

[BigBob]

I know this may be OT, but if you are looking at HDTVs at WallyWorld, check out their BlackFriday special. 42 inch 1080p Polaroid for $598. I can only see these things dropping in prices as the holidays go on, especially if Black Friday is not a very productive sales day. Black Friday Ads 2008 - Polaroid 42" LCD 1080p HDTV at Wal*Mart

 

[freebird5825]

Is there any reason not to buy a display model? I'm thinking specifically about an HDTV but this could apply to anything like a computer, car, or piece of furniture. I was just browsing at wal-mart before getting groceries and saw several HDTV's at a discount of about $100 if you buy the display model vs. a boxed model. Any reason not to buy the display model?

1. children with sticky fingers
2. shoppers who just came from the bathroom
3. shoppers who just came from the local bar
4. disgruntled employees (oops!) in a rush
5. store return policy (floor model = return)
...someone jump in please...
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

 

[martyb]

I bought a 35" Mitsubishi TV display model from a big box electronics store in 1996. Similar to a previous post, the remote was missing. This store was going out of buisiness, and it took me forever and a day to finally get them to cough up an OEM remote. I didn't want a Wally World remote, I wanted original equipment! I finally got it, and the TV is still working today (12+ yrs later). Even though I haven't had any operational issues with the TV, I probably won't do it again. I want to be the guy who takes it out of the box. It just has that new TV smell!