Everyone loves a bargain, but a cheaper tv doesn’t always mean it is a better deal. When scanning through the endless Black Friday ads, you’re going to find a lot of deals on televisions. In fact, flatscreens are one of the top selling items every year. However, are those bargains too good to be true? While most shoppers focus on the sale price, it’s really the product that they need to keep an eye on. These slashed prices can come at a higher cost.
Derivative TVs
If you see an amazing deal on a TV for Black Friday, it could be a scam! These “limited edition brands” are actually derivative products. Many brands make lower quality versions of their most popular models. They may look the same, but they have fewer features and some are made with cheaper parts. Other times these products are actually existing televisions with a new model number. Nevertheless, they go on sale for one day only: Black Friday. With lesser features, like one less HDMI input, the average buyer will not notice and the televisions continue to fly off the shelves. The biggest problems with Derivative TV’s are lower performance and lower reliability.
The Scam Continues
Derivative TV’s are actually a strategy devised by manufacturers and retailers. It makes it harder for shoppers to do direct price comparisons because you’re not going to see the exact same model anywhere else. It also helps retailers with their price-match guarantees because almost all price match guarantees are limited to the exact same model. If you can’t compare that model, they don’t have to match the price. You also can’t find reviews on the products because they’re new and thus, no one really knows what the quality of it is. The specs aren’t always available and tech savy writers are not able to get their hands on the new product to test it before it goes on the market. It may actually be a great value, but there is no way of knowing before you buy.
How do you know if you’re getting a deal or a dud?
It’s as simple as going online and researching the model number. If only Black Friday ads pop up, it’s probably a dud. Keep in mind what you want to buy before you shop and before you go online searching for deals. Look at the models you are interested in and then watch the prices. Check the manufacturer’s warranty and see if it differs from the standard warranty on sets this size. It might be different on a promotional model, with fewer recourses if you simply don’t like the set and the way it performs.
Is Black Friday the best time to buy a TV?
Did you know that Black Friday is not the day when TV prices are the lowest? Sure, there are some good deals, but televisions are actually the cheapest around the Superbowl or the day after. That is because the stores are trying to sell the last of their products before the “newest and greatest” television comes out. If you are able to wait two months, you will find fabulous deals on good quality TV’s that are not derivatives.
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