My Adventures to buy a 42" Plasma TV in Thrissur (Kerala)

anoopes

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This is my first post in this forum. First of all its a very lengthy story. sorry for the trouble and thanks for the patience. :)

Initially like everyone, my attention was towards LCD only. that too full HD. I was closely following various models of Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and LG. This continued for a long time. i visited sony showrooms and to have a look at the models. but i noted that they were interested only in playing the demo video provided by the company and my request for DVD and DTH were not considered. then i understood that HD ready TV is enough to serve my purpose of watching Digital cable and DVDs.

My focus was then shifted to HD ready TVs. I learned that in the HD ready segment, plasmas perform better than LCD (my own view, some may differ). So i started closely watching the models of LG, Samsung and Panasonic. I preferred a 42" Plasma and my choice was LG 42PQ70. Though i got fascinated by the Panasonic C10, their website at that time indicated that there are no dealers for it in Thrissur (although there is a service center). :(

As it involved an investment close to 50K, i decided not to take the decision quickly, but to wait till i make sure that my choice is perfect. recently LG introduced PJ560 series which made me eager to go for a Plasma.

So yesterday i went to the LG Shoppee (near north bus stand). They were very friendly. But they didn't had any 42" models... but they had 50PQ70 and 50PS80. the price quoted for 42PQ70 was Rs.45000 (without any bargain or exchange). I inquired about the new model i.e. 42PJ560. They told that it will be available from next week onwards. i told them i wanted to know abt that model. The owner told me that he will call me next week after he gets the new stock. So i left the shop giving them my visitng card.

today morning i saw the ad of panasonic in newspaper. it was about exchange offers for LCDs and Plasmas. The plasma models covered were 42C10 and 42X10. So i thought about visiting some other dealers (general) to have a look at the Panasonic models.

i went to "Fridge House" at Kuruppam Road. I met the salesman and i told him that i was looking for a Plasma TV. He took me to a corner of the showroom where they had kept a Panasonic 42C10 and it was not connected to anything. They had LCDs and LEDs of Sony and samsung playing "Discovery HD" from Sun Direct HD. As expected the salesman was eager in brainwashing me towards LCDs. he even told that there is no difference between an ordinary TV and plasma TV apart from the size. from that i understood his knowledge about the products.

at that time i thought about those who really dont know abt these technologies coming to buy a TV. they can be easily influenced by showing the HD content, given by manufacturers.

He told me that HD will be very common within 2 years. I just told him that i would have gone for a HD LCD TV, if HD content was available at normal cable or DTH cost. i told him that my purpose is limited to digital cable and DVDs only. i dont want to see pixeleration while watching these things in HD TV. i asked him to switch to a normal channel and showed him the pixelaration in a 32" HDTV (the channel played was star movies from same DTH connection). he didn't liked my comments as there were several other customers hearing our talks.

i asked him what will be the cost of Panasonic X10. He asked me to wait for a minute. He went to the cash counter and those people were discussing about me for a long time. after 10 minutes he came back and told that there is not much difference between C10 and X10 in terms of performance. he wanted to give an exclusive offer to me for 42C10 at Rs.41990 (for the demo piece kept in the showroom). Further, he will arrange to give 2 year extended warranty for additional Rs.1000. I told him i dont want ur demo models. Then he told that that is a new piece and they brought it to give a demo to a customer, but he never took it. May be he was right, but by this time i lost faith about that shop. so i told him i'll come on monday. then he told that the offer he gave was for today only, he may not be able to give it on Monday. i told him all i wanted was to buy a Plasma TV, and i've no regrets in buying from other shops. he also wanted my phone number so that he can call me on Monday about offers on C10 and X10. i gave my visiting card and left the shop.

next i went to the second "LG shoppee" in M.G. Road. they had only one piece of plasma and that was 32". he told that he cannot give demo as technician is not there. I knew that this model was withdrawn from market some months back. At present LG is not selling any 32" plasmas. So obviously that was an old stock item.

next i went to "nandilath agencies" at M.G. road. they have a separate showroom for samsung LCDs and Plasmas. i went there and asked for Plasma. He showed me one 42" piece and that was kept above all the TVs, just below the roof. Just by seeing the position where they have kept that TV, i got satisfied. :mad: after looking the brochures, i walked away from the showroom.

At last i went to "Ernakulam radio company". they told that they don't deal in plasmas as they are useless compared to LCD.

Apart from the first LG shoppee, all others didn't had any idea about plasma TVs. I was really sad after these experiences and i'm now waiting for the call from the "LG shoppee"

please share your experiences....
 
I really empathize with you and thank you for sharing your experience with showrooms and TV salesmen. In my opinion they are actually worse than the infamous 'used car salesmen'. Keep up the fight and don't give in to the LCD brigade. :)
By the way, for reference, the normal going price for the Panasonic plasmas are:
42C10: 34k - 36k
42X10: 38k - 41k
You could call Panasonic directly and ask them, how and where you can buy a Pansonic Plasma. While you are at it, make sure you do complain about the dealers that kept pushing you away from Plasma to LCD and how poorly they have the Pansonic plasmas displayed.
 
Misconceptions about Plasmas in general & how ill-informed showroom salesmen are!!

Hey Anoopes

Interesting one there. It's the same case here in Chennai. I just can't believe how ill informed branded showroom salesmen can be, and how they speak as if they know everything.

Firstly I went to E-Zone on Old Mahabalipuram Rd in Chennai (in short known as OMR) on Friday evening with my wife after office, just to scout for the PK series LG plasmas.

One guy there, who spoke reasonably good English (but broken at times) came to "assist" us. The moment I asked for the PJ and PK series, he said only PQ series was the latest. I said some of my friends have already bought it in other cities and the new ones were razor thin. He said plasmas are never that thin and those must have been LCDs!!

Then he asks why I am looking at LG when Panasonic is no. 1 in the world for plasmas and points me to a 42C10. I asked for the 50 inch model and he says 50 inch doesn't sell so they never keep stock! He was referring to the Panasonic only. He started telling me how the frameless design in LG PQ70 has led to additional reflection on the screen compared to the Panasonic. And then he said these reflections reduce the picture quality.

While this guy was yakking away, I just called another guy and checked for the PJ and PK series, and that guy says yeah! They're the latest models but it would take at least 1-2 weeks for them to get stock. Should have seen the other guy's face when this fellow said this!

I said I'd come back later and left. We then went to a Samsung Plaza which has come up on the same road a little further away but on the opposite side.

When I asked for the C550 plasmas, the guy said they would be available only in 1st week of June. When I asked about the B450, he said all stocks were sold and only 1 display piece was available. That was the only flat panel in the entire showroom which was not switched on!! All other LCDs and LEDs were switched on and playing either Samsung HD demos or Sun Direct HD.

He said the 50C550 should be around 74k as it was full HD. Max they could do was probably 70k. Then he tries to sell LED technology to me and I cut him off saying I have evaluated everything as I have been in this industry for the last so many years and I prefer a plasma any day to an LCD.

Then he starts off this gyan - all incorrect stuff to prevent people from buying plasmas and to sell LCDs and LEDs. He says plasmas are more for commercial use as they generate a lot of heat and you would need to have the A/C on in the room when they are used!! Then he says they also consume too much power, picture clarity is far better on LEDs and they never recommend plasmas for home use!! He says only if someone comes and asks for a plasma they order and get it, and even a display model is not switched on unless a customer specifically requests the same, due to the reasons mentioned earlier!

Then finally he says plasmas are so cheap because they don't sell much. And they don't last very long.

I just could not take any more of this rubbish and decided to leave. When I asked about home theatre systems, he just showed me 2 models and said they were the ones. He was not even interested in turning them on and showing us a small demo.

Horrible sales attitude. I never experienced this at E-Zone or any other Electronics shop, though they are all mostly the same ill-informed sales guys.

On a positive note though, I did check with Croma at Anna Nagar Chennai, and they said they had just got stock of the 50PK550 plasmas and the cost was around 69k. They said a better price could be worked out at the time of billing.

This has been the latest from my end, and this is just 2 days old.

---Venkat
 
Hi Anoop Ditto is the case with me . I had a similar adventure and Similar reactions by Sales staff in delhi as well . I Sales Guy told me that FULL HD is not possible on a PLASMA, then i pointed out that i saw it myself and is also listed on the website. He still would not accept . I dont know if i break news tht 3d plasma are also in the horizon now . Since Panny and few others are only manufacturing Plasma they are always marketed well . Also Plasma tend to look less bright on th showroom shelf that LCD so a layman would weight more towards LCD . Believe me I was also an Ignorant till a few days back . When I saw this Panny 42 c 10 selling at cheaper price of 33800 at a store . Whn i asked the salesman . he said that Plasma are getting obsolete so they are cheaper few left .Thankfully i saw this article on engadget just the next day . I m glad that i was able to read thru the comments of people there . Then i did some research and then i found HIFI Vision . I m glad that people here are informed unbiased and generous . Thus i was able to make up my mind informed .

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/09/lcd-vs-plasma-in-2010/

I am soon gonna buy a Panasonic c 10 42" from this shop in delhi . Here in delhi prices range from 33,800 to 45000 . I m sure similar range would be there in Kerala as well . Please dont hurry go check out where ebver you can . I m not suggesting a panasonic to you . Buy any brand of your choice . I m only Buying it because Panasonic c10 42" is the cheapest of them all . Also Panny comes with 3 yrs warranty so much of these Burn-in and Black issues must be covered . Just stay informed
 
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Guys, thanks for the comments. Now i feel that i'm not a lonely plasma hunter. yesterday after visiting these shops and meeting these salesmen, i felt that i'm the only person in thrissur asking for Plasmas

the "fridge house" salesman also told something which i forgot to include, that;

* All companies are going to stop production of Plasmas as it is an old technology and obsolete compared to LCDs (as if he is president of the world plasma tv manufacturer's association)
* Plasmas are for commercial purpose only (at malls and restaurants) and cannot be used at home
* pictures will be more brighter in LCD as it throws more light to the black shades in the screen (ridiculous. what does he mean by that? only god knows)

but i respect salesmen from other showrooms i visited. They didn't knew much about Plasma and they didn't commented that much. But this salesman from "Fridge House" was really horrible. I bought my LG refrigerator from there and thats why i preferred them over the others. now i decided that i'll not purchase anything from there in future. this is how a salesman spoils the reputation of a shop...

One thing he said was really interesting to me. after quoting the price of Rs. 41990 for the demo piece, i told him that i have a 29" CRT to exchange. Then he told me that exchange price will be deducted from MRP only. so there will not be any benefit for me if i exchange. i asked him to explain. he told that MRP for C10 is around 52000 and if i exchnage my TV, the exchange value will be deducted from MRP only. if i get Rs.7000 for my old TV, the net cost will be Rs.45000 which is more than the price he offered. so there will not be any benefit if i exchange. its like giving my old tv freely to them.

i know that a similar kind of arrangement is there for EMI which is always based on MRP. The margin which we will get if we opt for immediate cash payment is given to the financing company. normally this will be around 4000 to 10000. 0% interest and free processing are all gimmicks used in the financial world. as a banker, i know these facts very clearly...
 
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Re: Misconceptions about Plasmas in general & how ill-informed showroom salesmen are!

I just called another guy and checked for the PJ and PK series, and that guy says yeah! They're the latest models but it would take at least 1-2 weeks for them to get stock.

---Venkat

Hi venkat

So we can expect PK series within two weeks. Then i'll wait for some more time. But the LG website is silent about the PK series.

- Anoop
 
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LG Customer Service confirmed to me that LG PK550 has been launched on 05 May 2010 and is available in Croma stores. I saw a 60" PK550 in LG showroom at GIP mall, Noida. They still don't have a 50" PK550 with them.

None of the Croma showrooms in NCR are having PK550 plasma. However, Croma Greater Noida has confirmed that they can get the set in 3-4 days time. They were quoting a price of 72K but I told them that it is available for upto 67K at LG showrooms. They have asked me to come over to their showroom for price negotiation. I intend going there in the evening.
 
LG Customer Service confirmed to me that LG PK550 has been launched on 05 May 2010 and is available in Croma stores. I saw a 60" PK550 in LG showroom at GIP mall, Noida. They still don't have a 50" PK550 with them.

None of the Croma showrooms in NCR are having PK550 plasma. However, Croma Greater Noida has confirmed that they can get the set in 3-4 days time. They were quoting a price of 72K but I told them that it is available for upto 67K at LG showrooms. They have asked me to come over to their showroom for price negotiation. I intend going there in the evening.

Croma Greater Noida has finally agreed to a price of 65K for 50" LG PK550. I intend booking it tomorrow and they will deliver the TV on 26 May 2010.
 
Re: Misconceptions about Plasmas in general & how ill-informed showroom salesmen are!

Hi venkat

So we can expect PK series within two weeks. Then i'll wait for some more time. But the LG website is silent about the PK series.

- Anoop

Hey Anoop

Yeah the LG site always gets updated late. Even last year when the PQ series was launched, the models were updated on the site very late. But anyway, from other posts on this forum, it appears LG has launched the PJ350 series (42 and 50 inch) and the PK550 series (full HD, 50 & 60 inch) plasmas in India. For now, mostly ready stock is available at Croma stores across the country. Maybe for you in Kerala, you'd have to wait for some time for the other retailers to get stock.

Even here in Chennai, apart from Croma, other big shops don't have stock yet, and some even don't know that such models have been launched. So the situation would probably be better by the end of the month or by early June.
 
I have been quoted 33,800 for a single plasma at Shyam lal Krishan Lal sadar even if i buy a single unit . I was asking everyone to pool in so that we can negotiate further. I m not sure how much further lower he can go . Coz people have been telling me that 33500 is the wholesale price .
 
he had one piece only that was with one year warranty only. he said he could get a fresh one by 1st. june for 39k.
 
Adventures (contd...)

went "NEXT" yesterday. they have samsung 42B450 which they have quoted for Rs.46000. i'll get a further reduction of Rs.2500 for my old tv. they have Panasonic 42PV8 in their godown for which they have quoted for Rs.36000 (without exchange)

i thought the salesman here is quite good when he told me that "Plasmas are good compared to LCD as the former got a faster response time". But such thoughts got shattered when he explained response time as " the delay occurs while changing from one channel to another"

i've to also check with "Big Bazaar" and "Nadilath G-Mart" today or tomorrow.
 
One thing he said was really interesting to me. after quoting the price of Rs. 41990 for the demo piece, i told him that i have a 29" CRT to exchange. Then he told me that exchange price will be deducted from MRP only. so there will not be any benefit for me if i exchange. i asked him to explain. he told that MRP for C10 is around 52000 and if i exchnage my TV, the exchange value will be deducted from MRP only. if i get Rs.7000 for my old TV, the net cost will be Rs.45000 which is more than the price he offered. so there will not be any benefit if i exchange. its like giving my old tv freely to them.

Pls comment on this. do u think what he told is right?
 
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