Stu
positive purchase of a Sony xbr70x850b 70" tv
I'll start by saying I was a bit wary of buying from one of the "deep discounters" found online. Most of them are pretty sleazy in their tactics. I was also concerned about the risk of damage, and what to do if the box looked beat up. But given the price differential, including an extended warranty - I had to try it. The price of the tv alone from AVN wasn't the very lowest online. But others tack on a hefty insurance charge that raises the price by minimum of around $200. So much for "free shipping". Rather than buying insurance, William recommended paying $170 for an LTL shipper to California, which includes insurance. And he advised this shipper over UPS - which again - I was a bit skeptical about: an unknown shipper vs. UPS. I went with his recommendations - and it turned out to be the right decision. The TV arrived a bit later than expected. It was shipping from NY, and during the height of the blizzards - so I believe this was the cause of the delay. I was able to track the shipment online, and received a call from the shipper letting me know when the tv would be delivered. It arrived in the time window promised by the shipper. When the truck arrived - I went out to check it out. The TV was standing upright. And the box was....perfect. Not one tear or dent. Awesome. As William promised, the guys brought the tv in, unboxed it, set it up on the floor, and we plugged it in. Does UPS do that? Not in my experience. Fired up, menu looked perfect. I inspected the tv, front to back, top to bottom. Not a scratch. I used some of the savings to purchase a 3 year extended warranty, making the warranty 4 years. It was $300 - which I think is reasonable, in combination with the purchase price. The warranty is from a company called "Mack Worldwide Extended Warranties" at mackcam.com. Looks legit. Finally, my AV guy came over and mounted the tv on the wall, and connected to Dish. And...the tv works and looks great! in summary...no complaints. Great tv and warranty, great delivery, all at a great price. 5 stars.

