This makes me sick

[shrtcrt-cl]

Here is how people get ripped off!

http://www.gizmorepublic.com/accesso...cable-scam-830

This seems like false advertising to me.

[cybervee-cl]

Originally Posted by shrtcrt

Here is how people get ripped off!

http://www.gizmorepublic.com/accesso...cable-scam-830

This seems like false advertising to me.

nsure: Buyer beware!

I know there are people who don't do any research before they make a purchase, but I'm not one of them!

[Bigfoot]

I hear ya! When I was in the Computer resale game, there was always big margin in Cabling....I can see why they are doing that.

Always educate youself before buying big ticket items, avoid the noid!!!

[patefengreen]

One other item that has always seemed like "false advertising" to me in the big box stores (& probably all electronic stores) is pricing for speakers. Have you ever looked at the tag on the shelf and the speakers you're interested in are marked $90 (for example)? Then when you read the fine print on the label, it says "price per speaker, must be bought in pairs." The speakers are already boxed in pairs, but the store prices them as singles. That's just wrong. Buyer beware all the time no matter where you are. Always be on your toes! Thanks for sharing Justin. We always need to be reminded that we're on our own out there in the retail world.

[patefengreen]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot

...avoid the noid!!!

Ha ha! That's a blast from the past!

[Webmeister]

Definitely DO YOUR RESEARCH! This goes for just about any purchase, but is especially important in big-ticket item and tech toys. It's sad when I roll into a store and know more about a product and the technology behind it than the sales guys, but it happens just about every time. It's free entertainment for all when you play dumb, listen to their spiel, and then start knocking holes in what they are saying.

I don't have a single Monster cable in my home theater because you can buy similar quality for a lot less. You pay for the name! Brian is correct - the margin is in the ancillary purchases you make when you get that "free" printer with a computer purchase (printer cable, toner/ink cartidges, etc. at a high mark-up). Save yourself some bucks and look around - there are places that sell these items for a fraction of the cost the big-box stores charge (because that is all they sell).

The story in the link is a scam to be sure. Some are not so blatantly obvious though. Take for example a TosLink (fiber) cable. It's glass and light, it is a digital signal so it is either on or off. Light is immune to RF interference - why would I worry about how well the cable is shielded? I actually had this conversation with a salesman before he got frustrated and went to help someone else. In the process, a few innocent bystanders were educated.

A USB cable for a printer... gold plated connectors, huge guage wire, tons of shielding, for a bunch of money. Hey - I am sending a print job to the printer 4 ft away. Remind me again why I need to invest all of this money in a super-duper cable?

Enough of my rant - it's a pet peeve of mine...

[Bigfoot]

Amen Michael!!! Preach it brutha!!

I took a wire/cable/bundle repair class while in the Marine Corps. The final exam was cutting a massive coax cable in half and telling you to fix it. I know my cables...LOL

The brand name doesn't make the picture better....always make sure of the following:

What am I buying? (TV, DVD, Blu Ray)
What do I need to make it work? (cabling/speakers/etc)
Does the guy I'm talking to really know his stuff? (take notes and seek out a true expert, online, CL!, etc and make sure you are getting what you need, not what the sales guy wants to sell you!!!)

[dHUTCH]

I always get my HDMI cables at walmart.......and guess what.........they all look just as good as the one Monster Cable in my house. One of my closest friends currently works for BestBuy. Being that we're both "techies" per say, we both enjoy purchasing new and exciting stuff with his store discount. The markup on items such as cables, memory cards, speakers is horrific. For example, a Monster HDMI cable that retails for $90, a best buy employee can pick that same cable up in store with their discount for just over $20. When I had him pick up a tripod for my dad in the photo department, the retail price was $75, he paid $15 for it. It just disgusts me sometimes to walk through such stores and know how much the markup is.

[shrtcrt-cl]

Yeah it gets a bit crazy. I heard TVs are over 100% mark up.

To any CL Member: if you need ANY computer advice, I will be happy to help!

[FoZzMaN-cl]

Originally Posted by shrtcrt

Yeah it gets a bit crazy. I heard TVs are over 100% mark up.

As a former GeekSquad employee - I can assure you there isn't that much margin in the product itself. We paid a small % over store cost - I picked up a 42" SONY 3LCD for a little under $1400, on sale price was around $1700. (My inlaws have since bought the exact same set at retail for $900 - ain't the march of technology grand?:angry
Likewise, we paid maybe $1-5 less than retail for Xbox/PS3/PSP/Wii/iPods.
Now accessories- THAT is where we cleaned up. $35 USB cables, were under $3... Picked up a Rocketfish (house brand) HDMI cable for under $10 - retail is closer to $90. Monster Cable, we got for about 1/2 off.

[Ceedee]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot

I hear ya! When I was in the Computer resale game, there was always big margin in Cabling....I can see why they are doing that.

Always educate youself before buying big ticket items, avoid the noid!!!

Exactly. Same scam as with MEMORY chips for computers. Micron, Crucial and the like sell at about 75-100% less than retail for same memory.

I have NEVER (yes NEVER) purchased any ADD-ON cable sales crap from Best Buy, CompUSA, CircuitCity or any of the rest. Did you see what they charge for a simple USB cable for a printer? Like $25 for a $5 cable. That right there is your hint to NEVER EVER EVER buy ANY cables in a retail store.

Online a HDMI cable is about $6-$8 plus shipping, less on eBay. And YES, they are equal quality as MONSTERCOSTCABLES.

Spend like the 5 minutes it takes to research stuff on Google and save yourself bundles of $$.

CD

[Lok17]

Originally Posted by FoZzMaN

As a former GeekSquad employee - I can assure you there isn't that much margin in the product itself. We paid a small % over store cost - I picked up a 42" SONY 3LCD for a little under $1400, on sale price was around $1700. (My inlaws have since bought the exact same set at retail for $900 - ain't the march of technology grand?:angry
Likewise, we paid maybe $1-5 less than retail for Xbox/PS3/PSP/Wii/iPods.
Now accessories- THAT is where we cleaned up. $35 USB cables, were under $3... Picked up a Rocketfish (house brand) HDMI cable for under $10 - retail is closer to $90. Monster Cable, we got for about 1/2 off.

I am curious what is the markup on games for 360's, Wii's, and PS 3's?

[FoZzMaN-cl]

Most of that stuff is price-fixed by the manufacturers. No matter what the item, we payed a fraction over store cost. There is virtually 0 markup on the consoles themselves, they make all the margin on the controllers, cables, games, and all that other stuff... Oh, and service plans - virtually all margin.

[Chewer D-cl]

I'm a guitar player and Monster Cable pulls the same $hit with their guitar cables. They add twice the amount of insulation to make the cable look bigger and charge 4X the price than a normal cable. It's ridiculous!