Direct TV Hounding At Best Buy

[raoul5788]

A friend of mine said Best Buy once quoted him $400 to install a flat panel tv wall mount bracket.

I was happy when they delivered my new TV in july, hooked it up, and hauled away the old one for free.

Although $400 isn't cheap, it's not far out of line, IMHO. Did that include the cost of the bracket? They run around $100-150 and up. Installing it correctly and running cables could easily take 2+ hours.

 

[Ramy]

I got the HDMI cable at Big Lots for 12 bucks. Even at Walmart, they are $40.

Thanks for the other posts. I may look into Direct TV. Gotta have my Reds though. :

I understand that. I have got to have my Reds too.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Although $400 isn't cheap, it's not far out of line, IMHO. Did that include the cost of the bracket? They run around $100-150 and up. Installing it correctly and running cables could easily take 2+ hours.

What cables do you think the Geek Squad would run?
A 6 foot HDMI?
They aren't satellite installers.
$400 for a Wall Mount is High.
I got 1 guy on my crew that makes $250 per day, and he could also Frame the Entire wall ,run all the wires in the wall, sheet rock it,and then Install the TV
$250 Including the Mount is a fair price for an install. Unless they gotta Drive 50 miles, Then Maybe $3-350.

 

[KimmiKat]

I was standing next to a salesman who was trying to convince a customer that he needed to buy a $120 Monster HDMI cable if he wants the best picture. I interrupted and told him he can buy a $5 HDMI cable from Monprice.com and the quality would be just as good. The salesman basically said you get what you pay for and a $5 cable would be 20 times worse than a $100 one. I couldn't stop laughing.

They tried the same thing to me when buying a TV. Told them I'll get them off Monoprice.com and some guy in a Mon$ter shirt said his company is suing Mono. I told him if I believe that I got some ocean front property in Alberta to sell cheap.

 

[fleetfarmer]

Although $400 isn't cheap, it's not far out of line, IMHO. Did that include the cost of the bracket? They run around $100-150 and up. Installing it correctly and running cables could easily take 2+ hours.

That price didn't include the bracket.

Even if it took 2 hours I don't think paying someone $200 an hour to mount a bracket on a wall is reasonable IMHO.

 

[raoul5788]

That price didn't include the bracket.

Even if it took 2 hours I don't think paying someone $200 an hour to mount a bracket on a wall is reasonable IMHO.

In that case the price is much too high.

 

[Jimbo]

That price didn't include the bracket.

Even if it took 2 hours I don't think paying someone $200 an hour to mount a bracket on a wall is reasonable IMHO.

Your nuts.

$ 200 p/h to set up a wall mount ?

Where do I sign up for that job ?

 

[raoul5788]

What cables do you think the Geek Squad would run?
A 6 foot HDMI?
They aren't satellite installers.
$400 for a Wall Mount is High.
I got 1 guy on my crew that makes $250 per day, and he could also Frame the Entire wall ,run all the wires in the wall, sheet rock it,and then Install the TV
$250 Including the Mount is a fair price for an install. Unless they gotta Drive 50 miles, Then Maybe $3-350.

Hyperbole aside, since fleetfarmer now says the cost of the bracket is separate, the cost is indeed high.

 

[raoul5788]

Your nuts.

$ 200 p/h to set up a wall mount ?

Where do I sign up for that job ?

I think you missed where he said he doesn't think it's reasonable.

 

[Jimbo]

I think you missed where he said he doesn't think it's reasonable.

FWIW, the mount I have fro my 42" Pioneer Elite was about $ 225, I got it cheaper as I am a regular at the place I bought it, but most places are going at about $225.

Trying to remember which mount it was ......

I know it was a Sanus, maybe a 25 or 50 .... just looked at BB and they now go for $ 199

 

[jcrandall]

A friend of mine said Best Buy once quoted him $400 to install a flat panel tv wall mount bracket.

I was happy when they delivered my new TV in july, hooked it up, and hauled away the old one for free.

Insurance is expensive to cover $10/hr employees hanging TVs on customers walls. When the TV falls down, it is an expensive fix. Lets see, new TV, trip charge, wall repair, anything under the falling TV repair/replace, etc.

Don't forget the 200% markup as well.

 

[Jonhern]

They tried the same thing to me when buying a TV. Told them I'll get them off Monoprice.com and some guy in a Mon$ter shirt said his company is suing Mono. I told him if I believe that I got some ocean front property in Alberta to sell cheap.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were suing but can't figure out what standing they will have against monoprice. Monster likes to sue people left and right, they have been suing a company here in RI for several years now, they are one of the few that have decided to fight them. They are saying they are infringing on their trademark because they are called Monster Golf, as if they invented the word Monster. Its like if Apple decided to sue farmers. They even sued I think Pixar for Monster's Inc movie. They are just bullies and that is one reason I never buy their products, that and they are way over priced.

 

[Jimbo]

It's a digital signal, as long as it goes from one end to the other end and connects correctly, it should all be good.

I've seen cables go from $5- $200 all doing the same thing.

 

[beast37799]

i get all my cables and tv mounts from monoprice yes i bought so far 5 tv mounts 1 for me 3 for my parents and 1 for my gf

 

[vurbano]

better in the store than hounding you on the phone every night and weekend like at my house. Their service is inferior, overpriced and unreliable as I told them when I quit after 7 years with them for FIOS yet they keep calling.

 

[joed32]

better in the store than hounding you on the phone every night and weekend like at my house. Their service is inferior, overpriced and unreliable as I told them when I quit after 7 years with them for FIOS yet they keep calling.

Are you back with FIOS again?

 

[raoul5788]

better in the store than hounding you on the phone every night and weekend like at my house. Their service is inferior, overpriced and unreliable as I told them when I quit after 7 years with them for FIOS yet they keep calling.

Directv calls you every night and weekend? Hyperbole much?

 

[jtwex]

Directv calls you every night and weekend? Hyperbole much?

I'll have to add one thing here; I've been just under the Premiere pack for years with most of the sports packs & would on average get about 4 calls a week telling me the benefits of jumping to Premiere for whatever pittance it would cost. I always informed them about the RSN blackout rules & quickly ended the conversation but after months of these calls I just couldn't take it anymore & finally added the Premiere pack (I think they gave me the HD extra pack again for 6 months). The phone hasn't wrung from DTV since & the few dollars a month it costs me was well worth it. Wimpy way out but what the heck.

 

[fleetfarmer]

better in the store than hounding you on the phone every night and weekend like at my house. Their service is inferior, overpriced and unreliable as I told them when I quit after 7 years with them for FIOS yet they keep calling.

This is usually stopped by nicely saying - No thank you, if you continue to call me I'll file a harrasement lawsuit against your company.

 

[BlueEos]

Your nuts.

$ 200 p/h to set up a wall mount ?

Where do I sign up for that job ?

First of all, I would assume that Best Buy get's the lion's share of the installation price. Then there is the truck costs and the 2 guys that come with it (maybe $50 total labor). However, I doubt there is enough jobs to keep them busy for an 8 hour shift. I guessing maybe then do 2 installations a day and some pickup jobs back at Best Buy to fill out their shift.

Never-the-less, $400 is way over the top UNLESS it also included sheetrock work to hide the hanging cables (and there are going to be a lot of them with any other video equipment). My wall unit has cabling for my Wii, my Blu-Ray, my Tivo, and my DTV). I might have paid for the job if it did include sheetrock, but then how would the installation include future additions (cabling) unless there were extra HDMI and component cabling done at the same time (dead ends for future hookups?)

I have all these cables hang down outside the wall in a tube that doesn't look that bad, but no nearly as nice as in-wall cabling would look.