Spend the $$$, call the repairman
It was like making the "Lady or the Tiger" choice.
Our wonderful, six-year-old, silver, Sony, super 34-inch television set that cost more than $1,000, had been slow to turn on for quite a while. After New Years day it became so lazy I was calling my cable provider a couple times each day. They finally sent a man out to check the cable box and he gave me the first bad news. "It's not us. It's your TV. You better call a repairman."
For more than 40 years we've been buying all our electronics and appliances from ABT Electronics in Glenview Il. (see the Widows List for phone number). They care for us like a mother would, delivering, setting up, coming back for repairs, and going many "extra miles" to make sure we find satisfaction. Most people on Chicago's North Shore will give the same report.
So I called ABT and found the service call is now $149. That gave me pause. They always seem to tell me the parts and labor and service call will probably cost more than a new one, no matter what I've called them about, so I thought this time I'll fool them and go directly to ABT and buy a new set.
First I checked prices at Costco and Best Buy, of course. When I had all the infomation in my notebook, I drove on to ABT and a great salesman assured me I had made the right decision. He looked over the prices and gave me a better deal, as usual, with delivery, setup and take away figured in to the total cost of $433. The delivery was in two days.
That night I began thinking, "What would my husband do? This is really such a nice and expensive set. How can I just throw it out? "
I decided to change course, postpone delivery on the new set and call the ABT repairman to make sure it couldn't be fixed.
Surprise. The set needed only one small "turn on" switch costing $34. He said in 99 percent of cases that solved this problem. He ordered it, returned two days later, soldered it in, then picked up the remote.
Surprise again. He clicked it on. He clicked it on again. As before, nothing happened. I was very depressed about having made the wrong choice, but thanked him. called my ABT salesman and told him to set up that delivery again. I was resolved to paying $433 for the new one, as well as repair costs, although ABT does kindly refund half the service call fee when you buy a replacement.
That evening I picked up the remote as I walked by and gave it a click. I heard something. I clicked it again and Wala!! The set went on . I tested it on and off for the next two days, then canceled the new set. The tv was fixed for $183.
I felt wonderful watching my television set all weekend--and knowing I had chosen "the Lady."
Our wonderful, six-year-old, silver, Sony, super 34-inch television set that cost more than $1,000, had been slow to turn on for quite a while. After New Years day it became so lazy I was calling my cable provider a couple times each day. They finally sent a man out to check the cable box and he gave me the first bad news. "It's not us. It's your TV. You better call a repairman."
For more than 40 years we've been buying all our electronics and appliances from ABT Electronics in Glenview Il. (see the Widows List for phone number). They care for us like a mother would, delivering, setting up, coming back for repairs, and going many "extra miles" to make sure we find satisfaction. Most people on Chicago's North Shore will give the same report.
So I called ABT and found the service call is now $149. That gave me pause. They always seem to tell me the parts and labor and service call will probably cost more than a new one, no matter what I've called them about, so I thought this time I'll fool them and go directly to ABT and buy a new set.
First I checked prices at Costco and Best Buy, of course. When I had all the infomation in my notebook, I drove on to ABT and a great salesman assured me I had made the right decision. He looked over the prices and gave me a better deal, as usual, with delivery, setup and take away figured in to the total cost of $433. The delivery was in two days.
That night I began thinking, "What would my husband do? This is really such a nice and expensive set. How can I just throw it out? "
I decided to change course, postpone delivery on the new set and call the ABT repairman to make sure it couldn't be fixed.
Surprise. The set needed only one small "turn on" switch costing $34. He said in 99 percent of cases that solved this problem. He ordered it, returned two days later, soldered it in, then picked up the remote.
Surprise again. He clicked it on. He clicked it on again. As before, nothing happened. I was very depressed about having made the wrong choice, but thanked him. called my ABT salesman and told him to set up that delivery again. I was resolved to paying $433 for the new one, as well as repair costs, although ABT does kindly refund half the service call fee when you buy a replacement.
That evening I picked up the remote as I walked by and gave it a click. I heard something. I clicked it again and Wala!! The set went on . I tested it on and off for the next two days, then canceled the new set. The tv was fixed for $183.
I felt wonderful watching my television set all weekend--and knowing I had chosen "the Lady."
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