Anybody know anything about portable DVD players?
I have the great American experience of taking the two kids(4 and 1) to Disney World in a few months and want to get one a help them pass the time.
Don't ask about the not flying! :(
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Anybody know anything about portable DVD players?
I have the great American experience of taking the two kids(4 and 1) to Disney World in a few months and want to get one a help them pass the time.
Don't ask about the not flying! :(
Quinn - I picked up an Akai with a 5" screen (it was really cheap - I got it for about $90 US brand new) and it works pretty good. It plays all my backups (I backup my sons movies so if he decides to play frisbee with them I still have the original to backup again) and it sounds really good too (with my Grado head phone that is).
Here's a thought my buddy does a lot - go to Costco and buy it for the trip. When the trip is over, return it. Costco usually takes things back no questions asked. I use it when I travel (and I travel a lot) so I will be keeping mine, but this way if it won't get much use after your trip, you won't be out any money.
My wife is a fraud and abuse attorney. That won't fly around my house.
LOL - that would be a tough one. Though I don't think it is 'illegal' in the sense that at most places you have 30 days to try something and return it if you don't like it. What my friend did was buy Camcorders just before his vacation, took movies of his vacation, copied it to a DVD, and then returned the camcorder. Is it slimy - you bet, but a lot worse goes on in this industry that would make this seem like nothing. And besides, once he found one he really liked, he kept it. I personally don't do that, but I don't see anything wrong with it so long as you don't make a habit out of it. BTW - Costco will take ANYTHING back with a receipt, no matter how old it is. Though they did recently change their policies on computers. I have neighbors that would routinely bring back their computer every year, get a full refund, then buy the latest one out there. And Costco let it happen, it's not like they didn't know what was going on, it was (at the time) acceptable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quinn
i bought one of the really generic ones a couple years ago and used it daily at work (so i wasn't working exactly), it was worth every penny.
May not be illegal but sure is dishonest and makes everything more expensive for all Costco customers.
Alex de Touqville wrote about American individuality almost two hundred years ago. Not much has changed. We're not about the group. It's what's in it for us as individuals that counts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quinn
Just over ten years ago, we had a debate in this country about health care. The ads that ran on TV didn't address what was good for our society. It was all about the individual not getting more than his/her share. It was very effective.
David
Actually - 50 % (or more in some cases) of the retail markup goes to cover off theft (both internal and external). The problem we have in the retail industry is that to make money we have to make our stores product accessible for the 'real' consumer. Doing this though also brings out the theives in droves. Lock everything away, and you lose sales.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quinn
The manufacturer will actually give the retailer 30 to 50% (or more depending on the relationship) toward open box products to sell at a markdown (cheaper for them then to take it back and 'refurbish' it, which they only do for products that need repair) and in many cases the store will make MORE money this way as they may only mark it down 25% then if it hadn't been returned to begin with (it's crazy, but it's true).
At Costco (a good friend was a store manager at one) they don't own a lot of the inventory - it is there on consignment basis to begin with. This is one reason why Costco has such a liberal return policy - that and the fact (and this is true to) when I see something there I think I may want, I just buy it knowing if I do have buyers remorse or I just change my mind I can return it with no hassle or issues. If I do have a hard time - you can bet they would lose a of future sales.
But, all that said - I agree with your morals Quinn, and I too do not do this. If I buy something it usually is because I intend on keeping it. All I'm suggesting is that if you do get one and maybe the kids don't like it, or you find something better a month down the road, you could always return it.
Good luck!