Site To Store

The purpose of this post is twofold. The first is to share that I'm purchasing a video hardware recorder. The second is to share how I'm planning on getting it.

There has not exactly been an overwhelming array of choices in the set top TV recorder arena if you don't want the Tivo logo, and the associated monthly fee. In fact, only Wal-Mart sells two of these devices. Of the two, the cheaper one is a Polaroid, and is widely regarded as a piece of junk. After my experience last year, I can confirm this. The other is a Phillips model which goes for $300. Not exactly cheap, but when compared to building a PC based home theater, it starts to look affordable.

The companies that previously made these devices claim there isn't much of a market for them. I'd have to disagree.

With the Fall television season starting next month, I decided that it was time to take the plunge. I noticed last time I was in Wal-Mart that they didn't have any on the shelf. With gas still skirting $3 a gallon, I decided to let my fingers do the walking, and figured out online that many of the Wal-Marts in my area are completely out of this thing! No market, hey? I think the other companies, like Panasonic, bailed too soon on this category of device.

What to do? Now I'm getting to the second part of the post. One option is to drive to the next state as it is listed as having "limited supplies" of the item of interest. I'm thinking that when I get there, there may only be one or two, and what if they are in a broken box, or returned. Nah!

This is where the "Site To Store" logo comes in. Back before the internet, we used to buy stuff at Sears and their lengthy catalog. In order to save money, we would ship it to the store to save on the shipping costs. For those that remember, Sears was the original Amazon, and they stupidly eliminated their catalog at a time when they should have been putting it online.

Anyway, when I went to order this at the Wal-Mart site, they gave me the option of shipping the item to the store. In the process, we save around $7 in shipping costs. No big deal, but if I'm heading over there anyway, I might as well save the dough for something else. Also, I can return it right to the store, and not have the hassle of shipping it back if things don't work out as expected. Reportedly, the item is picked up in customer service. To safeguard my purchase, I have to bring a photo ID, and the email letting me know its arrived. So far, this appears to be one of the better ideas a B&M retailer has come up with, and I'm wondering why more retailers haven't embraced a similar system (although Circuit City is one of the few others that has), rather than just whining that they can't compete with online offerings constantly.

Stay tuned, we'll let you know how this turns out. BTW, I'm getting this Phillips recorder.

--Jonas