Super Bowl 2008: Last Minute Super Bowl HDTV Buying Tips To Save You Time And Money

Your chances of purchasing an HDTV online today and having it delivered to you in time for tomorrow's game are pretty well zero, so most likely you'll have to go hunting at your local retailers such as Best Buy to find your set. David Pogue, New York Times technology writer and contributor to CNBC went to a Best Buy outlet disguised as the ultimate football fan and cleared up of the popular conceptions and misconceptions regarding the perfect HDTV purchase. We won't elaborate here as you can check out the short video yourself, but not everyone has the cash or credit necessary to purchase an HDTV in one shot or through credit financing. So what do you do if you don't have a lot of cash or good credit?

You could always head to one of the 3200 Rent-A-Center outlets in the States and go the rent-to-own route. Personally, I'm not a big proponent of rent-to-own outlets. While they do offer those with little monetary resources the opportunity to own things they wouldn't be able to otherwise, these type of retailers, if that's want you want to call them, do so in a way that's arguably criminal. Take for instance the 40-inch Sony Bravia set discussed in a New York Times article today, that can be had from a New York Rent-A-Center location for only $47.51 per week. A buyer pays that $47.51 per week until the full price of the set is paid and only then do they truly own the set. The problem is that the payment term is 117 weeks, bringing the final price of the 40-inch Bravia to $5558, meaning payment of an interest rate in the amount of 71%! Did I mention the word 'criminal'?

Really though, for the purposes of your Super Bowl party, these little detail, important otherwise, is of no consequence. Why? Because, Rent-A-Center argues that these prices are justifiable due to the convenience and pricing flexibility they offer and because they make money on repossessions occurring when customers miss payments. That last point is sick in my books, but you can use it to your advantage when you're out looking for an HDTV today.

Because missed payments have no negative effects on your credit, just do what New Yorker Steve Loiseau did, head down to your local Rent-A-Center, put down the mimimum $150 down payment on a 47-inch HDTV, take it home, watch the Super Bowl in high-def, and then upon your next payment date in two weeks, just take the set back and say you don't want it anymore. You just watched the Patriots and Giants battle it out in high-definition for $150 bucks and all your friends will love your forever. Well, maybe not the last part but you get the point. Unethical? Not at all. Rent-A-Center execs say this is exactly how they make money. They're counting on you to skip your payment and give the HDTV back.

We hope you saved you some time, money, and a whopping stress headache today. Enjoy the game!

Read More in: How to buy an HDTV

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