While there are many reasons to shop in person, there are some
items that should never be purchased at brick-and-mortar retail
stores:
Extended Warranties
This is something consumers should
never
buy, regardless of the location. Best Buy (NYSE:
BBY
) may attempt to paint a nice picture, arguing that your HDTV's
picture might not be so nice in two years. Truthfully, however,
high-def TVs rarely die young. They are sturdy items that will
remain on the same dusty shelving unit for at least five years.
And, when it comes to replace them, consumers may find that they
could buy the same TV in five years brand new at the same price
as the extended warranty.
HDMI Cables
Sony (NYSE:
SNE
) has produced some of the thickest and most reliable HDMI cables
available. The company sells them for less than $30 at Walmart
(NYSE:
WMT
). That is a fair price. The $90 that Monster charges for its
cables, however, is not.
Budget conscious consumers can find a variety of HDMI cables
on Amazon (NASDAQ:
AMZN
) for less than $5.
Music CDs
This is a no-brainer. With higher prices and fewer selections,
consumers are better off buying new music from Apple's (NASDAQ:
AAPL
) iTunes service. If you prefer CDs, check Amazon or
BestBuy.com.
Cell Phone Accessories
Why spend $20 or more for an iPhone case you could find online
for $10?
DVDs After Launch
When movies and TV boxed sets are first released, Target
(NYSE:
TGT
) and Best Buy often fight for the best price available. After
those sales end, however, consumers are typically better off
shopping online. Otherwise they will have to wait for another
sale to come around at the nearest big-box store.
Video Game Download Cards
You walk into a store. You see a copy of Game X sitting on the
shelf and a download card sitting next to it. Which do you
choose?
Seriously, which one? If you have to ask, you might as well
have stayed at home and downloaded the game. After all, it is not
as if that card holds any value -- you will still have to go
through the trouble of downloading the item.
The exception to this rule would be Xbox Live Arcade and
PlayStation Network points. But Xbox Live subscriptions are
usually cheaper on Amazon.
Items That Are Cheaper but Damaged
Brick-and-mortar bookstores want to beat Amazon so badly that
they are willing to fill their stores with zillions of books that
nobody wants -- including some with scratches running up and down
the cover!
Follow me
@LouisBedigianBZ
(c) 2012 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment
advice. All rights reserved.