I went to buy a small TV with integrated DVD, and went to the John Lewis store in Poole, where I found the one I wanted, the Sony KDL-22BX20D, had risen from £269 last week to £299 this week. So I went to the Comet warehouse store at Fleetsbridge to check out 22” integrated TV / DVDs. The store had an appalling picture, fuzzy and covered with white dots on every TV, compared to the crystal-sharp TVs at John Lewis. This is my conversation.
Me: I’m looking for a 22” TV / DVD combination.
Salesman: Goodmans and Ferguson. £179.
Me: No, I want a quality brand.
Salesman: JVC?
Me: Maybe. Have you got a Sony?
Salesman: Sony don’t make TV / DVD combinations.
Me: Yes, they do. I was just looking at one in John Lewis.
Salesman: They don’t.
Me: Here’s the John Lewis sales token with the model number.
Salesmen: Oh, yes. We don’t stock Sony because the DVDs overheat.
Me: You said Sony didn’t make them just now.
Salesman: Well, they do. But they catch fire.
Me: I think Sony probably know how to make DVD players.
Salesman: Anyway, Samsung’s the same as Sony. We’ve got Samsung.
Me: I don’t think it is.
Salesman: Oh, yes. Samsung, Sony and Sharp are all the same.
Me: You mean they all begin with “S”?
Salesman: No, I mean they’re all made in the same factory. They just have different badges on.
Me: I see. Well, thank you …
Salesmen: Don’t you want one?
No reply. I was already walking towards the door.
* Footnote: In the end, I bought the Sony from Amazon, free delivery, £249, and had it before lunchtime the next day. I constantly bemoan the loss of shops with real people to Amazon, but some days you know why it’s happening.
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