Simon, I noticed you didn't bother replying to my PM about upgrading.
I think what you're saying is false economy, unless you're planning on keeping your TV long-term. We bought our panel for £5600. If we can get £3000 for it over one and a half years later, where's the 'too much of a loss' that you describe? What do you expect from TV pricing? Can you do that with any other brand? Buy a Loewe, Panasonic and Sony for £5600 in 2007 and you wouldn't get a dealer buy it back for £3000 in April 2009.
The 'problem' is this: the same MKIV panel now costs £6500 (since the 10% increase). A BV9 costs over £14,000. The BL5s I bought look excellent value as they are now over £13,000. I asked around and had dealers refuse to accept the MKIII panel as a trade-in (I won't list them). This will only get worse in the future - if you want to trade up in September or next April, the gap between trade-in price you'll get for your MKIII and the price you'll need to pay for your new TV will be much wider.
I don't think it's possible to sell a panel privately, either. Impractical. I asked 'pre-loved' retailers and their offers were less than from the dealer.
If our TV panel was £5600 when we bought it, what do you think is a 'fair price' for your 2007-model BV7-40 panel, in your opinion, bearing in mind that the dealer has to sell it on, second-hand?
Anyway, I think I made the right decision and I can stick it through my business, so I can claim the VAT and so on back. So, I guess it doesn't affect me too much.
Hi Chris,
Actually I sent a detailed reply to your PM! I am gutted if you didn't get it as its gone now and I can't get it back. Retyping it seems too much of an effort!
What you say is true about the prices and I am sure they are probably as best as the dealers can make them given that they have to pass the TVs on again. All I am saying is that I personally am not prepared to lose £2,600 in 18 months. I have got caught in the trap of always wanting the latest thing, rather than sitting back and enjoying what I have. I'd love to constantly be up to date for obvious reasons but that's the very challenge I need to face otherwise I'll never be content.
Can't wait to hear from you though about the new set once you have it installed and running. Putting it through your business certainly is a sensible way of upgrading so it does sound like you made a good decision.
