The Great TV Odyssey: How I Annoyed My Wife, Battled Sales Reps, and Beat Black Friday

I have a confession to make: I hate buying expensive things for myself.

Some people get a dopamine rush from swiping their credit card. I get a stomach ache. I will happily spend money on family or necessities, but when it comes to treating myself? I freeze.
This personality flaw is exactly why I found myself in a predicament this December.

For the past decade, I’ve been watching football on a trusty LG OLED. It was a great TV, until it wasn't. The problem with being a football fanatic and owning an older OLED is the scoreboard. That bright, static box in the corner of the screen.
Over the years, those scoreboards literally burned into the screen. I had permanent "scars" on my display. It gave me massive viewing anxiety. I couldn't enjoy a match without thinking: "Is this damaging my pixels?"

I needed a new TV. But mostly, I needed peace of mind.

The Black Friday Fumble

I had done my research. I knew what I wanted: The Samsung Neo QLED (QN90 series).
Why this specific model?

1. It’s Mini-LED, not OLED: This means zero risk of burn-in. I could leave a news ticker on for 24 hours and the TV wouldn't care.
2. Matte Screen: My living room is bright. My old TV was basically a mirror. This Samsung has a matte coating that eats reflections for breakfast.

During Black Friday, the price dropped to a very attractive €1,250.
Did I click "buy"? No.

I hesitated. I over-analyzed. Do I really need this? Maybe it will go lower?
By the time I made up my mind, Black Friday was over.
The price shot back up to the official retail price of €1,849.

I felt sick. I had essentially "lost" €600 by simply waiting. I was ready to give up and keep watching my scarred OLED until the sales in January.

The Turnaround: A High-Stakes Negotiation

But the itch remained. I realized that waiting for the 2026 models was financial suicide. The launch price for these flagship TVs is always around €2,499. Even with upcoming World Cup promotions, the new models would cost double what the "old" 2025 models cost now. The stores needed to clear their 2025 stock to make room for the new inventory.

I decided to fight back. I contacted a premium retailer (HelloTV) via chat. I wanted their service (official Benelux model), but I wanted the price of the grey import dealers.

The Negotiation Dance:
They started high.

• Sales Rep: "We can offer it to you for €1,600."
• Me: "No way."

We chatted back and forth. Finally, he asked the golden question: "What are you willing to spend?"

• Me: "€1,250. That was the Black Friday price."
  He went away to check with his manager.

• Sales Rep: "We can do €1,369. That is our absolute bottom."

At this point, my wife was watching me type. She was getting annoyed.
"For heaven's sake," she said. "Just buy the damn TV! You've been obsessing over this for a month."
But I’m stubborn. I decided to bluff.

• Me: "That is a shame. I was willing to go up to €1,300, but €1,369 is too much. I guess we have no deal."

Silence. I waited. My wife rolled her eyes.
Then, the message popped up.

• Sales Rep: "Okay. Let's meet at €1,339. Deal?"
  Deal.

The "Math" Victory

Here is the best part. Because I bought an official Benelux model, I qualified for the Samsung Winter Cashback.
I checked the promotion, and the cashback amount for this model is €150.
Let's do the math:
• Negotiated Price: €1,339
• Cashback: - €150
• Total Paid: €1,189

I didn't just match the Black Friday price (€1,250); I beat it by €60. My hesitation actually made me money. (Don't tell my wife that, she's just happy I stopped talking about TV prices).

The Panic: "Where is the Ball?"

The TV arrived. I unboxed it. It was huge. It was bright.
I connected my Telenet TV box and Apple TV. I put on a football match to celebrate.
Horror.
Every time the ball was kicked, it vanished. It was "ghosting" and stuttering across the screen. The players looked like they had weird digital auras around them. The grass was a radioactive neon green.

“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” I thought. “I spent all this money on a lemon.”

Man vs. Machine

It turns out, modern TVs are too smart. Samsung has an "AI Picture" mode that tries to guess what you are watching and "improve" it. For fast-moving sports, it’s a disaster.
I spent the evening deep-diving into settings menus. For anyone else buying a high-end Samsung, here is the secret sauce:

1. Kill the AI: Turn off "Intelligent Mode." All of it. Don't let the robot decide brightness or color.
2. Film Mode: Yes, even for sports. It fixes the neon colors.
3. Motion Settings (The Ghost Killer):
   • Blur Reduction: 10 (Max)
   • Judder Reduction: 3
   • Clear Motion: OFF (unless you like flickering).

Suddenly, the ghosting was gone. The ball was sharp. The picture was glorious.

Conclusion: Was it worth the stress?

It took me a month of doubting, a missed Black Friday deal, a hard negotiation that tested my marriage, and a technical panic attack.
But now, sitting here watching a match in broad daylight:
• The price was unbeatable (€1,189 vs the €2,499 launch price).
• The picture is crisp.
• Most importantly: I can see the scoreboard in the corner and I feel... nothing. No anxiety. No fear of burn-in.
Sometimes, being stubborn pays off.

Do you struggle with "spending guilt" on tech? Or do you click 'Buy' without hesitation? Let me know in the comments!

Cheers,
Peter

Posted Using INLEO