This harrowing tale of an installment-plan purchase of a used television in 1960 gone wrong is remarkable in so many ways — but especially in the way it highlights the forgotten history of television purchase. Imagine the idea of trading in your old set — or complaining because the record player on your new set (!) doesn't work properly. Not to mention the idea that your set will need to be "completely rewired" in order to work properly!
The story's so lurid, I have no idea if it's true, but even if not, it's a fascinating piece of historical fiction, like the setup for an early Travis McGee adventure.
I picked out a handsome Zenith priced orginally at $1,500 and marked down to $349. I let my friend make the financial arrangements because I have no head for figures. It worked out that I would get $100 trade in for my set and the balance, $256.47 (tax included), would be paid in installments. Mr. Wright said that a finance corporation would take over my account.
Even though that seemed simple enough, it was as though a shadow had passed over my heart, warning me that something terrible was going to happen. But I shrugged the bad feeling away, telling myself I was being childish.
On the third day the set went bad….
"It'll cost you from $60 to $70 to rewire it and then it probably won't work right. They haven't even started on it yet- Besides, your record player is also on the bum. They want you to make a deposit before they start work on it."
Then the finance company sent a collector to my home.
He was tall and heavy-set and had a coarse voice like a mean tiger. He became abusive and vulgar, calling me vile names and threatening me with bodily harm. He jabbed his thumb at my face and I swear to God, he said exactly this: "I'm warning you, Shary. You've heard of people's bodies floating in the bay, haven't you. Well, they didn't jump in, see. They owed finance companies money and that's how we handle people who give us trouble!"
