From: cheselka@cactus.org (Michael R. M. Cheselka)
Subject: Re: SEARS tools protection plan sale hassle
Summary: Info about the Statesman
Organization: Capital Area Central Texas UNIX Society, PO Box 9786, Austin, TX 78766-9786
Distribution: austin
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 21:39:39 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.165302.15710@hal.com> bobp@hal.com (Bob Pendelton) writes:
>From article <16ci69INNqsc@cs.utexas.edu>, by wardrb@cs.utexas.edu (Richard Byron Ward):
>
>> I wonder if this is all part of Sear's push of name brands.
>> Their tools are not  all Craftsman?  
>
>Nope, they are not all Craftsman and haven't been for some time.
>
>> Replacement protection is included with all Craftsmen tools.
>
>Sears is in serious financial trouble ans has been for some time. They

Lifetime replacement is for Sear's lifetime, not yours ;-).

>last experience in a Sears store I'll NEVER go back.

Tell me more!  How bad could it have been?

>> BTW, is anyone else getting "hassled" by the Austin American Statesman?
>> I REALLY don't want a subscription, yet I get approached by a kid selling 
>> subscriptions at least once every six weeks.  I am starting to lose my
>> patience and I feel sorry for the kids.

See below.

>Paper carriers are under a lot of pressure to bring in subscriptions.

They aren't under any pressure.  The Statesman tries hard to motivate the
kids, but, being kids, it goes in one ear and out the other.  The real
presure is on the sales crew leader, whose job it is to pick the kids up at
their homes in the afternoon using the Statesman's van, put them out in
your neighborhood, and later on at night, pick them up and return them
home.  He has a weekly quota to fulfill.  If his sales rodents don't sell
enough, he loses his job.

>The kid also has a profit motive to sing you up. So, it's sixes as to

They get twelve dollars per three month, seven day delivery subscription;
if it's paid in advance.  To most kids, selling a few of these will buy
more video games and compact discs then most kids on an allowance dream of
buying.  It is ridiculously easy to work three nights a week and make fifty
dollars!  Don't feel sorry for these kids!  They are not saving for a
bicycle, college education, or paying off a house; they are buying nintendo
catridges, marijuana, and heavy metal concert tickets.

>which one, the kid or the Statesman, is actually hassling you. If the

It's the Statesman, no doubt.

>kid won't stop bothering you, call the statesman and complain. That

They will praise the kid for his dogged pursuit of a sale and counsel him
on what to say to get the sale next time( since he blew this one).

>usually works until a new kid takes over the route...

Wrong, the kids are moved around, and don't know were they will be day to
day.  Each week, the Statesman prints out every address in Austin.  Some
addresses get printed out twice.  Once on the subscriber list and once on
the non-subscriber list.  If you get the paper on weekends, you are both a
subscriber Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and a non-subscriber for the rest
of the week.  The subscriber lists are broken down into throw lists( paper
routes).  The non-subscriber lists are arbitrarily broken down into sales
areas, after the crew leaders haggle with one another for the best areas.
These are broken up each night and given to the kids to work.  The kids
know whether you are taking a paper or not( ask one to let you see their
clip board).  Taking it on weekends worsens your situatuion.  You receive
the Statesman, and it's solicitations. It's scary; the worst of both worlds
>:->!  You will be unmercifully solicited by kids armed with a seven day
delivery discount price lower then the weekend subscription rate, who will
view any attempt to pay extra for fewer papers as an act of insanity.
Since they are paid the full twelve dollars, as if you hadn't been taking
the paper at all, such a customer gets lobbied hard.  In summary, it is
impossible to avoid the Statesman.  Even unlisted numbers won't help.  The
Statesman prints out numbers from, say, 452-0000, to 452-9999, skiping
those of know subscribers and business, so there is no hope of avoiding a
call.  If you have two phone lines, you will be called on one or the other
because the software they have only allows for one phone number per
subscriber to be skipped.  Also, the phone numbers and addresses are cycled
through every month or so( because they have such a large sales force), so
that on the average, you will be solicited once every two weeks.  Don't
like it?  Well, your not a subscriber, so what does the Statesman care.
-- 
cheselka@cactus.org               N5UVV              Michael R. M. Cheselka
os9@gnu.ai.mit.edu        Hangs out on 145.21mhz       400 W. 34th st. #103
membership@cactus.org                                 Austin, TX 78705-1331
{...}!cs.utexas!cactus.org!cheselka (512)452-9412v ( 24hours answer. mach.)
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