HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: briang@bari.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Gordon)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Privacy (Was Caller ID)
Date: 7 Apr 92 23:22:36 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: bari

In article <180919@pyramid.pyramid.com> lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell) writes:
<In article <1992Apr06.174137.16375@ncrcae.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM> cooper@endeavor.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Bob Cooper - Extension 7429 external 739-7429) writes:
<<On a related note.  I was just wondering if it is legal to record
<<incoming phone calls without notifying the caller?  Anyone have any
<<real knowledge on this one?
<<
<    Check the front of your Phone Directory published by your local
<    Telco.  It mentions that this is a no-no.
<
<    Also not too bright if you are a president...
<
<    "Real knowledge"? on the Net?  Shirley, you jest.

As is often discussed here, it is strictly a state/local matter, not a Federal
one, so the answers vary from state to state.  CA rules certainly do not have
to apply in SC, for example.  The front of your phone book _probably_ explains
it, and if not, you local telco is the first place to ask.  It varies from
"only with a court order" through "both parties must agree" to "at least one
party must agree".

--
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
| Brian G. Gordon	briang@Sun.COM    briang@netcom.COM		      |
| B.GORDON2 on GENie	70243,3012 on CompuServe	BGordon on AOL	      |
:-:- Hi! I am a .signature virus. Copy me into your .signature to join in! -:-:
From: bsou@cs.arizona.edu (Brandon S. Ou)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: BMG Phone Number?
Summary: BGM phone number?
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:41:46 GMT
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson

In article <20000005@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com>, marzano@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com (Lou Marzano) writes:
> 
> Does anyone know the customer service number for the BMG Compact
> Disc Club?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Lou Marzano
> lou@hpams0c.ptp.hp.com

I don't think BMG has an 800 number.  The best way is to write
to customer service, they usually reply fairly quickly.

Brandon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Brandon "DuMaster" S. Ou     |         "It's up to YOU..."
 <bsou@caslon.cs.arizona.edu>   |   - Kevin Costner as GIM GARRISON 
 Computer Science, U of Arizona |            in "JFK".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 "...if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of a human life,
  maybe we can too..."  - Sarah Conner, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: klf@druwa.ATT.COM (FranklinKL)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: goodbye Heathkit
Keywords: Answer to trivia question
Date: 7 Apr 92 20:23:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: drutx.15148
Distribution: misc

Two correct answers to date (I expect I'll get more) and a few wrong ones.
The correct answer:

>From: gersh@aplpy.jhuapl.edu (John R. Gersh)
>Message-Id: <9204071950.AA14868@aplpy.jhuapl.edu>
>
>The Heath Parasol airplane?
>

--
Ken Franklin 		AT&T Bell Labs			klf@druwa.att.com
AMA #553197		11900 North Pecos		'81 Virago (RLARA)
DoD #0126		Denver, CO 80234
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: rinehart@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark J. Rinehart)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: how to fight a citation
Date: 13 Apr 92 17:18:57 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <kubjjhINN3e@spim.mips.com> gboja@mips.com (Glenda Boja Ramil) writes:

> Hi all,
> They have had this unit for 4 years now and this is the first time
> that they have been given this citation and they checked the building
> next door and the dryer vent location is in the same place.
> They tried to talk to the inspector to have him waive this citation but
> he will not.  They have also talked to another inspector within Santa
> Clara county and he said that if he had inspected the unit, he probably
> would not have given that citation.
> Glenda Ramil


Sounds like that inspector is looking for some cash on the side......
Fight it!!!!!






Mark
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: torerik@cs.washington.edu (Tor Erik Jeremiassen)
Subject: Re: Contact lens: HELP needed !!!
Keywords: Disposable contact lenses
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 19:17:33 GMT


I use the Johnson & Johnson Acuvue (sp?) disposable contact lenses. I use
them on a daily-wear basis (that is I take them out at night), and I use a
new pair every second week. The cost for these are $94 for a 6 month
supply, eye exams (every year) are extra. Your $280 a year seems somewhat
excessive.

As for comfort. I used regular soft lenses a couple of years ago, but
changed back to regular eye glasses due to discomfort. A friend of mine
tried these disposable lenses and recommended them. After having used this 
kind of lenses for about 1 1/2 years without any discomfort I can truly say
these are the most comfortable lenses I've ever tried. Also, if I loose
a lens, big deal, I have more where it came from. I have recommended these
lenses to several people that have asked me about them, and after a little
while, they sing the same praises.

From what I've heard, soft contact lenses cannot correct your vision as well 
as glasses can, especially in the case of astigmatism (sp?). But then again
I am a computer science graduate student, not an eye-doctor! 


Tor Jeremiassen
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: smjeff@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov (Jeff Miller)
Subject: How to end unwanted phonecalls
Originator: smjeff@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland Ohio
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 14:27:15 GMT


The telemarketers have powerful computers and huge databases.
Instead of trying to fight them, why don't we join them and
help them while we also help ourselves.  Keep in mind that the
goal here is not to stop the telemarketers, the goal is to stop
getting unwanted phonecalls.

Someone (one of us?) should start a database of people who would
never buy anything over the phone.  This list can be sold or given
to the telemarketers.  I'm sure they would appreciate getting this
information since it would make their operation more efficient.
They don't want to call people who are not interested in their
products.

Am I being too naive?


-- 
-----------------
Jeffrey H. Miller     smjeff@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov
Sverdrup Technology, NASA Lewis Research Center Group, Cleveland, Ohio


Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mikel@pdx165.intel.com (Mike Lee)
Subject: Looking for a 27" TV
Reply-To: mikel@ichips.intel.com
Organization: Workgroup Computing Division, PDX, Intel
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 15:24:09 GMT

Well, my TV bit the big one last Sat.  Now, I've been a good boy for the
last week, but seductive siren call of the boob tube is too much to resist.

I'm pretty sure of the features I want, but the # of models and
manufacturers is totally bewildering now.  I want a 27" stereo TV, monitor
style, direct inputs for video (preferably S-VHS), direct output for video
and audio, good remote etc.  I would like (not essential) a universal
remote, PIP, surround sound (Basically, I want a high-end model). 

Please respond if you have any recommendations or personal experience (good
and bad).   For personal reasons, I'd like to steer clear of Sony and
Mitsubishi, unless you have a compelling, stependous reason for getting
one.

Thanx in advance,
-- 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|								| | | | |   |
| Mike Lee							| | | |	|   |
| mikel@ichips.intel.com					 \     /    |
|								  \   /	    |
|			 #94 - Team Banana Racing		\	/   |
|			      SUZ GSXR-1100			 \_____/    |
|									    |
| "Ride Hard; Come Out Wet..." 						    |
|									    |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.privacy
From: rfarris@rfengr.com (Rick Farris)
Subject: Re: capturing caller id data
Organization: RF Engineering, Del Mar, California
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 92 02:04:09 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.165545.9237@mdd.comm.mot.com> gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com (John Gilbert) writes:

> It does sound like security, and I'll concede it can be used in this way
> to provide a form of security.  But it is not really completely secure,
> and it comes with restrictions limiting it's use.

Gads.  "it is not really completely secure"  Isn't that like
being a "little bit pregnant?"

Is there any difference between the phrase "not really
completely secure" and "not secure?"

--
Rick Farris  RF Engineering POB M Del Mar, CA 92014  voice (619) 259-6793
rfarris@rfengr.com     ...!ucsd!serene!rfarris      serenity bbs 259-7757
From: mpolen@gelato.mips.com (Michael Polen)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Complaining about a hospital bill...
Date: 14 Apr 1992 16:14:48 GMT
Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Inc.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: gelato.mips.com

In article <1992Apr14.135842.25685@cbnewsl.cb.att.com>, stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger) writes:
|> >Last year, my third daughter had two wisdom teeth pulled by an oral
|> >surgeon and when the procedure was done, presented me with a bill well
|> >over what my dental insurance company wanted.  
|> >
|> >I called him and told him flat out that what he wanted was not what I
|> >was quoted, nor was it what the insurance company said was "reasonable
|> >and proper" and that I would pay him off over time, period.
|> >
|> >The moral of the story is to call each doctor, dentist and hospital on
|> >the carpet on charges and try to make them realize that health care is
|> >too important to be run the way it is presently -- inefficiently.
|> 
|> [... Deleted text ...]
|> 
|> Finally, I think the real problem is that costs aren't questioned.  For
|> example, I see on the news about some new AIDS drug, but the item then
|> points out the high cost (e.g., $115 a week).  At this point, I am
|> just about screaming "WAIT A MINUTE!  This "cost" wasn't set by the
|> government or some consumer medical counsel.  It's a combination of
|> charges set by the manufacturer, distributor(s), and retailer(s).
|> Where did this number come from?  Is it in fact a fair price to recover
|> research, manufacture, shipping, and stocking charges, or is it a
|> price that will maximize profits, independent of the actual marketing
|> or production costs?"
|> 
|> A similar situation occurs when someone is desparately trying to get
|> donations to pay for a child's liver transplant.  When the news talks
|> of a cost of $150,000 or so, they quote that number as some sort of
|> gospel instead of analyzing how it was arrived at.  I mean, is a huge
|> chunk of it some doctor(s) lining his pocket, or are there real costs
|> (such as constant attention by nurses or orderlies)?  Are the costs
|> of lab tests real, or is the patient being expected to donate a lab wing
|> to the hospital?

Did I miss something?  Pricing is not determined by cost.  It is determined
by value, a euphemism for "what the market will bear."  There is no 
difference between surgeons, drug companies, baseball players, or 
computer programmers.  Your services are worth what someone feels they
are worth and is willing to pay.  By bargaining over the cost of medical
procedures, you are supporting the free enterprise system and helping
set the value of the product.

Keep up questioning, but don't expect the cost of the product and it's delivery
to have anything to do with pricing.

#1 Rule of Marketing:  Cost does not drive price.  Price drive cost.  If you
			can't make it inexpensively enough to sell it for
			what people are willing to pay, get out of the business.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: jchen@flash.bellcore.com (Jason Chen)
Subject: Re: credit history reporting
Keywords: secured card, credit report
Reply-To: jchen@flash.UUCP (Jason Chen)
Organization: Bellcore, Morristown NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 00:41:28 GMT

In article <kumpjcINNlir@spim.mips.com> mpolen@gelato.mips.com (Michael Polen) writes:
>In article <1992Apr14.140559.413@ibmpa.awdpa.ibm.com>, satya@netmail.austin.ibm.com (Satyanarayana Rao) writes:
>With a secured credit card you are not borrowing money from them, you are
>borrowing it from yourself.

Wrong. The deposit is simply a collateral, just like a car in an auto loan.
Your still borrow money from them.

C. Jason Chen 
jchen@flash.bellcore.com
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:10186 alt.privacy:972
From: bernman@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Bern Man)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.privacy
Subject: Re: capturing caller id data
Date: 8 Apr 92 01:19:52 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Distribution: usa
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <1992Apr8.000227.24937@mdd.comm.mot.com>
gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com (John Gilbert) writes:
---
>Hey.  Great.  You are willing to trade lost calls in favor of fewer
>nuisance calls.  What I have been saying all along is that this is what will
>happen with CLID.  Indeed surveys seem to show that while nuisance calls
>are reduces 80% or more (of total nuisance calls), wanted calls that
>are missed are in the range 40% (of wanted calls).
---

	I'm sorry, but I missed the post where you originally posted these
figures and the source of these figures.  What is the source?
-- 
			/\/B E R N   M A N\/\

     "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know..."
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: blake@wk60.nas.nasa.gov (Matthew W. Blake)
Subject: Toyota Landcruiser
Organization: NAS, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 23:33:43 GMT

I know this is a car question but I've gotten virtually no response on
the auto groups so I thought I'd check here.

I am considering purchasing a Toyota Landcruiser, vintage late 70s up through
late 80s, in the larger station wagon style.  Anyone have one or had one
want to comment on them?  I've found very little literature so I don't even
know the differences between different years, if any.  I'll use it mostly
on road for 3-4 people and a dog, I'm interested in a reasonably comfortable
and quite ride with high reliability and some off-road capability.  I know
there are other choices but for now I'd like only comments on this vehicle 
type.

Please email me and I'll summarize if I get anything and there is interest.

Thanks,

Matt Blake
blake@nas.nasa.gov
From: staffan@ca.serum.kodak.com (Kenneth Staffan (x37507))
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Catalog address/phone numbers?
Date: 8 Apr 92 13:00:41 GMT
Reply-To: staffan@serum.kodak.com
Organization: Eastman Kodak

OK, I'm cheap.  But when half the world is selling my name to mailing lists,
I can't see actually plunking down money to some "catalog source" service to
_get_ my name on lists that it's not on yet!  So, does anyone have addresses
or phone numbers for any of the following companies/catalogs?

	Renovator's Supply
	Rowe Pottery Works
	Phoneco (old telephones)
	The Alsto Company
	Shop at Home Kids
	Childcraft
	Antique Hardware Store
	The Jerry's Catalog
	PlayFair Toys
	Hudson Glass
	Just for Kids!
	The Disney Catalog
	A Cook's Wares
	Field Publications

Thanks!

Ken
---
staffan@serum.kodak.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: capturing caller id data
Organization: Motorola, Mobile Data Division - Seattle, WA
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 17:57:38 GMT

In article <1992Apr06.101145.16098@clarinet.com> brad@clarinet.com (Brad Templeton) writes:

>It all depends on where the market goes.  We could see a world where
>almost every residence blocks anonymous non-emergency calls, and so
>everybody does caller-ID by default when calling a residence line.
>
>We could see a world where nobody uses caller-ID at home, and so
>most people use default-blocked calling.
>
>We could see something in-between.   But should it not be up to the
>market to decide this?
>
>Indeed, with the market deciding, and the provision of the information
>optional, why not allow tons of information?
>

In a sense.  But there are privacy issues that many folks are concerned
about.  Turning on CLID is not easily reversable, and it may have regrettable
side effects.  It is marketed to represent a certain set of "functions" which
it arguably can not provide reliably.

What is worse, there would be better designs if the telcos wanted to pursue
them.  Things that support personal codes, "trap-and-trace", as suite of
services, not dependant on or used with CLID.  But they went with the CLID
design.  That design, as it turns out, works wonderfully for businesses
(LOCAL businesses) trying to collect data on their customer base.
They do not work as well for the consumer.  And yet look at how CLID
is presented to us all... not much mention of telemarketing advantages,
plenty of hype about obtrusive phone calls.

If you decide to leave it up to the free market, then we all might
decide we don't like it, but then what do we do?  Have the PUC tell the
telcos to shut it off.  Sorry we let you spend billions on the equipment,
but we don't like it any more?

Bottom line is, if you implement it, and let the free market decide, their
decision will probably be moot anyway.

>At work, my secretary answers the phone for me.   If it is not somebody
>known, she finds out the purpose of the call as well as who the caller is.
>Then this is run by me before I decide to take the call.  This is the way
>it works for almost everybody who has somebody taking their calls.
>
>Is this an invasion of privacy on the part of the caller?   The caller
>is free, as they would be in a computerized system, to refuse to identify
>themselves.  They also probably won't get through in this case.

You know, an answering machine at home, which costs less than CLID, can
do a better job at this than CLID...

>I don't want to see "555-1234" on the screen on my phone.  I want to see
>"George Smith of Sell-a-lot wants to sell you stuff" so I can push the
>"decline" button.

Answering machine.... your best bet here...


John


-- 
John Gilbert
gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com
...!uunet!mdisea!gilbert
From: thomas@BAEPV4.NCSU.EDU
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Dodge Caravan ('86 Model) Engine Rattle
Date: 17 Apr 92 02:16:08 GMT
Reply-To: thomas@BAEPV4.NCSU.EDU
Distribution: usa
Organization: North Carolina State University

Absolutely change the timing belt when the service manual says change it!
If not before.  

I worked for a Honda dealership for about a year and a half while putting
myself though undergraduate stuff, and about every couple of months 
someone would come in with a broken timing belt.  On some of the older
Civics this would mean valves thrown into the pistons about 75% of thethe
time, and that means a new head and possibly some new pistons.  Ussually
well over $1000 at a dealership.

On some of the newer vehicles this doesn't happen as often, but it can happen on almost any car with a timing belt.  It's not a pretty sight when it breaks.
It's also not to difficult to do, so you shade tree mechanics might consider
setting aside an afternoon to do it.

Scot Thomas    thomas@bae.ncsu.edu
From: staffan@ca.serum.kodak.com (Kenneth Staffan (x37507))
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: ***WARNING: BE CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH ALLSTATE INSURANCE!***
Date: 9 Apr 92 14:21:51 GMT
Reply-To: staffan@serum.kodak.com
Distribution: usa
Organization: Eastman Kodak

In article <1992Apr9.124702.29165@mlb.semi.harris.com> luoni@bosco.mlb.semi.harris.com (Perry Luoni) writes:
>In article <1992Apr9.001136.6358@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> kh43543@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ford Prefect) writes:
>>
>>****Don't buy Allstate Insurance--- You'll have a hard time getting money
>>from them when you need it.....****

Goes on to describe how the _other_ company is Allstate.

>>[...]
>>
> When I first got my 1983 Pontiac Trans Am I called Allstate about insurance.
> At the time I was over 25 and married and had no tickets or accidents to my
> name.  Allstate refused to insure the car at all.  This made it clear to me
> that Allstate was a seriously fucked up company.  I will never ever even
> consider using Allstate again since their sole basis for deciding if I was
> eligible for there wonderful insurance was the car I chose to buy.

Of course it is silly to cut off your nose to spite your face.  Every time
my insurance comes up for renewal I call around to find the best deal.
Allstate consistently gets the renewal (31 yrs old, married, two family-
type cars).

Maybe my insurance is cheaper because they _do_ reject what they consider
a high risk.

Anyways, I recently had an accident which (like the original poster) was
clearly not my fault.  The accident was in the morning, and at lunchtime
I went to an Allstate claims center and they wrote me a check.  I doubt that
they had collected from the other guy yet, since this claims center visit is
what determines the amount.  Maybe it's better to have Allstate on _your_
side, instead of the _other person's_ side (which was the case in the 
original post).

Ken
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: barry@playfair.Stanford.EDU (Barrett P. Eynon)
Subject: Sales Tax on Mail Orders
Organization: Stanford University
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 22:15:00 GMT


I just ordered a computer from Dell in Texas and was charged sales
tax.  I live in California.  I have heard several opinions(wife,
friends, colleagues) about the legality of this. (My accountant,
presumably the most likely of these personal sources, didn't know).

Does anyone on the net have an *authoritative* source of information
on this?   

John Rollin
John_Rollin@sri.com

[Posted for a friend, though I'm interested in the answer too. -BPE]
--
Barry Eynon
barry@playfair.stanford.edu
From: omf@tiamat.hacks.arizona.edu (Oscar Fowler)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Digital Answering Machines?
Date: 7 Apr 92 18:10:37 GMT
Reply-To: omf@tiamat.hacks.arizona.edu
Distribution: world,local
Organization: Sirius Cybernetics Corporation
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-a4

In article <sherman.702631025@foster>, sherman@unx.sas.com (Chris Sherman) writes...
>If you happen to have a PC at home, you might want to consider one of the
>several cards you can get for your PC that can act like a very programmable
>digital answering machine (with the hard drive as a storage medium).

A friend of mine has had one of these for years.  It seems great, but I don't
like the idea of relying on my PC being on all the time to get my messages.
Not to mention the fact that I'm likely to be using OS/2 most of the time,
and I have serious doubts as to whether any of the drivers for these cards
will have OS/2 versions...

Oscar M. Fowler - omf@smaug.hacks.arizona.edu

PARMESAN CHEESE: Great on pasta, not great on eggs ...
Newsgroups: misc.consumers