HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: feeney@tigger.jvnc.net (Michael J. Feeney)
Subject: I need renters insurance
Originator: feeney@nisc.jvnc.net
Organization: JvNCnet, Princeton University, NJ
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 19:15:24 GMT


As the Subject indicates, I need renters insurance.  I saw a post about this
a few weeks ago, but didn't see too many replies.  Any opinions on which
agent to go to?

Hearing so many complaints about State Farm Insurance surprises me - I have
car insurance through them, and the saved me close to $500 this year.
(I used to be insured by Travellers)

Anyway, I need to get renter's insurance soon, so please e-mail any 
comments/suggestions.


Thanks in advance,

-Mike
From: wing@canada.ceo.dg.com (Brian Wing)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: reliable cars
Date: 19 Aug 92 17:02:06 GMT
Organization: Data General (Canada) Inc.

mas6d@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU (M. Anne Shackelford) writes:
: I am graduating from school and am interested in purchasing a small reliable car
: - preferably hatchback.
: 
: Do you have recommendations of cars to consider buying and cars to consider NOT
: buying.
: 
My 1989 Honda Civic hatchback, which I bought new, has given me
absolutely no trouble at all for the past three and a half years.
My only expenses have been gas and regular maintenance according to the
manufacturer's recommended schedule.  All this and 750 km to a tank of gas.
I highly recommend it.
-- 
Brian Wing                         Software Support Critter
Data General (Canada) Inc.
130-13151 Vanier Pl., Richmond     dotdot: brian_wing@canada.ceo.dg.com
B.C., Canada V6V 2J2               "Hello?": +1 604 273 5100
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mmeyer@m2.dseg.ti.com (Mark Meyer)
Subject: Re: Terrible Experience With Alamo
Organization: TI DSEG, Spring Creek, Plano, Tx.
	<1992Aug13.040101.24409@cbnewsl.cb.att.com>
	<l8lumcINN3ul@aludra.usc.edu>
	<17AUG92.11849639.0017@lafibm.lafayette.edu>
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 18:08:28 GMT

In article <17AUG92.11849639.0017@lafibm.lafayette.edu> JW#0@lafibm.lafayette.edu (Bill Jeffers) writes:
> I know there are a lot of amateur (and maybe even professional)
> lawyers on the net.  My question is:  how can I file a negative
> lawsuit against Alamo for the medical expenses I didn't incur?

	First find yourself a good negative lawyer.  (Should be in the
Yellow Pages under "Reywals".)  Make sure he takes the case on
contingency, i.e., he'll pay you 30% of what you owe Alamo.  Good
luck!

-- 
Mark Meyer                                               | mmeyer@dseg.ti.com |
Texas Instruments, Inc.                                  +--------------------+
Every day, Jerry Junkins is grateful that I don't speak for TI.
                "I just had a deja vu experience."  "Hey, just like last time!"
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,la.general
From: pjs@euclid.JPL.NASA.GOV (Peter J. Scott)
Subject: Interstate auto batteries?
Reply-To: pjs@euclid.jpl.nasa.gov
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA/Caltech
Distribution: la
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 23:20:58 GMT

Anyone know which chains in Los Angeles carry Interstate auto
batteries?  I need a new one, I've tried Toyota dealers, Pep
Boys, Chief, Trak Auto, and Fedco, and they only carry their own
brands or Delco or Champion.  Consumer Reports said that the
Interstate Megatron MT-34 was by far the best battery they tested
so I want to give it a try.

-- 
This is news.  This is your       |    Peter Scott, NASA/JPL/Caltech
brain on news.  Any questions?    |    (pjs@euclid.jpl.nasa.gov)


Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: heintz@netcom.com (Patrick Heintz)
Subject: Re: BlueBlocker Sunglasse
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 09:49:39 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

reza.naima@uttsbbs.uucp (Reza Naima)  writes:

>How do you compare Revos to Serengetties(sp?).  I got a serengettie for a 
>gift, but acording to my friends, I looked like a fool in one (so I 
>returned it to a store).  I'm not sure wether I should spend the money on 
>something else, or pay another 50 bucks and get revos.  Are they worth it?

>The serengetties were $99, the revos I saw were $150+.  Is that about what 
>they should be?

I went ahead and purchased a pair of rose-tinted SunClouds.  The price
wasn't bad, and the frames are almost exactly the same as Vaurnet.

>Oh, I tried on some blueblockers and compared to my X-serengetties, they 
>sucked!  

>Reza
>reza.naima@uttsbbs.uucp                                             

>--- WinQwk 1.10a #0

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: reb@Ingres.COM (Phydeaux)
Subject: Re: CDW, was Re: Terrible Experience With Alamo
Reply-To: reb@Ingres.COM (Phydeaux)
Organization: E 4th St Home For The Overeducated Underemployed - Chicago Div.
Date: 19 Aug 92 00:01:38 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.233506.3038@pony.Ingres.COM> reb@Ingres.COM (Phydeaux) writes:
>In article <9208181352.AA08367@iecc.cambridge.ma.us> johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) writes:
>>>By all means do NOT just buy it 'to be sure' ...   you either *have* coverage
>>>with your credit card/personal policy or you do not.
>>
>>That's excellent advice.  Some credit card insurance doesn't cover you at
>>all if you take the CDW.  I've heard of cases where someone took the CDW
>>"just to be sure," and had an accident of some sort.  The rental car
>>company weaseled out of paying on the CDW and the credit card said tough,
>>if you wanted our insurance you shouldn't have taken theirs.
>
>The fine  print  in  the  coverage description  that  your credit card
>company sends you usually has this information.   There are also often
>some other interesting things in there as well. I recall seeing in the
>American Express agreement that:
>
>1) Coverage starts *only* when you rent a vehicle and DECLINE the CDW.
>2) Coverage is valid for other drivers on the contract as long as you
>   charge the rental on their card.
                         ^^^^^
I meant on *YOUR* card...

>3) There is no coverage for rentals over 14 days. 
>4) Certain kinds of cars are not covered (and in Europe, certain
>   brands in specific countries!
>
>Make sure to READ THE FINE PRINT before you rent!
>
>					reb
From: dfavor@logan.tivoli.com (David Favor)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Disconcerting goop from aluminum baking pan
Date: 12 Aug 92 12:50:34 GMT

aluminum cooking can be grossly hazardous to your health. I wish I
had kept a newspaper article I read (somewhere in Texas or Oklahoma).
this article described a church social where a mass of strawberry
rubarb pie filling was cooked in aluminum pans. it seems that the
fruit's acid reacted with each of the pans, liberating large quantities
of aluminum. several older church members died and all the rest were
admitted to local hospitals.

it always surprises me when I see aluminum cooking pans/utensils in
stores. it surprises me even more when I see people using them...
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan)
Subject: Re: Movie Rental Place wants my Credit Card #
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 19:36:11 GMT


In article <1992Aug11.184817.11221@icd.teradyne.com> rvn@icd.teradyne.com (Rafael Vidaillet) writes:
>In article 12737@meteor.wisc.edu, moonunit@meteor.wisc.edu (Chris Bovitz) writes:
>>I went to a movie rental store last night (in Madison, WI) to rent a movie.
>>to rent, you need to be a member.  So I ask to sign up.  The guy says that
>>he needs to see 2 forms of ID - driver's license & {credit card | checking
>>account #}.  I asked him "is that legal?" and he said he didn't know.
>>I didn't sign.
>
>	Well this is the way all the movie rental places I have been a member
>	of work. The idea is that if you take off with the tape and dissappear
>	they will be able to charge you the price of the movie.

I'm a member of precisely one movie rental club, and I gave them nothing
more than my name and address. All it really takes is to find a
reasonable place with which to do business. BTW, there's no law that
says you HAVE to fill out each and every entry blank on each and every
application you fill out in your life. If you see a blank for a social
security number, leave the sucker blank. If you see a spot of a credit
card number, leave it blank. After that, it's hit or miss - if you're
dealing with the typical minimum-wage clerk, they may not check your
application carefully, and thus won't notice the blanks. On the other
hand, they might see them, and the droid's most oft-used line of
programming: "I'm sorry, but our policy is that all spaces must be
filled out." Sometimes the manager of the place can be reasoned with,
but if not, it's time to walk (and be sure to take your application with
you and/or thoroughly tear it up).

Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
From: kenny@osf.org (Kenneth Crudup)
Subject: Re: microwave autonomously turning on
Keywords: safety, microwave oven, electronic-control appliances
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 13:39:32 GMT


Poltergeist?

-- 
Kenneth R. Crudup, Contractor, OSF DCE QA
OSF, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142	+1 617 621 7306
kenny@osf.osf.org			OSF has nothing to do with this post.
Not one of the "PC" weenies.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger)
Subject: Re: Terrible Experience With Alamo
Organization: Summit NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 16:36:32 GMT

Weizhen Mao writes:
>
>  When I rented a car at Alamo a few months ago,
>the person there pushed me very hard to buy 
>insurance even though I used my visa gold card,
>which as I understood, covered that. The sales-
>man said that the card only has the so-called 
>secondary coverage, which only takes care of
>the car I hit, not the car I rent, or something
>like that. Is that true?

The disclaimer brochure that I read from Alamo last month includes
a statement about Alamo personell won't be able to interpret or
determine what insurance coverage you have.  So, whatever the
sales-droid says is false.

Now, assuming your gold visa has rental car insurance, it's probably
true that it's secondary coverage.  But what that means is that you
must first make any claims through your own insurance carrier and
through the insurance carrier of the other vehicle involved in the
accident (assuming you weren't at fault).  Then the gold visa pays
whatever accident damage loss is left.

The gold visa has nothing to do with liability (that is, the amount
of personal injury or property damage you do to someone else when
you're at fault).  Alamo, which is probably self-insured, probably
provides the state-mandated minimum insurance, they're willing to
sell you more (this is separate from the CDW), and your car insurance
company then covers you.

Finally, one of the scare tactics that car rental places use with
secondary coverage is that if you have an accident and have to first
make a claim through your own insurance company, your rates will go
up.  But, hey, don't we take that risk every day when we drive our
own car?  What's the difference with a rental car?  I'm driving a car,
and if I have an at-fault accident, my insurance rates go up for
three years.

-- 
Stan Krieger                     All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
AT&T UNIX System Laboratories    if related to my employment, are my own.
Summit, NJ
smk@usl.com
From: bd670@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Russell I. Dyreng)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Questions on umbrella coverage
Date: 21 Aug 92 20:29:26 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)


case@ucs.sdsu.edu (Steve Case) writes:
>
>Questions on umbrella policies:
>
>
[Deleted]
>
>2. Does an umbrella policy cover all types of liability? Does 
>the coverage automatically kick-in when you are held liable or 
>do you have to be sued first? (Note: This is why I still keep 
>medical on my auto insurance. Sure, I have medical coverage, but
>if a passenger does NOT, he/she will have to *sue* me to receive
>benefits. If you have medical coverage on your auto policy, this
>person would be covered automatically up to the limit of the
>coverage--or so explained my former agent)
>
[Deleted]

What's the problem with dropping the medical and just *letting*
the passenger sue you if there is an accident?  As stated 
earlier, you are covered by your own medical insurance, and the
passenger would be covered by your liability insurance.

Russ
bd670@cleveland.freenet.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: bkwg0457@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Brent Whitlock)
Subject: Re: Movie Rental Place wants my Credit Card #
Reply-To: bwhitlock@uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 16:31:58 GMT

tamu@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Todd Henderson) writes:

>darylb@sword.eng.hou.compaq.com (Daryl Biberdorf) writes:

>>In article <BsvpEy.A8J@news.cso.uiuc.edu> tamu@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Todd Henderson) writes:

>>>I hate block buster, I hate block buster, I hate block buster.  Sorry, but
>>>their prices and credit card policy drives me crazy.  One more for the
>>>road.  I hate block buster.  Ahhhh, that fills so much better.

>>I don't like Blockbuster, myself, but this particular practice seems to be
>>common.

>Some of the smaller, mom and pop places are a little more trusting.  I have
>found one or more everywhere I've lived.

>The worst thing about block buster is, the times that I have broken down
>and joined, they've lost all my info and wanted me to fill out another form.
>This happened at 2 of them.  Even though they are all privately owned I think,
>they should only require one card.  In Champaign you have to have a different
>card for Block Busters just across town I think.(I know if you drive to the
>next town you need a new card!)

>Todd

Yes, every single BlockBuster requires its own card.  I have about 3 or 4
Blockbuster cards (not in my wallet.)  None of them are any good anymore, by
the way, as BlockBuster clears out your account after 6 months of non-use.
I like the size and selection of BlockBuster, but I do not like the prices.
I usually rent at grocery store or discount store for $1.00 or less per
video unless I can't get it there.  Then, I go to BlockBuster.  


-- 
    * * * * * * --> DISCLAIMER:  I speak only for myself. <-- * * * * * *
Brent Whitlock		Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology
bwhitlock@uiuc.edu	Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
			University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
From: mgm@clipper.ingr.com (Mike Marfell)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: PPV Olympics: Oh, so now it's free
Date: 13 Aug 92 20:45:12 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Intergraph Advanced Processor Division - Palo Alto, CA

In article <1992Aug7.000426.10103@tellab5.tellabs.com>, chrz@tellabs.com (Peter Chrzanowski) writes:
> In article <1992Jul31.193328.7299@news.acns.nwu.edu>, staggers@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Ken Staggers) writes:
> > 
> 
> > Unfortunately, this experiment might cost Cablevision subscribers money.
> > I wouldnt mind it if they did this with somebody else's funds, but I
> > have a sneaky suspicion that their $50 million loss will be passed on
> > directly to me.  
> 
>   I don't understand why you think the cost will be passed on to you,
>   regardless of whether or not cable-TV is truly a monopoly.
>  
>   Basically, Cable charges as much as the traffic will bear: that is, they
>   set the price so as to maximize profits.  If they raise the price too
>   high then they start losing customers, which, if the loss is large
>   enough, will cause profits to drop rather than increase.  
> 
 

     Ooooooooh Peter, TCI cablevision is raising cost of cable due to
the rising cost of doing business and *Losses* in the Triple cast are
all part of doing business. Besides cable co's generally create thier
own demand! For instance, when you buy a new home and they (The Devel-
oper) allow the cable co. to come in and install cable in the new nei-
ghborhoods, while not allowing antennas. The cable co. can now and do 
create their own demand. We  are  now  stuck with only one choice,  
cable. Now we have a monopoly, and the cable co. can charge what thier 
conscience allows, which is upwards of $23 per month for basic!

  
                       just my 2 cents.























-- 

Mike Marfell                                      mgm@clipper.ingr.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: esther@verdix.com (Esther Lumsdon)
Subject: Re: Credit Union Deposit (Share) Interest (Dividend) Calculations
Organization: Verdix Corp.
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 22:35:48 GMT

acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng) writes:

Both posters write about unpleasant surprises from credit unions.

>>Since credit unions are supposed to be run only in the interest
>>of their members, why is it that tricky or sleazy interest
>>calculations seem to be more common with credit unions?

I don't find a concentration of sleaziness in credit unions.  Is
Corporate America CU the single credit union to which you refer?
Of the memberships for which I am eligible, they are ok, but are
the least advantageous, so I have not joined them.  And most of their
offices are in Illinois, and I think that's where uiuc.edu is.

>>Shouldn't members of such credit unions use their voting
>>power to change the credit unions' interest policies?

>But those policies are mostly unknown to members.

I am currently a member of 3 credit unions (my membership has been as high
as 5 in the past).  I only join credit unions where all policies are
disclosed up front.  Some of mine pay interest on the 10th of the month
policy, some use average daily balance, some (gasp!) don't pay interest
on checking.  Just as with banks, shop around.  Some credit unions are
managed well enough to be able to pay based on average daily balance.

I wouldn't tar every credit union with the same brush.  I don't even tar
all Banks with the same brush :-)
-- 
------ Esther Lumsdon   employed by, not speaking for, Verdix Corporation
     It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
  esther@verdix.com  or  esther%verdix.com@uunet.uu.net
From: reza.naima@uttsbbs.uucp (Reza Naima) 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: BlueBlocker Sunglasse
Date: 9 Aug 92 17:59:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591
Reply-To: reza.naima@uttsbbs.uucp (Reza Naima) 

GB>Newsgroups: misc.consumers
GB>From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
GB>Subject: Re: BlueBlocker Sunglasses
GB>Message-ID: <1992Aug05.134935.2359@eng.umd.edu>
GB>Date: Wed, 05 Aug 92 13:49:35 GMT
GB>
GB>I've owned several BlueBlockers over the years. They are OK, and the
GB>price is right. However, they are nowhere near the quality of the
GB>ground-glass lenses in Revo sunglasses, but then they are only a
GB>fraction of the cost of Revos.
GB>

How do you compare Revos to Serengetties(sp?).  I got a serengettie for a 
gift, but acording to my friends, I looked like a fool in one (so I 
returned it to a store).  I'm not sure wether I should spend the money on 
something else, or pay another 50 bucks and get revos.  Are they worth it?

The serengetties were $99, the revos I saw were $150+.  Is that about what 
they should be?

Oh, I tried on some blueblockers and compared to my X-serengetties, they 
sucked!  

Reza
reza.naima@uttsbbs.uucp                                             

--- WinQwk 1.10a #0

Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.locksmithing
From: sbender@navajo.dsd.es.com (Steve Bender)
Subject: Re: Was this a ripoff?
Keywords: locksmith
Organization: Evans & Sutherland
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 16:06:21 GMT

|> In article <16ol2pINNq8f@early-bird.think.com> soberg@think.com (Stephanie Oberg) writes:
|> >>>Does the following tale sound like a ripoff?
|> >>>She called me, and I spoke to the locksmith.  Here is what he told
|> >>>me he had done:
|> >>>   2 hours waiting
|> >>>   5 new locks @ $95(!) because the originals were too old to be rekeyed.
|> >>>                        Is this possible?  My frient (later) told me they
|> >>>                        had been rekeyed in the past.
|> >>>   re-key 4 of the locks to match the fifth.
|> >>>   A few extra keys (don't know how many.)
|> >>>   Install the new locks.
|> >>>
|> >>>Is $800 plus reasonable for this?  Was she cheated?  If so, I feel 
|> >>>sorry for this locksmith if she decides to get even.

I had the locks rekeyed in my current and previous homes.  In both cases,
I removed the locks myself (can be easily done with a couple of screwdrivers)
dropped them by a locksmith and picked them up an hour or so later.  Cost
of doing this was about $8 or $9 per cylinder (lock) plus a couple dollars
for the keys.

-- 
Steve Bender
Evans & Sutherland
(801) 582-5847
Salt Lake City, UT 84108

sbender@dsd.es.com
From: rion@Ingres.COM (Rion Cassidy (x3357) OGT)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Movie Rental Place wants my Credit Card #
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:06:45 GMT
Reply-To: rion@Ingres.COM (Rion Cassidy (x3357) OGT)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Ask Computer Systems Inc., Ingres Division, Alameda CA 94501

In article <1992Aug12.084152.2080@merrimack.edu> gemmellj@merrimack.edu writes:
>In article <1992Aug10.150901.12737@meteor.wisc.edu>, moonunit@meteor.wisc.edu (Chris Bovitz) writes:
>> I went to a movie rental store last night (in Madison, WI) to rent a movie.
>> to rent, you need to be a member.  So I ask to sign up.  The guy says that
>> he needs to see 2 forms of ID - driver's license & {credit card | checking
>> account #}.  I asked him "is that legal?" and he said he didn't know.
>> I didn't sign.
>> 
>> My question is still "Is this legal?". I suppose it is, but I don't like
>> giving out my credit card numbers (and especially my checking account 
>> number) like that.
>> 

The credit card works as a deposit in case you don't return the video.
Currently in California it is not legal to ask for the credit card 
number when someone writes a check.  In your case it was for a deposit
(I think motels and hotels do this too).

I went to  video rental place a few weeks ago and they demanded not 
only driver license and credit card, but my employer and social security
number.  I have heard that you should not need to give your SSN to anyone
except your bank and employer.  It can be used in inappropriate ways.
From: pdressne@netx.com (Peter Dressner)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Movie Rental Place wants my Credit Card #
Date: 18 Aug 92 03:09:35 GMT
Organization: NetExpress Inc., Vienna, VA, USA


Don't give it to them if you can help it. I gave mine to E____, a
big chain here in DC. They went out of business, and a few months
later a charge for $6.60 appeared on my card. I don't have the
time or energy to fight it, even though I'm tempted just on principle.

I'm going to pay it, but I will never give my # to another movie
rental house. 

Peter
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: stevena@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Steven Alexander)
Subject: Minimal watch repair charge
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley
Distribution: ba
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 08:39:35 GMT

What would be a reasonable charge for a minimal repair of a
mechanical watch -- one that a jeweler can do in very little time?

  Steven Alexander
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house