HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kevin@milton.u.washington.edu (Kevin Caskey)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: MCI Telemarketing (was MCI = Morons)
Date: 9 Apr 92 17:48:23 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <Apr.9.12.22.58.1992.4130@aramis.rutgers.edu> rinehart@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark J. Rinehart) writes:
>In article <3461@moscom.UUCP> de@moscom.UUCP (David Esan) writes:
>
>> F&F can save money if everyone is on the program.  F&F can also get MCI to
>> start harrassing your F&F to switch to MCI.  And it will cost you money
>> over other plans if your F&F refuse to switch.
>
>F&F strikes me as a plan by MCI to have MCI customers do MCIs
>telemarketing for them. Ingenious, isn't it? MCI customers pay MCI to
>do MCIs telemarketing. Only in America!!!!!
>
>
>Mark

If we wish to look at this as American, then OK. Look , MCI is offereing me
money (by way of savings) to tell them which of the people on my list of
frequently called numbers (which they have access to anyway - they handled
the traffic) I want them to offer the ability to call me cheaper to. I have
the option of not selling them my endorsement. In my case, I did not sell them
the right to use my name to contact my friends. I have only listed my most
frequent foreign call. If I wanted, say, my sister to call me for less and 
thought that she may switch, I could have given them her number also.

We do have a choice in telecommunications here in the US and as a result
Long Distance is cheaper, AND there are plans available the fit some users
better than the default plan. I am glad MCI came up with a plan that saves
me money. MArk, maybe it would not save you a penney, but you have the
choice.
Kevin at U dub.
From: kornfein@azores.crd.ge.com (Mark M. Kornfein)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Discrimination at Mitsubishi
Date: 14 Apr 92 13:20:55 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: GE Corp. Research & Development, Schenectady, NY

In article <1992Apr13.202933.21913@linus.mitre.org> rajiv@hilltop.mitre.org (Rajiv Kohli) writes:
>
>	This is the text of a series of conversations I had
>	with Nashua Mitsubishi's Manager, Avery Beland, in Nashua,NH.
>	If you are as upset as I was after reading this please register
>	your dissatisfaction by calling this dealer or the Mitsubishi
>	headquarters and complaining.
>Subject: 	Breach of Contract and Vulgarity/harassment


While there is never a reason for Vulgarity and harassment it seems to me 
your actions were not in my opinion 100% ethical either. You bought a car
at the lowest price skipping your local dealer and just 3 weeks later brought
it to a competing dealer. I think most people would return to the dealer
they bought it from for service even if it was a bit farther. Warrenty work is
for the most part not a money maker for a dealer but a cost of doing buisness.

If I was the Nashua dealer I would be upset also, but they clearly should 
have taken care of you.



===============================================================================
Mark Kornfein                            INET: kornfein@crd.ge.com 
GE Corporate R&D Center	                 UUCP: uunet!crd.ge.com!kornfein
Schenectady, NY                          
From: inna@hpindda.cup.hp.com (Inna Lauris)
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 17:46:03 GMT
Subject: Mail order soft lenses
Organization: HP Information Networks, Cupertino, CA
Newsgroups: misc.consumers


I remember sometime ago there was a number of postings regarding
mail-order soft lenses. Unfortunately I did not save it.

If someone saved the phone numbers , can you mail to me. 

Can people who had experience iwth mail-order companies, share their
experiences ? I'll collect them , and if there is enough interest, 
I'll post the summary.



					Inna
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:10536 alt.privacy:1047
From: volpe@bart.Inria.Fr (Christopher R Volpe)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.privacy
Subject: Re: capturing caller id data
Date: 15 Apr 92 23:48:06 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: GE Corporate Research & Development

In article <1992Apr15.102119.8100@clarinet.com>, brad@clarinet.com (Brad Templeton) writes:
> In article <SWARUP.92Apr13140352@hrothgar.linus.mitre.org> swarup@mitre.org writes:
> >
> >The system only requires you (the callee) to have special equipment
> >(caller-ID requires this too).  Callers can use their normal
> >touch-tone phone to get past your call screener. You could use the
> >system meaningfully from day one.
> 
> Sort of.   People either have to remember a password, or people can lie.
> This is no good.  If it's "enter your pass code" then people will forget
> and find it very inconvenient to use.  If it's "enter your phone number"
> then all the caller who wants in has to do is look up the number of
> a known friend or relative.

Do you really need this kind of security? I would be very happy with
a machine that picked up the line immediately and said:

    Hi. This is my automatic call router. If this is a personal call,
    press 1 to ring my personal line. If this is a telemarketer or some
    other form of solicitation, press 2 to be connected to my answering 
    machine and I will return your call if I am interested. Solicitors
    pressing 1 at this point will be dealt with appropriately.

Does any solicitor think he's going to get anywhere with you by
pressing 1 and violating your protocol? Probably not. 

-Chris

[Now, if I could only figure out why our new version of xrn isn't
appending my .signature file, I'd be all set.]
From: bell@cs.tamu.edu (Will B Bell)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Business cards
Date: 12 Apr 92 07:18:23 GMT
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

[I have removed the less-relevant newsgroups from the Newsgroups: line.]

In article <1992Apr11.131603.5421@crash.cts.com> rcf@pnet01.cts.com (Bob Forsythe) writes:

[Responding to a seemingly urban legend about submitting pop-tops to get $$]
>
>     Locally, Von's Supermarkets does a program each year where they
>contribute so much toward a computer for a school for each cashier's ticket
>the school collects.  It gets them publicity and people are aware that
>shopping at Von's helps schools.  May be the same thing with the pop-tops. 
>There's more to these charity gimics than the intrinsic value of the item
>being collected.

Yes, but with the receipt you know that someone HAD to go to supermarket X
and spend so much $$.  All of these supermarket gags (not really gags, they
DO give out the money, I suppose) I've seen base their giving on money spent
at the store, not number of receipts submitted.  Otherwise, what's to stop
little Jimmy and his class from buying 1 package of gum every day and 
stuffing the collection box?

I still don't believe that old saw about getting dialysis in exchange for
pop-tops.  (Neither does alt.folklore.urban, for that matter).  But I'm
fully willing to be convinced otherwise.

WBB
--
Will Bell -- bell@cs.tamu.edu -- Gasp! and Drool!
From: sac@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Sheila Como)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: How to end unwanted phonecalls
Date: 10 Apr 92 17:47:42 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

In article <1992Apr10.141813.26212@intellistor.com> robger@intellistor.com (Robert Gerovski) writes:
>
>I found an easier way purely by accident. When I was buying my house
>I heard from friends that as soon as you hook up your phone you get
>inundated with calls from telemarketers. For reasons not related to
>this I had my phone number "unlisted, unpublished." The phone company
>told my that the first takes you out of the phone book, and the second
>takes you out of the lists for directory information. In the last 2
>years I have only received 3 phone calls from telemarketers, and all 3
>were from people dialing random numbers.

I too have found the above method effective in reducing the number of
telemarketing calls, but I have additional advice.  If you go through
the trouble/added expense of getting your phone number unlisted, 
unpublished, don't forget to be careful about who you give your
phone number out to.

If you like to order things by mail, never give them your home phone
number.  Give them a number at work and make sure they know it is
a work number.  Same thing if you like to enter contests.  I stupidly
once gave out my home phone number when I entered a contest
sponsored by a local newspaper.  Next thing I know, I get weekly calls
from some droid trying to get me to subscribe to the paper.

-------...-------...-------...-------...-------...-------...-------...---
  sac@lamar.ColoState.EDU             I can have anything I want--
  (Chemistry Department)              As long as I don't want very much.
_______..._______..._______..._______..._______..._______...______...___
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com (Michael P. Deignan)
Subject: Re: sale tax for free item
Organization: Small Business Systems, Incorporated, Esmond, RI  02917
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 03:34:15 GMT

aland@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Alan D.) writes:

>They say that the tax is on the s & h of the product.  It has no
>(obvious) relationship to the actual cost (or value, for that matter)
>of the product.

Ask them for a receipt which states that you have paid your state's sales
tax. Then write your sales tax administrator to confirm that the tax has
been paid.

MD
-- 
--  Michael P. Deignan                      / 
--  Domain: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com            /   I'm not a bigot,
--    UUCP: ...!uunet!rayssd!anomaly!mpd  /    I hate everyone.
-- Telebit: +1 401 455 0347              / 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: amirza@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (anmar mirza)
Subject: Re: Casement Air Conditioners?
Organization: Indiana University
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 15:54:13 GMT

In article <1992Apr12.164033.193571@cs.cmu.edu> jennie+@cs.cmu.edu (Jennifer Kay) writes:
>I'm starting to think about buying an air conditioner for the warm
>months ahead, and I had a couple of questions
>
>We have casement windows (the kind that slide from side to side not
>up and down). Does anyone have any experience with casement style 
>air conditioners? They appear to be a lot more expensive than normal
>ones. We have put a regular one in the window in the past and filled in
>the gap above in the window with plexiglass -- it works OK, but I think
>a proper one would be better.
>
>Anyone have any comments on casement air conditioners? Good brands? 
>Things to stay away from? Information I should know?

This probably has little relevance to your problem, but last fall I
had to find an air conditioner for a casement window.  The problem was
that we had a router in a wiring closet on the west, inner side of an
L shaped building.  The wall was dark red brick, and this little 5x4
room had a ~1.5 meter2 window.  Every evening the router environmental
sensor would shut the router down because the air temp in the room
exceeded 100F.  We tried painting the windows white, but sure enough,
the next evening the same thing happened.  I surmised that the sun was
hitting the bricks and warming them, but it was taking several hours
for the heat to make it's way through the wall.  So, the problem, find
an air conditioner to fit a 14" wide 3' high casement.  In late
August.  During a heat wave.  I spent most of the day, calling, and
finally found one in Indianapolis, oddly enough at a Highland store.  
The only other place I found was a warehouse and we would have had to
fax them a PO and gone directly to the warehouse.  Anyway, we got an
Emerson 8000 btu unit and it's been in a year and working just fine
last I checked.  At one point we had that little closet down to 50F,
there was condensation forming on the outside of the window!


-- 
Anmar Mirza   # Mayor of Dogspit, IN  #My Opinions! Not IU's!# Support Search
EMT-D         # Located somewhere in  # Legalize Explosives! # and Rescue,
N9ISY (tech)  # the Outback of the    #I've got my own fusion# GET LOST!
Networks Tech.# Mirza Ranch.C'mon over#plant. Just ask me.   #
From: niebuhr@bnlux1.bnl.gov (david niebuhr)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: ***WARNING: BE CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH ALLSTATE INSURANCE!***
Date: 12 Apr 92 11:51:34 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973

In article <Apr.9.12.45.53.1992.4606@aramis.rutgers.edu> rinehart@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark J. Rinehart) writes:
>In article <7V9S=ZG9Y@linac.fnal.gov> junck@okra.fnal.gov (Kevin Junck) writes:
>
Discussion about Allstate and other companies deleted.

Allstate may or may not be good or bad depending on the situation.

In my case it was State Farm (1984):

The auto policy was up for renewal and the driving records of both my
wife and me were clean.  The insurance company said that I had 32
chargeable points, two accidents and one dwi arrest previously.

Naturally, I hit the ceiling and yelled at the agent who called the
company and got the response of "we'll take care of it".  They did all
right; the next renewal notice (two in the same year so far) said that
some of the tickets were wrong, others had been added, some that had
no points now did and vice versa, no more two accidents - three and 
two dwi's.

Now my blood was boiling; I went to the NY Department of Motor Vehicles
and filled out papers to get certified copies of our driving records
(that was a hassle itself).  They came back absolutely clean and I
showed them to the agent and stated that if I got one more lousy
violations record from State Farm, I was going to sue the insurance
company, the agent, his office and anybody else in sight for character
damage plus anything else I could come up with.

The agent got on the phone to State Farm again and told them that I
was royally p****d off and wanted some answers.  They started looking
through their records and asked how many males were in my house.  I
told them just me and my 4 year old son.  They asked about another 
person with a different first name but same last name and the answer
was NO.

To make a long story short, I received a correct renewal notice and
promptly went to another, this time independent, agent; didn't like
the service and went to Allstate in 1988 and have been very satisfied
since then.

Dave




-- 

Dave Niebuhr      Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.legal
From: mccurdy@bestsd.sdsu.edu (McCurdy M.)
Subject: Air cleaners/filters
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: San Diego State University - Dept. of Redundancy Dept.
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 23:02:00 GMT

	My office mate and I are looking for the best gosh-darned 
little air cleaner on the market, one that will not leave our walls 
covered with negative ion induced black particulate matter.

	The cleaner would be for an approx. 12' x 20' foot room. Any 
comments/recommendations would be appreciated.


Mike McCurdy				
University Computing Services
San Diego State University
mccurdy@bestsd.sdsu.edu			What? 
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:10539 alt.privacy:1049
From: tparks@world.std.com (terry parks)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.privacy
Subject: Re: capturing caller id data
Date: 16 Apr 92 01:40:52 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA

>I'll concede it can be used in this way

Could it be, Mr. "I know what you want better than you do" Gilbert
is finally exposed to his own satisfaction.


>I never said it is completely without use.

Well I guess it's over, we can choose to purchase Caller ID and Mr.
Gilbert recognizes that therapy can help overcome an obscene phone
calling addiction.


>I also believe it has very BAD problems associated with personal privacy
>of callers

Hey, if you want to be private THEN DON'T CALL ME. No problems there
(unless we're talking about a need to made obscene phone calls).
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: sethb@fid.morgan.com (Seth Breidbart)
Subject: Re: Japanese Car Makers
Organization: Morgan Stanley & Co., New York, NY
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 21:44:37 GMT

In article <kuc65uINN6jp@spim.mips.com> mpolen@gelato.mips.com
(Michael Polen) writes:

>Example, from primetime live, 4/9/92.
>
>I make it in country A at a cost of 10000.  I transfer it to my
>distributor in US at a transfer price of 20000, incuring a local
>profit of 10000.  The US distributor transfers it to the dealer
>at a price of 20000, no US profit.  The Dealer sells it for 24000.

And the IRS comes along and decides that the fair price for the
whatever is 12000, so the US distributor should have reported a profit
of 8000.  They then tax the US distributor on that 8000 and, if
they're in a nasty mood (and when aren't they?) they add in a bunch of
penalties and interest.



Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: capturing caller id data
Organization: Motorola, Mobile Data Division - Seattle, WA
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 15:34:03 GMT

In article <1992Apr17.115710.6505@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil) writes:

>>Fraud?  Interesting way of putting it.  Is that like...  I say something,
>>and you disagree so it is fraud...
>
>No, that's not fraud.  Fraud is not when you disagree but rather when
>you lie or so blatantly ignore what has been put before you and then
>state that you have not seen it.

Have I lied...?

It's no lie that I have not seen it.  And I checked here, and perhaps
it was too long ago, but we do not have any such article here at our
site.  Either that, or if I did see it, it did not appear to me to
be as perfect as you describe, hence I am not making the connection...
But I only recall your name since it came up on the first posting
making insinuations....

>  Your questions were answered with
>concrete information, yet you continue to ignore that.

I can't ignore something that I haven't seen, and do not have.

Can't you accept the fact that I somehow missed it and just forward
me a copy... then I could really respond... insetead of calling me names
out here...?

If someone else has this gem, could they please forward me a copy.

John
-- 
John Gilbert
gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com
..!uunet!mdisea!gilbert
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin)
Subject: To Repair or Replace a TV
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Distribution: misc
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 20:39:47 GMT

We have an 11 year old, 26" color Zenith console TV. It looks like one of the
color modules is finally dying; greens seem to come out a dark brown, and
greys tend to lean towards the light purple. The TV, although it has a keypad
tuner, does not have a remote, nor any of the newer features.

Given the age of the beast, is it worth repairing? It looks like replacements
would run in the range of $300-$600 plus tax. 

Daniel
--
[W]:The Aerospace Corp. M1/055 * POB 92957 * LA, CA 90009-2957 * 310/336-8228
[Email]:faigin@aerospace.aero.org              [Vmail]:310/336-5454 Box#13149
	  "You mean on top of everything else, this ship is rigged?"
	     King Ferdinand, of Spain to Columbus (Stan Freberg)
From: jacko@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Jacko)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Citibank Autoadvantage - pathetic
Date: 8 Apr 92 18:10:50 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Apr8.172456.11132@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov> pjs@euclid.jpl.nasa.gov writes:
>A few months ago Citibank Visa sent an invitation to join their
>Autoadvantage program, offering many discounts on auto services.
>There was a trial period and a membership refund guarantee, so
>even though my first reaction was, "Another scam that won't
>save money in the long run," my second reaction was, "maybe I've
>gotten too cynical about these kinds of things and should give
>it a go."  So I did.
>
>It was a waste of time and a 29-cent stamp.  I find nothing
>surprising in the news of the trouble Citicorp is in.

It sounds like this Autoadvantage thing is probably yet another useless
offering from the folks at Comp-U-Card International (aka CUC Int'l),
which is an NYSE-listed (well, maybe NASDAQ) company which does this shit
for a living.  I don't understand how they make money at it, I always 
cancel out.  They offer all kinds of stuff like Premier Dining, Cititravel,
etc.  Most of them are pretty worthless, but they do offer a money-back 
guarantee.  Guess they're just gambling that most folks are too lazy to
ask for a refund.

I wouldn't really blame Citicorp for the shitty service from Autoadvantage,
though I would fault them for whoring their customer list more than anybody
else.  (even Amex!)

Jacko.
From: donrm@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Don Montgomery)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Question about care of a porcelain sink
Date: 10 Apr 92 16:27:01 GMT
Organization: HP Network Measurements Div, Santa Rosa, CA

In misc.consumers, ahearn@cds2050.cadence.com (John Ahearn) writes:


    > perfect.  Presumably abrasive cleaners are bad, is this true?  If so, can
    > we correct this with some kind of liquid touch up?  Any help would be
                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I had a bathtub and two sinks reglazed.  I don't recall the name of the 
outfit that did the job, but they advertise heavily in the local newspapers.

Essentially what they do is to "paint" the existing enamel with some kind
of epoxy and bake it with an infrared lamp overnight.

The "paint" is definitely *NOT* as hard as the original enamel.  When they
finish, they give you a pamphlet warning you not to use any abrasive clean-
ers like ordinary cleansers or anything that might scratch the surface.

When the job is first finished, the results are spectacular.  However, the
glazing job only lasts a short while.  In my case, the sinks looked WORSE
after a couple of years as the "glaze" discolored from minerals in the water.
Also, the "glaze" wore off in places of high wear and looks terrible.

In other words, I doubt if there is any kind of do-it-yourself liquid
that will last for any reasonable amount of time.

Just my opinion.

			  Don Montgomery
			  donrm@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com
--