HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bd670@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Russell I. Dyreng)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Insurance Agent
Date: 5 Nov 1992 18:00:31 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


del@cs.brown.edu (David E. Langworthy) writes:

>Does anyone have suggestions on selecting an insurance agent?  
>I am looking for a combination renter's/auto/umbrella policy.
>
>Dave
>del@cs.brown.edu                         

After several years of dealing with two of the well known large
insurance companies, I decided to take my business to a small
independent agent.  I was extremely pleased with the results.  I
told him how much coverage I wanted, he was able to immediately 
check 6-8 different companies' policies at once to find me the 
lowest cost for the coverage that I wanted.  He was also able to
sit down with me and help me determine whether or not umbrella 
liability coverage was economical for me or not, depending on 
the amount of liability that you need to cover.

In a few years I'll go back and have him go through the same 
process with me again to keep my rates as low as possible.

-- 
Russ
bd670@cleveland.freenet.edu
Remember-any advice that I give you may be worth exactly what
you paid for it.
From: jxs18@po.CWRU.Edu (Jerry Sy)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: quality of IKEA stuff (was Re: IKEA MAIL ORDER: YES!!!)
Date: 13 Nov 1992 05:32:43 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: jxs18@po.CWRU.Edu (Jerry Sy)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, kan@bugs-bunny.rtp.dg.com (Victor Kan) says:

>>>>>> On Wed, 11 Nov 1992 20:25:49 GMT, kester@mte.ncsu.edu (Dan Kester) said:
>
>Dan> I've bought much furniture from IKEA, and been very pleased. Of
>Dan> course much of it is of so-so quality, but to get top quality
>Dan> furniture, you'll generally have to pay much more.  What you get
>Dan> at IKEA is excellent value, good to excellent design, and a large
>Dan> selection. You can get cheaper furniture at Kmart/walmart, but it
>Dan> tends to be UGLY and much shoddier than IKEA's.
>
not! a lamp I bought at ikea, I found at Phar-Mor, and is exactly the
same thing but cost less.

although I did not say in my original post that 100% of what they sell is
crap (only about 75% is), I can bet you that I can buy top quality
furnitures at half the price at a Hornes's or Kaufman's warehouse sale,
which are held about 3 times a year. 


Lines: 17
Date: Fri,  6 Nov 92 16:21:11 MST
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: $stephan@sasb (Stephan Fassmann, Software)
Subject: Re: The unhappy byproduct of gas stations and ATM cards
Organization: BYU
Distribution: usa

In article <Bx9vxr.7zu@chinet.chi.il.us> koziarz@chinet.chi.il.us (Louis Koziarz) writes:

>I fill up, walk inside, hand the girl my ATM card, she replies 'Our Cash
>Station connection is down'.  NOW what am I gonna do?  I tell her 'I wish you
>had a sign outside that said that'.  She shrugs.  I take out my credit card,
>I don't have enough cash, she replies 'Well I'm going to have to charge you
>the credit rate now instead of cash'.  Now I'm steamed.  I'm gonna talk to 
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I thought it was illegel to charge more for using a credit card then for 
cash. I think I read this in the local paper but it was some time ago.
Anyone know for sure?

_____________________________________________________________________
|Stephan Fassmann  Internet: $stephan@sasb.byu.edu  GEnie: S.FASSMANN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|The Random Acts of Kindness will Continue until Morale Deteriorates|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: julian@baldur.lbl.gov (julian cortella)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: US to Europe electrical transformers
Date: 6 Nov 1992 18:30:38 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.128.80

Hi,

I will be moving to France soon, and I was wondering about the 110 to 220V
transformer problem.  So here are a couple of questions:

 o Does anybody know of a good cheap source for such transformers, mail
   order or otherwise? What's a decent price?

 o Are there different types of transformers?  What should I look for?

 o Which appliances and stuff will work in Europe?  I already know that
   a TV & VCR won't.  Nor will electric clocks keep time properly.  What
   about a microwave oven?  I assume my cheap coffeemaker and iron will
   work.  Anything else?

 o Is there another newsgroup that might be of more help?

If anybody has some info on this kind of problem, I'd appreciate
any help.  

Thanks,

julian
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.autos
From: ssh@allegra.att.com (syed s haider)
Subject: Need info. on auto diagnostic centers
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ
Distribution: nj
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 17:34:19 GMT

The 3 year warranty on my Sentra is about to expire next month.
Before that happens I was thinking about taking it to some
place where they will (in reasonable honesty) tell me whether
there is anything wrong with the major components of my car.
I don't think anything is wrong but in case there is I want
to have the dealer fix it free while I've got the chance.  I 
want to avoid the "warranty syndrome" with things falling apart
the week after :-)  The most honest place I can think of is a
diagnostic shop which doesn't actually do the repair, just tells
you if there are any problems or not.  So does anyone have any
experience with such places in central NJ?
Thanks.

Syed S. Haider
ssh@allegra.att.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers

*** slight drift on ***
(I based this on something I heard on "THHGTTG")

Don't you hate salespeople who just barge into your house?
The type who won't leave unless you threaten to call the police?

I've got a great way of dealing with them.

One of the first things they notice is my (fairly large) Grey Parrot.
Visitors ask if the parrot is safe, and I reply, yes she is.

So they stick their fingers in her cage, and she gives them a pretty
good bite.

I then tell them that the parrot is perfectly safe - its people who
stick their fingers in her cage who are in danger.

Mik

Oh yes, :-) :-) :-)
From: kolstad@cae.wisc.edu (Joel Kolstad)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Can a Microwave's performance deteriorate with time?
Date: 13 Nov 92 01:44:53 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering

In article <1duun4INNkdn@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (David Lesher) writes:
>
>1KW = 14.4 degree C rise in temp in 1 liter of water in 1 min.
>Albert Huizinga
>
>Test away!

It's be difficult -- the actual wattage absorbed by the food is a function
of the geometry of the food.  A 1KW microwave will send significantly less
than 1KW into the food (or water) itself.

						---Joel Kolstad

P.S. -- P=ExH! :-)
From: adams@spss.com (Steve Adams)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Nope again (was Re: Yup, Amway's a scam)
Date: 5 Nov 92 21:49:36 GMT
Organization: SPSS Inc.

lou@hpkslx.mayfield.HP.COM (Lou Kvitek) writes:

>In misc.consumers, jfurr@nyx.cs.du.edu (Joel Furr) writes:
>
>> Right.  I guess I didn't make my point very clearly but the poster I'm
>> replying to put it well.  After all, it's not just that local individuals
>> are reluctant to spill the beans about it being Amway, but that it's so
>> ingrained that it seems to be a matter of corporate policy to pretend you own
>> this little local business that COULDN'T POSSIBLY be AMWAY.
>
>I must repeat Joel, it IS the truth (believe it or not), Amway distributors
>run there OWN business.  Their business merely uses Amway as a supplier.
>The same is true for your local 7-Eleven.  The 7-Eleven owner carries
>Coca-Cola products, but he is not IN Coca-Cola.  Here merely has Coca-Cola
>supply him with products.

Bzzzzt.  The 7-11 owner gets products from multiple vendors and sells
directly to the public.  He doesn't need to (or try) to sign up other
people to run 7-11's that he will supply.  In addition, he probably sells
Pepsi products, too.  Do you sell competing products?

 -Steve
--
  The opinions expressed above are those of the author and not SPSS, Inc.
                         -------------------
   adams@spss.com                                  Phone: (312) 329-3522
   Steve Adams        "Space-age cybernomad"       Fax:   (312) 329-3558
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: hemi@bcrkd12.bnr.ca (Hemi Thaker)
Subject: Baby Monitors - Any suggestions?
Reply-To: hemi@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, VHDL Group
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 15:54:11 GMT

Hi :

	I'm currently in the market for a baby monitor.  I have
seen about 3 different products (Fischer-Price, and two other
"no-name" brands).  However, without testing them, I could find
very little differences between them, cost aside.  Does anyone
out there have suggestions or advice, based on experience with
any monitors?

	Thanks in advance...

Hemi

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer : The above opinions are my own, and do not
             necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hemi Thaker     Bell-Northern Research, Ltd        Ph.: (613) 765-2863
System Level    P.O. Box 3511, Station C           Fax: (613) 763-7241
Modeling        Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Y 4H7   Email : hemi@bnr.ca
From: bchurch@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (Robert Church)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Doctor ripoff, or just reality?
Date: 13 Nov 92 13:17:06 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Ohio University School of Art. Athens

In article <1992Nov13.061347.4826@cbnewsc.cb.att.com> kapa@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (k.a.perkins) writes:

>Speak for yourself.   I don't know an adult who goes to the doctor
>for colds, minor flus, or minor illnesses.  For me, it wouldn't be
>entirely an issue of cost, but one of convenience and hassle, combined
>with the knowledge that many things will get better on their own just
>as fast as with medical intervention.

This is not a flame just an honest observation. The county that I live in
has a high rate of welfare recipients. One of the benefits in Athens County
is a 'green card' providing free medical service.
There is very little hassle involved when you don't have work to miss.
The local clinics waiting room is extremely comfortable with tv and free
coffee and donuts. For a lot of people it's better than a day uptown. I
would hope that the government is careful to avoid this sort of situation
if and when it implements a national health care plan. One doesn't necessarily
have to lead to the other but it will if not done properly.


-- 
*********************************************
*    bob church                             *
*    bchurch@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu           *
*    D-8195 NFS #27                         *
From: egreen@east.sun.com (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: **INTERESTING TRANSCRIPT ABOUT HONDA MOTOR
Date: 12 Nov 1992 16:15:24 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
Distribution: world
Reply-To: egreen@east.sun.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 22666@midway.uchicago.edu, ar12@quads.uchicago.edu (Andre Robotewskyj) writes:
> 
>This is
>more ironic considering the technology was in fact invented in the
>USA by small high tech upstarts.

Start-ups, which may or may not be upstarts!

---
Ed Green, former Ninjaite |I was drinking last night with a biker,
  Ed.Green@East.Sun.COM   |and I showed him a picture of you.  I said,
DoD #0111  (919)460-8302  |"Go on, get to know her, you'll like her!"
 (The Grateful Dead) -->  |It seemed like the least I could do...
From: paul's.friend@uttsbbs.uucp (Paul'S Friend) 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: SANTRON 2 OF 5
Date: 7 Nov 92 20:48:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591
Reply-To: paul's.friend@uttsbbs.uucp (Paul'S Friend) 

Santron, Part II of V: The Nightmare Continues.

     Now for the really scary part.  After 3 weeks they told my
friend they had PROOF (well not exactly proof) that he had
DELIBERATELY broken his own computer.  SAY WHAT!!!  My friend,
(who incidentally hadn't deliberately, or even accidentally
broken his own computer), asked why they thought he would want to
do that.  (He had seen enough Matlocks to know that motive is
very important).  Had he maybe taken out a million dollar life
insurance policy on it the month before?  Had he found out that
the computer was not fully bio-degradable, and could no longer
live with the guilt?  Did he want to see if Santron could really
repair a computer in one day?  "You wanted new parts because the
warranty had almost ended" was their response.  Oh, of course.
Well it turned out they had found a broken capacitor on the power
supply.  The service manager, John, had tried to solder it back
on (for those of you not familiar with power supplies, they are
the sealed boxes inside the computer that say DANGER: HIGH
VOLTAGE, NO SERVICEABLE PARTS, DO NOT OPEN).  They returned it
(either before or after they tampered with it, my friend never
found out for sure) to the manufacturer who made out a report
(which Santron refused to show to my friend) saying the capacitor
couldn't have broken on its own.  They didn't say if it could
have broken when the service manager took the power supply out of
the computer, or while he was trying his hand at electrical
engineering (did somebody say Electrical Engineering Degree?), or
any of a 1000 other reasons.  They didn't say what level of
expertise one would need (not to mention a circuit diagram), to
know the effect of breaking the capacitor.  They didn't say
whether the capacitor even caused the damage.  Funny thing was,
this same service manager had earlier told my friend that it was
the VGA card that had sent the surge through the computer - he
knew that because while he was testing it on another computer, it
blew up that computer's motherboard too.  (Wow, I bet he didn't
tell his boss that little episode!).
From: wayne@ultra.com (Wayne Hathaway)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: WANTED: Tire advice for VW camper
Date: 13 Nov 92 16:38:25 GMT
Reply-To: wayne@ultra.com (Wayne Hathaway)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Ultra Network Technologies

We have an '85 VW camper that is in dire need of new tires.  We like
Michelins, but the tire stores say the 185R14 size that we need is
backordered nationally.  So we are in the market for various forms of
advice:

1) One store recommended going up to the 195 size.  Will this work?
   Are there any disadvantages?

2) Are Sears tires still made by Michelin, and would they be okay?

3) Does anybody have any other brands they'd like to recommend?

Thanks much!

    Wayne Hathaway               domain: wayne@Ultra.COM
    Ultra Network Technologies     uucp: ...!ames!ultra!wayne
    101 Daggett Drive             phone: 408-922-0100 x132
    San Jose, CA 95134              FAX: 408-433-9287
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: Barry Thomas <thomasb@ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Re: HELP!  How Can I Improve FM Radio Reception in Office
     Building?
Organization: Indiana University
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.0
     <1992Nov9.005433.29732@news.Hawaii.Edu>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 21:35:23 GMT

I had the same experience of moving from an outside (windowed) wall to an
interior office.  I think I tried every powered antenna from the $29.95
RS to the $100 hi-fi shop models.  In all cases, I asked for permission
to return the device if it didn't work.  It appears the _better_ the
device, the worse the problem.  However, you might want to try one of the
powered model on a "can return" basis.

Or, you can do as I did.  I purchased a CD player.....

Barry Thomas
thomasb@ucs.indiana.edu
Indiana University

Opinions expressed our my own and do not represent the University
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: del@cs.brown.edu (David E. Langworthy)
Subject: Insurance Agent
Organization: Brown Computer Science Dept.
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 16:28:53 GMT

Does anyone have suggestions on selecting an insurance agent?  I am
looking for a combination renter's/auto/umbrella policy.

Dave
del@cs.brown.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: glenn@sloth.ncsl.nist.gov
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Super v/s regular unleaded gas - Is there really a difference?
Date: 5 Nov 92 21:03:40 GMT
Reply-To: glenn@sloth.ncsl.nist.gov
Organization: N.I.S.T
Posting-Front-End: Shinbun -- the OpenLook newsreader




In a related topic I was wondering what the difference was between 
Electronic Fuel Injection and GM's Central Port Injection (CPI).  The
sales brochures mention that the CPI is designed to get the most out
of high octane fuels at the expense of being worse than normal with
lower octane.  It's a moderate option for GM's products.  Any comments?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| K. Robert Glenn, Computer Scientist |  glenn@osi.ncsl.nist.gov        |
| NIST                                |                                 |
| Bldg. 225/ B215                     |  "Developing OSI protocols      |
| Gaithersburg, MD 20899              |   bit by bit."                  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------


Xref: sparky misc.consumers:18905 misc.fitness:8321 misc.misc:3755 rec.misc:276
From: glex@nitro.cray.com (Jeff Gleixner)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.fitness,misc.misc,rec.misc
Subject: Re: Advice Wanted on Home Workout Equipment
Date: 9 Nov 92 21:02:57 GMT
Reply-To: glex@nitro.cray.com (Jeff Gleixner)
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Originator: glex@nitro


In article <1992Nov9.191659.18306@netcom.com>, noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring) writes:
|> as well as the family.  Since I intend to get my cardiovascular workout from
|> sports such as tennis, table tennis, bicycling, and strenuous climbing, I'm
FYI: The sports listed above, not including bicycling, are not going to do
much for you aerobic/cardiovascular wise.  They are short duration, anerobic 
type exercises.  So don't count on them to help you lose weight, or strengthen
your heart, they will help fight bordom.
-- 
glex@nitro.cray.com  === "Difficult tasks are never easy..."
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: n36c@pnet16.cts.com (Rm1 Straight)
Subject: Re: Baby Monitors - Any suggestions?
Organization: People-Net [pnet16], NCTAMS EASTPAC
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 01:16:02 GMT

I believe the human ear is the best device. However, if you are going to buy
one, I wouldn't recommend the Cosco (I think that's the name, I know it 
started with a "C"). We hadthat kind, and we kept getting one of our neighbors
kids, on the next block! Good transmitter, but didn't server our purpose very
good. I said the ear is the best bet, but our son was 3 1/2 months preemie.
I guess we were just over protective at first. 
                            
Str8
when i plays i plays hard. when i thinks i falls to sleep.
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:19061 alt.drugs:18331
From: annie@hardy.u.washington.edu (Annie Li)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Financial records (how long to keep?)
Date: 10 Nov 92 21:19:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov10.211948.17637
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle


On the other hand, I had to have some paycheck stubs from 11 years
ago, because some of my earlier employment history had been lost in a
transfer between departments.

Fortuitously, I kept my paycheck stubs, and was able to get credit for
three years of work history that had been lost.
From: briang@bari.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Gordon)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Apple not honoring their warranty
Keywords: Apple, warranty, non-disclosure
Date: 9 Nov 92 20:59:24 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: bari

In article <BxBJtp.9Lw@news.cso.uiuc.edu> thomasj@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (thomas jeffrey w) writes:
>Has anyone had ploblems with Apple not honoring their warranty?  Has Apple forced you to sign a non disclosure form to get a replacement or refund?                Any info or suggestions would be appreciated.
>ZZ
>

Well, if I _had_, i couldn't tell you about it, could I?

Seriously, I've never had any warranty experience with them, but my service
contract interactions have been fine.  That is more a comment on the service
provider than Apple itself, I guess.

--
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
| 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: kapa@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (k.a.perkins)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Cellular Phones Questions
Keywords: questions to ask, phones to buy
Date: 10 Nov 92 00:04:23 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T


In article <5833@osc.COM>, yms@osc.osc.com (Yuh-Ming Shyy) writes:
> I am thinking about buying a cellular phone, and I appreciate 
> if anyone can provide me some information on the following 
> issues:
> 
> (1) What will be the average monthly cost? Does the telephone 
>     company charge you any monthly basic rate or it is charged 
>     based on how much time you use the phone? 

In every market, there are 2 service providers.  you should check
rates with both of them.  In general, they will charge you a monthly
fee plus airtime for any calls (calls you make, calls you receive).
When you sign up for service, you will have to agree to use the service
for a fixed minimum period of time.  This can vary betweeen service
providers.  Here in Chicago, Ameritech Mobile requires a one year
commitment, and Cellular One requires a 5 month commitment.

> (2) Is there any limitation on the cellular phone? For example, 
>     can it be used on the car as a car phone? Can I dial or 
>     receive a long distance call (say, to/from other state) 
>     from a cellular phone?
As long as you are in your home system, i.e. the system where you
signed up for service, you can make and receive calls to and from
anywhere that you can reach with your non-cellular phones.  Ask
your service provider about "roaming".  Roaming is the term for using
your phone outside of your local switch coverage area.  For example,
if my phone service is based in Chicago and I take my phone to 
Milwaukee, that is roaming, and special procedures may apply.  If
I just drive around Chicago and the suburbs, that is not roaming.
My service guide indicates that I can not accept collect calls on
my cellular phone, but that is one of the few restrictions that I
can think of.

> (3) Any recommendation for the cellular phones? 
There are several things to think about, such as whether you want one
installed in your car, a phone in a bag, or a handheld unit.  In
general, the Motorola phones are considered to be the sturdiest and
the best.  There are some magazines (Cellular Times?) that do comparison
articles from time to time.

Kate Perkins