HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.misc,soc.culture.usa
Subject: Re: Insane NYC Tolls
Date: 27 Jan 93 03:02:50 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Summit NJ

>And I just heard on the radio (although this is probably old news) that
>the Verezanno Bridge (connecting Staten Island with Brooklyn/Long Island)
>will now cost SIX dollars round trip!!  And this doesn't even TOUCH
>Manhattan.  It does, however, touch all the people from New Jersey who
>have to go to Kennedy Airport.

Not necessarily.  The $6 toll is collected one-way, into Staten Island.
So people who live in Central and Northern NJ can use the Verrazano
Bridge to get from Staten Island to Brooklyn (Long Island) and for
the return trip use the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan and the Holland
Tunnel into NJ.
-- 
Stan Krieger                 All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
UNIX System Laboratories     if related to my employment, are my own.
Summit, NJ
smk@usl.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: msyed@ccs.northeastern.edu (Mohammad Syed)
Subject: Importing from Europe
Organization: CDSP Computing Lab, Northeastern University
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 18:13:15 GMT

Would any of you net folks know what is the procedure to
import a car from Europe for personal use. I would appreciate
information about customs (the various taxes), the standards
the car would have to conform to etc.
 
Thanks

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: johne@PROBLEM_WITH_INEWS_GATEWAY_FILE (John Eaton)
Subject: Re: Insurance question
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 17:34:00 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard VCD
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

David Goldreich (dg10+@andrew.cmu.edu) wrote:
: 
: Suppose someone takes out life insurance and "forgets" that he has
: cancer or AIDS.  The insurance company can't be liable in such a case,
: can it?
:---------------------
Magic Johnson discovered that he was HIV positive when he applied for Life
Insurance and was required to take a Aids test. 

John Eaton
!hp-vcd!johne
From: rwirthli@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ralph Wirthlin)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Relocation help
Keywords: relocation, taxes, cofc
Date: 26 Jan 93 20:32:12 GMT
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.

We're thinking of relocating to another part of the country
(haven't decided exactly where yet, but have a few general locations
in mind).    What would be the best way of getting information on
such things as housing costs, local and state taxes, crime statistics
etc?  Is there some kind of publication or periodical that addresses
some of these concerns?     

   I'm sorry if this is not the appropriate newsgroup but this was the
closest I could find.
   If there is a FAQ for these kind of questions please send me a
pointer.  

					Thanks,


					Ralph
From: jung@base.bellcore.com (Eric Jung)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Stores can't "detain" shoplifters
Date: 26 Jan 93 17:29:47 GMT
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ

Ah, one of my favorite subjects:  shoplifting!

I was a store detective for 5 years in 3 different stores in New Jersey.
I'm not a cop wannabe; I was simply a student trying to earn a living.
(A programmer wannabe looking for a fun job, perhaps.)

In NJ, we most certainly had the right to use reasonable force to detain
a suspected shoplifter.  I was charged with assault 3 times, but never
successfully.  On the other hand, each time physical force escalated to
a scuffle, I successfully pressed charges for assault in addition to
shoplifting.  Bear in mind that these were mostly professional shop-
lifters stealing as much as $8000 at a clip.

Target and other stores are wise to advise cashiers to let shoplifters
walk because it's a lot of work to prosecute a case if they fight it.
Also, the consequences of being wrong or saying the wrong things can
be severe.

Someone mentioned the Sensormatic sensors many mall stores have at the
doors.  These are deterrents, not thief catchers.  No sane store 
employee would attempt to build a case on the fact that you set off
an alarm.  In fact, our security departments had a policy that plain-
clothes security personnel could not approach a customer in this 
situation.  This was so there could be no misunderstanding about
whether an accusation was made.  Truth is, perhaps one of every 300
activations of this alarm is by a thief, and most store employees 
know this.

Prosecuting shoplifters is also not a money-making venture.  A $500 case
may cost $5000 to prosecute.  However, if no prosecutions ever occurred,
shoplifting would be a much bigger problem.

Eric
-- 
Eric C. Jung                    Bellcore Advanced Software Environment
(908) 699-4684                  444 Hoes Lane  RRC 1S-222
jung@base.bellcore.com          Piscataway, NJ  08854
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: pbp1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Peter B Palij)
Subject: furniture prices
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Summary: negotiating space
Organization: Columbia University
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 22:53:38 GMT


What sort of negotiating width is there in furniture prices at the
mainline (Ethan Allen, Drexel, Thomasville, etc.) furniture stores?
Assuming a list of $1000 and a "sale" price of $850 is there another
20% off the sale price ($170)? 50%?

Also, are there end runs by ordering directly from the "warehouse" or
home plant?

And finally, of course, are there quality issues with particular brands?

Thanks for the help.

Peter
--
Peter Palij                                       Internet: pbp1@columbia.edu
Columbia University, Graduate School of Business
804 Uris Hall
New York  NY  10027
Peter Palij                                       Internet: pbp1@columbia.edu
Columbia University, Graduate School of Business
804 Uris Hall
New York  NY  10027
From: pwai (Me)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Bay Area Consumer Magazine
Date: 26 Jan 93 22:42:32 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated

Recently I read in the paper that some company based in Oakland is starting
some sort of bi-monthly Consumer Magazine for the Bay Area.

Does anyone know their address and phone number?

Thanks.


Patrick
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.cooking
From: hbb@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (harlan.b.braude)
Subject: Re: Kitchen Aid mixers
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:20:54 GMT

In article <93028.075607LNF@psuvm.psu.edu> <LNF@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>I need parts for my K5SS (5 quart) Kithchen Aid mixer and can't find my
>manual.  Does anyone have a manual that lists an address or phone # for parts?

Try 1-800-223-7551 (at least that's how it's listed in the NYNEX Yellow
Pages for southern N.J.) Of course, check the "White Pages" under Kitchen
Aid. At least in N.J., there is another company called "Kitchenaid" (one
word,) which is probably not affiliated.

-- 
Harlan B. Braude
hbb@karin.att.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: lenivch@maclaurin.mit.edu (Witold Biedrzycki)
Subject: Bay Banks Sucks! (was Re: Banks that offer debit cards???????)
Organization: MIT Department of Mathematics, Cambridge, MA
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 17:22:41 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.050045.17633@netcom.com> timlee@netcom.com (Timothy J. Lee) writes:
>rboudrie@chpc.org (Rob Boudrie) writes:
>|
>|Bay Banks (Massaachusetts) charges customers NOT to have a debit card.  If
>|[...]
>|
>|Interestingly enough the bank originally offered the "service" of losing
>|float; losing some consumer protection rights applicable to credit accounts; 
>|and risking the "chain reaction" in case of error for a mere $.15/transaction;
>|then evolved to making it "free", and now charging not to have it!
>|
>|This is the same bank which wants to save postage by sending cheets of 
>|miniturized copies of cancelled checks instead of the real thing, and
>|then ask the customer to pay an extra $.25 a month for this so called
>|"service".  (The back room MBAs at Bay Banks must really have fun plugging
>|these little fees into their spreadsheets and celebrating "found" money).
>
>So why are they still in business?  If they have such annoying charges
>and fees, why don't their customers just use some other bank?

They have the most extensive ATM coverage in the area. Apparently, some
people feel it's worth having a lot of ATMs and lousy customer service.
Most people don't read the fee schedules/account agreements anyway.
Neither does BayBanks provide them, unless you insist.

Little known fact: Progressive Consumers Federal Credit Union gives free
access to Xpress24/Cirrus ATMs (this includes all BayBanks ATMs), pretty
much anybody can belong.

I was with BayBanks for two months and it's just unbelievable how much they
were able to screw up:

1) Without my request they printed 50 checks and wanted 7 dollars for this.
2) They told lies about how independently printed checks are often illegible
   and supposedly don't clear.
3) They erroneously witheld tax on the interest.
4) They sent the ATM card to wrong address.
5) Finally, the branch manager forgot to close the account.

Witold
From: lsnow@ncrclm.ClemsonSC.NCR.COM (Linda Snow)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: How to fight telemarketers
Date: 22 Jan 93 17:50:40 GMT
Reply-To: lsnow@ncrclm.ClemsonSC.NCR.COM (Linda Snow)
Distribution: na
Organization: NCR E&M CLEMSON Liberty, SC

>The proposed/existing law says that a telemarketer must maintain a list
>of people they have previously called who have said they don't want to
>be called again. The telemarketer is then in violation of the law if they
>call anyone on this list again. Any such person they call a second time
>is entitled to punitive damages, which can be as high as $500, and
>there are cases where the fines are being paid.

Well I really hate telemarketers, but I really can't imagine hating them
enough to (1) Really listen to the name of the organization that is calling,
(2) Keep a log of who called once, so I can (3) have a record of who called
twice, and then (4) take them to small claims court or whatever in order
to get this fine paid.....etc. etc. etc.  I have heard that telemarketing
is *very* profitable and I would assume that the number of people who are
willing to go through the above scenario would be so small that the 
telemarketers aren't going to get seriously hurt by paying fines.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers,co.general
From: fedrick@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Kelvin W. Fedrick)
Subject: Re: Illegal telephone recording
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 02:10:11 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.233733.16228@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> fcrary@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Frank Crary) writes:
>
>>Example: Mailing someone a solicitation to purchase child pornography may
>>not be legal if samples are included or if the mailings continue to the
>>point of being legally classifiable as harrassment.
>
>Mailings like this are illegal entrapment, even if the offer is
>legally mailed, unless the police can show the accused regularly
>receives such offers. 

 Probably, but what if the police just place an ad in a magazine for,
 oh say child prostitution, and give an address or phone number to
 call or write to? When the poor fool calls, he is recorded. Then further
 meetings are set up and at those meetings, they are video taped,
 recorded, and finally arrested. Entrapment? Evidently not since this
 happened in Denver not to long ago and some of the individual were
 convicted according to the news. I think you have too broad a definition
 of what entrapment is, and I think examples like this provide an
 existance proof that this definitely NOT considered entrapment.

-kelvin
From: hroth@ncratl.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM (Harris Roth)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: How to fight telemarketers
Date: 22 Jan 93 20:31:07 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: NCR Engineering and Manufacturing Atlanta -- Atlanta, GA

In article <1993Jan21.184535.17960@spdcc.com> rdonahue@spdcc.com (Bob Donahue) writes:
>	What irks me most of all is the computer auto-dialers.  Most
>of them won't relinquish the line if you hang up on them.  I've
>had my line tied up for *30 minutes* whlie it cycles thryu the whole
>schpiel!  Aside from leaving msgs in the gaps like "I can't dial 911

If the receiving phone is hung up, the line is suppossed to be disconnected.  
If yours does not then maybe you have an antiquated phone system or something
else is wrong.  Talk to your phone company about this problem.



-- 
Harris J. Roth, Senior Programmer Analyst    hroth@ncratl.atlantaga.NCR.COM 
Network Systems                              (404) 623-7749  VP: 751-7749
Transaction Terminal and Retail Systems Division     
NCR E&M Atlanta                              
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:22309 soc.culture.usa:9964 misc.misc:4418
Organization: Hidden - I don't speak for them...
X-Stuff:      <This should be witty, but I'm too tired right now.>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 10:48:51 EST
From: David B. Horvath, CDP <MBADBH@rohvm1.rohmhaas.com>
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,soc.culture.usa,misc.misc
Subject: Re: Speeding ticket in OKlahoma --- what's SP8?
Distribution: usa
 <ANDRE.93Jan18151827@king.slc.mentorg.com> <90451@ncratl.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM>
 <1993Jan20.182359.21095@itsmail1.hamilton.edu>

<jmalloy@itsmail1.hamilton.edu (Joseph T. Malloy)> wrote:
> Of course, my spouse manages to get strange tickets.  She once got a ticket
> from an Albemarle county sherriff in Virginia for riding on the side of
> the rode (to avoid traffic) -- but she was on a bicycle!!  When we
> moved, State Farm Insurance wanted to count that as a chargeable moving
> violation (putter her into a high cost bracket), but we appealed and
> they checked it out (with the national traffic violations records
> company in Atlanta, I think) and found no record of a motor vehicle
> violation, just a violation.  We save a few buck there, thank
> goodness...

  A number of bicycling clubs have advised their members *not* to
  carry their drivers license/automobile registration while riding.
  That way, if they are given a ticket, it will not be applied against
  their license (points) or become known to insurance companies (higher
  rates).  Since you don't need a DL to ride a bike, you can't be
  required to show it if you aren't carrying it!  Be sure to carry other
  ID though.

      - David Horvath

Xref: sparky misc.consumers:22300 misc.consumers.house:17169 misc.kids:33051
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house,misc.kids
Subject: Re: Emptying Water System in Unused House
From: <JCLEWIN@MTUS5.BITNET>
Date: Tuesday, 19 Jan 1993 10:51:02 EST
 993Jan12.140811.10043@ucs.att.com>,<1993<1993Jan15.164940.7983@tc.fluke.COM>
Distribution: na
Organization: Computing Technology Services, Michigan Technological Univ.

In article <1993Jan15.164940.7983@tc.fluke.COM>, kurt@tc.fluke.COM (Kurt
Guntheroth) says:
>
>Most commercial building owners who leave buildings unoccupied during the
>winter pur anti-freeze into the toilet bowls instead of draining them.  Then
>they just (illegally) flush the anti-freeze down the toilet when tennants
>arrive. ----------

The last two times I changed antifreeze in my car I thought, now what do I
do with this stuff (the waste).  The back of the antifreeze bottle says to
pour it into  a SANITARY sewer (one going to a treatment plant, not down the
the storm sewer).  While in concentrated form antifreeze is poisonous, diluted
it doesn't cause much harm.

JCLEWIN@MTUS5.BITNET

From: quan@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Suu Quan)
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:06:07 GMT
Subject: Re: any NO FEE ATM in Santa Clara ?
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server
Newsgroups: misc.consumers

Here are the responses I got

From: timlee@netcom.com (Timothy J. Lee)

Only two that I knew of last year, which were not very good for
other reasons (any may not be free anymore):

America California Bank (Palo Alto, might not be free anymore)
Fremont Bank (otherwise expensive)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Cameron Spitzer <camerons@nad.3com.com>

Technology Federal Credit Union gives you 5 free network-ATM
transactions per month, plus all the traffic you can put through
their own machines.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Mark Dubinsky <markd@locus.com>

When I last checked a year ago, there was a Fidelity Savings that was
doing this, but I don't know if they're in Northern California too.  If
you have a Discover Card, their savers' account has no ATM charges, 
though it might be just a little more difficult to find an ATM that's
on the Discover network.  BUT, this is a money market account, so you are
limited to 3 checks per month.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Need help in resolving lawyer's bill dispute!
Date: 22 Jan 1993 21:56:08 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: athens.eng.umd.edu

In article <Jan.22.14.06.42.1993.14836@gandalf.rutgers.edu> ssdesai@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Sunil S. Desai) writes:
>

>I called him and discussed the bill.  He got very upset.  Gave me all kind 
>of BS about how reasonable his rates were and how much other lawyers would 
>have charged.

What did you do to make the lawyer upset? His rates are reasonable. He
wasn't giving you BS.


>He has not called me back.  And I keep receiving these PAST DUE notices from
>his offices.

Exactly. And those past due notices aren't going to go away just because
you ignore them.


>- What can he do if I refuse to pay these unreasonable charges?  

Ruin your credit history for deliquency. You did give him your
social security number, didn't you?

He will also take you to court, and based on what you have said, his
case will easily prevail. 


>- What are my options?

Pay your bill.


>- How can I resolve this dispute?  (I do not want to go to another lawyer
>  who will charge me $250 to get this bill reduced to $200!)

What's the dispute? You don't have a case, unless the lawyer didn't do
what you hired him to do. The lawyer is entitled to payment for
services rendered.

Your problem is that you just don't want to pay the bill now that you
have no further need of legal counsel. Services always seem like they
are worth less after they are rendered. That's why many lawyers and
consultants now want their money up front.

From: tristan@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com (Tristan Colson)
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 04:22:52 GMT
Subject: Truck Bedliner
Organization: HP Pacific Technology Park - Sunnyvale, Ca.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers


I have a 1989 Toyota pickup with xtra cab.
Due to a manufacturing defect, I'm going to get my truck repainted by
the dealer. This gives me a second chance to get a bedliner, which I regret
not having done when I originally bought the truck.

Does anyone have any recommendations for good brands of bedliners, or any 
advice about which ones to stay away from?

Thanks !!

Tom  (using Tristan's account) 

   _____________________________  ____________________________________
 
   Lisa Tristan Colson            e-mail  : tristan@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com
   Hewlett-Packard                HPDESK  : Tristan Colson / HP2200/UM
   Integrated Systems             US Mail : 1266 Kifer Road MS 102F
     Division                               Sunnyvale, CA 94086            
   Phone : (Telnet/408) 746-5322            
   _____________________________  ____________________________________
From: charleen@net.bio.net (Charleen Bunjiovianna)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Help!    (stolen wallet troubles)
Date: 27 Jan 93 00:07:13 GMT
Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Biology

In article <1468@bridge2.NSD.3Com.COM> cls@truffula.sj.ca.us writes:
>
>Nobody has ever told me a sound reason to sign a credit card.  

Your choice, certainly, but I saw a vendor once refuse to accept an
unsigned credit card.  That's his choice.

Charleen
From: boaz@concerto.lcs.mit.edu (Boaz Ben-Zvi)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: How to improve credit ratings ?
Date: 22 Jan 93 00:34:12 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: MIT Laboratory for Computer Science

In article <1993Jan18.190756.13874@informix.com> vemuri@informix.com (Sudhakar Vemuri) writes:

   Having come to this country about 6 months back, I don't have any credit
   history. Couple of months back, I got Citibank Secured Card. 

   Now, my question is : 

   TO build and improve my credit history, which of the following is best :

   1. To pay the full amount due , thereby not incurring any financial charges
   2. To leave some amount due (after paying the minimun due ) and incur the
      high finance cahrges

   I prefer 1 above, but some of my friends say 2 is a necessary evil I have to
   carry till I build my credit history .


A. I came to this country 6 years ago.
B. I have more credit cards than I can count. (all without annual fee).
C. I ALWAYS paid the full balance on time, and often overpaid (I usually
   round to the next dollar; takes less writing on the check :-).
D. I disputed some charge once (note that when disputing, the card company
   reports it immediately to the credit record companies) and was
   eventually proven right (i.e., the merchant could not provide a proof).
D. My credit rating (as of last month) is  A+  (Is this the highest ?).

Hope that the above answers all your questions ....

-- Boaz

===============================================================================
  _              _            __         __ ___  _ _   __ ___    ____      ___
 /_) _  _  __   /_) _   __ __ _/    o     |   |   \| __ |   |     /    \ |   |
/__)(_)(_|__/  /__)(_'_/ /   /__\/_(        __|_ __\    | __|_     \  __\| __|_
          __)                                           |                      
===============================================================================
 Boaz Ben-Zvi    <boaz@apollo.hp.com>                     <boaz@mit.edu>
===============================================================================


--

===============================================================================
  _              _            __         __ ___  _ _   __ ___    ____      ___
 /_) _  _  __   /_) _   __ __ _/    o     |   |   \| __ |   |     /    \ |   |
/__)(_)(_|__/  /__)(_'_/ /   /__\/_(        __|_ __\    | __|_     \  __\| __|_
          __)                                           |                      
===============================================================================
 Boaz Ben-Zvi <boaz@crl.dec.com>           Home: (617) 494-1279  <boaz@mit.edu>
===============================================================================
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Gevalia Kaffe Offer
From: kroin@mcvax4.d48.lilly.com
Date: 21 Jan 93 10:03:09 EST
Distribution: na,local

I just got this wonderful offer in the mail from an outfit called
 Gevalia Kaffe.  $10 for a trial offer in which you receive a European style
 automatic drip coffee
maker(4cup) and a pound of really wonderful (i am reading this) coffee. It's
one of those we'll keep sending you coffee at probably $10 a pound until you
tell us not to. You keep the coffee maker whatever you decide. You don't get
the next shipment for six weeks and may cancel by letter or phone before then.
 I would really be interested in the offer if the coffee is that good. If not,
I could still console myself with the free coffee maker. The co. is based in
Sweden and has local importers.Anyone dealt with them or have any info about
this offer? Thanks, Stan -- 
      +--------------------------------------------------------------+
      J.S.K@Lilly.Com is really Julian Kroin,late of Indpls. IN.
      +--------------------------------------------------------------+