In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 17 Jan 2020 23:01:37 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...
I bought appliances from a real appliance dealer and got equal or better
price and much better service.

About a year ago bought a patio table and six chairs. Nothing but
aggravation with delivery. It was on a truck and could not find the
street even though they had directions. Ended up after many calls five
days late.
I buy appliances from appliance dealers and lumber from lumber-yards,
and hardware from hardware stores. I also buy groceries from grocery
stores.

Sadly the lumber yards and hardware stores are getting scarce



You would think they had a GPS and a cell phone to call.

20 years ago, on a Sunday, my car broke down about 30 miles south of
here, at a group function. I left tke key in a magnetic container
inside the frame under the door, iirc, and I got a ride home with
someone else there. I called GEICO with which at the time I had towing
insurance, and they called a tow company while I was on the phone, but I
couldn't hear what was said. Thank goodness I was smart enough to
insist on talking directly and finding out the name of the tow company.
Never let someone else make all the arrangements without at least
getting the 3rd party's name.

They were to tow it to a shop a few blocks from here and when 4 PM came
and I hadn't hear anything, I called the shop and they knew nothing.

I called the tow company and they said they went to the car and the door
was locked. I'm sure I'd said where the key was plus if they'd called
Geico, Geico would have called me. Plus I was in the phone book, the
only one by my name. I told them again where the key was, so they towed
it the next day and dropped it off without making the shop sign for it
or pay anything for towing, and they got whatever Geico paid them but
not the hefty additional for being 30 miles away. I guess they didn't
want me complaining to Geico and I didn't.

The car was fixed by Tuesday at 5.


Around this small town there is only one applianc store left. They are
not very good either.