Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #241   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,431
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

In article ,
aemeijers wrote:

Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply wrote:
That would keep me from asking to open the box.

Jim Redelfs wrote:

In these cases, particularly if I am familiar with the item, before
agreeing to open the item, I will do my best to inform the customer of
the package contents and/or answer their questions that caused them to
ask to see inside.


This is why stores used to have demonstrator models on display- actual
plugged-in working units, not empty shells
zip-tied to the gondolas.

As to the alarm clocks- don't most have the db ratings listed on the box?


Not specifically to alarm clocks, but I have too much experience with
dB figures for consumer electronics:

1. Products X and Y specify dB at different distances, and too few
consumers know how to translate/compare these figures.

2. Product Z specifies dB without specifying what distance.

3. Products sometimes have incorrect/dishonest dB figures.

- Don Klipstein )
  #242   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,963
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:54:09 -0500, AZ Nomad
wrote:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:35:01 -0500, Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:34:53 -0500, AZ Nomad
wrote:


On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:35:14 GMT, aemeijers wrote:
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply wrote:
That would keep me from asking to open the box.

Jim Redelfs wrote:

In these cases, particularly if I am familiar with the item, before
agreeing to open the item, I will do my best to inform the customer of
the package contents and/or answer their questions that caused them to
ask to see inside.


This is why stores used to have demonstrator models on display- actual
plugged-in working units, not empty shells
zip-tied to the gondolas.

As to the alarm clocks- don't most have the db ratings listed on the box?

Do any of them have such ratings? Can you name a single example?


And what is the industry-wide measurement standard which would make
this information useful?


You aren't aware that sound pressure levels can be measured?
Never heard of the decibel unit?


There's still a lot of missing standards. What standards are used to
calibrate the meter? Where do you put the sound-level meter? Under the
pillow? 5 inches in front of the clock? What is the "standard test
room" like? How quiet is it? How many square feet of curtains? All
these and more affect sound level readings. Unless measurements are
made under agreed-upon controlled conditions, they're of limited (if
any) use.

This lack of standards reminds me of the useless "peak music power"
ratings on audio equipment.

However, I know of no alarm clock maker that bothers to do so.


BTW, you might know that bels (a decibel is .1 of a bel) are NOT a
unit of sound. They're just a way of representing ratios on a
logarithmic scale. 0db is an arbitrary point.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"The government of the United States is not, in
any sense, founded on the Christian religion."

  #243   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,044
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

On Aug 24, 9:58*am, Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
wrote:
Mark Lloyd wrote:
In article ,
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply wrote:


When that happens with me, I find a salesperson and ask
if I can see the insides.


Please be aware that this is actually a very complex act, which some
people have trouble with.


I understand that, but if, for example, I can't listen to the volume of
an alarm that an alarm clock makes, I don't want to buy it, except
possibly if I get a guarantee that I can return it if it's not loud
enough, but I would prefer to know how loud the alarm is before
purchase. *A lot of "Loudest alarm" alarm clocks have unbelievably quiet
alarms.


And what is the difference between the procedure in WM and any other
store? Well, there is one. WM will take it back no questions asked.

Harry K
  #244   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
mm mm is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7,824
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:51:24 -0700, Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to
reply wrote:

George wrote:

Same here. If you buy a loaf of bread and a pound of cheese it isn't
taxable. If you buy a sandwich at the deli it is. It gets a little
bizarre with other things. Certain types of wrapping paper/film and bags
for example are taxable and others aren't.


The most ludicrous sales tax policy I ever heard of was when we were
driving from Pennsylvania to Georgia, and my mom went in a store in some
state to buy a pair of socks. The clerk asked if the socks were for
someone over or under the age of 14 (or some teenage, under-18 number),
and my mom asked why and was told that clothing for people on one side
of the number was taxed and for people on the other side of the number
wasn't -- I forget which was which at this point; I was a very young
child then. My mom asked the clerk if that meant that clothing for
[whichever age group had their clothing taxed] was optional.


Did the clerk laugh?

My mother used to joke with the clerks from the 1930's to the 1970's
and she finally gave up, because they never got it. They always gave
her a serious, blank look.

  #245   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
mm mm is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7,824
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:55:25 -0700 (PDT), Harry K
wrote:

On Aug 23, 10:21*am, mm wrote:
On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:40:56 -0400, mm
wrote:



c Did they say they would shop at any WM or that they wouldn't shop at


Meant to say, Did they say they would NOT shop at an WM.....



this one, because they resented it being in their town.- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


Answer: letters to the editor from people I know that I saw in the
Moscow WM. You seem to be on a witch hunt or something.


I think you're being hard on those people. They can be truly opposed
to their building a WM and give up or change their mind later.

Even wanting none in one's own town but shopping at one in another
town is reasonable. I'm sure they didn't lobby to get one built in
Moscow, but it's already there. I don't want a 7-11 two hundred
yards from me, where I can see it, but I'll go to one two blocks away.

Harry K




  #246   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,016
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

In article ,
mm wrote:

Even wanting none in one's own town but shopping at one in another
town is reasonable. I'm sure they didn't lobby to get one built in
Moscow, but it's already there. I don't want a 7-11 two hundred
yards from me, where I can see it, but I'll go to one two blocks away.

Harry K


You really can't get a better illustration of NIMBY than that.
  #247   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 664
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

In article ,
Mark Lloyd wrote:

I'd probably get the wrong answer, maybe from some
salesperson afraid to admit to not knowing.


I'm also pretty accomplished at admitting I don't know.

I am afraid that if I DIDN'T know the answer, but made one up and
delivered it to the customer, I would get it wrong or someone would
overhear my b.s. and call me on it. The worst would be that my wrong
information resulted in poor service to the customer.

The common alternative to looking stupid.


I try to NOT look stupid, even when I don't have a clue. I'm pretty
good at it. bg

A lot do. They can still leave out important info. How about a photo
of the BACK of the device (often more important than the front, as it
shows connections)?


Agreed. For remedies that requires such detail, opening the box and,
often with cameras, reading of the Owner's Manual is required.

I bought my first dSLR camera and THEN learned about the concept of
"crop factor" with image sensors smaller than the size of a full frame
of 35mm film - the benchmark by which virtually all lens's focal length
is determined. It was a BIG deal, wasn't on the outside (or readily
available INSIDE) of the box, but I still have (and love) the camera.

It's too bad that most packaging is designed to minimize waste and
thwart a shoplifter.
--

JR
  #248   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
Pat Pat is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 657
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

On Aug 21, 3:51 pm, Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
wrote:
George wrote:

Same here. If you buy a loaf of bread and a pound of cheese it isn't
taxable. If you buy a sandwich at the deli it is. It gets a little
bizarre with other things. Certain types of wrapping paper/film and bags
for example are taxable and others aren't.


The most ludicrous sales tax policy I ever heard of was when we were
driving from Pennsylvania to Georgia, and my mom went in a store in some
state to buy a pair of socks. The clerk asked if the socks were for
someone over or under the age of 14 (or some teenage, under-18 number),
and my mom asked why and was told that clothing for people on one side
of the number was taxed and for people on the other side of the number
wasn't -- I forget which was which at this point; I was a very young
child then. My mom asked the clerk if that meant that clothing for
[whichever age group had their clothing taxed] was optional.


If you go buy .22 bullets at WM (as least around here), the ask you if
it's for a rifle or a pistol. If you say "rifle" they ask if you're
over 18. If you say "pistol" they ask if you are over 21. It doesn't
make any sense, esp. when you consider that the state doesn't restrict
the purchase of bullets.

They also now ask you if you're over 21 for spray paints and some auto
things like break cleaner.
  #249   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 514
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"


"Pat" wrote in message news:6b78525b-41dc-
They also now ask you if you're over 21 for spray paints and some auto
things like break cleaner.


When I was buying spray on top coat sealer for metal I was only allowed to
buy one can at a time. I needed three, so I had to leave the store, put the
can in the car, come back in, buy the second, lather, rinse, repeat. As if
buying only one at a time will stop morons from huffing. Ridiculous.


  #250   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 46
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

Jim Redelfs wrote:

I'd probably get the wrong answer, maybe from some
salesperson afraid to admit to not knowing.


I'm also pretty accomplished at admitting I don't know.

I am afraid that if I DIDN'T know the answer, but made one up and
delivered it to the customer, I would get it wrong or someone would
overhear my b.s. and call me on it. The worst would be that my wrong
information resulted in poor service to the customer.


Wow, you need to come over here and teach seminars to retail people on
how to say, "Sorry, I don't have that information," or maybe to the
management on why it's better to admit you don't know something rather
than look ignorant. There is a horrible dearth of that around here,
even when I ask the waffling retail people to their face, "are you
trying to say you don't have the answer to that question?" It's like
there is some unwritten law in retail around here of "Death before
admitting you don't know something."

The other thing that REALLY irks me is if you ask if they carry
something and they say, "Did you see it on the shelf?" If I did, I
wouldn't be asking. (this, of course, is ludicrously counterbalanced
with the question by the cashier, "Did you find everything you were
looking for?" One of these days I am going to be able to tell the
cashier that I couldn't find something because the person on the floor
refused to help, and then I bet heads will roll.) My eyes are not
always as good as they used to be, and sometimes a second pair or eyes
to find something is helpful, like the nice pharmacist that found the
OTC med for me when I told him that I thought it should be located
around such-and-such category but I didn't see it.


  #251   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 46
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

Pat wrote:

They also now ask you if you're over 21 for spray paints and some auto
things like break cleaner.


In California it's against the law to sell spray paint to minors. Too
much gang tagging going on and too many snuffers.
  #252   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,207
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply wrote:
Pat wrote:

They also now ask you if you're over 21 for spray paints and some
auto things like break cleaner.


In California it's against the law to sell spray paint to minors.
Too
much gang tagging going on and too many snuffers.


Connecticut too, for spray paint anyway, don't know about brake
cleaner. Go through the automated checkout at Home Depot and it makes
me wait for an employee to check my ID if I have spray paint (not an
issue with the manual checkout--it is intuitively obvious to the most
casual observer that I'm over 21, but the computer can't tell).

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)


  #253   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,963
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:22:47 -0700, Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to
reply wrote:

Pat wrote:

They also now ask you if you're over 21 for spray paints and some auto
things like break cleaner.


In California it's against the law to sell spray paint to minors. Too
much gang tagging going on and too many snuffers.


In Texas, I was surprised to find the law applies to felt-tip markers
too. I hadn't even thought of someone sniffing those until I saw
clerks checking ID for those buying markers.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"The government of the United States is not, in
any sense, founded on the Christian religion."

  #254   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,595
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:20:42 -0700 (PDT), Pat
wrote:

-snip-

If you go buy .22 bullets at WM (as least around here), the ask you if
it's for a rifle or a pistol. If you say "rifle" they ask if you're
over 18. If you say "pistol" they ask if you are over 21. It doesn't
make any sense, esp. when you consider that the state doesn't restrict
the purchase of bullets.


But the feds do. You must be 21 to buy pistol ammo.

The store can choose to believe you or not if you say you are going to
shoot it in a rifle.

Jim
  #255   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,907
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

HeyBub wrote:
George wrote:

And for those who would suggest "no one has to sell to Walmart" just
consider the chronology. The deal starts off good, the supplier makes
enough margin to stay in business and keeps expanding. Once Walmart
becomes their major or sole customer they then demand unreasonably
cheap prices. If you have a large investment in a facility you can't
afford to loose major volume because you loose your economy of scale
so your only choice is to do whatever is necessary which includes
cheapening the product, paying Walmart wages, closing the plant and
going offshore depending on what is being manufactured etc.


Good story, but I sense a flaw. How is it in Walmart's best interests to
drive it's suppliers out of business?


Do you actually have a consistent opinion about anything? Unless your
mission is to be the jerry springer of Usenet you just make yourself
look silly.



Walmart DOES send its own experts to its suppliers to show these suppliers
how they can streamline, optimize, and improve their production, back office
techniques, shipping schedules, etc. Techniques that have worked at
thousands of other suppliers.

Some companies, however, may think they know more than Walmart or ignore the
advice.




  #256   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,907
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

HeyBub wrote:
George wrote:

Absolutely. In fact, you might consider doing so as your DUTY as a
Capitalist.

It seems you are really fixated on the Rush Limbagh version of
capitalism where whatever is done is just OK as long as someone is
making out.

So let me pose a question. Lets say your folks are retired/elderly.
You really aren't in frequent touch with them but one day they
sheepishly admit they lost a significant part of their nest egg
because they were scammed by a broker who was on the fine edge of
legality.
Would you immediately ask for at least the phone number of the broker
so you could congratulate him and if not why not?


Possibly.

Michael Milken was known as the "Junk Bond King." He was sent to prison for
marketing high-yield, essentially worthless, bonds to finance corporate
mergers and acquisitions.

His "creative" efforts helped launch, MCI, Turner Broadcasting (CNN), AOL,
the cell-phone industry (via Craig McCaw), several of Steve Wynn's Las Vegas
hotels, and other endeavors.

I'm sure some got hurt by his shenanigans (including Milken himself). But
millions more got jobs.


So what is your point? That those companies would never exist unless it
was for a POS like milken without a moral compass screwing people? That
the cellphone industry or hotels wouldn't exist? That somehow everything
is OK because lots of folks got screwed but some folks got jobs they
would have gotten anyway through normal growth?
  #257   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 13
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

RickH wrote:
On Aug 18, 4:18 pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
"[PLAINFIELD, Penn] Walt Neidlinger spent years trying to keep a
Wal-Mart-anchored shopping complex from being built...

"The traffic would have been suffocating for their little community,
neighbors argued, so when the massive retailer and its partners packed up
their plans and left ... Neidlinger was ecstatic. He figured he'd wait for
the next plan to come along and remembers thinking, 'What could be worse
than Wal-Mart?'

"Over the past year, Neidlinger says, he's gotten an answer: RPM
Recycling -- the metal-shredding plant on the same land -- causes daily
noise that sounds like a freight train rumbling down the street, and
frequent explosions that shake his walls."

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-...,5038048.story


Women LOVE WalMart, I know I cant say anything bad about WalMart
around my wife. Women expect value and low prices and they get that
from Wal Mart. Men on the other hand have the luxury to be
idealistic, union loyal, anti-chinese activists, or whatever concept
floats their political boat, etc. Whereas most women just want to
make the family budget function properly, and Wal Mart lets them
accomplish that. For most towns a Wal Mart is a boon to the local
economy, because soon after they open, many other smaller retailers
and restaurants will infill the area creating economic growth.
Chicago union-strapped politicos have kept Wal Mart out of the poor
black neighborhoods, against the will of the poor residents. Well
those residents are still suffering with no place to buy fresh
produce, or much of anything else for that matter, and a serious lack
of local jobs.




I hear commercials all the time with people praising Wal Mart. They say
stuff like, "When our local factory closed down and moved to China, we
were devastated. No jobs. Then Wal Mart moved in. 300 jobs. Thank you
Wal Mart."
What isn't said is that it is likely that Wal Mart, or the Wal Mart
business plan, was a big part of the reason the factory moved. They
demand a lot from their suppliers. Inferior products for a lower price.
And another reason the factory moved is the fact that Americans are
cheap asses. You complain about jobs going overseas for cheaper labor
and operating costs but you have absolutely no problem buying those
products over slightly more expensive and harder to find American made
products. You reap what you sow. If you aren't willing to spend time
searching for American made products, (yes it does take effort now
days), and spend a little more for those products, then you are a BIG
part of the problem and should STFU.
  #258   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 13
Default "We kept Wal-Mart out of our town!"

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
On Tue 19 Aug 2008 12:53:45a

We're very careful shoppers, and not unaware of many of WM's practices



Americans are very uninformed on stuff that matters. Sure we know who
won the world series and who hit the most home runs for the season or
who made the most touchdowns or baskets. Who had the most traveling
penalties, but many still think Iraq attacked us on 911. Many can't even
point out their own state on a map. That's how we got GW Bush for 8
years and why we have Obama as Dem candidate and McCain as Rep candidate.
How can you be expected to know or even care that Wal Mart and it's ilk
uses virtual slave labor and has their suppliers pollute to their hearts
content in the name of profit.
Then they advertise how good corporate citizens they are. Not much has
really changed since the 19th century. Greed and ignorance rules.
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
For women who desire the traditional 12-marker dials, the "Faceto,""Juro" and "Rilati" all add a little more functionality, without sacrificingthe diamonds. [email protected] Woodworking 0 April 19th 08 12:12 PM
Sears/K-Mart Craftsman ratchetwrench "knucklebleeders" [email protected] Home Repair 7 January 9th 07 02:18 AM
Orange Peel Texture? "Knockdown" or "Skip Trowel" also "California Knock-down" HotRod Home Repair 6 September 28th 06 02:48 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:23 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"