Windshield replacement

I was driving a couple of weeks ago when an eighteen-wheeler pulled in front of me. A rock flew up, and put a huge rock chip on my windshield. Within a couple of hours the chip became a foot long crack.
Needing to get it replaced, I called a couple of windshield replacement places for quotes.

I went to SafeLite’s website, filled out my car’s make, model, year etc… and requested a callback with a quote.
Here’s a transcript of the phone call:

CSR: What kind of windshield replacement do you want?
Me: One that fits my car.
CSR: What car do you have?
Me: It should be in your system. I filled out the online form.
CSR: To look up your information, I need your phone number.
Me: You have it. You just called me.
CSR: Oh right, here it is. So, I see there are two different windscreens that fit your car.
CSR: A regular windshield, and a PAAS windshield. Which would you like?
Me: What’s the difference?
CSR: One of them is PAAS.
Me: What’s that?
CSR: Just a different model. Do you know if you have the regular or PAAS model in your car right now?
Me: You haven’t explained the difference, so how would I know? What’s the difference in price?
CSR: The PAAS is $150 more.
Me: Is it better?
CSR: It’s just different.
Me: Could you get someone on the phone that knows the difference?
CSR: Um… sure.
Me: Thanks
Supervisor: PAAS stands for Pre-Applied Adhesive System.
Me: So, that means it has a different adhesive?
Supervisor: Yes. In the event of an accident, if won’t fall out.
Me: So the cheaper windshield might just fall out?
Supervisor: I don’t know. Your car manufacturer would be able to better advise you on the differences.
Me:  I think I’ll look elsewhere. Thanks.

[Update]
I forgot to mention, they offered me a lifetime warranty.
Me: Does it cover rockchips?
CSR: No
Me: What does it cover?
CSR: Nothing caused by a collision.
Me: How about vandalism?
CSR: No.
Me: So basically it only covers if my windshield breaks by itself while sitting in my garage overnight?
CSR: Um…..

Sprint customer support

I've had my Sprint account for about 6 years now. I've been very happy with the prices and reception. Their customer service, however, has never been very good.
Throughout those 6 years I've had about 8 different phones. I started with a flip phone, then had 2 windows mobile phones, then gave the phone to Denisse, and switched it to a BlackBerry, and then, when she got a work phone, switched it to an regular 'feature' phone.

I have a special plan with Sprint. I got it through an employee referral, and I get several extra perks. One of those perks is for overages. If I go over my minutes, they charge me $5 for each additional block of 100 mins (rather than a rip-off 45 cents a minute). Because it's so cheap to go over minutes, I don't have to worry about it, and I can have a 500 minute/month plan. Then I'll occasionally pay $5/$10 if I go over. Great deal, right? Better than needing to have a higher minutes plan just in case.

Here comes the problem. When I recently switched from the BlackBerry to the feature phone, they removed the overage feature without telling me. So, this month, we'd gone over 239 minutes. Rather than costing the usual $15, it cost $112.05 (at 45 cents /minute). Obviously I call sprint to complain.

Sprint CSR - We can't do anything about it. It's your fault, you went over minutes
Me - You can do something about it, and you will, as you changed my plan without telling me. I was expecting a $15 charge, not a $112 charge
Sprint CSR - hold please.
♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬
Sprint CSR - I've spoken to my supervisor, and the best I can do is credit you $15
Me - I don't think so, I was charged $97 more than expected. I want to be refunded $97. Let me speak to your supervisor
Sprint CSR - Umm.... If you bother my supervisor he will probably cancel the $15 credit he promised you. You shouldn't risk it.
Me - Are you threatening me?
Sprint CSR - Please hold while I transfer you to my supervisor
♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬
Sprint Supervisor - Are you unhappy with the $15 I offered you?
Me - Yes. I want to be refunded $97
Sprint Supervisor - The most I can do is $35
Me - I deserve $97.
Sprint Supervisor - Well, the most I could probably do is $45
Me - When I switched phones, I was not informed that it required a plan change that would remove my automatically added minutes.
Sprint Supervisor - I don't think I understand
Me - It's quite simple. You owe me $97 becau......
♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬♪♫♬ (yep, she put me on hold mid-sentence).
Sprint Supervisor - My manager has approved a one-time $97 credit. Have a nice day.

car salesmen roundup

So, I've been to 3 different places to test drive cars (2 dealers and 1 private) in the last two days.

I asked the following questions immediately after finishing the test drive.

The third private seller is by far the most amusing.

1. (dealership) - This dealership deserved the previous blog post.

Me: Did you know the front right speaker is blown?

Salesman: What!, really? Are you sure you were using the CD player correctly?

2. (dealership)

Me: The tires are bald, they can't be legal.

Salesman: What!, I don't think so. Let me measure the tread.........Oh yea, you're right!

3. (Private)

Me: Did you know the check engine light is on.

Salesman: Oh, that's just cause the car is low on fuel.

Me: Did you notice this huge thud when you raise the front driver side window?

Salesman: Oh, that's probably because I just had the car washed.
Me: Are you flexible on the price?
Salesman: Not really. A dealership offered to give me 97% of my asking price as trade-in-value toward the SUV I want, but I turned him down.
Lets analyze the facts, the online ad I saw was 30 days old. So he turned down the dealership's offer and is willing to wait over a month in hopes to maybe get an extra 2-3%... whilst also risking not selling it......He's either an idiot, or a liar. I'm going to guess the second one.

How is it possible that in 5 minutes of test driving I seem to learn more about a car than the owners.

Adventures with used car salesmen

No, it's not what you think. This isn't the usual dishonest used car salesman story.
So, I've been looking to buy a car for the last few months. I do all of my searching online, and only go to test drive a car that I've already decided would probably be a good fit. Anyway, I go in, test drive a car, and we walk inside to 'run some numbers'.

The guy turns on his computer and notices that the icons on his screen (Windows Vista) are huge. He has no idea what's going on and starts complaining. He calls in one of the other guys and says "what did you do, you made all the icons huge. What did you do! How do I undo it!"
I'm of course chuckling inside, as it's pretty obvious that all that's happened is the screen resolution has been decreased. I decide to keep quiet, as they both seem to be passing on the blame. Then the second guy puts his hand on the monitor and does the pinch-to-zoom gesture. No, he was not joking. I quietly muttered "You know this isn't an iPad, right?"

Anyway, after a few minutes, they gave up, so I offered to fix it for them. I think their response was even more surprising. "Woa! how did you learn how to do that!"
Fortunately, I refrained from replying "By myself, when I was 7."

Las Vegas 2010 / Thanksgiving / Black Friday ...(and Cyber Monday... muahahaha!)

Las Vegas is so much fun with the Williams family. There's abundant food, the nice hotels, the strip, the shopping, the shows (Matsuri this year) and there's no cooking or cleaning for anybody! It almost seems like it goes by too fast. A big part of celebrating Thanksgiving in Las Vegas is Black Friday. We go to the outlets and get some Christmas shopping done then, the guys make their mandatory stop at Best Buy and Fry's, we all go to Costco and pretend to buy stuff just to get our complimentary cooking book, etc. Well, for Antony, Thanksgiving weekend is not over on Sunday, but until Cyber Monday. Remember that we just moved in to our first house and brought very little furniture with us since we moved from a 1-bedroom apartment. So on Monday night, like at 11:30 pm ( I was already asleep), Antony comes and wakes me up and whispers, "Denisse! Do you want to go ahead and buy the couches that you have been looking at online? Because there's a big coupon going on right now; yes or no??? Fast!" I said yes, halfway awake, and went back to sleep. Before we left for Vegas he also found a deal for an office desk... for like $130!!!! It was also one of those moments... "Denisse! Come over here! Do you want this or not? It's probably mis-marked, so we have to decide now before they realize it. Fast!!!" So we finally have an official desk for Antony, and a new set of couches!!! (But now I cannot give him a desk for Christmas anymore... *sigh*)