Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

tjc78

@qbrozen said:
Probably the best thing about Geico is doing everything through the app.

I have Progressive and my windshield claim was so easy. Start the claim on their website, then it directs you to Safelight and you schedule through them. I spoke to no one.

bwia

Just checking in -- Tomorrow I get my oil change (metaphorically speaking). For me, that's getting a bone marrow transplant, (almost) the final stage of my Myeloma treatment.
No need to bore you with the details but I'm in high spirits strong family support.

I love you all, and thanks for listening!

stickguy

good luck.

carnaught

bwia said:

Just checking in -- Tomorrow I get my oil change (metaphorically speaking). For me, that's getting a bone marrow transplant, (almost) the final stage of my Myeloma treatment.

No need to bore you with the details but I'm in high spirits strong family support.

I love you all, and thanks for listening!

Best wishes for a great success! Keep us informed.

jmonroe1

@bwia said:
Just checking in -- Tomorrow I get my oil change (metaphorically speaking). For me, that's getting a bone marrow transplant, (almost) the final stage of my Myeloma treatment.
No need to bore you with the details but I'm in high spirits strong family support.

I love you all, and thanks for listening!

Good luck, we’re all pulling for you.

jmonroe

imidazol97

Best of health results @bwia.

Let me wish best of outcomes to everyone on here with health problems
of their own and in their family.

I occasionally get caught up in the past problems and current health problems
that are my own. Then I realize I don't dare to mention them because so
many others here are working with much more pressing and concerning problems.
Mine are minor.

I appreciate how others share
their concerns here among friends.

sda

imidazol97 said:

Best of health results @bwia.

Let me wish best of outcomes to everyone on here with health problems
of their own and in their family.

I occasionally get caught up in the past problems and current health problems
that are my own. Then I realize I don't dare to mention them because so
many others here are working with much more pressing and concerning problems.
Mine are, for now, in the minor category.

I appreciate how others share
their concerns here among friends.

My best wishes to all with health or any of life’s challenges.

fintail

Complaining about young workers and wanting to talk to a manager, venturing into Karen territory there!

Trends like this might be behind degradation in service quality in certain industries, especially places like contact centers which are notorious for questionable management and iffy treatment of employees:

https://www.businessinsider.com/understaffed-companies-give-employees-additional-work-burnout-labor-shortage-2021-9?fbclid=IwAR08So91eLCrAnyJ8LWrRwkbMRhfWhg7YPhLxwtM2aNKu6qZ7QeYWbQPIF8

Regarding USPS, it probably won't get any better unless there's more funding, we get bargain rates compared to other developed mature nations. You can have it done fast, cheap, or correct - you can only choose two. I've still had less aggravation with USPS compared to other delivery services, although the gap may close especially if the current ghoul in leadership sticks around.

imidazol97 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I was getting worried that it had gotten lost in the mail after discovering that one of my investment dividend checks had gone on a wild three month ride where some stranger had opened the envelope before putting it back in the mail. That kind of nonsense never occurred when postmen like Sandy were on the job.

I think it's the folks that are the younger ones in our area. My replacement credit cards went into the wrong PO box. Almost 30 days later they showed up in my box. OLDER guy at the window said some clubs and groups only check their boxes once per month for correspondence. That's when they showed up. Meanwhile I had to have new credit cards issued.

Yesterday I got someone's union mail that was put into my box instead of his PO Box. I gave it to the young guy at the counter to make sure they knew someone did the mail wrong inside the post office. He didn't seem to care. I should have waited until I could give it to he postmaster herself.

oldfarmer50

bwia said:

Just checking in -- Tomorrow I get my oil change (metaphorically speaking). For me, that's getting a bone marrow transplant, (almost) the final stage of my Myeloma treatment.

No need to bore you with the details but I'm in high spirits strong family support.

I love you all, and thanks for listening!

Best wishes. That treatment has become almost routine these days and is usually very successful. I’ve known a few people who have undergone it with positive results. The only down side is being careful of infection until the new marrow starts producing white cells. That’s not as much of a hassle since half the people are wearing masks.

explorerx4

bwia will get some meds to fight off infection until his numbers normalize.

driver100

tjc78 said:

@qbrozen said:

Probably the best thing about Geico is doing everything through the app.

I have Progressive and my windshield claim was so easy. Start the claim on their website, then it directs you to Safelight and you schedule through them. I spoke to no one.

When I called the insurance company they list about 5 options you can be connected to, Press 1 for windshield claim. I guess they get lots of those.
I had a stone chip in my windshield while in Florida every year for 3 straight years, I got it fixed at Safelight for $100 each time...I didn't want to get in the bad books of the insurance company.
You may remember the MB windshield with the MB decal was $1200, the no name, no decal exact same Safelight windshield that came off the assembly line would cost $600.

mjfloyd1

@bwia said:
Just checking in -- Tomorrow I get my oil change (metaphorically speaking). For me, that's getting a bone marrow transplant, (almost) the final stage of my Myeloma treatment.
No need to bore you with the details but I'm in high spirits strong family support.

I love you all, and thanks for listening!

Good luck. I hope you get great results!

abacomike

@bwia said:
Just checking in -- Tomorrow I get my oil change (metaphorically speaking). For me, that's getting a bone marrow transplant, (almost) the final stage of my Myeloma treatment.
No need to bore you with the details but I'm in high spirits strong family support.

I love you all, and thanks for listening!

I pray everything works as planned. Good luck!

tjc78

@driver100 said:
When I called the insurance company they list about 5 options you can be connected to, Press 1 for windshield claim. I guess they get lots of those.
I had a stone chip in my windshield while in Florida every year for 3 straight years, I got it fixed at Safelight for $100 each time...I didn't want to get in the bad books of the insurance company.
You may remember the MB windshield with the MB decal was $1200, the no name, no decal exact same Safelight windshield that came off the assembly line would cost $600.

My windshield installed was over $1000. I have no idea if it is OEM or not.

roadburner

bwia said:

Just checking in -- Tomorrow I get my oil change (metaphorically speaking). For me, that's getting a bone marrow transplant, (almost) the final stage of my Myeloma treatment.

No need to bore you with the details but I'm in high spirits strong family support.

I love you all, and thanks for listening!

Good luck!

roadburner

tjc78 said:

@driver100 said:

When I called the insurance company they list about 5 options you can be connected to, Press 1 for windshield claim. I guess they get lots of those.

I had a stone chip in my windshield while in Florida every year for 3 straight years, I got it fixed at Safelight for $100 each time...I didn't want to get in the bad books of the insurance company.

You may remember the MB windshield with the MB decal was $1200, the no name, no decal exact same Safelight windshield that came off the assembly line would cost $600.

My windshield installed was over $1000. I have no idea if it is OEM or not.

When I got a crack in the windshield of the 2er I took it to my dealer for the job. I was prepared to pay the difference between the BMW windshield and the generic but I wasn't billed for it(In Kentucky your comprehensive glass insurance does not have a deducible). I saw too many situations where customers went to Safelite or similar and wound up with issues with the cameras/sensors mounted on the windshield. Sometimes they actually had fallen off...

laurasdada

Back from our trip to coastal Delaware; a lovely week with perfect weather.

The A7e was a wonderful conveyance; as I've previously discussed it eats miles quickly, quietly and smoothly. The hatch swallowed much (over-packed) suitcases, bags, chairs and other flotsam and jetsam. Back seat folded, of course. Between the battery pack in the hatch floor, and the rake of the hatch, less than ideal as compared to other beasts of burden so designed.

Screens/graphics wonderful. I was able to find free municipal electricity almost everywhere we went. But, much of the trip to and from DE was with a depleted battery. I noted ~75 miles of battery charge (driving in "Hybrid" mode) before running on empty, neutron-wise.

So, pleased with the overall economy, given the mixed modes of driving. And, the filled to the brim luggage compartment (she brought a large candle jar. I noted it on the counter, assumed it came with the home we rented. Nope, she bought it along and forgot about it until I noted it. Oye. Her bag alone must have weighed 60 lbs. Perhaps there were more candle jars she didn't remove).

Next trip, next week to the Berkshires. EXcept this time, we'll be four in the car; myself and three generations of women. And....their....luggage/flotsam/jetsam. May be a two car caravan.

tjc78

@roadburner said:
When I got a crack in the windshield of the 2er I took it to my dealer for the job. I was prepared to pay the difference between the BMW windshield and the generic but I wasn't billed for it(In Kentucky your comprehensive glass insurance does not have a deducible). I saw too many situations where customers went to Safelite or similar and wound up with issues with the cameras/sensors mounted on the windshield. Sometimes they actually had fallen off...

I was a little concerned with Safelight, but the tech seemed very knowledgeable and it came out well.

abacomike

@roadburner said:
When I got a crack in the windshield of the 2er I took it to my dealer for the job. I was prepared to pay the difference between the BMW windshield and the generic but I wasn't billed for it(In Kentucky your comprehensive glass insurance does not have a deducible). I saw too many situations where customers went to Safelite or similar and wound up with issues with the cameras/sensors mounted on the windshield. Sometimes they actually had fallen off...

Same here in Florida - front windshields are replaced at no charge or deductible so long as you carry comprehensive insurance. Side and rear windows are subject to your deductible.

benjaminh

All best wishes @bwia

driver100

tjc78 said:

@roadburner said:

When I got a crack in the windshield of the 2er I took it to my dealer for the job. I was prepared to pay the difference between the BMW windshield and the generic but I wasn't billed for it(In Kentucky your comprehensive glass insurance does not have a deducible). I saw too many situations where customers went to Safelite or similar and wound up with issues with the cameras/sensors mounted on the windshield. Sometimes they actually had fallen off...

I was a little concerned with Safelight, but the tech seemed very knowledgeable and it came out well.

I always found Safelite to be very honest, reasonable and excellent service. I highly recommend them.

driver100

laurasdada said:

Back from our trip to coastal Delaware; a lovely week with perfect weather.

The A7e was a wonderful conveyance; as I've previously discussed it eats miles quickly, quietly and smoothly. The hatch swallowed much (over-packed) suitcases, bags, chairs and other flotsam and jetsam. Back seat folded, of course. Between the battery pack in the hatch floor, and the rake of the hatch, less than ideal as compared to other beasts of burden so designed.

Screens/graphics wonderful. I was able to find free municipal electricity almost everywhere we went. But, much of the trip to and from DE was with a depleted battery. I noted ~75 miles of battery charge (driving in "Hybrid" mode) before running on empty, neutron-wise.

So, pleased with the overall economy, given the mixed modes of driving. And, the filled to the brim luggage compartment (she brought a large candle jar. I noted it on the counter, assumed it came with the home we rented. Nope, she bought it along and forgot about it until I noted it. Oye. Her bag alone must have weighed 60 lbs. Perhaps there were more candle jars she didn't remove).

Next trip, next week to the Berkshires. EXcept this time, we'll be four in the car; myself and three generations of women. And....their....luggage/flotsam/jetsam. May be a two car caravan.

Just IMHO the 2021 A7 is a very beautiful car, one of the nicest on the road to me.......but, when I see how low they are I wouldn't consider it to buy. Too low for getting in and out, too low to the ground for me, and that cuts down on the size of the windows, and passenger and trunk space. But hard to beat for looks!

explorerx4

oldfarmer50's Papa on camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD9ctCudvlw

jmonroe1

@explorerx4 said:
oldfarmer50's Papa on camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD9ctCudvlw

I’m pretty sure you’re right because that rake is almost rusted off the handle.

jmonroe

roadburner

tjc78 said:

@roadburner said:

When I got a crack in the windshield of the 2er I took it to my dealer for the job. I was prepared to pay the difference between the BMW windshield and the generic but I wasn't billed for it(In Kentucky your comprehensive glass insurance does not have a deducible). I saw too many situations where customers went to Safelite or similar and wound up with issues with the cameras/sensors mounted on the windshield. Sometimes they actually had fallen off...

I was a little concerned with Safelight, but the tech seemed very knowledgeable and it came out well.

I think that like most franchises the quality varies from shop to shop(and dealer to dealer).

ab348

explorerx4 said:

oldfarmer50's Papa on camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD9ctCudvlw

To the best of my knowledge, these people are not distant relations of mine, but when I think back on some of the characters of my parents' distant relatives way back when I was a little kid, I cannot rule it out...

explorerx4

@ab348,
Wisconsin plate explains a lot in that picture.

stickguy

doing a courtesy copy/paste for SDA!

While we wait for a replacement wheel for the TL, a story for later but not bad, my daughter has been driving the Passat. As she has only driven the Q5 once and has never driven the Passat I had some small reservations. I gave her some tips on how it has a different feel than the TL such as braking response, steering effort, etc. The first thing she did was connect Apple Car Play. Without any assistance as I am essentially bed bound with my broken leg, she paired it quickly went on her way. She came back from class today saying the audio in the car ‘rocked’ and really liked driving it. My wife even mentioned how good the audio sounded when she drove it last week just to keep it alive until I am able to resume driving. That really surprised me as it is only the base audio system and is not the ELS in the TL or B&O in the Q5.

Forgive me, I meant to post in Cars and Conversations. On the IPad I don’t know how to cut and paste.

sda

stickguy said:

doing a courtesy copy/paste for SDA!

While we wait for a replacement wheel for the TL, a story for later but not bad, my daughter has been driving the Passat. As she has only driven the Q5 once and has never driven the Passat I had some small reservations. I gave her some tips on how it has a different feel than the TL such as braking response, steering effort, etc. The first thing she did was connect Apple Car Play. Without any assistance as I am essentially bed bound with my broken leg, she paired it quickly went on her way. She came back from class today saying the audio in the car ‘rocked’ and really liked driving it. My wife even mentioned how good the audio sounded when she drove it last week just to keep it alive until I am able to resume driving. That really surprised me as it is only the base audio system and is not the ELS in the TL or B&O in the Q5.

Forgive me, I meant to post in Cars and Conversations. On the IPad I don’t know how to cut and paste.

Thanks!

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

oldfarmer50's Papa on camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD9ctCudvlw

LOL! My papa was a metallurgical engineer for General Electric but he always longed to have land. He was very happy when I bought my place.

That farmer was standing on the west side of the Hudson River just south of Catskill, NY. He’s right about one thing, if you do what you love, it’s not work.

driver100

stickguy said:

doing a courtesy copy/paste for SDA!

While we wait for a replacement wheel for the TL, a story for later but not bad, my daughter has been driving the Passat. As she has only driven the Q5 once and has never driven the Passat I had some small reservations. I gave her some tips on how it has a different feel than the TL such as braking response, steering effort, etc. The first thing she did was connect Apple Car Play. Without any assistance as I am essentially bed bound with my broken leg, she paired it quickly went on her way. She came back from class today saying the audio in the car ‘rocked’ and really liked driving it. My wife even mentioned how good the audio sounded when she drove it last week just to keep it alive until I am able to resume driving. That really surprised me as it is only the base audio system and is not the ELS in the TL or B&O in the Q5.

Forgive me, I meant to post in Cars and Conversations. On the IPad I don’t know how to cut and paste.

I guess some people don't care about "The feel of the road" or steering and handling...as long as Apple Car Play has great sound!

snakeweasel

@explorerx4 said:
oldfarmer50's Papa on camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD9ctCudvlw

Wait, I thought that was oldfarmer50.

stickguy

I've driven prior generation TLs and current model Passats. Different feels, but both nice. VW in some ways probably is nicer.

abacomike

@driver100 said:
I guess some people don't care about "The feel of the road" or steering and handling...as long as Apple Car Play has great sound!

Apple CarPlay has nothing to do with “sound” driver. It connects the features of your iPhone or Android phone to the car’s infotainment system and acts like a manager of those features when activated.

An example would be when your phone receives a text, Siri can read the text to you and asks if you want to respond to the text. If you want to respond after being cued, Siri records your response, will read your response back to you and asks if you want to send the response to the sender. You can play music from your iPhone directly through the car’s audio system or you can make and receive phone calls using Siri as the manager of the systems.

Think of CarPlay as a technology that “marries” your iPhone capabilities with your car’s technology.

tjc78

@abacomike said:

@driver100 said:
I guess some people don't care about "The feel of the road" or steering and handling...as long as Apple Car Play has great sound!

Apple CarPlay has nothing to do with “sound” driver. It connects the features of your iPhone or Android phone to the car’s infotainment system and acts like a manager of those features when activated.

An example would be when your phone receives a text, Siri can read the text to you and asks if you want to respond to the text. If you want to respond after being cued, Siri records your response, will read your response back to you and asks if you want to send the response to the sender. You can play music from your iPhone directly through the car’s audio system or you can make and receive phone calls using Siri as the manager of the systems.

Think of CarPlay as a technology that “marries” your iPhone capabilities with your car’s technology.

That’s a better explanation than most websites would give.

explorerx4

Here's a good video of some of the Maverick models doing acceleration testing/towing/light offroading.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTYLRKP1y9c&t=1095s

bwia

Day +1
I am feeling well, althogh a little weak this morning. No obvious pains, my labs are normal so no insulin this morning.
My mental health is good and I have only positive thoughts-- keep praying for me though.

jmonroe1

@bwia said:
Day +1
I am feeling well, althogh a little weak this morning. No obvious pains, my labs are normal so no insulin this morning.
My mental health is good and I have only positive thoughts-- keep praying for me though.

Good to hear.

Once again our prayers are working for a poster buddy. We’ll keep praying until you tell us to stop.

jmonroe

explorerx4

@bwia,
First step in your recovery. Congrats.

abacomike

@bwia said:
Day +1
I am feeling well, althogh a little weak this morning. No obvious pains, my labs are normal so no insulin this morning.
My mental health is good and I have only positive thoughts-- keep praying for me though.

Great to hear you are handling things well thus far. I will continue to add you to my prayers until you are fully recovered from your ordeal. Get well soon!

sda

Warning, longer post..

Last Saturday my daughter said the low pressure light illuminated on the TL but one tire was showing 5lbs lower than the others. Oh boy, nail, screw in the tire? I had my wife and daughter inspect the tire. They rolled the car forwards and backwards to check the whole tire. Nothing. I have a little tire compressor which was used to inflate the tire. The next morning down 5lbs. I made an appointment at the tire store where I bought the tires. Confirmed reservation sent. When my wife and daughter arrived, a sign was posted on the door ‘closed until further notice’. Not happy. I instructed them to DT where I normally do business. They couldn’t get to it right away but called later stating the rim had a stress crack which is the source of the leak. Gripes. After multiple calls I found a matching used Acura rim and had it delivered to DT. DT was great and kept me informed and charged a minimal amount to mount and balance the tire on the replacement rim. When my wife went in to pick it up this evening she said they were so professional, her experience top notch. This comes from a person who isn’t easily impressed. I feel like I’m very lucky to only be out of pocket $120 and my daughter wasn’t stranded somewhere.

stickguy

good job. Lucky to find a matching rim that easily for that cheap.

explorerx4

Neighbor's Pista burned up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovyrFJI9UIc&authuser=0

venture

Another trend that’s starting to bug me.

Mrs. venture and I were out last evening running around and stopped at for a quick dinner at a national chain noted for their bread and soup.

After we ordered, the screen asked if we wanted to round up the amount and it would be donated to a charity of their choice. Then it asked if we wanted to add a tip for the person who took our order.

First of all, I can determine by myself which charity I want to donate to. Second – I’m not a bad tipper. During the height of the pandemic, I gave some of the young ladies (they always seemed to be young ladies) who brought orders out to the car tips of $50 and, occasionally, $100. At least they did something other than punching your order into a computer.

Get off my grass.

tjc78

They do that to help the servers out. Believe it or not there are some people who tip poorly or not at all.

venture

tjc78 said:

They do that to help the servers out. Believe it or not there are some people who tip poorly or not at all.

They don't have any servers. You go pick up the order yourself. I guess that's why it bugs me.

driver100

@venture Once they had obligatory 15% tip added to the bill. That was good, I usually tip 20% on the actual bill....not the tax part.
If you pick up the food yourself nice to leave 10% if they are doing a good job.
If a server helps to make your dining experience extra enjoyable, I would tip 20% on the total and round up a bit.
Companies should not ask for donations.....I hear they donate the money and take the tax deduction.

explorerx4

Some restaurants share the tips among all the staff. If you pick up your meal and bring it to a table, the only opportunity to tip is at the point of sale.
The order taker, food preparers and cleaning staff get left out.

ab348

I guess the electrical issues on the Ferrari weren't enough to cause them to disconnect the battery for the trip in the trailer. They were about $350K new IIRC but maybe the secondary market has made them a 7-figure car. That should be a fun insurance claim. And then of course there is the loss of the trailer.

Because I'm old and cranky I have to add that the narrator in the second part of that video annoyed me with his fake old-timey microphone and whatever that thing was on the wall was supposed to be.

sda

Old and cranky? How about mature and realistic? Certainly not boring!