Stories from the Sales Frontlines

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  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,789
    What size are the snow tires? :blush:

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  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,628
    the ones I checked when my son was looking seemed to be 1 year IIRC. I suppose some could be longer.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,789
    NC would be a great place to live, regardless..

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  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,628
    I was looking to go there years ago, but we ended up rooting (thanks to kids in school) in Jersey instead. So, better late than never!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 24,328
    "...like a hooligan..."

    Ha ha my kind of guy! Why have a car like that if you don't?

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,149
    driver...those 8 years old snow tires are still round. :P

    kyfdx....those snow tires were bought for a Pontiac Vibe I was using at the time as my "bad weather" car. Found out that the all season tires plus FWD of the Vibe was all I needed to negotiate snow and such. So, never used those tires. I'll have to give them a look-see next time I go to the storage locker.

    But, if memory serves, I think they're something like 205/15s. Why? Interested?
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 24,328
    "...you do weddings..."

    LOL! Heck no. I barely made my own. Just using that as an example of how treating customers with a little respect can pay off.

    Speaking of weddings it was my 37th anniversary on the 24th. I thought it was the 26th and got into an argument with my wife who proved me wrong by calling her sister who's birthday is on our anniversary. Dang sister-in-law doesn't know when her own birthday is and agreed with my wife.

    Now I have take them both out to dinner. :cry:

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,850
    edited January 2013
    Last time we went on the mid atlantic college tour in 2009, we went to UNC (Chapel Hill).
    One thing I remember is that they are mandated to have 83% in state students, so out of state admissions is very competitive.
    Not sure about the other NC state schools.
    University of Michigan has no such mandate, and I believe 2/3 of their undergraduate students were from out of state.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    . I'm all for saving a buck but there is nothing worse than cheap foil when you're cooking.

    I went way back to dig this one up. Actually, I used aluminum foil as an example because it is something that you would think shouldn't matter. But, that has been my experience too. I have tried no-name generic foil and it tears too easily.

    There are a few generic products that can work....one I find acceptable are sandwich bags, the kind that lock and seal.

    There aren't too many other generic products I would trust my life to. Part of my thinking is, if something serious happens to me while using a product, my love ones will know exactly which company to go after.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    500 Abarth; I figure that a test drive might be fun,

    There was a review in todays newspaper. The reviewers didn't seem that impressed. They didn't like the 5 speed transmission, as opposed to 6 speed. The two reviewers had sore backs from the extremely firm ride. They thought cornering wasn't great because of the small width of the car.

    They had a similar complaint as you did about the volume control....went to turn volume down and found the sliders hard to use.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,789
    I'm always looking for my next set of used winter tires... :P

    Those won't fit my car, though if they are 205/55-15, they might fit the kid's
    '87 BMW...

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  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    The best site for looking up dog or pet friendly hotels is hotelguides.com. They listed 2 hotels in Florida City that would be about $100 a night. One hotel, the Travelodge had much better reviews than the Ramada. I called them because there wasn't a place on the website to say you were bringing a dog...didn't want to go all that way and find they didn't know we were bringing Gigi.

    When I called they told me they weren't allowing pets any more, as of yesterday, when I called. The receptionist said she was sorry, but the owner changed the policy.

    Fair enough, so I emailed hotelguides and said they should check and possibly delist that hotel. I got a very nice reply from John, saying they would investigate, thanking me, and asking why I used their site. I wrote back and said I liked their guarantees (lowest price or they will match, no money up front, etc.- everything you would like from a wesite for hotels), and I liked the way they made it easy to find pet friendly hotels.

    They wrote back and thanked me for providing them with this information. I suggested the site should have a place so you can state you are bringing a pet, so there won't be a misunderstanding or problem - then I wouldn't have phoned directly.

    Sometimes it is difficult to find pet friendly hotels, so I have bookmarked their site hotelguides.com

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    Those won't fit my car, though if they are 205/55-15, they might fit the kid's
    '87 BMW...


    You would use 8 year old tires....they are supposed to expire after 5 years according to Richard's mechanic.

    Actually, according to various sources including Tire Rack.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,789
    Yes.... yes, I would..

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  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,704
    I doubt that tires stored in a building age the same as those on the car and being driven in the sunlight and the environment. I have a 20-year old tire on my 98 as a spare. The tire spent its life in a trunk and in my garage where there is no refrigerator or other motor producing ozone.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    but I find that the use of a DVD disc as an MP3 source works best of all.

    I would find all the redundancy a bit to much for me. I prefer to keep it as just the iPhone with it all synced to the iTunes account. But if it works for you thats all that matters.

    I can also download songs directly to the car's hard drive - but I prefer the MP3 DVD over all the options.

    Downloading to the cars hard drive might be something I would be interested in, if either car had a hard drive. The wifes Sonata has a USB port and I downloaded her songs on a stick and plugged it in, works just fine.

    The MP3 DVD disk has a 4.3 gigabyte capacity or enough memory on disk to hold 2000 songs, if necessary.

    Are you sure it's 2,000 songs? On my devices I seem to be averaging about 150 songs per gigabyte. But then again some of my songs approach 20 minutes in length. Do you do data compression?

    One other thing, I noticed that songs I download on iTunes tend to take up more space than songs I rip from my CD's.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    Choicehotels.com has lots of hotels nationwide and many are pet friendly for an extra charge.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    OK yesterday I received in the mail a flyer from a dealership that is walking distance from where I work. It is one of those with a key stating that I could win a car and if not I am guaranteed to win another smaller prize, all I have to do is try the key.

    I was thinking that since I walk right past the place during my lunch hour I would take a short side trip and try. That is until I noticed that the dates of the promotion was last month, the week before Christmas. :cry:

    On a side note I got an e-mail stating that my e-mail won a 7 series BMW along with some cash. Gee I wonder if my e-mail would let me drive the thing. :P

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    Haven't had a key promotion for quite a while. The best ones are the $25 gift cards for taking a test drive. Haven't seen one of those in a LONG time.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    On order to use the iPhone/iPod jack with the phone, I have to take the phone out of the Otter Box case because it does not fit with the case on.

    Are you using an aftermarket charger? I find that any charger that uses the Apple cord plugs in just fine through the Otter Box.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Oh I do the test drive things for gift cards all the time. But it is always at a manufacturer event and it's usually a car that hasn't made it to dealers yet. Last fall We test drove the Electric focus. I actually liked the car.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "I am waiting for the discussion on toilet tissue now."

    Wait no longer. We prefer Charmin. It's so soft for those of us with "rear end" problems. How do you like that for a car reference? :D :shades:

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "Your housekeeper doesn't bring a vacuum?"

    She would but we asked her to use ours. She supplies the other cleaning materials except for the furniture polish. We have our own special Bees Wax brand that we use, and we don't use it too often. You don't want too much wax build-up on furniture. A good duster works fine most of the time.

    Richard
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,628
    If you have a rear end problem, you should change your differential fluid. Might have metal shavings in there. And that can hurt.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • gogiboygogiboy Member Posts: 732
    edited January 2013
    "University of Michigan has no such mandate, and I believe 2/3 of their undergraduate students were from out of state."

    Stick--

    As someone who graduated from U of M eons ago (class of 79) I was surprised by your numbers for out-of-state undergrad enrollment. I checked UMich's most recent published figures for the Freshman class of 2012 and of the 6171 freshman who enrolled 2629 are from out-of-state, which is more like 40% than 66%. Still, it's more than I would have thought even thought I knew that they typically get high out-of-state enrollment, especially from NY and tri-State areas.

    Gogiboy
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    edited January 2013
    I would like to offer the following tips for your trip to Key West:

    On your way down, stop at Cheeca Lodge for lunch. It's in Islamorado, one of the Keys. Many U.S. Presidents have stayed there and other dignitaries. Have lunch on the covered terrace by the ocean. Don't worry about what to order; all dishes are fabulous.

    We stayed at Island House right in Key West. Walking from there to all sites is very easy and convenient.

    Take the tour of Hemingway's home---so very interesting and the gardens are lovely.

    Take the island cruise on a sailboat---near sunset if possible. You'll enjoy it and find it so relaxing.

    Restaurants? Never found a bad one.

    The art galleries and jewelry shops are lovely but too pricey. My wife fell in love with a $12K emerald ring. I bought the same ring in Charleston six months later for $8K.

    We've been to Key West in January and July. You definitely don't want to go in July. The heat is horrendous. We only went then because we were visiting friends near by.

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    N.C. State over to Elon? Those are two opposite ends of the pole. It might be wise to determine whether your daughter prefers a large campus or a small one. Successfully adapting to either depends on the student. If you're going to visit N.C. State, you may as well drop by Peace University and Meridith College while in Raleigh. It may help her to see smaller campuses. Both of those are predominantly female schools (some male day students). She may not even be interested in a girl's school. If she is, Salem College in Winston-Salem is excellent. If you go there, do see Wake Forest University---my favorite college for a young person. Since you're going to visit Elon, you may as well stop by High Point College. Both are nice little schools. If you want to venture a little more to the west, UNC-Asheville is the hidden jewel in the crown. Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. is another excellent school. There are just so many good places to go in North Carolina. Naturally, I didn't mean to slight UNC-Chapel Hill (my FIL was Vice President there for a number of years) and Duke University. Much also depends on your daughter's major as to which institution to choose. If she hasn't set her heart on a major yet, a good liberal arts school for the first two years may be a suitable option. There are just so many variables. Keep us posted. BTW, Easter is March 31st this year.

    Richard
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,628
    there are so many smaller liberal arts schools around, it is impossible to consider them all.

    we are still exploring what she wants. Unlike some kids, she does not have a preconceived notion. But, I don't believe a super large school is going to make her happy. Something in the "mid size" (6k students range) that offers most every major is probably the best bet, since she is unsure which direction to take for a major.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    LOL! I thought that I knew you well enough to know that you didn't "do weddings". :P I've done two or three of them for friends. It's not my favorite thing. The brides and grooms are nice to work with, but it's the mothers that will drive you to the punch bowl! :mad:

    Richard
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,850
    Actually, that was me who posted those figures and they were from 2008/2009.
    Since then, the demographic has changed, with more students staying closer to home.
    The economy has had a big effect on that.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "Sometimes it is difficult to find pet friendly hotels..."

    Same for smoking. I always call the hotels directly because local policies can vary. An example is Hamton Inns---some allow it and some don't. Some allow smoking on the balcony and some don't. Most Best Westerns have smoking rooms. Actually, we prefer to smoke on a balcony rather than in the room. I don't even mind a non-smoking hotel as long as my room isn't on the 20th floor! :D

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    LMAO!

    Richard
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Yeah - Charmin bit no metal shavings.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 24,328
    "...pet friendly hotels..."

    That's the advantage of cats. Fill up the food dish, leave plenty of water (or the toilet seat up) and they're fine. You will get some dirty looks when you return but other than that no problem.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • abacomikeabacomike Member Posts: 12,388
    One other thing, I noticed that songs I download on iTunes tend to take up more space than songs I rip from my CD's.

    There is a very good reason for that - when you download a song from iTunes, you are also downloading the album cover, the names of songs on the album in case you want to download more from the same album, etc. there are quite a bit of graphics that you download along with the song.

    A song you load from a CD does not come with all those graphics.

    In my car, I can select songs from the DVD MP3 by album cover, by artist or by title. An array of all the album covers can be scanned using my controller that I use for changing stations or navigation.

    2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger

  • abacomikeabacomike Member Posts: 12,388
    Are you using an aftermarket charger? I find that any charger that uses the Apple cord plugs in just fine through the Otter Box.

    The "charger" fits fine, but it's the iPod connection in my console that doesn't 't quite fit because the space provided by the case at the bottom is a tad too narrow. When I try to put the plug in, it falls out because the locking mechanism doesn't grab right.

    My car charger works fine, too. If I take the Otter Box case off, the connection is fine.

    2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    A song you load from a CD does not come with all those graphics.

    Odd because I do have many CD's that I have ripped that the album cover came across with. Funny thing is one of my CD's somehow came across as each sone being it's own seperate album.

    the names of songs on the album in case you want to download more from the same album

    Funny you should mention that, I am a big Al Stewart fan and my CD's of his are his anthology albums. Used to have the original albums on vinly but when I switched to CD's I went for the rereleases as anthology i.e. "best of". So when I got the iPod I started to complete my colection by buying the individual songs that I didn't have off the early albums. So now I have all these "half downloaded" albums with notes from Apple telling I can complete the album for $X.XX.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    Choicehotels.com has lots of hotels nationwide and many are pet friendly for an extra charge.

    Thanks, I'll bookmark that one too!

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    Yes.... yes, I would..

    Don't you believe that tires detiorate after 5 or 6 years.....like the "experts" say?

    My neighbor said that when I store the car for 7 or 8 months, in addition to the trickle charger, fill tires to maximum air pressure, add gas stabilzer, and now, coat the tires with Armoral tire solution. My neighbour said his Bridgestones had 20K miles on them and they went bad because of the hot summer down here. I don't know, but, I guess I may as well do that.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    We prefer Charmin. It's so soft

    Personally, I like the ones with the little bears or the little kittens.

    Smart marketing, can't remember the name or which is which, but I remember those animals. I think the bears are Charmin...I like little bears more than cats.

    I think this discussion is rapidly going downhill (I almost said down the toilet).

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    I would like to offer the following tips for your trip to Key West:

    Finally, some useful information about Key West. I have printed off your suggestions and they are most welcome.

    Thanks ;)

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,850
    You ought to think twice about putting Armoral on your tires.
    Some brands specifically warn against putting products with certain ingredients on them.
    If they are out of the sun, they will be fine.
    I had the same set of tires on my Mustang for 18 years.
    They were high performance Goodyears.
    Michelin recommends replacement due to age after 6 years.
    My last set lasted 6 years before I noticed sidewall cracking.
    They spent most of their life outside.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    I always call the hotels directly because local policies can vary.

    That's an interesting point. We have said this earlier but sometimes you get a better rate if you call the hotel...even though the hotel.com companies guaranty the lowest prices.

    This happened in this case, I was just calling to confirm they would take the dog. The rate was $116 and the people we were travelling with didn't want to pay over $100. So, I asked if there were any deals to get the room for less.

    I don't belong to AAA any more because cars are covered for 3 years of road service now. I did qualify for their seniors discount with made the room $96. So, it could be worth calling....I think the hotels hold out so they can get direct bookings and have a rate that doesn't exactly break the guaranty from the .com companies.

    Must be hard to find a room if you "smoke" and, have a "pet". Especially if the pet smokes :sick:

    (Sorry, I don't know what that means. Went to the dog races today...last time was 15 years ago. Bet $2 on 11 races = $22, won $9 and $8 = $17, so afternoons entertainment cost $5. Actually, it isn't my thing, but watching those dogs is pretty amazing, especially as they run by and go around the turns).

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    You ought to think twice about putting Armoral on your tires.

    Thanks, I'll check it out and read the label at an automotive store when I buy the Gas Stabilizer.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    That's the advantage of cats. Fill up the food dish, leave plenty of water (or the toilet seat up)

    Yeh, that is a big advantage of cats.

    However, when you are away for 3 or 4 hours a cat just isn't the same as a dog. When you come in it feels so good when the dog wags it's tale and runs around the room so excited to see us come home.

    Cats, well, you come home and you are intruding on their space.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,850
    edited January 2013
    You should read the tire brochure that's provided with owner's manual.
    You can also try the tire manufacturer web site.
    They may have a maintenance/care section.
    Here is a link to Michelin
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "Especially if the pet smokes."

    LOL! Actually, it was always easier to find a smoking room than a pet friendly hotel. Some hotels had a 30 lb. weight limit on the pet. Our Lab was 70 lbs. I'll never forget the time that we gave up and decided to fix our Lab a bed in the SUV for the night. We parked just outside of our room. He barked so badly for us that I finally ended up sleeping with him in the car. I put down the second and third seats and we had plenty of room. It wasn't bad except that he kept stealing my blanket. :D

    Richard
  • riley3riley3 Member Posts: 29
    On the Otter case, remove it from the phone, then enlarge the opening for the jack with a round file or knife or whatever and the plug in jack will work fine. No need to remove case.
    Good luck
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    Suddenly my broiler in my gas stove stopped working. Called my handy-man plumber and he said the igniter is shot but he can fix it. After about an hour of trying to remove the old igniter I decided it was time to buy a new stove (or cooker as the Brits say.)

    I went to Lowes, Home Depot and Sears. They all carried limited selections. So I went to a privately owned specialty appliance store. They carried gas stoves that range in price from as low as $400 to $17,000. It was so difficult to make a decision because there really is little difference in features and quality for ranges below $2,500. However, beyond $5,000 the differences were quite noticeable.

    I settled on a $900 Frigidaire model. But before I closed the deal, I asked when was the next big “sales” event, and the sales manager said the end of February. So I said I’ll wait. Not wanting to lose the sale she said she will give me the discounted sales price. Then I asked if there were any hidden rebates. She said there were none. But then I pointed out to her there were rebates on similarly priced models; again she said no. As I was getting ready to walk she suddenly came up with a secret rebate. Ah, ask and ye shall receive.

    To make a long story short, the net price came out to $599, a savings of $300 or one third off. Not bad, and thanks to you guys on Edmunds for the liberal negotiating tips you’ve shared with readers. Now, let’s eat.
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    You should read the tire brochure that's provided with owner's manual.

    I read the Michelin article and it was useful. It is hard to find good information on what to do about tires when you leave your car for 8 months.

    I am a little skeptical about Armoral for storing tires. The label makes it sound fine. One thing they warn against is using it on seats before storing the car. It leaves moisture in the car, which could be harmful.

    I'll have to research this further, because it is hard to find information directly on this topic. Thanks for the Michelin link.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

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