Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Mr_Shiftright · January 2017

If they claim to be veterans, I ALWAYS ask them where they served and what they did--in a friendly manner. About 90% have turned out to be complete BS. Oh, the stories.....between "what I did was classified" and "I was in 'Nam" when that would make the claimant about 9 years old.....

oldfarmer50 · January 2017

PF_Flyer said:
1939 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 from this morning's background movie

A movie about Patton no doubt.

oldfarmer50 · January 2017

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:
A Chick Fil A clerk got in trouble because she kept warning the lady with 2 little kids with her not to give them the money because she didn't look wealthy. The perps started yelling at the clerk. So when the youthx ran out of the store, the clerk was in trouble with the manager for trying to keep the lady with 2 kids from being suckered out of her $20

I read a book about con men and they rely on the fact most people are pretty honest. That is why we are civilized, we have to trust each other or we wouldn't carry cash or leave our homes. It is the few who will take advantage and they are really bad people, taking advantage of what good people would try to do....help!

I have seen the ring one or a variation twice before and fell for it.

Fist was in Nanaim B.C. Canada. Guy comes up and says he ran out of gas, needs $20 desperately. Will give me his cell phone to hold while he gets gas. Tell him to leave money at hotel desk and his cell will be there. Never came back, cell didn't work. Had a good story though, pretty creative and bold to take the chance I wouldn't check his cell phone first.

Second was in Paris next to the Seine River. Lady can hardly speak English, she found a ring but doesn't know how to find the owner. I see a visitor booth so say I will hand it in. She begs for money....I give her a Euro. Then she wants more money....and I know by then this is a scam.

I was discussing scams at home with tennis friends and I tell the story, and 2 others out of 8 people in the room fell for exactly the same scam in Paris. What are the odds? It must be pretty prevalent if 2 out of 8 people fell for it.

I am a lot wiser and though I am out $22 in total ($14 USD) I am hopefully wiser, and may have saved $100s or $1000s if I really did learn something....but, unfortunately it does have an affect on your outlook of life.
It sounds like those 2 out of 8 people don't know how to say NO. I say NO to all of them. I'm not smart enough to try to figure out who is needy and who isn't so NO works for me.

I will admit that I don't come across to many of them but a month or two ago I was sitting in the Genny waiting for Mrs. j to do some shopping when a guy comes up to me and asks for $20 for gas so he can get out of the area to meet a friend who will give him more money so that he could make it home to Chicago. This time I didn't say NO. I said, "if I had $20 dollars I'd need a body guard. My wife got my last $10 to go into that dollar store over there" (I pointed to the store). He looks at my car and said, "I don't think you are being honest with me but I'm not going to wait for that cop to come over here" (as he points to a cop in the parking lot walking towards my car).

Something told me he must have been working this part of this large parking lot long enough to get the attention of the law in that area.

NO works, you just have to be willing to say it.

jmonroe

I always tell them that I'm on welfare and could they give ME a couple of bucks. Confuses the heck out of them.

oldfarmer50 · January 2017

Mr_Shiftright said:
If they claim to be veterans, I ALWAYS ask them where they served and what they did--in a friendly manner. About 90% have turned out to be complete BS. Oh, the stories.....between "what I did was classified" and "I was in 'Nam" when that would make the claimant about 9 years old.....

Just ask them what was their MOS in the service (that's AFSC for you flyboys) The scammers won't be able to answer.

murphydog · January 2017

Shocking news here in Washington State - our lawmakers are looking to increase the penalty for left lane camping! I never understood why people fell compelled to stay in the left lane when there is a car behind them that clearly wants to pass - and I am not talking about times with there is moderate to heavy traffic. Safer for you and safer for them if you simply move right and keep the left lane clear.

Love this quote - “People will sit in the left lane … and they just won’t move,” he previously said. “You’re forced to pass on the right and then the person speeds up. Easy solution: Get over. If you’re not passing you should not be in the left lane.”

Doubt it will make any difference, but we shall see....

http://mynorthwest.com/521681/lane-camping-penalty/

ab348 · January 2017

murphydog said:
I never understood why people fell compelled to stay in the left lane when there is a car behind them that clearly wants to pass - and I am not talking about times with there is moderate to heavy traffic. Safer for you and safer for them if you simply move right and keep the left lane clear.

I encountered two such creatures just a short time ago today. The first was the worst - an old dude in a 2003 or so Altima trundling along at 20 mph in a 40 zone. No idea what he thought he was doing. Later on, two ladies in a Golf were sticking to the left lane all the way on a crosstown expressway doing about 45 until a line of traffic started passing them on the right. Rather than move over, they decided to pass the entire line in a sudden burst of speed. They must have had some affection for the left guardrail.

jmonroe · January 2017

murphydog said:
Shocking news here in Washington State - our lawmakers are looking to increase the penalty for left lane camping! I never understood why people fell compelled to stay in the left lane when there is a car behind them that clearly wants to pass - and I am not talking about times with there is moderate to heavy traffic. Safer for you and safer for them if you simply move right and keep the left lane clear.

Love this quote - “People will sit in the left lane … and they just won’t move,” he previously said. “You’re forced to pass on the right and then the person speeds up. Easy solution: Get over. If you’re not passing you should not be in the left lane.”

Doubt it will make any difference, but we shall see....

http://mynorthwest.com/521681/lane-camping-penalty/

Yeah, that bugs the hell out of me too.

When my Father taught me to drive he told me, "it's OK to get in the left lane and go a little faster to pass slow moving traffic in the right lane, but just remember, you are only borrowing the left lane so you HAVE to get out of it as soon as you can. You don't own the left lane once you get in it".

I always thought that was a pretty easy rule to remember so I passed it onto both of my Sons.

jmonroe

fintail · January 2017

Prior/current law was seldom enforced. I won't hold my breath just yet.

I think 167 is the worst spot for LLCing in western WA. You'll get a lot of grouchy old people who don't agree with this idea - my uncle is one of them. I've explained many times how highways should work, doesn't seem to care.

I want to see the distracted/phone holding laws and penalties expanded, along with greater turn signal and lit crosswalk enforcement.

murphydog said:

Love this quote - “People will sit in the left lane … and they just won’t move,” he previously said. “You’re forced to pass on the right and then the person speeds up. Easy solution: Get over. If you’re not passing you should not be in the left lane.”

Doubt it will make any difference, but we shall see....

http://mynorthwest.com/521681/lane-camping-penalty/

PF_Flyer · January 2017

Similar advice from my Dad as well that also went on to my kids.

Although I was in the car with Dad driving one time when the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate nailed him. We were coming back at night from trip to DC, headed up I-83 in a torrential rain. It was raining so hard that visibility was severely limited and traffic was moving at about 35-40 mph. Almost everyone was driving in the left lane because you could see the center guard rail AND the right lane was mostly flooded because all that water had nowhere to go. Gumball machine lights come on behind, Dad pulls over and the MD trooper writes him up for failure to drive to the right.

I don't recall if it was the end of the month or not

ab348 · January 2017

The pirates at SiriusXM will not go away quietly. After cancelling their service within a day of getting their bill last week, today I got an invoice with a $40 cancellation fee and music fees for 2 weeks of service. A little over $50 total. I am tempted to ignore it. Anyone know how persistent they are in trying to collect? I have no recollection of being told about any cancellation fee.

ray80 · January 2017

ab348 said:
The pirates at SiriusXM will not go away quietly. After cancelling their service within a day of getting their bill last week, today I got an invoice with a $40 cancellation fee and music fees for 2 weeks of service. A little over $50 total. I am tempted to ignore it. Anyone know how persistent they are in trying to collect? I have no recollection of being told about any cancellation fee.

Hhmm I took a quick look around and found this, check page 10 and or 11 , Don't know if its applicable to what you signed up for siriusxm.com/pdf/siriusxm_customeragreement_eng.pdf

explorerx4 · January 2017

@ray80,
Nice of you to post that.
Since AB348 did not purchase a radio directly from Sirius, he should call back and ask to rescind the cancellation fee.
Being in Canada, is he even subject to US based agreement?
Maybe because of NAFTA, he is.

oldfarmer50 · January 2017

ab348 said:

murphydog said:
I never understood why people fell compelled to stay in the left lane when there is a car behind them that clearly wants to pass - and I am not talking about times with there is moderate to heavy traffic. Safer for you and safer for them if you simply move right and keep the left lane clear.
I encountered two such creatures just a short time ago today. The first was the worst - an old dude in a 2003 or so Altima trundling along at 20 mph in a 40 zone. No idea what he thought he was doing. Later on, two ladies in a Golf were sticking to the left lane all the way on a crosstown expressway doing about 45 until a line of traffic started passing them on the right. Rather than move over, they decided to pass the entire line in a sudden burst of speed. They must have had some affection for the left guardrail.

On the school bus sometime if I know I have a left turn or merge coming up in a mile I'll get over in the left lane early and stay there. People here will just not let a school bus change lanes under any circumstance. Much better to left lane camp for a mile than be forced off the road by someone riding on your left corner who refuses to acknowledge your turn signal.

Otherwise I stay right since I only do the speed limit

ray80 · January 2017

explorerx4 said:
@ray80,
Nice of you to post that.
Since AB348 did not purchase a radio directly from Sirius, he should call back and ask to rescind the cancellation fee.
Being in Canada, is he even subject to US based agreement?
Maybe because of NAFTA, he is.

I really don't know what the rules are, even more so if they are the same in Canada, but perhaps its something like that

oldfarmer50 · January 2017

ab348 said:
The pirates at SiriusXM will not go away quietly. After cancelling their service within a day of getting their bill last week, today I got an invoice with a $40 cancellation fee and music fees for 2 weeks of service. A little over $50 total. I am tempted to ignore it. Anyone know how persistent they are in trying to collect? I have no recollection of being told about any cancellation fee.

Yeah, THAT should bring you back. My wife was in the hospital recently and had the TV service for one day. Upon discharge no bill or request to pay was presented. A week later I get a bill for $5.50 and a $3.50 late fee for not paying at discharge.

I was going to go into full Clarance Darrow mode and demand to see a signed contract with stipulated fees but I was just glad to get my wife back so I paid it. What a rip!

suydam · January 2017

If you call and complain they'll probably drop it. If you do nothing they'll continue to add fees until you are worth going after. Don't ignore it.

driver100 · January 2017

ray80 said:

ab348 said:
The pirates at SiriusXM will not go away quietly. After cancelling their service within a day of getting their bill last week, today I got an invoice with a $40 cancellation fee and music fees for 2 weeks of service. A little over $50 total. I am tempted to ignore it. Anyone know how persistent they are in trying to collect? I have no recollection of being told about any cancellation fee.
Hhmm I took a quick look around and found this, check page 10 and or 11 , Don't know if its applicable to what you signed up for siriusxm.com/pdf/siriusxm_customeragreement_eng.pdf

Nice of you to post that Ray. Sirius Canada seems to be a separate company with it's own rules, but this one could be the same. Does anyone ever read those agreements?.

For $40 I'd try to reason with them as a matter of principle, but, it isn't worth having a black mark on your credit account or the legal hassle or extra fees you may encounter. It may cost $40 but you will save about $80 this year alone by not subscribing.

driver100 · January 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:
The pirates at SiriusXM will not go away quietly. After cancelling their service within a day of getting their bill last week, today I got an invoice with a $40 cancellation fee and music fees for 2 weeks of service. A little over $50 total. I am tempted to ignore it. Anyone know how persistent they are in trying to collect? I have no recollection of being told about any cancellation fee.
Yeah, THAT should bring you back. My wife was in the hospital recently and had the TV service for one day. Upon discharge no bill or request to pay was presented. A week later I get a bill for $5.50 and a $3.50 late fee for not paying at discharge.

I was going to go into full Clarance Darrow mode and demand to see a signed contract with stipulated fees but I was just glad to get my wife back so I paid it. What a rip!

You mean you almost didn't let her get discharged over $9?

driver100 · January 2017

Olfarmer, I never get upset at a school bus or dump truck or any large slower moving vehicle that is in the left lane, because they are making a left turn soon.

The left lane hogs...well that is another story....they should be charged with treason (although even that isn't such a great crime these days.....yeh yeh, I know political, but, I thought it was a good line.

driver100 · January 2017

Saw the movie The Founder today. Warning...not for everyone, but if you like to see a biography movie (based on a true story) about an entrepreneur who broke all the odds and made a hugely successful business then this is an excellent movie. btw, Ray Kroc was ruthless.

I like the old Plymouth or Dodge he drove in the movie

https://youtu.be/ksLZEepQ0nA?t=67

ab348 · January 2017

driver100 said:

For $40 I'd try to reason with them as a matter of principle, but, it isn't worth having a black mark on your credit account or the legal hassle or extra fees you may encounter. It may cost $40 but you will save about $80 this year alone by not subscribing.

I found the Canadian version of their T&C document (thanks for the idea, Ray!) - no mention of cancellation fees for someone in my situation. Even better, there are a number of Canadian forums where this very issue is discussed and in every case it took a call to get them to remove it, but they always removed it. I guess they had no choice because it wasn't in the T&C. Damn SOBs just try to get people to pay it. I am so done with these pirates it isn't funny. Just a miserable business model.

berri · January 2017

I think in general Canada protects its consumers from scams and rip-offs a lot better than the US.

graphicguy · January 2017

driver100 said:
Saw the movie The Founder today. Warning...not for everyone, but if you like to see a biography movie (based on a true story) about an entrepreneur who broke all the odds and made a hugely successful business then this is an excellent movie. btw, Ray Kroc was ruthless.

I like the old Plymouth or Dodge he drove in the movie
https://youtu.be/ksLZEepQ0nA?t=67

Heard it was good. Not a lot I don't like that Michael Keaton is in I don't like. Also read in several pubs that Croc was ruthless and somewhat unethical.

driver100 · January 2017

berri said:
I think in general Canada protects its consumers from scams and rip-offs a lot better than the US.

Varies....depends. Our competition bureau is almost useless. I see where My Pillow paid large amounts for saying their Buy One Get One Free offer was for a limited time....when it never really ended. If a sale is always on it isn't a sale.

driver100 · January 2017

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

For $40 I'd try to reason with them as a matter of principle, but, it isn't worth having a black mark on your credit account or the legal hassle or extra fees you may encounter. It may cost $40 but you will save about $80 this year alone by not subscribing.
I found the Canadian version of their T&C document (thanks for the idea, Ray!) - no mention of cancellation fees for someone in my situation. Even better, there are a number of Canadian forums where this very issue is discussed and in every case it took a call to get them to remove it, but they always removed it. I guess they had no choice because it wasn't in the T&C. Damn SOBs just try to get people to pay it. I am so done with these pirates it isn't funny. Just a miserable business model.

Ab, they are pirates and I hate having to deal with them, but for about $10 a month it is a pretty good service if it suits you. Just have to be extra careful with them. Mark dates on the calendar etc.

suydam · January 2017

Agree. Hate them, love the convenience.

jmonroe · January 2017

driver100 said:

ray80 said:

ab348 said:
The pirates at SiriusXM will not go away quietly. After cancelling their service within a day of getting their bill last week, today I got an invoice with a $40 cancellation fee and music fees for 2 weeks of service. A little over $50 total. I am tempted to ignore it. Anyone know how persistent they are in trying to collect? I have no recollection of being told about any cancellation fee.
Hhmm I took a quick look around and found this, check page 10 and or 11 , Don't know if its applicable to what you signed up for siriusxm.com/pdf/siriusxm_customeragreement_eng.pdf
Nice of you to post that Ray. Sirius Canada seems to be a separate company with it's own rules, but this one could be the same. Does anyone ever read those agreements?.

For $40 I'd try to reason with them as a matter of principle, but, it isn't worth having a black mark on your credit account or the legal hassle or extra fees you may encounter. It may cost $40 but you will save about $80 this year alone by not subscribing.

We have an excellent credit rating, at least that is what the dealer told us when I bought the '15 Genny in June of 2015. I have to pass the credit onto Mrs. j since she writes all the checks. If I wrote the checks, I'd probably be in the slammer waiting to hear from the parole board. I'm just very bad at doing that kind of stuff which is why I am not allowed to write checks. This goes back to about 6 months after we were married. I had the check book so screwed up it took Mrs. j about 3 nights after work to straighten it out. Hence my loss of check writing privileges. Which really ain't so bad.

Anyway, where I am going with this, years ago (back in the early '70's, I think) I was told that having a Sears credit card was better than any other store credit card. National credit cards (Visa, MasterCard etc.) were just getting started and I didn't even have one back then. The reason the Sears card was the best is because they would turn you over to a collection company faster than anyone else. I don't know if this was true but this is what I heard.

As for getting dinged by merchants today, I wonder if some are known to be more unforgiving than others and if this is taken into account with the credit bureaus but I doubt it.

Like I said, Mrs. j gets all the credit for our good credit rating and she lets me know that every time the subject comes up.

jmonroe

tjc78 · January 2017

Today it's all about longevity, payment history and low percentage of utilization.

Installment debt carries less of of a hit than credit card (revolving debt).

It's a funny system , you can pay your bills on time every time but be in worlds of debt and still be in the mid sevens. If you have very little debt but a late payment or two can be in the mid sizes.

I do do all the finances in my house and everything is in my name. My wife basically had her identity stolen (by a family member no less) and we have her completely locked down with the credit bureaus so it is just easier for me to apply when needed.

oldfarmer50 · January 2017

Times must be getting tough in Nigeria...or Russia.

This past week my local Craigslist has been loaded with scam car ads. On Saturday I counted over 50. Easy to spot, crazy low price, personal email contact, picture of a random car (notice the palm trees in the background).

2005*Acura*TL*Adjustable*Steering Wheel* - $1500

2005 Acura TL
fuel: gas
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
Acura TL White 79,000 mile Loaded, fwd, Sunroof, Navigation, Bed Cover, and Racks, Leather, Dual mode 3.2 V6 or Electric Hybrid - All custom Blacked out New Tires, always serviced, new tires, Super clean in and out, non smoker, no pets, everything perfect, freshly serviced everything works well interior perfect. nninabeckett@gmail.com

I can't believe anyone ever falls for this stuff but I guess they do often enough to make it worthwhile.

driver100 · January 2017

Falls for it! What do you mean....that car looks mint and for only $1500.
I am going to contact nninabeckett@gmail.com right now.
I'll let you know when I take delivery.

driver100 · January 2017

tjc said: . My wife basically had her identity stolen (by a family member no less) and we have her completely locked down with the credit bureaus so it is just easier for me to apply when needed

Sounds like there could be an interesting story there!

PF_Flyer · January 2017

Woo hoo... surprise in the mail yesterday that I didn't realize was coming. Apparently I made the last payment and, through the rain, sleet, and snow, the USPS delivered my title to me. Been a while since we've been a one-car-payment family

oldfarmer50 · January 2017

driver100 said:
Falls for it! What do you mean....that car looks mint and for only $1500.
I am going to contact nninabeckett@gmail.com right now.
I'll let you know when I take delivery.

Have fun driving it home. I hear the roads in Russia are kind of bumpy.

stickguy · January 2017

No worries. It has a bed cover and racks.

driver100 · January 2017

I am going to contact comrade nninabeckett right now.

oldfarmer....here is a fun project for you.....try to find us the phoniest CL car ad you can find...we can use a good laugh today.

oldfarmer50 · January 2017

When did we become so wimpy?

School is closed today, in fact all the schools in my upstate region are closed because we got an inch of snow and sleet overnight. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a day off with pay but 25 years ago my district would send us out in 2 feet of snow, ice storms or any of the biblical plagues. When did we get so weak?

stickguy · January 2017

Don't know but my son complained about shoveling the inch of sleet. Bright side, his new Audi Quattro is amazing in snow and ice!

driver100 · January 2017

We got so wimpy after that big snow/ice storm in Atlanta hit and they didn't warn people so they could keep everything open....but there were big problems because the storm did hit.

Now, if there is a hint of freezing rain or more than 2 inches of snow, it seems the people in charge don't want to be responsible - thus the warnings and shut downs.....err on the side of caution.

graphicguy · January 2017

AB....understand your frustration with Sirius. Imagine mine with a $60K Cadillac that I can't use because it's in the dealer's repair shop for over a month.....

Don't know why, but every couple of months, I check my credit score through the free service AMEX offers with my business credit card. It hovers around high 700s-mid 800s. Not sure why it fluctuates, though.

My income is relatively stable. It changes a bit every quarter depending on bonuses and end of year raises (which finally started happening again the last few years), but has been pretty stable for awhile.

If someone is running a promotion on a major purchase (like the recent TV I bought), I may use my credit card if they're offering 0% financing given I don't write a lot of checks anymore, but pay it off by promotion's end.

What does fluctuate is my work travel expenses. Those can range from $1,000/mo to $10,000/mo, but those are on my AMEX which is paid off every month. So, that shouldn't matter.

I always think I should talk to my bank about those credit score fluctuations, but it's never important enough for me to remember to do so.

ab348 · January 2017

graphicguy said:
AB....understand your frustration with Sirius. Imagine mine with a $60K Cadillac that I can't use because it's in the dealer's repair shop for over a month.....

That comparison did not escape me either. But I think the difference is that the Cadillac dealer/service hierarchy is mostly inept in your case, whereas SiriusXM has knowingly adopted a business strategy that is designed to deceive/fleece people.

ab348 · January 2017

Found this "safe driving" film thanks to a link posted over at The Old Motor. This is great, a very entertaining 15 minutes with lots of great vintage footage.

https://youtu.be/-VfJmal-4_I

ab348 · January 2017

oldfarmer50 said:
When did we become so wimpy?

School is closed today, in fact all the schools in my upstate region are closed because we got an inch of snow and sleet overnight. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a day off with pay but 25 years ago my district would send us out in 2 feet of snow, ice storms or any of the biblical plagues. When did we get so weak?

This is a hot topic in Nova Scotia too. All Halifax-area schools are closed today because of a freezing rain warning. The little bit of ice pellets didn't start until well after 9AM when all kids would have already been in school and now 2 hours later it has changed to rain and things are mostly bare. I blame the weather presenters in the media who make every cloud passing overhead sound like the end of the world. I call it "Weather as Entertainment" and it concerns me because if we were to be hit by an actual threatening storm the public would be desensitized to the warnings.

dino001 · January 2017

graphicguy said:

Don't know why, but every couple of months, I check my credit score through the free service AMEX offers with my business credit card. It hovers around high 700s-mid 800s. Not sure why it fluctuates, though.

I always think I should talk to my bank about those credit score fluctuations, but it's never important enough for me to remember to do so.

First, high 700s to mid 800s means you don't have to worry at all. Many people obsess about having their score being a few points lower than perfect like it was a B+ on a state college placement test and they are just lost Harvard scholarship. The truth is all you need is 720, sometimes 750. 780 or 820 will not get you any better rate for a car loan, or credit card, so who cares. Moreover, if you don't plan to apply for credit, then it matters even less.

From what you described, I think that the fluctuations are most likely due to your travel expenses, as you mentioned ranging from low to high. Even though they're paid off, the "snapshot" of the balances doesn't know that. All it knows you have e.g. 10 grand balance on AMEX, which you may or may not pay off next month. Seems like those balances are enough to run up your credit utilization, even if on temporary basis. Moreover, if AMEX doesn't report any credit limit (which I heard happens to some of their cards, especially those with high limits), the utilization cuts into your other cards.

So, considering facts mentioned above, if you still want to lower your fluctuations (or at least move the score higher prior any credit application), you could pay off your AMEX travel balance before it's even reported (before closing the cycle). It's a little extreme, but could be a stop-gap measure for time before a credit application. Another measure to lower the volatility more permanently is to increase credit limit on your existing cards, which would bring overall revolving credit utilization down. Another way would be to open a new account, which would bring the score down temporarily, but then move the score up and volatility down over time, if your habits remain the same, as the total revolving credit utilization goes down. But that's all only if you really care about those few points that don't change anything.

Another factor would be new credit applications, when you were switching your cars (if you borrowed money to get them). This would also lower your score quickly and then it will creep up over time. I opened a new CC account six months ago, or so, so my score went immediately from "perfect" 848 to something like 820 and now it's creeping slowly back, around 835. The "adverse" facts listed on my check were length of the account established. But again, who cares, really.

jmonroe · January 2017

driver100 said:
I am going to contact comrade nninabeckett right now.

oldfarmer....here is a fun project for you.....try to find us the phoniest CL car ad you can find...we can use a good laugh today.

I thought we just had one.

jmonroe

jmonroe · January 2017

oldfarmer50 said:
When did we become so wimpy?

School is closed today, in fact all the schools in my upstate region are closed because we got an inch of snow and sleet overnight. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a day off with pay but 25 years ago my district would send us out in 2 feet of snow, ice storms or any of the biblical plagues. When did we get so weak?

An inch of snow?

I guess that is a mini-mini school bus.

jmonroe

ab348 · January 2017

Just got off the phone with SiriusXM, they seemed baffled at first. Turns out I have 2 accounts with them, one for the ATS and an older one for a past car. Once the agent got to the invoice in question and I told him the sequence of events that led up to it, he was puzzled and asked me to hold while he got a supervisor. Here we go, I thought. After 2 long waits (he came back after a few minutes to see if I was still on hold) he came back and said it was all scrubbed and to dispose of the invoice. I asked if I would be receiving confirmation and he said no, and that if there was any other contact with me it would be from one of their "seniors". I assume that does not mean senior citizen. Whatever, I am done with them.

ray80 · January 2017

ab348 said:
Just got off the phone with SiriusXM, they seemed baffled at first. Turns out I have 2 accounts with them, one for the ATS and an older one for a past car. Once the agent got to the invoice in question and I told him the sequence of events that led up to it, he was puzzled and asked me to hold while he got a supervisor. Here we go, I thought. After 2 long waits (he came back after a few minutes to see if I was still on hold) he came back and said it was all scrubbed and to dispose of the invoice. I asked if I would be receiving confirmation and he said no, and that if there was any other contact with me it would be from one of their "seniors". I assume that does not mean senior citizen. Whatever, I am done with them.

Done is good. I am about to get rid of mine also, hopefully easily ( I am not nice when pushed to hard on phone call thing

)

graphicguy · January 2017

@dino001...thanks. That's the best explanation anyone has ever given me. See, this forum is a wealth of info....truly.

Since I have to file expense reports, and then get reimbursed, I try to keep my hands out of my own pockets when it comes to paying my AMEX. Sometimes, I have to, however. Holidays, expense questions (although if I was going to cheat on expenses, I'd make it a whopper. Not a $20 lunch that has a partially obscured restaurant name in question on the receipt), etc cause for delays on reimbursement. In those situations, I try to wait until the due date to pay the AMEX. Then, it comes out of my pocket waiting for reimbursement.

Funny...when I needed credit, when I was just starting out adulthood, I had to jump through burning hoops for a house loan, or a car loan. Now, when I don't need it, credit is so much easier to come by.

dino001 · January 2017

graphicguy said:

Funny...when I needed credit, when I was just starting out adulthood, I had to jump through burning hoops for a house loan, or a car loan. Now, when I don't need it, credit is so much easier to come by.

That's actually the main principle of banking. I think it was Rockefeller, who said the best way to get a loan from a bank is to prove you don't need it.

BTW, it would be quite extreme to volunteer paying off Amex before it even bills you and give your company a non-interest loan just to score couple of points. I think your best bet would be to call you other card creditors and ask for bumps in the credit limits. The higher limits, the better, up to a tipping point of course, but that one is quite far. My guess with your income level (I'm guessing it based on vehicles you own

), you'd need to have 10+ cards each with $10K+ limit for it being considered an added risk (which is ability to run up your balance beyond your means).

28firefighter · January 2017

Funny you guys are talking about credit, I just posted at CCBA.

I woke up this morning and someone had tried to apply for credit in my name at 4 different banks. I'd had a fraud alert on my profiles at all 3 bureaus due to some funny business with my wife's credit a couple months back and they still allowed the inquiries.

The person had the right name, an old address and the wrong social. Luckily they were all denied but I still had to call each bank to dispute them and have the inquiries removed. I've also taken the nuclear approach of freezing my profile with all 3 bureaus ($10 per bureau) and now have a PIN that allows access. Otherwise, no one can see it.

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