slusher Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 So if I record a song from the radio to cassette, you know, 80s style, is that stealing? Recording songs of the radio is against the law but they don't enforce it unless your making copies for whatever. The file sharing is whats bad is you download a song and then over time a hundred people download it and so on. we all have recorded movies and songs of the radio but for just personal use its not worth their time to go after anyone.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 (edited) The number of contractor (siding/roofing) that have been in the neighborhood this summer trying to get homeowners to have a free(?)inspection, and put in a claim with their insurance company for a new roof and siding. It's getting old. Yeah, they ran that one into the ground here a couple of summers back after a bad hailstorm. I was about the only guy on the block who declined the "free offer"...and the neighborhood rang with the daylight-to-dawn rattle of nail guns for months afterwards. That's what's happening now in my neighborhood. We had a bad hail storm this spring. Contractors came around, and everyone is getting a free roof... except me. My insurance company approved a big check for dings to my gutters, skylights, attic fan covers and siding but told me my roof was fine.. same insurance company approved 4 others on my block, some of which are under tree canopies. I did sense friction between the contractors rep and the insurance adjuster, so I called another company that sent me a letter. This one showed up yesterday and said that my roof has as much damage as the others they got approved, so they'll go to bat with the insurance company. The houses here are 20 years old, and with every house around me having a brand new roof, I can see issues trying to sell the house as we hope in the next few years. So if they're giving out free roofs, I'll take one. Edited September 4, 2014 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 We had a car that once got T-boned by a semi truck...even though the car was twisted they would not total it at 60,000. miles on it....Ill never have insurance with them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clovis Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 That's what's happening now in my neighborhood. We had a bad hail storm this spring. Contractors came around, and everyone is getting a free roof... except me. My insurance company approved a big check for dings to my gutters, skylights, attic fan covers and siding but told me my roof was fine.. same insurance company approved 4 others on my block, some of which are under tree canopies. I did sense friction between the contractors rep and the insurance adjuster, so I called another company that sent me a letter. This one showed up yesterday and said that my roof has as much damage as the others they got approved, so they'll go to bat with the insurance company. The houses here are 20 years old, and with every house around me having a brand new roof, I can see issues trying to sell the house as we hope in the next few years. So if they're giving out free roofs, I'll take one. The same thing happened here a few years ago. I've been paying big bucks over the past 20 years for what I was told to be premium coverage...until Safeco bought the insurance company that I had been dealing with for years. Everyone in town got a new roof, siding, gutters, windows, etc. I have never been jacked around so much in my life. Safeco skinned me hard on the roof, and after fighting with them for months, they finally paid up on the siding. I have given Safeco my last check. If they jacked me around this bad on a roof and siding, I'd hate to think how bad it would be if I had a total loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 (edited) We had a car that once got T-boned by a semi truck...even though the car was twisted they would not total it at 60,000. miles on it....Ill never have insurance with them again. I've been paying big bucks over the past 20 years for what I was told to be premium coverage...until Safeco bought the insurance company that I had been dealing with for years. I have never been jacked around so much in my life... Yes, and the primary reason I got out of the collision repair industry, and a large part of my growing disgust with American business practices in general. The "budget" insurance companies would fight tooth and nail to nickel-and-dime us right out of any profit, forcing us to use ill-fitting aftermarket parts, or downright junkyard JUNK. Then they'd refuse to pay to fix the junk correctly (like stripping rust and bondo and 3 prior peeling paintjobs from a junkyard fender..."paint over it" they'd say) or to make the crapp aftermarket stuff actually fit. They would send poorly-trained adjusters with NO knowledge of vehicle structures, who would flat refuse to pay for damage they "couldn't see". Then we'd battle them to fix the car correctly and SAFELY, the battle would delay the repair, the customers would be screaming because their "bargain" insurance company wouldn't pay for any more rental-car time and had been told by the insurance company that WE were the hold-up. I would REFUSE to do sub-standard structural repairs, and several times cars have been pulled from my shop by cheapo insurance companies, only to be taken to hackers who did bodge (but cheaper) work, and would let hidden structural damage slide. Then, if we released a car to a client with poorly-fitting parts (you have to spend additional HOURS to get some of the junk aftermarket stuff to fit, and the insurance companies WILL NOT PAY for the extra work), of if the customer wondered why only the fender was painted and was obviously a different color from the faded-paint on the rest of the side of the car (because the insurance wouldn't pay to tint and blend the paint into adjacent panels) the customers would again be screaming to us, the insurance company, the insurance commission and anybody else who would listen. Then the major insurance companies started down the same road as the cheapos. I finally just got sick of the constant stress trying to comply with the insurance companies blind cost-cutting "policies", the customer's RIGHT to have the car returned to pre-loss condition (make it like it was BEFORE the wreck), the customer's EXPECTATION to have the car repaired correctly and quickly (and to look GOOD when they picked it up) and my own personal sense of ethical behavior when taking money for a service. But unless you're an industry insider, or you have the misfortune to be screwed royally by the insurance company you've been paying into in good faith for years, you don't get a feel of how all-pervasive the ripoffs are, all done in the name of "good business". And it's everywhere. And nobody seems to get it...at least not enough people with the power or even the interest to try to change things. Edited September 4, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thatswhatshesaid Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 The number of contractor (siding/roofing) that have been in the neighborhood this summer trying to get homeowners to have a free(?)inspection, and put in a claim with their insurance company for a new roof and siding. It's getting old.. It's the same thing in my neighborhood except it's the Kirby carpet people. They just don't understand the words 'I'm not interested'. I never answer the door for these people but with it being summer they catch me outside. It's annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thatswhatshesaid Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Recording songs of the radio is against the law but they don't enforce it unless your making copies for whatever. The file sharing is whats bad is you download a song and then over time a hundred people download it and so on. we all have recorded movies and songs of the radio but for just personal use its not worth their time to go after anyone.. They'll never completely get rid of piracy. They may get the mass production piracy scammers but what are they gonna do? Put everyone in jail who has burned a cd for a friend? It's like the recent celeb nude picture hack. Jennifer Lawrence's rep said anyone who posts or downloads the pics will be prosecuted. Really? You're gonna prosecute most of the internet ? A lot of people don't even download music with so many streaming services out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete J. Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Solar energy!!! I get people knocking on the door, unsolicited calls, junk mail by the ton! Here in SoCal it is the "Hot" thing to be selling. Our electricity rates are very high(at least $250 a month without A/C on) but these guys are like fleas. I probably will get solar panels one of these days, but when that happens I will do my research and I will make contact with a reputable installer, not someone who is door knocking. In 60+ years I have learned to be skeptical of telemarketers and door to door salesman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 what irking me today? Friggin web pages with more garbage ads and moving animation than content... and having to wait for every bit of that clutter to load in before they let you see the actual content! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 what irking me today? Friggin web pages with more garbage ads and moving animation than content... and having to wait for every bit of that clutter to load in before they let you see the actual content! Get used to it. It's only going to get worse. The online versions of the local papers here have more ads than actual content. I especially hate the ones that slowly grow until the whole page is covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 (edited) what irking me today? Friggin web pages with more garbage ads and moving animation than content... and having to wait for every bit of that clutter to load in before they let you see the actual content! There is a very simple solution, its called Ad Blocker Plus, and its free, you can take care of about 99% of all those pesky ads that are irking you. https://adblockplus.org Edited September 5, 2014 by martinfan5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Lectro Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 what irking me today? Friggin web pages with more garbage ads and moving animation than content... and having to wait for every bit of that clutter to load in before they let you see the actual content! I set my browsers to require permission to run plug-ins like Flash, not so much because the Flash based ads take more time to load, but because some of them are really buggy and cause the browser to slow down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 New insurance bill came in today. Home went up 100 bucks and cars went up 316 bucks. No claims no tickets but a over 400 dollar a year increase. I will be shopping for new coverage for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 State Farm did that to me a few years ago. I went over to Progressive, Ray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Thanks for the tip. I will add them to the list of ones I want to call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 State Farm did that to me a few years ago. I went over to Progressive, Ray. Hmmm. I wouldn't let Progressive insure a lawn mower. God help you if your older car ever sustains damage more serious than a scratch. (Just my opinion, based on dealing with them for years in the collision industry. Your results may vary.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Progressive was great when I had my motorcycle accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 New insurance bill came in today. Home went up 100 bucks and cars went up 316 bucks. No claims no tickets but a over 400 dollar a year increase. I will be shopping for new coverage for sure. I get insurance quotes all the time, just to be sure I'm not overpaying. Recently I had Geico quote me a direct, apples-to-apples comparison to what I currently was paying with Allstate on my car insurance. The Geico price for the same exact coverage was just about exactly HALF what Allstate was charging me. I realize that insurance rates vary wildly... depends on your age, sex, location, type of car, how many miles you drive, your driving record, other drivers on the policy, whether you park the car in a garage at night, etc., etc. But it PAYS to shop around. Geico didn't save me 15% in 15 minutes... they saved me HALF. I can't guarantee that you will find similar savings, but you owe it to yourself to shop around, constantly. Edit: Strangely enough, I have had Allstate homeowner's insurance since forever, and my yearly premium is barely higher than it was 20 years ago. Strange. But I'm not complaining... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Thanks Harry. I will add them to the list of companies I will be calling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Lectro Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Edit: Strangely enough, I have had Allstate homeowner's insurance since forever, and my yearly premium is barely higher than it was 20 years ago. Strange. But I'm not complaining... Are you sure your home is insured for it's current market value? I knew someone whose rates never went up, and looked at their policy only to discover their home was insured for less than half of what is was worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 The tough part about insurance is that you can get a quote for half of what you are currently paying, and it works fine as long as you are just paying for that insurance card for your glove compartment. You only find out exactly what you have purchased when you need to place a claim. And then it's pretty much too late to do anything about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 My irk of the day? Jumping through corporate hoops and dealing with the idiots they outsourced services to! I am trying to throw a conference. I was told I needed to have the outsourced Conference Services Department handle my negotiations and contract. They spent the last two months creating paper, going out for bids, and in the end negotiated it to pretty much what the hotel quoted me as a person off the street! At the same friggin place I was when they started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 My irk of the day? Jumping through corporate hoops and dealing with the idiots they outsourced services to! I am trying to throw a conference. I was told I needed to have the outsourced Conference Services Department handle my negotiations and contract. They spent the last two months creating paper, going out for bids, and in the end negotiated it to pretty much what the hotel quoted me as a person off the street! At the same friggin place I was when they started. Ah yes. Fond remembries of the corporate world. Why let one smart guy take car of it when they can have an entire staff who have endless meetings and all draw salaries and accomplish nothing more than the one smart guy could have done in 1/10 of the time for 1/10 the cost ??? Oh wait...you didn't say you worked for GM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 The tough part about insurance is that you can get a quote for half of what you are currently paying, and it works fine as long as you are just paying for that insurance card for your glove compartment. You only find out exactly what you have purchased when you need to place a claim. And then it's pretty much too late to do anything about it! Yup. Got an older car? The cheapo insurance companies will fight to save every nickel if it ever needs bodywork, and they save the nickels by using the cheapest shops in town (who draw the poorest estimators, bodymen and painters) and by using inferior quality used or aftermarket parts, cutting labor times to the bone, and in some cases entirely overlooking structural damage. Boy, what a deal. But don't take MY word for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 I'm not looking for sub standard insurance I just don't want to pay more than I have to for good coverage. I will be looking for a price for the same coverage I have right now which is pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.