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<title>Rants, Raves, &#x26; Praise forum - dslreports.com community</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/sinbin</link>
<description>Rants, Raves, &#x26; Praise forum current topics</description>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2007, dslreports.com</copyright>
<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:08:48 EDT</pubDate>
<lastBuildDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:08:48 EDT</lastBuildDate>

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<item>
<title>[Rant] Bestbuy receipt checker</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21511799</link>
<description><![CDATA[I went to bestbuy tonight to buy esata cable and paid in computer department registry. Sale associate put the cable in the bag I walked to the exit. At the exist they have LP(lost prevention), he asked me for receipt and i said i don't have to show you and i continue walking and he grabbed my arm. I told him to let go and if he tries it again i will call the cops and have him charged with battery and false imprisonment. He stated that I had to show receipt otherwise how would he know i paid for it. I asked him, if he suspected me of shoplifting and he said yes being that i was refusing to show id. Told him to call the cops and he said just show me receipt. I told him no and left and he didn't try to stop me the second time.

Why can't best buy teach employees the dam law that I don't have to show them the receipt with exception of sams club and costco where i signed such agreement with them. 
--
i am not a lawyer but I do play one on the internet]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21511799</guid>
<pubDate>2008-12-01 21:10:46</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>[Rave] eBay unpaid item report and studpid buyers!</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21515932</link>
<description><![CDATA[This is so funny that i have to share it with y'all.

I sold the wrong camera model to a guy, my fault! He was , in reason, mad and demanded a refund which i gave promptly and i also apologized. 

Now the fun part, not only did he return the item to a wrong address ( i got really lucky as i know the Postal employees here at the local post office and received the item) he also didn't even return all the items that he purchased as he kept the totally free Camera case. 

I refunded him the money for the camera but did charge him with the camera case! haha. I guess he got furious and needlessly gave me a negative feedback for retaliation! :(

Geniuses at eBay one day decided to remove the ability for us sellers to leave negative and neutral feedbacks and this is where we as sellers are getting screwed.  I can't do anything to him to retaliate at all, the only thing was to reply his feedback with my side of story and that's not cutting it..

So what will i do??? Unpaid Item Report comes to the rescue!! I filled it out in the hope to mess with him, and to my surprise he DID NOT EVEN respond to the report!!! With this report if the buying party does not respond in 7 days, then sellers can give the buyers an unpaid strike, and i took advantage of that immediately! Well what i didn't know was that eBay also took off the Negative feedback from the buyers for that particular item!! So he now has an unpaid item strike and his feedback retaliation didn't work either!! hahaha

I know it's not really true that he didn't pay for the item but it's not my fault that he's not on top of his eBay stuff, and he's not a newbie either he's got over 150 feedbacks! 

I guess there is hope after all for us sellers. Well if the buyers are as stupid as this one..
--
After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say "I want to see the manager."
  - William S. Burroughs
]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21515932</guid>
<pubDate>2008-12-02 15:38:41</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>[Rant] Florida SunPass</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21507094</link>
<description><![CDATA[What monkey designed this system? This is the 21st century.

Here's a run-down:

1) Everything is done "offline"
2) When you refill your transponder, it needs to "download onto the transponder" (you need to drive through a toll booth) for the balance to reflect on your transponder, yet you call the 800 # (not remotely close to 24/7) and get the current real balance.
3) When you go through a toll it takes at least 24hrs for it to show up online.
4) When the account is refilled, even automatically, again it takes 24hrs to show up.

Today I drove all the way from Miami through the entire Florida Turnpike starting at the Sawgrass Expressway. When I get past Orlando the traffic is horrible, so I decide to get off at Leesburg. At this exit the northbound and southbound exit/entraces are 2 miles apart, so I get off on the first exit, go two miles (where the northbound entrance is) and can see the traffic seems ok so I get back on. The Sunpass beeps when I go to the toll booth but the gate does not open and I ended up having a heated discussion with the toll collector. I ended up squeezing between the gate and the wall. 

Now I get home and it says "Balance not known" online  when I checked before midnight. After reading dozens of SunPass horror stories I decided to go back and print it out, and here is what I see:

"ACTIVITY STATEMENTS:  
No Current Month's Activity [Because it is December already]

October 2008
September 2008
August 2008 "

What happened to November 2008?

Why can't SunPass operate in realtime or near-realtime? I could understand if there is a delay of a few hours processing the scans at the toll booths, but its almost like they copy the days scans to floppy disks and then transfer them to their AS/400 (because they certainly aren't using modern technology).

Oh and as to what monkey designed the system? A bidder on a government project, of course. If VISA, MasterCard and American Express all can, in real time, propagate charges between many entities (you go to a shop and swipe the card, instantly it goes from store (1) to merchant processor (2) to merchant bank (3) to your bank (4) sees if you have available balance, and in realtime sends back a yes or a no.) Just the other night I bought something from Staples.com with my Amex and I refreshed my Amex online and *bam* purchase dedicated from available balance... why can't transactions through a single entity be remotely as efficient??? Same thing with my ING Direct MasterCard... buy something online, refresh the banking page and *bam* it shows the amount and the merchant name under "pending transactions" or if it with the PIN # it is "posted" by the time I can get home and check, but probably at that same instant.)

And I am not even going to say a peep about the SunPass customer service.

On the plus side, due to this horrible system one time I went to pick up my car from the shop and I had someone following me that had taken me to get the car. The other car didn't have SunPass but went through the "SunPass-only" lane. When I got home I called SunPass, added their tag to my account and the toll was deducted from my account without a problem and no fine was issued! 

--
09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21507094</guid>
<pubDate>2008-12-01 00:33:11</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>[Rant] Staples On Line only coupon</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21515637</link>
<description><![CDATA[I got an emailed $25 off $100 coupon from Staples, good online or phone order only. Of course the store wont honor it, and I don't expect them to. I call and order something which they were supposed to ship by their own truck today. Got a call the driver couldn't find my house. Not from the driver, but from cust service. My street is on ever map and GPS made in the last 10 years. They'll try again tomorrow, at which point, I'll not be working from the house and I bet they leave a note. 

How does it benefit them to pay for the delivery guy and not just let me go to the store?
Joe]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21515637</guid>
<pubDate>2008-12-02 14:45:21</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>[Rant] [ Digital Downloads And DRM SUCKS ]</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21499926</link>
<description><![CDATA[So I buy a new BluRay movie. I get a digital download cd that allows me to port it too an ipod or a windows media player file.

I select windows media player. Says I must upgrade to 10 or higher.

Well I have 11. So why isn't this damn thing working.

They want to stop piracy but yet they come out with stupid crap like this thats complete fail.

So I revert to version 10, still didn't work. Reinstalled 11, still dont work.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

This is ubber BS. I am honest, I pay for shi^, and I am treated like a GD crimnal. Welcome to the great and wonderful NAZI US of Fking A.

It's okay for them to screw me, but low and behold I did, my a** would be in a sling.

Stop and think. Do we live in USA the land of the free, or do we live in Germeny in rule of Hitler ?

This is why piracy will always be around and always exist.

Until the MPAA, and the RIAA gets their head out of the arses and really wants to stop it, I am all for it, but to release crapola like this, that just doesn't work that we consumers pay for. Thats just plain wrong, and unjust.
--
Like My DSL!!!]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21499926</guid>
<pubDate>2008-11-29 07:02:40</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>[Rant] Black Friday Deaths</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21497924</link>
<description><![CDATA[This is ridiculous. Every year just about we read stories of people getting trampled in a mad rush to grab half price TVs and Xboxes.

This year, a crowd took that a step further and broke down the doors at a Walmart, killing a 34 year old employee and injuring several other people(Story).

Stupid, stupid, STUPID.

I wish the Walmart employees were given rifles on Black Friday to gun down door breaching stampeders like that. Because the stampeding people with "50% Off" in their eyeballs obviously don't care enough to not kill for it.

I say, if you want to make a mad stampede for a plasma TV, be prepared to eat lead :mad:
--
"We are now in the golden age of thieves. And where I come from we put thieves in jail, we don't bail them out." &#151; Rep. Pete Visclosky]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21497924</guid>
<pubDate>2008-11-28 17:10:29</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>[Rant] Auto-Mechanics</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21444266</link>
<description><![CDATA[Ugh.  Just need to vent.

My Jeep started idling really rough and the serpentine belt was really squealing one day, so, not having the money to get it looked at, I parked it for a while.

Got ahold of some money so figured I'd take it into the shop and have it looked at.  Thinking that maybe the plugs were dirty or the fuel filter was clogged (I had let the gas tank get pretty low the last 3 times I filled it up).

As I'm turning the corner on the street where the shop is, anti-freeze just starts DUMPING out.  Leaves a river in the road.  Luckily didn't have to drive it more than about 100 feet before pulling into the shop.

They look at it and tell me "You need a new radiator - theres a crack in it"

I'm thinking "Can't you just figure out why it was idling rough?"  

Nope.  Gotta fix the radiator first.  That'll be $450.00

No thanks.  Called AAA and had it towed to Aamco.

AAmco has the car for about a week and says "You need a new clutch fan and Idler pulley."  That's why it was idling rough.  Can't find a leak anywhere though."

They ran it idling in their parking lot for an entire day, burned through about 3/4 tank of gas and said I was good to go, no problems left.  $349.64

Next day it starts squealing again, and the "Coolant Low" indicator comes on. :(

Took it back to AAmco.  They kept it for another week, and could not find any leaks.  Ran a pressure check.  No problems.  Sprayed it with some belt dressing and said I was good to go.  No problems left.

Driving it home, about 30 miles later (5 miles from home) I stop at a gas station for some smokes.  As I'm walking away from the car, I look back at it and I see fluid pouring from the right-front area of the grille.

Upon closer examination I see that it is anti-freeze.  Can't see from where it is coming though but it looks like it's nearby or underneath the water pump.

Drive it the rest of the way home and park it.  Squealing was so loud you could hear me coming from a mile away.  Once I got home, no leaking...  It sits there for about a month and a half.

Anyway figure I need a second opinion since AAmco can't figure out whats wrong, so I make sure it's got plenty of fluid, and drive it to the nearest jeep dealer.  (13 miles away).  No significant squealing, but it's there.

Jeep dealer says I need a new Radiator, Water Pump, Thermostat, Serpentine Belt and Radiator hose. $1450.00

Um, nope.  $77 for diagnostic and I'm on my way.

Call AAmco, pissed.  Tell them what the Jeep dealer told me.  Ask them what are they going to do for me since they told me the car was fine after having several times in their shop over several weeks.

Get a call back.  Bring it in and we'll look at it for free.  Did so.

Got a call today.  "We found the leak.  It's in the radiator.  And the fluid is being spattered onto various areas of the engine compartment making it appear that other parts (water pump, thermostat) are leaking when they're actually not.  And the leaking fluid is why the serpentine belt is squealing.  $350 to replace the radiator.

Asked him to be more specific about the thermostat because the Jeep dealer specifically said they saw leakage from where the thermostat was attached to the motor.

AAmco guy says he'll throw in a replacement thermostat at no charge.

Agreed.  Being worked on now.

Just wondering what the next thing's gonna be... :(  I'll be driving it home and the friggen water pump is gonna go out...(knock on faux-wood grain panneling)

I do love my jeep tho. ;) It's a 1993 Grand Cherokee Laredo 5.2 MP V8

- FM]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21444266</guid>
<pubDate>2008-11-18 00:22:48</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>[Rave] &#x22;new&#x22; CompUSA Retail stores</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21498125</link>
<description><![CDATA[I used to (try) to shop at CompUSA stores. They were always overpriced and had a "user-friendly" selection of stuff.. that is usually not what I needed.

After the CompUSA bankrupcy they were acquired by Tiger Direct (a brand I never really had respect for).

I really needed a USB 56k modem so I went to the CompUSA Kendall store in Miami, FL since I was literally passing in front of it. While the employees were not helpful (someone with a typical Miami accent told me " I don't think I've seen those anywhere") they had computers setup throughout the store to check inventory and I found what I needed for $24.99 (very reasonable price for a retail store).

I also browsed around the store because it had been re-arranged since the last time I was there and was rather impressed by the selection -- two isles with mainboards, an isle with OEM hard drives, lots of networking gear, PCI cards, etc, etc.... maybe if their stores were like this 4 years ago they never would have gone bankrupt.
--
09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21498125</guid>
<pubDate>2008-11-28 18:01:21</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>[Rant] SEVEN UP!  Refreshing, Bubbly, Natural OT Goofiness!</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21015993</link>
<description><![CDATA[Pure, OT enjoyment needs more than a Six Pack!  Go for the gusto and be part of the bubbly, free-range, all-natural, goodness goofiness wackiness that can be found only in The OT Thread!

Be sure to ask Macca about the cookbook she's writing.
--
There is no giant fur-bearing trout.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21015993</guid>
<pubDate>2008-08-27 16:35:33</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>[Rant] Spelling on the Internet</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21458757</link>
<description><![CDATA[And no, I'm not talking about 1337 or txt speak.  I'm talking about good old fashioned English, and a large percentage of the population who post on the internet not using that same great tool to check their spelling.

This forum has a spell check.  Great, however, some people still prefer to type a word with (sp?) after it if they have no clue how to spell it.  

What spurred this?  Well, I was reading another thread on this board, and someone mentioned "jahova's witnesses(sp?)".  Really?  You know what the word is, you're on the internet probably using a browser that can have multiple tabs, and refuse to switch to another tab to see how to spell the word?

*Ctrl-T*

"Hey Mr. Google!  Jahova's!"

"No, Jehova's."

"Oh!  Thanks!  Now I won't look like a degenerate in front of the potential thousands of people who could be reading this."

Such a difficult concept.  Oh well, keep not expanding your intelligence.  It's hard, I know.

Anyone know if there's a way to thin the herd through mental telepathy? :)

Matt
--
LIFT. EAT. REST. REPEAT.  SERIOUSMUSCLE.NET]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,21458757</guid>
<pubDate>2008-11-20 16:24:13</pubDate>
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