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Welch
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People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 7:37 pm

I've found that over the years that the majority of people just don't get it. I'm referring to people who don't understand how the world they live in works and how to interact with people. My prime example is my mother in law. I sit here writing this while listen in to her argue and be rude with an AT&T phone support agent regarding her account. She failed to understand that by purchasing phone insurance that she wasn't guaranteed a free phone when her son broke his few week old Samsung S3. When she was told there was a deductible to pay she refused to hear it out and just insisted on him using one of my spare phones (Atrix 4G), which he cracked the screen within 72 hours.

So now her son is dictating that he wants a new phone and hates his android phones (because he can break them obviously), so he now wants an iPhone instead because that will solve his problem (enough sarcasm can't be conveyed). Not realizing that all she had to do was pay $200 to get a new phone via the insurance deductible that she has already been paying 7 or 8 bucks a month for. She would rather not renew a contract to get a subsidized phone either. So what I gather is that she is one of those types that thinks that someone else should shoulder the responsibility of their mistakes... Another good option is tell your 16 year old son to earn cash to buy himself a phone, maybe then he will learn to take care of it.

This is the same person that just does not get it and refused to listen to warning after warning regarding driving on Alaskan roads and managed to total her 4 month old car 2013 Subaru Legacy because she slid through a stop sign and got T-Boned. She argued with the trooper who was ultra understanding and nice and didnt give her a ticket for not having an in state license but had to for causing an accident for running a stop sign. So she argued with him about why she was being given a ticket when she didn't do anything intentionally wrong............

The list goes on and on. But its making me realize why this country is in such disarray. People like her JUST DONT GET IT! They get frustrated with the world because they don't know how it works and people like myself end up shouldering the responsibility of their ignorance. Like giving them a car ride everywhere until she can afford to get a car because she doesn't know how to deal with insurance claims apparently or how they work even though she has wrecked a few cars....

I know I'm not the only one with clueless people in my life that I have to interact with every single day. Just had to vent this out because I couldn't make this **** up.
Last edited by Welch on Sun Feb 09, 2014 7:50 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 7:41 pm

Obvious hint: never let them use anything of yours again.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 7:42 pm

Savyg wrote:
Obvious hint: never let them use anything of yours again.


+1
 
Welch
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 7:55 pm

Got that right Savyg, didn't plan to. Being family of course I tried to be a nice guy and help out, no more.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 8:02 pm

Savyg wrote:
Obvious hint: never let them use anything of yours again.


+1

Tough love is the best thing to ever happen to people like that. It will often jar the muck out of their thick skulls making them remember that they are not the center of the world.
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mdk77777
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 8:14 pm

Well, here is an opposite view.

I am 50 years old and still have a calculator that works from 30 years ago (HP 15C)
I started with a Bag phone larger than a briefcase in the early 80s
My first laptop cost $4000 and still works today (last time I fired it up)Micron XkP

The reason for the background, I never had a cell phone fail in less than 7 years of use until I purchased my first smart phone, so I gave no thought to insurance.

So, I get (here starts the Irony) a Motorola Atrix...guess how long it lasts...exactly 13 months...works on wifi...nothing broken or damaged...just doesn't work as a phone.

So, with no warranty and no compensation offered by att...I am forced to buy another phone at full price...continue the one year required on the atrix and add another two years for the new phone (Samsung NOTE)

So, with a three year lock and a significant replacement cost if this second smart phone were to fail, I inquired about the insurance plan.
Now I hate insurance, so I thought I was pretty complete in my questions...

But here is the second Irony....I do not recall any discussion of a deductible.
I guess the ATT rep. selling me the plan, the new samsung, and the insurance just forgot to mention that detail.


My POINT:

I am a very well informed customer with a high degree of knowledge of technology and experience in sales and retail.
Yet ATT managed to sell me a bill of goods. A $200 Deductible covers what I paid for the phone...So, I am basically giving them $7 a month for nothing.

When companies intentionally work on ways to fleece their customers (as ATT has a very deserved reputation) is it any wonder that these customers become irate?

Does she just not get it?

Or more likely...she was lied and deceived...and yeah, she gets it...but is just mad as hell about it.
 
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 8:19 pm

Unfortunately, a large percentage of the human race (I guesstimate 50% or thereabouts) is reality-challenged in one way or another. All you can really do is minimize your interaction with them to the extent possible.

Oh, and your teenage brother-in-law is an idiot too. I guess it runs in the family, and hope your wife didn't manage to inherit those genes!

Edit: @mdk77777 - Point taken. But two in a row like that is a bit suspicious. And while I agree that random failures do happen, screens generally don't just crack themselves unless the phone has been physically abused in some way.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 8:33 pm

Yeah...just my opinion of dealing with ATT over the years...I've had more than one billing issue...fine print issues...so I feel her frustration.
you sign up for the cable plan at $100 per month...and in a few years, the added fees and increases and you are paying $200.

I understand how people can become frustrated with "utilities" that they just can't control the exponentially increasing costs.

Sure, we could all go off the grid, but it not a realistic option for the average person.

Sure people are idiots and need to take responsibility...and these individuals might be especially "gifted".

However, it just might be my situation of being sandwiched between insane college costs, insane health insurance costs, and insanely increasing "utilities" costs...but I am starting to feel my fellow man's pain more than when I was young and successful... :D
 
Welch
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 8:57 pm

Sorry MDK, I understand what your saying but disagree. The main issue being that I think people don't get it when they sign up for things. Like any insurance there is a deduticble, to think otherwise is to choose to assume something. ATT does not provide the insurance, they get a kick back without a doubt but its a "third party" assurion who takes care of that insurance.

While getting the insurance you should have signed a contract, in there should be the terms that you had agreed to. Now if a deductible was never discussed in that contract then you have grounds to not pay that deductible. You can't truly compare hardware from the 80s to now. Back then things were simpler and quality in some regards higher due to not having to do so many functions all in one. A phone today is more then just a phone. Its a web browser, a GPS, an music player, a TV, ect. Its also a matter of software that is actively being updated and changed, which leads to the possibility of reliability issues and the fixing of others.

So let's do the math on the insurance.... $7 x 24 = $168 for 2 years worth of coverage. Add together your deductible (design to make them money and prevent people from abusing having insurance) let's take into account her $200 deductible. That's $368 to replace her phone with a new or refurbished phone. The new cost of the phone from ATT is anywhere from 399.99-599.99 and sometimes more depending on the phone. Many people think the cost of the phone is what the carriers sell them for on contract. This is a gross misunderstand of actual cost as they aren't taking into account that the phones are subsidized. I really don't think I could explain why things are a subsidized to my mother in law because she wouldn't care because it wouldn't help her at all, just further frustrate her. That... is ignorance.

Ignorance is the word I used before not to be rude or mean but as a term to describe her lack of ability to pay attention to things. She has wrecked cars due to not fully paying attention, got herself into contract situations not fully being aware of what she agreed to, she even dropped my son head first off some bleachers at her sons basketball game last night because she looked up due to a bad call by a ref. Grandma is off limits for awhile LOL.

Its a dog eat dog world, if people can't ask the right questions and make sure they don't get screwed, then they deserve to.
Last edited by Welch on Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:14 pm

@Welch... hmmm can't say I completely agree with your view either. You should not need to ask the "am I going to get screwed" type questions in the first place. But you do need to read the terms of the extended warranty, and decline it if you feel the terms are unfair. Most extended warranties are not worth the money.
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Welch
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:24 pm

Shouldn't have to and having two being two separate things. I generally don't ask the will I be screwed questions but I like to fully understand the process. So I'll ask how the entire process works.

Its similar to people who download free programs and click next not realizing they are agreeing to install other crap ware. Then get pissed off at how their homepage changes and other annoyances. These people end up hating Windows and say things like "I've been thinking I should just buy an Apple". Cracks me up every time.

I don't expect everyone to be tech savvy or insurance savvy or other speclized areas, just not be incapable of all apparent areas of things you interact with in life.

Oh and no offense taken regarding the wife. She and her mother have the hardest time getting along because my wife can't stand how downright stupid her mom can be most of the time LOL. My brother in law isnt stupid, just sheltered somewhat and spoiled because he knows he can get away with things.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:03 pm

Another thing people seem to not grasp now days is that warranty != insurance. I wish I had a dime for every time I heard someone arguing that their accidental damage should be covered under "warranty".
 
Welch
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:07 pm

Deanjo wrote:
Another thing people seem to not grasp now days is that warranty != insurance. I wish I had a dime for every time I heard someone arguing that their accidental damage should be covered under "warranty".


+1. LOL
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:09 pm

What I don't get is how a 16 year old is on his third phone, all of which are better than my three year old Nexus S. Can't he just get the screen repaired?
 
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:19 pm

Well his iPhone 4 before had the issue with the inverter never coming on due to motherboard issues, not worth fixing cost wise, + the back glass was shattered.

Samsung S3, he dropped it right on its face while getting out of my car on a fishing trip. Attempted to repair just the glass after his mom bought the $8 part online. Samsung's crap design includes the digitizer, glass, and LCD into one. Getting them apart is damn near impossible, especially when the glass is shattered into 1000's of pieces.

Atrix 4G, he dropped it out of his sweat pants pocket when he sat down in class.

He would be going on his 4th phone because he is irresponsible because his mom probably has never shown him otherwise. Easy to be like that when mommy is willing to buy him whatever. A few years ago I recommended an Asus laptop for him for Christmas because she wanted to get him a laptop. Being 13 at the time I suggested a laptop with an accident warranty. What happened? He broke the screen within 6 months. What did she do.... Put off sending it in when it was actually covered, so at month 14 of owning the laptop (2 months after warranty) she asked that I fixed it with her paying for the parts....

Wasteful and just downright stupid.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:24 pm

Not to mention that a good phone case is like $20. :roll:
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:32 pm

ts a dog eat dog world, if people can't ask the right questions and make sure they don't get screwed, then they deserve to.


Yeah, and South Park did an episode on the software agreements that everyone clicks through.

You and I know that no one reads them...if they included a clause that your forfeit your life in the event of non-compliance.... Is that enforceable?...no, because it it is an absurd contract, that no one should be made to sign to use a product they have purchased.

Yes, I know that contract law is indeed something you can can spend a lifetime studying and debating....

But ultimately, as a society, we have upheld the notion that law serves a function of helping society function, and when it becomes a trap, a means of ensnaring and enslaving...then it is null and void.

Short course, I know, but your point is simply too narrow and is rejected by the history and norms of society. :)

Can people do better? should they do better? Sure

But life is too short to read 500 pages of legalize every time you spend a dime.
Fact is almost no one does it, and for very good reason...99.99% of it is BS and can be fought in court should the case ever arise.

Job security for lawyers?
Yeah...just a coincidence I suppose. :D
 
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:01 pm

Truly bad TOS/EULA contracts tend to get publicized online though, so you don't really *need* to read every page. You do need to at least do a Google search though, to see what kinds of problems other people have had.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:22 pm

Americans have become immature, and refuse to take responsibility for themselves. Simple as that. You just look at some of the lawsuits that get won to know that.

That said I have 2 semi-related rants:

1.)I have had nothing but problems since I got phones with ATT last year. First they said I could cancel the contract within the first 14-days and there would only be a re-stocking fee. Then when I tried to do so, they said there was no way; I was locked into a 2 year contract and they wouldn't cancel it. Later, for 3 months in a row I had incorrect billing. It was always something different. The worst was when they were charging 2 lines for 1 phone with one line. I have 2 lines. 1 line was charged as one line, and then the other line was charged twice, for a total of 3 lines. I had to spend HOURS chatting with them to get them to fix each billing issue every month. It's been nothing but frustration. I can't wait to ditch ATT. Prior to this, I was going to try their U-Verse internet, but not any more. On a side note, the insurance is pretty useless. Unless you destroy the phone with in a couple months AND are willing to spend an absurd amount to pay the deductible, you probably won't save any money. After a few months there's a good chance the phone will be cheaper than the deductible.

2.)Why do phone manufacturer's insist on using Gorilla Glass? I swear Gorilla Glass is manufactured with many tiny gorillas inside that get angry if you drop your phone and smash the glass. I want to see plastic return! I bought my very first mobile phone in 1999. Every phone I've had since then still works today (still have them all). My latest phone is my first with Gorilla Glass, and I'm scared to death. Every one of my co-workers' phones has a cracked display!
 
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:52 pm

bthylafh wrote:
Not to mention that a good phone case is like $20. :roll:


This. If I was giving someone a phone that broke all prior phones, I would have made sure it had a case, even if I paid for it.

I will no longer go caseless myself. A month after buying my S4 I had it standing on it's long edge on a wood table as I was holding it. It slipped out of my fingers and landed on the table screen side down (which means the far edge dropped 3 3/4 of an inch), cracked the screen from edge to edge. I've never dropped a phone in my life before. These new smart phones are pretty fragile. I've seen iPhones crack from being dropped inside a car 2 feet onto carpet.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:10 am

SetzerG wrote:
Americans have become immature, and refuse to take responsibility for themselves. Simple as that.

This is so true it hurts.
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Welch
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:10 am

Your suggesting that selling your soul is the same thing as writing a deductible into a phone insurance contract? There is nothing wrong with them having a deductible. People think that insurance is supposed to pay out more than what you pay into it. At that point there would be no Insurance companies. Its meant to be there to insure you don't NOT have a phone. If you can't afford to buy a phone brand new at $600 a pop then the insurance makes it "affordable" by breaking up the cost monthly + a smaller lump cost when you break your phone. You also have to keep in mind that if the Insurance gets used more than once in a year it has more value to you as a customer since you already are paying the full monthly cost.

If you disagree with phone insurance deductibles for phones then undoubtedly you also think its a scam for car insurance too?

For phones, without a deductible you'd have people purposely breaking their phones or whatever to collect a new one.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:14 am

Welch wrote:
For phones, without a deductible you'd have people purposely breaking their phones or whatever to collect a new one.

Because, as it becomes more apparent every day, most people are total jerks.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:20 am

I had a case on the phone when lent out to him, nothing crazy like an otter box, it is a body glove that does a good job of putting an edge around the screen so that it can't drop and land flat on the glass.

Its a spare phone and I figured if he broke it, she is going to buy the parts for me to replace it (already have the tools to fix it). The iFixit kit is Badass ;)
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:07 am

mdk77777 wrote:
When companies intentionally work on ways to fleece their customers (as ATT has a very deserved reputation) is it any wonder that these customers become irate?


Fleece? Its not the companies fault you fleece yourself. They dont force you to buy insurance. I never have bought insurance on ANYTHING. Insurance or some extended warranty are a WASTE OF MONEY. Any financial person will tell you this. And there are only a few extreme reason why you should buy this stuff.

I have owend practically ever iteration of iPhone on AT&T. I have no problem with AT&T because I live in the south which is their wheelhouse. I've learned to fix iPhone issues with the help of iFixit.com and other sites.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:10 am

Welch wrote:
If you disagree with phone insurance deductibles for phones then undoubtedly you also think its a scam for car insurance too?


Apples and Oranges...... :roll:

I don't think in my daily use of a smart phone I could inadvertently kill someone. (well I could I guess.......) Besides car insurance is mandated by State DOIs and sometimes Federal law (when driving on a military base for instance). There is no state or federal mandate citing you carry insurance on your phone.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:21 am

tanker27 wrote:
Insurance or some extended warranty are a WASTE OF MONEY. Any financial person will tell you this. And there are only a few extreme reason why you should buy this stuff.


Extended warranties, sure, insurance...... well.... have you ever been flooded out, had your dwelling burnt to the ground or robbed, face bankruptcy because of a medical bill, etc?
 
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:50 am

Deanjo wrote:
Extended warranties, sure, insurance...... well.... have you ever been flooded out, had your dwelling burnt to the ground or robbed, face bankruptcy because of a medical bill, etc?



Again, these types of insurance are usually mandated through some laws. In the very least if there is a note holder they mandate it. But I'm not talking about these types of insurance. Paying for "insurance" for a phone is really dumb.

Ninja edit: And for that matter buying a home in a flood zone is too, especially when its easy to look that stuff up and see data spanning 100+ years.
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:39 am

Yeah, apples and oranges. Auto and home insurance exist primarily to protect someone else (liability for injury caused to others in the case of auto, lender in the case of home). If you want to drive legally or get a loan to by a home, they are required. OTOH you have a choice whether or not to take out insurance (or extended warranty coverage) on a piece of electronics.

Furthermore, if there was no deductible a lot of people would intentionally break their phones as soon as the model was discontinued in anticipation of receiving a newer/better model as a replacement. The company providing the coverage (typically a 3rd party for extended warranties) would quickly go out of business. In general, companies don't intentionally follow a business model that is doomed to fail.
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Deanjo
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Re: People who don't get it. (A Rant)

Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:47 am

tanker27 wrote:
Deanjo wrote:
Extended warranties, sure, insurance...... well.... have you ever been flooded out, had your dwelling burnt to the ground or robbed, face bankruptcy because of a medical bill, etc?


Again, these types of insurance are usually mandated through some laws.



You assume that everyone has the laws as you. None of those are mandated by law here.

Ninja edit: And for that matter buying a home in a flood zone is too, especially when its easy to look that stuff up and see data spanning 100+ years.


Oh really then explain how my family farm that has been in the family for over a century is under water for the first time?

Another example is crop insurance, not required, but when you have it, and use it, it makes all the world of difference. Just have to ask my "no insurance" neighbors on the farm that are now bankrupt.

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