Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Five

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Semiretired

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Some reputable used book-vendors list on Amazon. I have had excellent experiences with them.

I am sure that there are a lot of reputable vendors that are not fullfilled by Amazon, but I am over cautious and there is no way of telling them apart...
 

MattB101

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How is everyone

Been a way for a week.
Rented out a room in a couples house for a week.
Well it was the entire bottom floor of their house, They live in the second story.
Even have their own entrance , strange set up like two houses one on top of the other.
Nice to see you Wolf. Wondered where you got off to. :)
 

Janet H

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In other news ..........

It looks like I'll be closing my Amazon acct.! :-x :-x :-x
First, let me say, I'm not all that familiar with "on line shopping" to begin with and I may have been ignorant about how Amazon does things. Still, what lead up to this decision (I feel) was "cheesy" at best and outright deceptive and usury at the other end of the spectrum.

Here's the deal, I placed an order for a U.C., a little wand mixer, a couple of boxes of coils and some glass bottles. As Amazon does, they "recommended" a little S.S. funnel (a $1.73 item) to go with the glass bottles (supposedly from the same supplier, Eclectic Supply) and I figured, what the heck. I don't really NEED a little S.S. funnel but it's only a buck, seventy-three so, sure, why not. I get "the cart" loaded, go to check out and there's $50 + in shipping charges, even though I selected the FREE Shipping that was offered on ALL items. Now maybe I just didn't/don't know where to look but I went back and double checked everything and MADE SURE I had clicked Free shipping on EVERYTHING. I went back to checkout and there was still shipping there but it had dropped to $32 (?). I went back again and STILL couldn't figure out what shipping was being charged on and, rather than scrap the entire order (most of which was REQUIRED equipment for our venture into DIY) I assumed (YES, I KNOW ....) that it had something to do with our order coming all the way to Alaska. I went ahead and placed the order and of course that's when you get the email "receipts" and how the shipment will be broken down & shipped. (It is still NOT an itemized receipt showing the cost of the product and the cost of the shipping.) LIS, being new to "on line shopping", and this being only my third order from Amazon, I never really did understand why everything wouldn't just come in one box and all be shipped together, and this was the case again. Oh well, whatever. The coils were coming direct from the seller, The UC, mixer & bottles were coming from Amazon and the funnel was coming direct from the seller as well (even though it was "supposed to be" from the same seller as the glass bottles. (? again). A couple of days goes by and the coils arrive and UPS drops off the UC, mixer & bottles but NO FUNNEL in a box that it would have easily fit into. I told my lovely Bride, "This is JUST STUPID! That little funnel would have easily fit in this big box, it's supposed to be from the same place as the bottles, Amazon RECOMMENDED IT, What The :censored: ???!!!)

The next day I receive tracking info on the little S.S. funnel and it states that UPS is the carrier & provides a tracking #. I go to UPS (Even MORE ridiculous to ship such a tiny thing via UPS!) and the tracking # was not recognized by their system. Okay, I'll go back into Amazon and contact the seller to find out where this silly little funnel is. I click "contact seller" and fire off a "where is it?" email. Amazon immediately sends me an "e" stating, "Your attempt to contact the seller failed. There is a problem with their email and the only way they will see it is if they check their Amazon acct." I replied to that email, saying, "I am trying to track this package. Can you assist me?" They wrote back, "We have contacted the seller directly and you should hear from them within two business days." (This was last Thursday)

Monday came and I still had not heard anything from the seller so I contacted Amazon through their "Help" link (which in itself is a PITA!) I explained the situation in a "chat" and was told the same thing, "We will contact the seller directly. Two business days, blah, bibadee blah, blah, blah..." I expressed my appreciation and asked, "While I've got you here, why was I charged $32 for shipping since EVERYTHING was listed as eligible for FREE SHIPPING?" The response was "Just a moment." and then they came back with, "The seller of the funnel you are trying to track DID state that it was FREE Shipping but charged you for shipping anyway." My response was an immediate, "THIRTY TWO DOLLARS TO "SHIP" A FUNNEL???!!! That can't be right, Amazon must have charged the shipping on the big box!" Their response was, " No Sir. Amazon did not charge the shipping. The seller was in error and we will contact them immediately and have them refund your overcharge."

Mid day Tuesday, I had not heard any more about this issue and I contacted Amazon again, by phone this time. I explained that I had tried all links through Amazon to remedy this issue on my own and none had worked. Furthermore, I had now invested over two hours of my time over a $1.73 funnel and STILL had not heard ANYTHING from "the seller". I would like to know where my funnel is and I would like to be reimbursed for the shipping I was charged in error. .......... "No problem Sir, I completely understand. Give me a minute to review the information and I'll be right back with you. (Time passed with an occasional, pleasant, "Just another few minutes please...") Finally, the person at the other end comes back (just as my wife walks in with a little 3.5 x 5 inch package and I explain that "it" has arrived via STANDARD MAIL and I would be more than happy to provide a picture of this tiny package that I was charged $32 in shipping for!" Their reply, "No sir that won't be necessary. I see that you were charged the shipping in error and that you have been trying to resolve this problem for quite awhile, Amazon can now file an A-z guarantee claim, since you have received the item and get your money credited back to your CC. I have also credited your Amazon acct. $32 for all of the inconvenience." (Me) "Oh well, OK, I appreciate that, THANK YOU very much! This is a move in the right direction and again, I really appreciate it!" The usual "Any thing else...." and we hang up, problem(s) solved, I THOUGHT!

Wednesday comes and the first thing in my email is "Your A-z guarantee claim has been denied." I responded with, "I appeal this denial.", and stated my reasons, backed up with the documentation of my efforts and conversations. Today I receive the same "Claim Denied" so THAT'S IT for Amazon as far as I'm concerned!

They made a "recommendation" to purchase an item from a "third party seller" (which I was unaware of until much later in the above process) which (in my opinion) they haven't properly vetted. I was given the run around by the same seller. I was lied to by THEIR representatives. (My Amazon account was credited AND I was ASSURED that my CC would be reimbursed as well, since the seller was in error.) Then, not only was my "claim" denied but my acct credit was removed as well. One hell of a crappy way of doing business if you ask me!!!

The kicker is that it was all over THIS! ....................
View attachment 546883
(Also note the "untracked" on the "shipping label"!)​

So sorry you had such a frustrating time with Amazon. I've used them a lot and have never had a problem like that. In fact, they usually go out of their way to take care of any problems immediately. I usually buy items fulfilled by Amazon, but not always. I wouldn't buy anything coming from China though if I noticed that's where it was coming from. I'd contact Amazon again and let them know the shipping charge has not been taken care of.
 

DavidOck

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bigbells

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So sorry you had such a frustrating time with Amazon. I've used them a lot and have never had a problem like that. In fact, they usually go out of their way to take care of any problems immediately. I usually buy items fulfilled by Amazon, but not always. I wouldn't buy anything coming from China though if I noticed that's where it was coming from. I'd contact Amazon again and let them know the shipping charge has not been taken care of.
Amazon would already know that the shipping charge had not been taken care of, since Amazon took away that credit that they had already given. Again, this is not the Amazon with which I've become familiar. I get about 50 orders a year from Amazon or the sellers who Amazon allows to use the Amazon platform. Somewhere in between @Von Vape's relative inexperience with Amazon and a subpar customer service representative, something really went wrong.

I admire Von's attitude about the whole thing but wish Amazon would straighten things out.
 

Janet H

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Re Post of an Earlier Post .. I have a guy coming in the Morning to load my gear .. so, not to be a pest, but I would like some input .. ?? I see no point in this exercise if a Boom Box is going to max out what we are allowed to do .. those that remember, I was a Sound Engineer most of my life (among other things .. :) ) .. Help a Brother Out .. ??

Uncle Willie said:

I won't fly since I had planned at the get go to bring a small system with me in the truck that will convert a designated area to a Club style space .. 2000 watts, two 18" subs, two 15" subs, lasers, the whole shizzle .. if you're going to do it, you may as well do it right, right .. ?? I don't know what the noise ordinance is, but I'm sure there is some sort of cut off time ..

seapeach said:

The owner of the house, with whom I am contracted, has made it very clear that this is a residential area and we should respect that. She has also let me know, based on the contract terms, she has had to have young people removed from the house by the police when their parents had rented the house for them and things got out of hand and the contract terms were violated. I assured her that we are a bunch of old coots who would be respectful to the neighbors even during the daytime and it is in the contract that after 10 pm there should be no noise.

Uncle Willie said:

I live in a residential area myself .. and, periodically, I'll have an outdoor party where I set up some gear and 10 PM is when the noise ordinance kicks in .. up until then, it's pretty much anything goes .. even at low output, a proper system will rumble and sound will carry, it's the nature of the beast ..

Now, if your contract specifically contains some sort of noise definition, (which is pretty hard to define definitively) ..

Point being, there is no need for me to haul 800 pounds of equipment if a transistor radio has to suffice .. :) .. in addition, this morning I have toyed with bringing a Karaoke player and disks as well, which just adds to it ..

So, I'm making it clear that if I bring the gear, things gonna get loud, at least pre-10:00 PM .. sound travels, it cannot be contained .. as well, I personally could care less about the neighbors since I meant it when I said it's not a Party till 5-0 gets called .. Hell, invite the neighbors for all I care ..

Guidance from the Collective Requested .. :)


2013_blog_party_in_the_field_disco_lights.jpg

I'm conflicted about the sound system. As much as I would like it, I'm concerned about the neighbors and any hassle it might cause Seapeach. Not knowing the "flavor" of the neighborhood it could either be a blast or you could have them wanting to call out the national guard. You know how grouchy old people can be... I'm also not familiar with your equipment and how much of a hassle it is to load it up and then set it up in FL so it's hard for me to judge. I love the idea of having a party on the beach, but setting it up there could be a huge problem - last time I checked there weren't any elec plugs in the sand.
 

Kenna

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How is everyone

Been a way for a week.
Rented out a room in a couples house for a week.
Well it was the entire bottom floor of their house, They live in the second story.
Even have their own entrance , strange set up like two houses one on top of the other.
Hi, Wolf! We call those duplexes. 2 completely individual dwellings attached , either stacked or side by side, & look like one house.
You're sure getting busy lately, good for you!
 

Kenna

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From what little I know about Amazon - the ones that have this statement are the ones they stand behind completely and are the only ones I purchase for that very reason...
Yep, be careful of add-on items, or those other new/used offers that might be cheaper. Your are on your own with those. I only choose one of those if they have 100% positive feedback & have been on Amazon for a long time & sold a lot.
 

Kaezziel

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Awesome news Brother!
That IS GREAT NEWS!!! :thumbs: :thumbs:
I'm so happy for her! Wonderful news!!
Great news. Here's hoping it goes well. In my prayers.
Woohoooooo!!!!!
Persistence pays off. :thumbs::banana::thumbs::banana::thumbs:
Great news Kaz!
yay.gif
Good news indeed! :banana::banana:
  1. Bumped to da top o' my tagged posts 'cause it should be!

    Kaezziel said:
    WOOHOOOO! Just got a call from my Bride with some wonderful news. Apparently the insurance approved her new chemo and the specialty pharmacy is sending it by next day air. She should have it tomorrow and will be able to start the cycle on Monday! :D

  2. Kaez,
    What absolutely glorious news ..
    snoopy.gif


    May your bride and you continue to reap your efforts!
Now that is cool. All the best to her.
That's fantastic news!!
This is the best news I've heard all week!! Prayer works!!
What he said x 10... That is fantastic...

Oh My Goodness! Finally getting caught up here this morning and y'all just blew me away! Thank you all SOOOOO much for the well wishes, prayers, positive thoughs, encouragement, support, and love... It truly warms my heart that there are so many wonderful people here, and I count my blessings daily for having met each and every one of you here. All of you remain in my daily prayers that He will watch over and protect you throughout your daily lives. :) :wub:

I am very comfortable huggin men, wimin, and childrin. I am an equal opertunity hugger...

Hahahaha! Right there with ya!
Christopher Eccleston Hug Anyone.gif
 

Uncle Willie

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Let me first say thanks to those that offered up opinions on my bringing a sound / light system .. I did go so far as to look up the Manatee County Sound Ordinance, and I must say, I've dealt with literally hundreds of sound ordinances over the years and found that Manatee County is among the most restrictive I've ever seen .. the Anti-Dancing crew on "Footloose" would be proud .. link below in case anyone cares to read it ..

https://www.manateeclerk.com/boardrecords/ordinances/81-003.PDF

The small system I planned on bringing requires at a minimum a 14' x 10' area .. this includes portable trussing, table, stands, speakers, etc .. so I don't know how that plays into the rec room someone else mentioned .. it's obvious from posts and PM's I've gotten that the outdoor area is pretty much out of the question ..

So, you ask, "Why is Willie not letting this go .. ??" .. well, long time posters will recall discussions we had several years ago about a Mythical Gathering, which detailed our thoughts and wishes at the time ..

I envisioned at least one night, full tilt boogie, let it all hang out, spinning tunes from the 1950's thru at least the 1970's, old school Party that would go down in History ..

At any rate, I'm locked and loaded, heading out in a minute ..

 

Kaezziel

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Let me first say thanks to those that offered up opinions on my bringing a sound / light system .. I did go so far as to look up the Manatee County Sound Ordinance, and I must say, I've dealt with literally hundreds of sound ordinances over the years and found that Manatee County is among the most restrictive I've ever seen .. the Anti-Dancing crew on "Footloose" would be proud .. link below in case anyone cares to read it ..

https://www.manateeclerk.com/boardrecords/ordinances/81-003.PDF

The small system I planned on bringing requires at a minimum a 14' x 10' area .. this includes portable trussing, table, stands, speakers, etc .. so I don't know how that plays into the rec room someone else mentioned .. it's obvious from posts and PM's I've gotten that the outdoor area is pretty much out of the question ..

So, you ask, "Why is Willie not letting this go .. ??" .. well, long time posters will recall discussions we had several years ago about a Mythical Gathering, which detailed our thoughts and wishes at the time ..

I envisioned at least one night, full tilt boogie, let it all hang out, spinning tunes from the 1950's thru at least the 1970's, old school Party that would go down in History ..

At any rate, I'm locked and loaded, heading out in a minute ..



60dBA is the max allowable noise level, even throughout the day, in a residential area?!? Sheesh... I guess there aren't any Harleys in Manatee county... :lol:

Random fact: "A Harley-Davidson motorcycle, without modifications, has a noise rating of about 80 decibels, similar to a vacuum cleaner. All Harleys are manufactured to meet federal noise standards and are compliant with those standards, the company said in a statement."
 

Sir Kadly

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    60dBA is the max allowable noise level, even throughout the day, in a residential area?!? Sheesh... I guess there aren't any Harleys in Manatee county... :lol:

    Random fact: "A Harley-Davidson motorcycle, without modifications, has a noise rating of about 80 decibels, similar to a vacuum cleaner. All Harleys are manufactured to meet federal noise standards and are compliant with those standards, the company said in a statement."
    So then even vacuuming out your car would violate the noise ordinance?:blink:
     

    2legsshrt

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    That was the whole problem. LIS, I'm not that experienced with on line shopping to begin with then add in that you don't find out that it's a third party item until you've completed check out (at least I don't/didn't see anywhere that was noted during the check out process) THEN you get the email stating "X" will be coming from the supplier, "Y" will be coming from Amazon fulfillment and "Z" will be coming from the "third party" supplier.

    I'm a "big boy" and fully aware of "buyer beware" but (in my opinion) it's a little "shady" to "load a cart", have everything listed together in one order AND THEN be informed that the order is being broken into three parts "because".................. especially in a case like this where it was an "impulse buy" on Amazon's "recommendation" (which is why they make the recommendation to begin with). It was just a messed up deal all around. Live and learn.

    On the plus side, I'm now the proud owner of a $33.73 S.S. funnel that fits neatly into the neck of a 30 ml. bottle, with whatever additional value you put 3 hours of my life that I'll never get back.
    I have an Amazon Prime membership which seems really good so far. We watch Amazon channel a lot so we actually get our moneys worth there and I am not a big reader but they had 3 months free of Amazon Audible and 3 free books. That works out well because there was only 2 that I really wanted to listen to. I only buy products that are Amazon Prime qualified and have never had a problem and free 2 day shipping. To me it was well worth the $99 for 1 year. I am not experienced with online shopping either except for vape gear and juice which I have done extensively and never had a problem except with stuff coming from Germany, UK no problem and got all the stuff from Germany which one took a month but that was on the USPS. I ordered 50 30ml plastic bottles for $18 they are excellent. I don't know anything about ordering things that are not Amazon Prime which I think Amazon stands behind so I have nothing to complain about. The video is worth the price a lot of stuff not on Netflix but they do have one little trick with that. You can watch 5 seasons of a show and really get into it and get to the 6th and they want $15 to watch it which burns me up at times. We just wait till it becomes free except for Downton Abbey which we had to see.
     

    2legsshrt

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    How is everyone

    Been a way for a week.
    Rented out a room in a couples house for a week.
    Well it was the entire bottom floor of their house, They live in the second story.
    Even have their own entrance , strange set up like two houses one on top of the other.
    Hey Royce hows it going?
     
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