Slashdot Mirror
Do You Buy Extended Warranties?
Stackdump asks: "I am a college student (senior seeking CS BS). I work partime at Best Buy selling computers (arg!). To be truthful I don't really sell computers; I sell what we call 'performance service plans' or PSP's for short. This is the somewhat gimmicky name given to Best Buy's extended warranties. To be fair they do actually provide some service in the store, swapping HDs, CDROMs, and so forth, but most of the hardcore repairs are done elsewhere or by the manufacturer. Prices range from $99 on the cheapest tower to $249 on laptops over $1000. Terms of service are pretty simple everything is covered against power surge, dust contamination, whatever... BUT abuse is not covered: so slam a pencil in your laptop and say byebye, but fry your computer because you don't have a surge protector and you can get a new one. As this is the central pre-occupation of my work day I ask the Slashdot community this: do you feel these warranties are really worth the money?"
After removing a crayon wedged in his brain, Homer finds himself a genius. A miserable genius. He goes to Moe(moonlighting as a surgeon) to replace the crayon.
... ... [taps once more]
Moe: So what do you want here, uh, appendectomy, lipo, or
the sampler. That's very popular.
Homer: [holds up a blue crayon] I want you to stick this crayon
into my brain.
Moe: No problem -- the ol' Crayola oblongata.
Moe: All right, tell me when I hit the sweet spot.
Homer: Deeper, you pusillanimous pilsner pusher!
Moe: All right, all right. [with a small hammer and chisel,
taps the crayon further up Homer's nose]
Homer: De-fense! [woof-woof] De-fense! [woof-woof]
Moe: Eh, that's pretty dumb. But, uh
Homer: Extended warranty? How can I lose?
Moe: Perfect.
-- Simpsons episode "HOMR" BABF22
You don't have to tell the truth to get those guys off your back. I bought a laptop for my wife at Best Buy. The guy insisted that I needed the warranty. I told him I didn't and when he asked why I told him that I was very very wealthy, and I was buying this laptop to throw it out of my car window on the freeway, because that's what I do on Monday afternoon.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
Sup Pete!
Nvidia R00lZ!
Painting houses is a dangerous game that can land you up with the damned if you are not careful. A cautionary tale:
There was a painter who was having trouble making ends meet. Almost none of his jobs seemed quite to turn a decent profit. One day, he decided he could lower his costs by adding a little water to the paint to make it go further.
The next day, he put this plan into practise, and added a bit of water to the paint. Instead of using three cans, he used only two, and the job didn't look too bad.
Later that night, he was lying in bed when he suddenly heard a deep booming voice calling his name. Trembling with fear, he answered "Who is it?"
"It is I, the Lord", came the reply. "You have done an evil thing, by cheating your customers with watered-down paint."
"What must I do, Lord?" cried the painter.
And the voice replied: "Repaint, and thin no more."
(Sorry.)