CyberCJH’S Blog

Sadly, Amazon has announced (only to those who asked) that they’ve discontinued their post-order price matching guarantee.

What does this mean? Say you ordered something from Amazon today for $25. Two weeks from now, the price dropped to $20. If you noticed it and asked for a refund of the $5 difference, you’d get it. Not anymore.

While we don’t always beat the best available price on every product, we do offer deep discounts on many thousands of items and cannot offer discounts after your order is complete.

From time to time, prices on some items will change due to special offers from suppliers and manufacturers or our inventory and sales volumes. When we can offer a lower price for new purchases, we will.

You may have been able to take advantage of post-purchase discounts on orders you placed in the past, but that policy was discontinued on September 1, 2008.

The post-order price matching guarantee is one of the main reasons I shop at Amazon. Even though their prices fluctuate at an obscene frequency, sometimes changing several times each day on the same item (which I find extremely frustrating), I always knew I’d get the lowest selling price within 30 days after my purchase if I was vigilant. And, if you don’t think Amazon’s prices change that often, just click here (and then scroll down) to see at how many times I was able to get a refund due to a Amazon’s shenanigans.

Oh well, I guess I was subconsciously looking for a reason to not renew my Amazon Prime membership to stop myself from making impulse purchases while sitting at my desk at work, bored out of my gourd. All good things must come to an end.

Amazon would have probably eventually closed my account anyway for taking advantage of the post-order price matching guarantee too often. Amazon is closing accounts if they deem that particular customer unworthy of the Amazon experience. Take a look at this forum over at SlickDeals.

Maybe Wal-Mart could institute a policy like that. They already harass you for your receipt on the way out of the store. Maybe they could institute wallet inspections before you enter to make sure you’re not just going to browse and suck up all the air in the small appliances department.

written by cybercjh

Purchased 8/14/08 : Cordless Phone Batteries : Price dropped $6.90 on 8/30/08.

Total money refunded due to Amazon’s price shenanigans : $145.97

written by cybercjh

Purchased 8/13/08 : Kenneth Cole Sneakers : Price dropped $2.99 on 8/28/08.

Total money refunded due to Amazon’s price shenanigans : $139.07

written by cybercjh

What is starting out as Tropical Depression Eight is forecast to become a hurricane by Sunday. The current track indicates a possible strike somewhere in Southern Florida. Time to start preparing.

Here are some useful links.

Prepare for Hurricanes and Floods: Advice From FDA
Resources from the Food and Drug Administration on how to keep food, medical products, and pets safe during an emergency.

FEMA Hurricane Fact Sheet
Learn what to do before, during and after a hurricane.

written by cybercjh

It’s time for Open Enrollment where I work and to no surprise, premiums have risen by ridiculous percentages compared to everything else.

• Medical insurance premium up 22%.
• Retail Prescriptions : No changes to co-pay.
• Mail Order Prescriptions : Generics now free! Co-pay for brand name down 25%! (I imagine this is because the company I work for is now owned by a mail order pharmacy. Ha!)
• Dental insurance premium up 56%.
• Vision insurance premium up 33%.
• Short Term Disability insurance premium up 15%.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m very grateful I have insurance. But, when will the increases return to normal percentages?

written by cybercjh

Tropical Storm Gustav has formed in the Atlantic just south of Haiti. I’m keeping an eye on the path. I hope it’s not a repeat of Fay.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT TROPICAL DEPRESSION SEVEN HAS STRENGTHENED TO BECOME TROPICAL STORM GUSTAV WITH MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR 60 MPH…95 KM/HR.  A SPECIAL ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES TO UPDATE THE INTENSITY FORECAST AND WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR HISPANIOLA.

written by cybercjh

So, Apu calls me from India to tell me that I qualify for a new, special discount on my AT&T home phone service. Great, I thought. This is how the conversation went…

Me: “Hello?”
Apu: “Yes, is this Mr. Harreatage?”
Me: “Yes, probably.”
Apu: “I am calling from AT&T. Since you have been a customer for so long, I will like to tell you that you qualify for a new discount.”
Me: “Okay, great.”
Apu: “Yes! It is so very great. How much do you pay each month for your AT&T service?”
Me: “$104.”
Apu: “OK. Very good. With this special discount, you will only pay $109.”
Me: “Excuse me?”
Apu: “You will only pay $109. Isn’t that such a good deal?”
Me: “OK. Forgive me. I will admit that my international mathematical skills aren’t that great, but here in America, $109 is actually more than $104.”
Apu: “Oh yes, but this is a discount.”
Me: “A discount of negative $5?”
Apu: “No, it is a discount of $3.”
Me: “So, $104 minus $3 equal $109?”
Apu: “Um, I believe so. Can you hold on?”
Me: “No, I can’t. I’m eating dinner. Turn your calculator round the right way and call me back.”
:::CLICK:::

WTF?! Can you believe this?!

written by cybercjh

Update 8/20/08 1:15pm We made the news on CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/08/20/tropical.storm.fay/index.html

Fay is gone. Horray! Here are some facts about the storm.

• St. Lucie County officials estimated 20 to 30 percent of the county’s roads still are closed Wednesday morning due to flooding.
• The county has received at least 10 inches of rain and there are 5,000 homes without electricity.
• Tropical Storm Fay has caused the worst flooding in at least a decade, surpassing the aftermath of hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004.
• An estimated several thousand homes have suffered flood damage.
• All St. Lucie County public schools and government offices are closed Wednesday due to the flooding. Update 8/20/08 3:15pm St. Lucie County public schools are closed the rest of the week due to the flooding.

We were lucky - it appears we didn’t suffer any damage and we didn’t lose our electricity the entire storm.

Here are some pictures I grabbed from some local websites.

written by cybercjh

Update 11:15am We are currently under a Tropical Storm Warning, a Flash Flood Warning, a Tornado Watch and a Flood Watch.

In the event of a tornado, please refer to the instructions printed on the sign to ensure your safety. Thank you.

- - -

Update 10:40am A tornado has touched down at the Shell gas station on U.S. 1 near Monroe Street just south of Stuart. A vehicle flipped over and power lines are down. FPL workers are en route. Southbound U.S. 1 traffic is reduced to a single lane.

- - -

Well, it’s 8:30am and here I am, at work. Everything in South Florida is closed today … school systems, government offices, courts. You name it, it’s closed. Except where I work, of course.

The roads weren’t too bad on the drive in. There was some debris and some dead palm tree leaves I had to avoid, but other than that, it was okay. Of course, channel 5 is making this sound like the storm of the century … of the week. One horse farm in Wellington suffered a little bit of damage and they’ll all call out the national guard! Please.

The malls are open. That was on the news. Yeah, that’s news.

What else? Let’s have a think… My pants are soaked. I just want to go home and get back into bed. Today is a day you’re supposed to stay in bed. But here I am, working for the man. Damn the man.

Owen: Filthy weather.
Jim: No no no no no no no no I’ve known worse.
Owen: Oh yes? When was that, then?
Jim: The Great Storm, when the windmill got blown over.
Owen: That wasn’t the Great Storm; that was a moderately windy night. No, the really great storm was the Great Storm.
Jim: When was that, then?
Owen: When Dave Batt got decapitated.
Jim: That wasn’t the Great Storm.
Owen: Well, it was pretty damn great.
Jim: No, the greatest storm was the one when Old Harold got blown into the quarry.
Owen: Ooh, that! The Great Winds.
Jim: The what?
Owen: The Great Storm there’s got to be rain, and in the Great Winds there was just wind.
Letitia: Nasty night. It reminds me of the Great Storm.
Owen & Jim: Shut up!

written by cybercjh

Well, after Yellow Freight failed to show up Friday afternoon, I’m happy to report that the desks were delivered today and apparently in good condition.

Finally. Thank God. It’s a miracle.

Christina is home so she was able to unpack them and look at them. Her work closed at 2pm and will by closed tomorrow due to TS Fay. Tina’s work closes at the slightest suggestion of a thunderstorm.

My work, of course, sent out an e-mail saying we will be open for business as usual tomorrow and we all need to stop being such pus*ies about a little bit of rain and wind. WTF?! I thought I left that dreadful place in Mt. Laurel years ago! What’s the number to the in-touch line?

written by cybercjh