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Hundreds of Frustrated Buyers Grill Amazon Exec., Jeff Bezos, Over Inferior Products from China.

to me Amazon is the online equivalent of shopping at Walmart. (beating up vendors to keep prices low)

we hate it, we do it, we hate to admit we do it. i always read the Amazon reviews, the worst ones first and perhaps this goes a long ways to explain why some things just don't work and why customer service won't talk to you. the product is a cheap knockoff, which brings up the advantage of going to a retail outlet, you can always return the article, despite the warnings in the manufacturers boilerplate. DO NOT RETURN THIS TO THE STORE, yeah right. box stores cannot afford that kind of PR, and if you paid on your CC you dispute the charge.

some big boxes like Home Depot do free shipping also, so Amazon is not the only online shipper offering deals. 

i have tried Amazon Prime twice, once inadvertently through deceptive checkout screen prompts they nailed me, i quickly cancelled and they refunded the charge immediately. the hook for Prime is their entertainment channel, which is a gateway to more pay for view services. streaming media entertainment has become a house of babble, Prime will get you to more and better content, but you better have your wallet with you. 

Primes 2-Day shipping is a ruse, since most of the standard shipping dates are inflated.  If they say ten days, that usually means three. in a world of instant gratification geared toward the consumers lizard brain this appeal works.

USPS does it all the time. Learn to say PARCEL, thank you. Which brings up Amazon's cozy deal with USPS, and why your postal carrier drives up your street three times a day and never has any mail for you, or the wrong mail.  But surprise, the guys and gals in blue and gray work Sundays too, delivering PRIME. Bezos is beginning to question that agreement, which might take some luster off of Prime shipping. I question it from the government side, the PO should stick to its knitting and you might all consider mailing your REP to complain.

Now . . . about drop shipping from China: it has been the dream all along.  China is a police state.  No terror weapons are likely to be in the package flying directly from Shanghai to Des Moines. 

I just bought a shower curtain drop shipped from China although drop shipping is not an option, yet. Bad enough you aren't sure what that white powder is, you get a box full of Chinese smog to breath. 

Save a $100.  Shop around. And for entertainment, get yourself an antenna.  

The FCC mandates that there be available programming in HD.  And here.  I have a SmartTV, and the antenna with live news. No cable bill, but I am mostly on the antenna, because when I watch TV I want to relax.

Looking for the best mens clippers?  

I was.

There was this: Buzz Cut Guide.  Just in case you don't like that Buzz Cut Guide, you can check these out.

Oster Classic 76 is top rated.  The price is also at the top.
  

Oster Model 10

Wahl Senior is priced about half of the two above.

Andis Master Clipper.  Check the review on this clipper.  I've had problems with it.  It was new.  And within a few weeks, the switch to the motor stopped working . . . or at least I wasn't able to turn it on.  So I abandoned it.  I kept it and put it in storage but didn't use it . . . until today.  And voila! It worked.  So all I had to do was pick up attachments that I had lost in transition.

Here's the review:

These are the beast, at least if you believe what the customers say. Made for all-around cutting, tapering, and they can even be used as beard trimmers. It’s made of metal so it is a bit heavy, but there is a positive side to that as well – it’s extremely durable!

People report of surprising quietness of the tool, I quote: “you can hear every single hair getting cut”.

Like Wahl Senior, these clippers also have a special lever on the side allowing you to cut hair single-handed without even changing blades or anything like that. You’ll need to put them down every half an hour anyway, because they get quite hot due to their metal (aluminium) casing. So if you’re a very busy barber or take a long time to create a haircut these might not be the best.

It’s worth noting that people like these particular clippers even for personal / home use and are excited to say that the results are favorable to say the least.

Click here to view more pictures

There is a possibility of the tool making a rattle sound – this is not normal and should be fixed by just slightly tightening the screw on the side. Don’t forget to oil these top hair clippers regularly.

Oster Fast Feed Clipper

Andis Excel 2-Speed

Andis Ceramic Bgrc

Remington Short Clipper

Wahl Color Pro

Wahl Chrome Pro

Wahl Professional Super Taper

Wahl Sterling Eclipse

I like Andis Master Clippers.  The motor is strong and sound.  So far, so good.  I purchased some attachments this afternoon.  I called Sally's Beauty Supply in Chino Hills, and they quoted me a price of $15 and $20.  There is a beauty salon right next door.  In fact, on a previous occasion I almost walked into their salon by mistake it's that close.  So on my way to Sally's I stopped inside the place right next door, immediately to Sally's right, to a place called Kut 'n' Beauty.  Markets in everything, including cut-throat pricing over beauty care products.  Kut 'n' Beauty had about 7 or more chairs where people were getting their hair cut.  So it was active.  There were 3 girls behind the counter, accepting payments, answering questions, taking and making orders, and whatnot.  But what I liked was the fact that the clipper attachments were only $13, a full $2 less than what Sally's Beauty was offering.  Not bad.  So I bought theirs.

SALLY'S BEAUTY SUPPLY STORE: BASIC CUSTOMER SERVICE UGLY

Life is never boring. 

I called Sally's Beauty Supply store in Chino Hills, CA today at 12:58pm.  I called thrice.  

The first time I called I received a message that said if you speak Spanish to press #4.  If you wanted \store hours to press #1.  That if you'd like to speak to a team member to either hold on the line or press #3.  I pressed #3.  I got another message.  That message said "Goodbye."  

So I called back and instead of pressing #3, I waited for a team member to pick up.  No one picked up.  The line was disconnected.  

So I called back a third time and got the same results.  It's either Spanish or Espanol or nada.  White boy, you better git!

As it turns out, it looks like Sally's treats their Mexican brethren a little less than expected.  You see I pressed #4 or numero cuatro. And what I got was another menu, which means extended delays.

I just got a quote for a standard-sized vehicle from Pasadena Enterprise rental car.  I asked for a monthly lease. The price I was quoted was $780 for the month for a Chrysler 200.  

The car was originally built in 2011 and is currently being reintroduced, which means that owners like the vehicle.  Perhaps. Lakewood/Cerritos quoted me unlimited mileage, weekly rate of $239.99 which converts to a $1,073.09 monthly rate.  Wow!! Quite a difference.  

Glendora Enterprise quoted me $966.10 for one month.  

Window Washing: What Does It Cost?

Angie's List says the charges are generally per pane of glass, $2 to $7 dollars.  

Window cleaning generally is priced by the number of panes of glass. An ordinary double-hung window consists of two panes.

The typical window washing cost runs from $2 to $7 per pane, according to CostHelper. Alternatively, some companies charge an hourly rate. Angie's List members report paying an average of $266 for a full house window cleaning, which may include screens and doors.

For best results, it’s generally a good idea to have your windows cleaned twice every year. However, a number of factors, including whether many windows face the ocean, or your house is exposed to frequent storms, can affect how often your windows will need cleaning. 

Though I'd never heard of CostHelper.com, I certainly am not impressed.  At all.   

Here are a few more resources on pricing out window cleaning. 

Learn more at Uber Partners. 

DISCOUNTS ON SELECT NEW CARS

If you don't need financing, you can still take advantage of vehicle discounts! Uber has partnered with car manufacturers to get you the hottest deals on popular new cars from Toyota, GM, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, Chrysler, and Volkswagen. Reference your driver ID at any participating manufacturer for these Uber-exclusive discounts. 

Click here for a list of vehicle discounts.

VEHICLE FINANCING

Eligibility requirements for financing offers:
Approved to drive with Uber.

Background check passed.

Agree to weekly payment deduction from your Uber partner earnings.

Requirements for approval vary by lender, and certain items on your credit report may exclude you from eligibility.

Once approved for financing, you can get a vehicle in just a few days.

Below is a summary of the program options in your city:

XCHANGE LEASING

Only $250 deposit, no other down payment required.

No mileage caps.

36 month lease with flexibility to return vehicle with a two-week notice after 30 days pass from your first payment date.

Routine maintenance is included: oil changes and tire rotation every 5,000 miles plus cabin air filter replacement every 25,000 miles.

See sample lease terms here.

HOW TO APPLY

Sign in to your Uber Partner Dashboard here

Click on the 'Vehicle Solutions' or 'Vehicle Marketplace' tab

Click 'Consent' to opt-in.

Click 'Apply' under Xchange Leasing - Your credit will be run as part of the application.

PARTICIPATING DEALERS

For a full list of participating dealerships in your area click here.

BAMA LEASING

One time $199 reservation fee.

Up to 30,000 miles per year.

Flexibility to return car with a 14 day notice after the first 30 days.

Maintenance included: oil changes, brakes, and tires.

See sample lease terms here.

HOW TO APPLY

1.  Sign in to your Uber Partner Dashboard here.
2.  Click on the 'Vehicle Solutions' or 'Vehicle Marketplace' tab

3.  Click 'Consent' to opt-in.

4.  Apply online or contact the BAMA Leasing team at 508-859-4566

Enterprise Rent-A-Car®

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

1.  No credit check, get started with a $250 refundable deposit and $40 nonrefundable startup fee

2.  Uber Partner rate of $210 per week + taxes and fees

3.  Rental charges are automatically deducted from your weekly Uber earnings

4.  Manufacturer-recommended maintenance, damage protection, and vehicle coverage included

5.  Rate includes unlimited mileage

6.  Low-mileage Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, Chevy Cruze, and Ford Focus vehicles. 

7.  To get started today, please visit enterprise.com/uber. If you are unable to reserve online, please call the local participating Uber Enterprise branch listed on the Enterprise reservation site.

Here are some local leasing outfits.

Pasadena.