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Oct. 18th, 2007
Responsibility, Part 1
Oct. 18th, 2007 09:38 pmI was talking with an undergraduate I know about her brother and his friends who are looking at college themselves now. They are student athletes and trying to weigh where to apply between their sports, grades, and test scores.
The school counselor has been of little or no help in this process, focused primarily on the fit of GPA to the various colleges.
I provided a link to the NCAA's guidelines for eligibility for college athletics including the sliding scale of GPA/SAT (or ACT) for Div. I schools and the flat requirements for Div. II schools, along with the required minimum course distribution for each (and I [i]do[/i] mean minimum).
I provided information about the graduation rates for Div. I athletes (which ranges from respectable to criminal).
None of this had been presented, discussed, or considered by the school counselor.
So, it is great that I could help this family and the boy's friends, but... why should they have to rely on a random computer connection?
The school counselor has been of little or no help in this process, focused primarily on the fit of GPA to the various colleges.
I provided a link to the NCAA's guidelines for eligibility for college athletics including the sliding scale of GPA/SAT (or ACT) for Div. I schools and the flat requirements for Div. II schools, along with the required minimum course distribution for each (and I [i]do[/i] mean minimum).
I provided information about the graduation rates for Div. I athletes (which ranges from respectable to criminal).
None of this had been presented, discussed, or considered by the school counselor.
So, it is great that I could help this family and the boy's friends, but... why should they have to rely on a random computer connection?
Responsibility, Part 2
Oct. 18th, 2007 09:52 pmWe turned the furnace on for the first time this season.
It ran for about 30 minutes and then stopped and did not restart.
The folks from our plumbing/heating service company, RF, came two mornings later to check it out. After about 45 minutes, the man working on the furnace reported that the fan motor for the exhaust system had died.
After a brief period of morning, I asked what replacement would be. As he did not have the part, he had to call it in. $545.
That struck me as a bit high, so I took the part number they gave me and looked for information. After about 30 minutes, I saw a part that looked close to the right one. I called up the company with the part and talked with one of their staff members about it.
I read the part number I had been given - which Jay told me was not a Fasco part number, but one for the furnace manufacturer itself. He then gave me what he thought was the real part number, urged me to check it with the number on the actual motor - which he predicted, accurately. The part was on line for $185.
He explained that it was an entire unit, not just a motor, would need an additional part ($2.08), would be $7.95 for 3 day shipping, what the warranty and return policies were, and then checked to make sure that it was in stock in the appropriate warehouse.
I called RF and spoke to the man who set the $545 price. "Well, are you sure you have the right piece? That's a big price difference," he noted. "Our distributor has it at $300 - and that is just the price [i]we[/i] pay."
Josh: I'm sure. I have looked at the specs and a picture and compared them and talked with the folks over the phone.
RF: Well, you know, you don't just want the motor, you want the whole assembly.
Josh: I know. He told me.
RF: We don't just buy parts off Ebay or used.
Josh: This is not used or Ebay. This is a national distributor.
RF: Oh. There may be additional parts, too. Have you considered that?
Josh: Yes. The agent at the distributor told me about that, too.
RF: There's shipping to consider, as well.
Josh: $7.95.
RF: If we acquire and install it, there will be a one or two year warranty, as well. And if our distributor sends the wrong part, we can send it back to them without a problem. But we can't guarantee it if you buy it. And if we have to return to install a different one, there will be a service call charge.
Josh: That's reasonable. They have a no-fault return policy, too, and the one year warranty is from the manufacturer, I gather.
RF: Well, you do what you have to do. I've been in this business 20 years, and our distributor is good. They spent several hours finding this part and I am sure their price is reasonable.
Josh: It took me about 30 minutes. You might want to check with your distributor, because they may be gouging [i]you[/i]!
********
Since then, I have found two more companies with the same part for the same furnace with prices within $5 either way of the price from Jay. There was one more with a price about $250. Nobody had a price of $300.
And there is no way I am letting RF install this thing!
It ran for about 30 minutes and then stopped and did not restart.
The folks from our plumbing/heating service company, RF, came two mornings later to check it out. After about 45 minutes, the man working on the furnace reported that the fan motor for the exhaust system had died.
After a brief period of morning, I asked what replacement would be. As he did not have the part, he had to call it in. $545.
That struck me as a bit high, so I took the part number they gave me and looked for information. After about 30 minutes, I saw a part that looked close to the right one. I called up the company with the part and talked with one of their staff members about it.
I read the part number I had been given - which Jay told me was not a Fasco part number, but one for the furnace manufacturer itself. He then gave me what he thought was the real part number, urged me to check it with the number on the actual motor - which he predicted, accurately. The part was on line for $185.
He explained that it was an entire unit, not just a motor, would need an additional part ($2.08), would be $7.95 for 3 day shipping, what the warranty and return policies were, and then checked to make sure that it was in stock in the appropriate warehouse.
I called RF and spoke to the man who set the $545 price. "Well, are you sure you have the right piece? That's a big price difference," he noted. "Our distributor has it at $300 - and that is just the price [i]we[/i] pay."
Josh: I'm sure. I have looked at the specs and a picture and compared them and talked with the folks over the phone.
RF: Well, you know, you don't just want the motor, you want the whole assembly.
Josh: I know. He told me.
RF: We don't just buy parts off Ebay or used.
Josh: This is not used or Ebay. This is a national distributor.
RF: Oh. There may be additional parts, too. Have you considered that?
Josh: Yes. The agent at the distributor told me about that, too.
RF: There's shipping to consider, as well.
Josh: $7.95.
RF: If we acquire and install it, there will be a one or two year warranty, as well. And if our distributor sends the wrong part, we can send it back to them without a problem. But we can't guarantee it if you buy it. And if we have to return to install a different one, there will be a service call charge.
Josh: That's reasonable. They have a no-fault return policy, too, and the one year warranty is from the manufacturer, I gather.
RF: Well, you do what you have to do. I've been in this business 20 years, and our distributor is good. They spent several hours finding this part and I am sure their price is reasonable.
Josh: It took me about 30 minutes. You might want to check with your distributor, because they may be gouging [i]you[/i]!
********
Since then, I have found two more companies with the same part for the same furnace with prices within $5 either way of the price from Jay. There was one more with a price about $250. Nobody had a price of $300.
And there is no way I am letting RF install this thing!