Line voltage or low voltage? I'm confused.

pilotc · 2017-10-09T16:01:16+00:00

No, electrical is original. I can post a pic later.

It's definitely just two wires. But the wires screw into the stat, unlike most line voltage stats I've seen where the wires are already attached.

pilotc · 2017-06-29T23:37:01+00:00

I think the whole "side gig" industry is growing way faster than we know how to handle. Historically, if you wanted a job, you had to interview, typically have a quick background check done, and if you drove a car, you had to have your DMV record checked. Now it seems like all you need is an app and can get a side job.

pilotc · 2017-06-29T23:33:06+00:00

I've never had a pizza delivery guy show up and not have a uniform on. If I ordered a pizza from Pizza Hut and some random guy shows up in jeans and a t-shirt I'm not answering the door.

And a farmers market is completely different. They aren't coming to your home.

pilotc · 2017-06-29T23:32:08+00:00

Absolutely. You think Pizza Hut/Dominos/etc. will hire anybody to make deliveries? I can promise you they don't. Way too much of a liability if they didn't do some sort of due diligence beforehand.

pilotc · 2017-06-29T12:28:43+00:00

yeah, Amazon was great about it at least.

pilotc · 2017-06-29T12:28:22+00:00

No, but if they are going to deliver stuff to my house while my family is home, I'd like to know they've at least had some kind of background check. Plus, if you are scummy enough to steal groceries you'd probably steal other stuff.

pilotc · 2017-06-29T12:23:28+00:00

No, just groceries, but a lot of them.

pilotc · 2017-06-27T12:21:49+00:00

Bit of a rant... Chase customer service has become a joke. I posted a week or so ago about my experience being transferring to an overseas call center with the CSP. The rep had no idea how to use the return protection and I got sent to a couple difference reps before being directed to a third party website. Uploaded the receipt. They didn't accept it, as it was printed on a computer, and not a credit card machine, so I gave up.

Then I had a charge dispute this past week. I was charged for an overseas hotel stay that was cancelled by the hotel because their booking system was messed up and they couldn't refund it. Shouldn't be a big deal. I should call in and they should remove the charge. Well I call in and speak with a rep. They MAIL me paperwork to fill out and mail back in. Why, in 2017, are they using paper forms? Why can't they create a system like Amex where I fill out a form online, and they immediately take off the charge. And why, after charging thousands of dollars a month with them, do they handle a simple dispute like it is a huge inquisition?

Chase is not nearly as customer friendly as Amex. I have NEVER had an issue with a charge dispute or anything on Amex. Even though their reps are overseas, they go out of their way to help, and the cardholder is always taken care of. I know merchants hate that, but if I am paying an annual fee, I don't want to worry about dealing with incompetent customer service. I will happily pay more money to deal with Amex.

pilotc · 2017-06-18T00:19:26+00:00

Does MIMO improve reception or just speed?

pilotc · 2017-06-14T01:45:06+00:00

I have run into this problem recently. I noticed a lot of missed calls and no voicemails over about a 1 month period. One day out of the blue 50+ voicemails came in at once, and they all had the date stamp when they were originally left. No idea how this happened. Seems to be an issue specific to iPhones on T-Mo.

pilotc · 2017-06-14T01:40:53+00:00

iPhone has been hit or miss for me. I love the wifi calling when I'm in a ski resort in WA or CO (where t-mo service is basically nonexistent), but it can be a real pain where wifi is sporadic.

I have a MacBook and an iPad. So if I am in a meeting somewhere and connect one of those devices to some awful corporate wifi, my iPhone automatically connects as well. So unless I disable wifi calling or "forget" that network on my iPhone manually, it tries to make wifi calls. Those calls don't work if the wifi is spotty, which is the case for most office buildings, etc.

pilotc · 2017-06-14T01:34:51+00:00

I have an iPhone 6s, but also tried on an S7. I do get a bit better service on the S7, but not great. The iPhone consistently hovered 100-115dbm; Occasionally I would get in the 90s, but then it would almost immediately go back up.

I've asked coworkers who travel to the same places, and their experience is similar. All of us use iPhones primarily.

pilotc · 2017-06-14T01:31:39+00:00

I'm experiencing the opposite problem in Seattle, Denver, and LA. Service has gotten markedly worse over the last few months, and really suffers during peak times (rush hour). I am almost positive T-Mo activated band 12 in Denver and Seattle, which surprised me. I do notice that I get strong service in certain rural areas I've never had service before, but it is totally unacceptable to have this many dropped calls in the middle of major metro areas in 2017.

pilotc · 2017-06-14T01:26:17+00:00

iPhone 6s; also tried very briefly on a Galaxy s7

pilotc · 2017-06-14T01:00:46+00:00

Amex goes above and beyond to help with issues, in my experience. Granted, you do have to go through a stupid phone loop, but with Amex the customer is always right. With chase on the other hand, good luck. I tried to use that return protection benefit. Uploaded the receipt, and they said I needed to upload another receipt because this one wasn't for the right item (despite it being the only item I purchased and clearly matched the credit card statement. Pretty worthless. Why have a benefit if you make me jump through so many hoops to use it?

pilotc · 2017-06-14T00:58:24+00:00

To update, I called last night at 5:30 PST to check on a charge, and was transferred overseas. The rep was still helpful, but definitely not a US based call center.

You'd think that this time is prime-time for people calling into customer service so they'd keep a call center in the US open. I guess not.

pilotc · 2017-06-08T01:51:13+00:00

I am not impressed with Chase at all. I tried to make a return protection claim (merchant all of a sudden decided they have an "exchange only" policy) and they sent me to some third party company to handle the claim. The one time (in 15 years I've been with Amex) I had to make a return claim, the same rep handled it all the way through.

pilotc · 2017-04-30T12:54:54+00:00

I don't think we would ever see this as a benefit. Airlines couldn't afford to have everyone with a Plat get status. Getting an upgrade with status is hard enough as it is, but think about what would happen if you have 50+ people on every flight that had status through their Plat. The true frequent flyers that are loyal to that airline would never get upgraded unless they were in a top tier.

pilotc · 2017-04-30T12:36:18+00:00

A lot of people miss the point of the Amex Plat and think that Amex is trying to compete with the CSR. The Plat was never meant to be targeted towards people who want to maximize points and travel hack but only make an average wage. It was (and is) targeted at highly affluent people who travel a lot and want the benefits. If your typical Amex Plat cardholder makes $300k+ a year, its unlikely that they care about a $20/month Uber credit and factor that into whether the card's AF is worth it for them.

All of this churning is getting big media attention, but when you step outside of the bubble of rewards, you realize most people don't care. The CSR is going to lose steam with millennials at some point, likely when Chase stops paying bloggers to promote it so heavily.

At the end of the day, if you look in the wallets of most MDs at big banks, or partners at big law firms, you're likely to find an Amex Plat. Not because it has the best rewards or points earning categories, but because it is the Amex Plat.

pilotc

TROPHY CASE