Car Insurance

If you’ve bought a new car lately, you may have had an old- fashioned deflating experience that stays with you. Adriena Masi had one 16 years ago.

She visited a showroom with three small children in tow; her husband had died six months earlier. I asked a salesman for help, she recounts. He said, ‘Lady, why don’t you go home and bring your husband?’ I sat down and cried. Then she went to another dealership and bought a car.

A few years later, Masi was job hunting and ended up selling cars. Today she’s a client adviser at Hassel BMW in Freeport, one of three women in a sales force of 12, and says, I’m here to see that what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else.

But she knows it happens at some other dealerships because women customers sometimes share those bad experiences with her. And although I heard about terrific saleswomen when I asked women in my professional and personal networks about their car-buying experiences, the negative anecdotes were plentiful and much like Masi’s.

I guess we haven’t come too far, baby, wrote Gloria Glowacki of the Small Business Development Center at Stony Brook, recalling her own experience only two months previous. The guy kept me waiting a ridiculous amount of time while he waited on ‘real customers.’ He actually said, ‘Don’t you want to call your husband and check?’

Noreen Carro, vice president of LMN Printing in Valley Stream, reported a whole series of brand-new gender misadventures leasing a new car. Dealer 1 addressed most of the answers to my significant other, Larry. When I asked if there was anything they could do on the monthly payments, they were kind of stern. When he [Larry] asked, there was a $50 decrease. I got the fish handshake, he got the firm handshake.

Salesman at Dealer 2 talked to her, but when it came to closing the deal, Larry was asked how it would be paid for. Dealer 3: Carro posed all the questions, but he had no time for me at all. I was invisible. Larry called attention to the fact that Carro would be paying for her own car. He still gave an answer indicating Larry was more knowledgeable. Strike 3.

Dealer 4: the salesman directed all his responses to Carro, understood her specific concerns, was straightforward about price ranges and had them both drive the car. She took the deal. The kicker: When I went back to pick the car up, he asked me out on a date.

Car dealers and manufacturers take note - each time Carro moved on, she switched brands, not just dealerships.

What makes this same-old, same-old so amazing is that it’s widely publicized that women make more than 50 percent of the car-buying decisions these days. Ford Motor Co. says it may be closer to 80 percent. And the saleswomen I talked to confirmed that once trust is established (yes, a relationship!), female customers are notably loyal, returning to the same salesperson regularly for new vehicles.

So if you’re not in the market for a car right now, does it matter that the promised land of gender equity may not apply? Well, some of my respondents told stories about buying boats, getting cars repaired, getting anything repaired and dealing with contractors. And how about dealing with male investment advisers? Male doctors?

Most remarkably, almost every anecdote I was told ended with, So I walked out. Why do we so rarely speak up when we are patronized and insulted, even though we’re holding the economic power?

That’s pretty complicated. So for the moment, let’s settle for a few ideas on how to respond.

Adriena Masi: Ask at the desk for another salesperson. You just have to say ‘I’m not comfortable, can I talk to someone else?’

Norman Orenstein, who operates the Auto Buying Service in Merrick and has many women clients, said, I’d say, ‘Hey listen, I’m not going to buy the car from you, and this is the reason and why are you approaching me this way?’

Dr. Janice Grackin, Department of Psychology at Stony Brook, said she looks for a woman to buy from for the same reason she prefers female doctors: I feel more comfortable and able to be assertive with another woman. My own increased self-confidence leads to being treated differently.

Barbara Boccio of Boccio Design Group said surprise them. She noticed how much attention her husband got during car shopping by digging around in the engine and looking underneath. He actually requested it be put up on a lift - another idea for the checklist and one that should flip the sales guys out.

Gloria Glowacki: I should have asked the salesman if he needed to call his wife before completing the deal.

Reality check: Psychologist Susan Dowell believes women should take more responsibility for the success of their interactions. The way people communicate is 50 percent of the game. Be aware of the stances you take. Do you expect to be treated a certain way? That will come across through body language, attentiveness in approaching certain domains. Go in with a stance of expecting service, just like when you ask for a raise. Getting it depends on your expectations.

“Help me–PLEASE!! I’m going broke buying supplements and I still can’t find anything that really works!”

Say the truth. Isn’t that how you’ve been feeling lately? And why not? There are more bodybuilding supplement choices today than ever before. And even worse! They don’t come cheap. In fact, some bodybuilders are spending hundreds of dollars a month on supplements and still not getting the results they’d like.

There Just Has To Be A Better Way!

Well now there is! No longer do you have to hock your car, mortgage your house and sell your firstborn child just to afford your supplements. That’s because now there’s a powerful, all-in-one “super powder” called HOT STUFF! This fantastic, one-of-a-kind product is chock full of the most powerful muscle-building and fat-fighting agents ever discovered. In fact, HOT STUFF contains 55 of the most powerful anabolic and lipotropic potentiators on the market.

You name it and you’ll find it in HOT STUFF. Things like Yohimbe, Vanadyl Sulfate, Smilax, Chromium, Ginseng, Amino Acids, Plant Sterols, Carnitine, Transferulic Acid, Oriental Herbs, Glutamine, Enzymes, Wild Yam, Whey Protein. Just check out the label. The ingredient list is almost endless. That’s why just one serving of HOT STUFF is the equivalent of taking over 50 separate pills and powders. And for a lot less money.

For example. To buy a comparable amount of these supplements individually would cost you at least $150. But you get them all in the regular size HOT STUFF for just $32.95–and that includes 80 grams of top quality whey protein per serving. There’s just no doubt about it. HOT STUFF is the best dollar value of all the bodybuilding supplements.

But these top-notch ingredients aren’t there just to fill up label copy. We’ve added them because they are all time-proven muscle builders and fat fighters. That’s why HOT STUFF has remained one of the top selling bodybuilding supplements since 1988. As a matter of fact, we’ve sold over six million pounds of the “Stuff” and it’s still going strong! Just think about that for a minute. No bodybuilding product would ever continue to sell so well if it weren’t bringing great results.

Synergy Is The Key

But that’s only part of the story. The real question is why? What makes this bodybuilding supplement continue to rank in the top ten after 16 years on the market? In other words, what makes HOT STUFF such an effective bodybuilding supplement?

The answer is synergy. Syner … what? Synergy! Stay with us here for a minute. According to the dictionary, synergy is “the working together of two or more things, whereby the result is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities.”

That is an absolutely perfect description of why HOT STUFF works so well. While each of the 55 separate ingredient in HOT STUFF is a great supplement in its own rite, we learned very early that combining them all into one super powder made them work even better. That’s right! SYNERGY! In other words: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts!

And you’re going to experience it for yourself the minute you start taking HOT STUFF. Here’s what you can expect from using this product:

* Steady increases in lean muscle

* Rapid reduction in body fat

* Consistent strength increases

* Hours of sustained energy

* Longer lasting muscle pump

* Reduction in muscle soreness

* Faster recuperation from training

And talk about fast acting! You’ll get an energy blast within minutes of taking a serving. After your first week, you won’t know what hit you. And after 30 days, people may actually start asking you if you’re using steroids.

It’s Time To ‘Stuff’ Yourself!

They say that seeing is believing. That’s why you really need to try a can of HOT STUFF for yourself. So here’s what we’ve decided to do. We’re offering a 100% money back guarantee to anyone who tries this product. That means you can now find out if HOT STUFF will work for you without risking any of your hard earned money. Try it for just two weeks and see if you notice a difference. We’re betting that you do. But if you’re unhappy with this product for any reason, we’ll give you all of your money back! We can’t make it any easier than that!!

If HOT STUFF isn’t available at your local gym or health food store, you can order it directly from us either by phone, internet or mail.

Are you in the market for a car? If so, here are three good reasons to buy a used vehicle:

(1) you can’t afford a new one;
(2) you want the better value intrinsic in buying a used car, since new cars greatly

depreciate in value in the first few years;
(3) you get more car for the money–an old luxury car can cost as little as a new economy

car.

The good news is that there are plenty of great used cars out there. Because new cars last

longer and remain more reliable, there is a better selection of used cars available. The bad

news is that buying one can get complicated. You will need to set a budget, determine what

types of cars are acceptable, decide where to buy, find the right car, have it inspected for

quality and then negotiate price–before you hit the gas.

Of course, the more money you have, the better your selection. The most reliable used cars

are the newer ones. Since so many new cars are leased rather than purchased these days,

there are plenty of fairly new machines on the market. That means well-maintained two- and

three-year-old cars are common. For the ultimate in buyer confidence, many new car dealers

offer a factory-backed “Certified Used Car” program. This gives you a car with a warranty

similar to what you’d get if you bought a new car. The downside is that this is also the

most expensive way to buy a used car.

Regardless of where you buy it, however, a new car may still have some of the original

warranty left. New car warranties today are commonly three years or 36,000 miles, whichever

comes first. Some luxury brands extend that another year. The important thing is to verify

any promises made by the seller. The previous owner must have completed specified

maintenance items to keep a warranty intact. This is just one reason why complete service

records for a car add to its value.

USED CAR SOURCES

There are three places to buy a used car: new car dealers, used car dealers and private

parties. New car dealers have the best access to factory service and get first pick of

off-lease cars of the same brand they sell new. You’ll pay more to get this assurance of a

quality vehicle. The independent used car dealer usually buys cars at an auction without

having the opportunity to do a complete mechanical inspection. Although some of these

dealers have been in business for a long time and are reputable, be aware that such

businesses are less likely to provide the best customer service. Check them out carefully

with consumer organizations and the Better Business Bureau. If there’s a problem, each state

has its own laws about recourse, so it’s a good idea to know the local rules ahead of time.

Most used car purchases are deals between private parties. This is the way to get the lowest

price. The downside is that you can’t expect the seller to be around if you have problems.

You must do all your footwork before you hand over the cash.

If you’re buying from a friend or relative, you will likely get an honest appraisal of the

vehicle. If a car has problems, most people won’t want to stick their friends with it. But

before you turn a good friend into an enemy, make sure you know what you’re buying anyway

and accept that the car is being sold “as is.”

The one seller you want to avoid is called a “curbstone” dealer. This is a person who buys

and resells cars frequently as a business, but who poses as a private party. This person

will meet you in a parking lot or come to your house, but will not meet you at his or her

own residence. The ownership title of the vehicle will not be in his or her name. Because

these are the least scrupulous sellers, they often cover over problems that a car might

have. Check the documentation, including the ownership papers, of any used car before you

buy it.

HAVE THE CAR INSPECTED

In any private transaction, regardless of the documentation, you should always have a car

properly inspected. Even if the car is new enough to still have time left on the original

warranty, an inspection is crucial. A car could have been damaged and then repaired. But if

the repair was done improperly, or the damage was too severe, the warranty may have been

invalidated.

When you have found the car you want to buy, go to a professional mechanic who is familiar

with inspections. The best mechanics will give you a list of items that are checked and will

go over the car with you after the inspection. After carefully examining engine, suspension,

electrical, brake and other components, you will have a much better idea of whether the car

is in good and properly maintained condition. A simple look at the oil–is it clean or black

and dirty?–will tell you if it has been changed recently. The $50 to $100 expense of a

thorough inspection can sometimes buy you as much peace of mind as paying $1,000 or $2,000

more at a dealership. If the seller isn’t willing to have the car checked out, be extremely

wary. There could be something seriously wrong with the vehicle. If you can’t take the car

off the premises for an inspection, bring your mechanic to the car. When it comes to a used

vehicle purchase, you’re in the driver’s seat.

Finding out how much a used car is worth can be difficult. You should start with a published

guidebook, such as the NADA Official Used Car Guide or the Kelley Blue Book, often available

at your local library. There are also Websites with this information. Often you will get

values for trade-in, wholesale and retail. Prices are revised weekly. The retail figure is

the one the dealership hopes to get. It’s a high value for even the best used car. The

wholesale price is generally a reasonable figure for a transaction between private parties

if the vehicle is in good shape. If you plan on trading in another vehicle when you make a

purchase, don’t tell the seller about it until after you have a firm deal. Then bring up the

subject of a trade-in to find out how much you’re really being offered.

The most important thing to realize when you’re buying an older car is that it’s going to need maintenance and repair work. Allow for that in your budget. That aging but still useful BMW may look like a great deal now, but remember, it’s going to cost a lot more to keep running than a newer and less luxurious Toyota. Luxury cars have more expensive features to maintain, and they remain expensive to maintain as they age. Keep the costs for parts and service in mind before you use up your entire budget on the initial purchase price. Buying a classic car is a different matter. But unless you’re an expert mechanic ready to take on a challenge, avoid that “fixer-upper” car. It could cost you more than its purchase price before it’s in good shape. Unless you can supply the labor, it’s nearly always cheaper to buy a good car than to fix up a marginal one.

There are, when you think about it, many similarities between car leasing and buying technology on a hosted basis. People lease cars for a lot of reasons: they’re not sure what their lifestyles will require in three or more years and don’t want to be stuck with a purchased vehicle that doesn’t suit them. Some people lease because they like having the latest and greatest cars and car options, and few people can afford to replace their automobile with a newer model every two to three years. Many people are attracted by the fact that leasing generally requires less money up front. Leasing can also lessen mechanical and maintenance headaches, as the term of the lease will almost always coincide with the period in which the warranty is the strongest. Finally, many people choose leasing to prevent themselves from being stuck with an old car at the end of its useful life; with a choice of either junking it or trying to sell it to a non-choosy college student.

Many people choose hosted delivery of call center technologies for the same reason: hosted delivery requires less up-front investment and is much more conducive to easy technology upgrades. In terms of maintenance, that headache is removed entirely. If you have a limited or nonexistent IT budget or department, you needn’t worry, as administration stays off your shoulders and rests on those of the technology provider. And with hosting, there is no “end of life” in the technology’s life-cycle; in fact, there is no life-cycle. You’re never stuck with a technological jalopy you need to either turn into a door-stop, send to a museum or try to pawn to a garage business.

t’s important to note, however, that there is one area in which car leasing and hosted technology differ: in scaling usage up and down according to need.

Many people don’t lease cars because the amount of driving they do is unpredictable and can widely vary from month to month, year to year. Leasing a car works best when you have a solid estimate of how much use the car will get while it’s in your possession. If you go over your “allotment,” it’s likely to cost you a great deal of money.

Hosted technology, on the other hand, is perfect for companies that cannot or do not wish to predict their level of business in the future. Most consumer catalog companies do a steady stream of business throughout the year and then experience a strong spike at the holidays. They need to be able to accommodate this spike; it’s the bulk of their annual business. But during the rest of the year, they’re left with unused licenses that waste money. With the hosted option, these call centers can scale up or down depending on need, and nothing goes to waste.

A final notation to my analogy: whereas car leasing isn’t a great choice for slobs, it’s impossible to leave candy wrappers, broken ice scrapers, coffee stains, single gloves without mates and melted crayons inside a hosted technology solution.

Turning off unused lights, insulating your house and buying energy-efficient appliances are all great ways to save energy, which decreases air pollution and saves you money in the process. And if everyone were truly conservation-minded, we would save thousands of megawatt-hours of electricity every day. But now you can go a step further. Without buying any equipment or making any changes to your house, you can purchase clean energy from non-polluting sources . The problem is, not many people are choosing “green power,” though it’s available in every state.

It may seem confusing at first, but when you buy green power it doesn’t necessarily mean the electricity you actually receive comes directly from a wind turbine or solar panel. That’s because the nature of the grid means that all power–green or not–is combined. Instead, the amount of clean power you buy is generated on your behalf and added to the larger pool of electricity. You still receive your power through your home’s same wires and local grid.

“A switching program through your utility means that your power company buys a REC for your power, and that power is added to the grid,” explains Bob Wall, New England’s regional director for Smartpower, which is a Connecticut-based nonprofit marketing campaign working to promote energy produced by solar, wind and hydrothermal sources. “While it’s a little tough to explain, it’s really easy to do,” says Wall. “Just call your utility and ask.”

“The problem with clean energy is that it’s positioned as an environmental issue,” argues Brian Keane, president of Smartpower. Why would a marketing campaign for dean power be critical of using an environmental message to sell the product? Because they’ve done their homework.

Smartpower has done some serious polling, convened focus groups, and generally behaves as if it were launching a new soft drink. It has spent more than $2 million to find out why the clean power industry is floundering, even while most people support the idea of non-polluting energy from the sun, wind and other clean sources. The key word here is “idea.” As Keane explains, “We found out that people know dean energy is better for the environment, better for our health and benefits national security by making us less dependent on foreign oil. The problem is, they don’t think it works. They don’t think it can keep the A/C on in the summer.”

New England Leads the Way

Smartpower has a plan. “We have to convince people that clean energy is real, strong and working; that it’s just as strong as coal and oil,” says Keane. A nationwide program piloted in the Northeast is showing that it can. Connecticut has led the way, with Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island more recently joining in the “20 Percent by 2010″ campaign, in which towns sign up to pledge to get 20 percent of the town’s energy needs met by green power by 2010.

Households that sign up to receive their energy from renewable sources accomplish several goals: under the campaign, for every 100 signups, the town receives a solar array (which puts the onus of some of the promotions on the town if they want the freebie). More importantly, the more customers that are lined up to buy clean energy, the more wind turbines and solar farms can be built in the future. “Windmills and solar farms are built on speculation, so we need to build demand,” says Keane. He points out that just as more hybrid cars are being built because so many people want one, so we need to build clean energy demand for the future.

And while your new fuel-efficient car might make the neighbors instantly aware of how committed to the environment you are, making the less-visible, “on paper” choice for clean energy may be just as important, since making electricity contributes more to air pollution than any other industry in the U.S.

Signing Up Is Easy

To find out if clean energy is available in your area, John Savage, senior vice president of the sector’s largest U.S. company, Green Mountain Energy, says, “You can call your electric utility and ask, and they’ll tell you exactly what is available in your town. If it’s not available through your utility, you can still buy credits online to offset your carbon footprint.”

“We’re where organic foods were 15 years ago,” Savage says of how popular clean energy is right now. “A handful of people know we’re here, and the market is going to evolve as people catch on, but we’re not quite on the radar yet.” Green Mountain has only been around since 1997, but operates in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Oregon and Ohio, and serves more than 600,000 customers. Several other companies and cooperatives serve other areas. Green Mountain says the monthly cost premium for a typical household choosing clean energy amounts to about the price of seeing a movie.