Ripped off! Scott 299 on EBay!!!!!

[3dzapper]

Well, this restores our faith that the human race has some virtue, even if some of us are slow!

Rick

[HornPenguin]

Happy to hear that you have the amp. His choice of carrier is still suspect. I guess that is shows us that we need to pay attention to all aspects of an internet sale, even the seemingly obvious. Everyone here would use some form of tracked/insured shipment but I guess that minor detail eludes some.

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On 2/14/2004 6:41:24 PM jorjen wrote:

Well, I kind of feel like somewhat of an Ahole now. The Scott arrived today(Feb. 14),it was shipped USPS on Feb. 3rd. just like the guy said it was. But, c'mon, 11 days to go from the midwest to California! That is kind of pathetic if you think about it. Anyway, have not opened her up yet to take a peak, but when I do I will report back.

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[Gilbert]

But, c'mon, 11 days to go from the midwest to California! That is kind of pathetic if you think about it.

YOUR TAX DOLLAR EMPLOY'S NOTHING BUT THE BEST FOR OUR GOVERMENT :bigsmile:]

[jorjen]

A final update. I unpacked the 299 this morning. Now, I feel like even more of a jerk. It is a very nice example of a 299 from a cosmetics standpoint. Both faceplate and internally(chassis). Have not checked the tube compliment yet. After some cleaning, detailing, a trip to Craig and a toss into the nice Walnut case I have, this will be a truly fine piece of Scott gear. All's well that ends well.

[lynnm]

Cool

Not so cool!!

"YOUR TAX DOLLAR EMPLOY'S NOTHING BUT THE BEST FOR OUR GOVERMENT :bigsmile:] "

Once again a hipshot with a sawed off shotgun at government employees. Typically it appears that in this case the dreaded public parasites really had dick all to do with the problem.

As one who has worked at one time or another for Government agencies at one level or another I feel qualified to point out that in most cases Government employees have experienced an undeservedly bad rap.

In my case I was typically paid about 60% of what my qualifications ( Masters degree + postprofessional training in my specialty ) should have entitled me to if performing equivalent service in private industry. The level of oversight and the amount of paperwork demanded of me in the performance of my duties was astonishing. Most of that paperwork was there to potentially prove that I was providing the necessary services in a timely and efficient manner should Le Merde ever hit Les Blades Whirling.

Generally speaking the level of competence required to obtain a civil service position is higher than demanded by private sector employers for similar work.

Government workers are the favourite whipping boy of the masses.

A popular poem among Government employees:

I don't get to run the train

I don't even get to ring the bell

But...Let the Bastard jump the track and

See who catches Hell !

another....

We the willing

Led by the unknowing

Are forced to to do so much with so little

That we are fully qualified

To do anything with nothing !

I finally got sick of the abuse and BS in the press and from good citizens who "KNEW" that government employees were nothing but a bunch of parasites ( until of course they needed the help that I could provide ).

I now work in private industry in a field unrelated to my professional training. Congrats to those who helped drive yet another well trained and exceptionally competent public servant out of public service.

Take an unbiased look at the qualifications,work load and working conditions of government employees sometime. If you take an honest look you will likely be shocked that any of us stay even for a few years.

[Klipschfoot]

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But, c'mon, 11 days to go from the midwest to California! That is kind of pathetic if you think about it.

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BUT! the USPS will tell you on the spot how long your shipment will take. Anyone receiving shipping via USPS should request and pay for quicker shipment. You only have to learn this once as I have. If it is true that the government is not in business to make a profit, the USPS could certainly be at the center of that debate.

[lynnm]

The economics of scale enter into the equation here. Canada Post has been contracted by the USPS to help them improve service delivery.Canada Post ( Postes Canada a' mis amis en La Belle Province) had the same problems currently facing the USPS but also had the luxury of a somewhat smaller customer base to serve albeit within a similarly large service area.

CP has developed procedures to optimise the system and the results have been pretty damned good overall.

Typically a letter mailed from Calgary will reach the intended recipient in Toronto within a day. That said we are talking about a letter sent from a city of about 3/4 of a million to a city of about 3 million. Given a population of perhaps 30 million in Canada it is fair to say that the system is optimised for such a transfer. Mail from smaller centres to other small centres may well require an extra day or sometimes even an additional day on average.

The US with its much larger population and vastly larger number of large population centers presents a larger challenge given the number of transhipment points etc. but over time the proceses codeveloped by CP and the USPS will likely result in better service in the US and from the US to points outside of the US.

FWIW if I order something which is to be shipped via parcel post from a Canadian supplier via Canada Post ( I live in Canada) I expect to take delivery within 10 business days of shipping confirmation.If the goods are coming from the US I assume that I will recieve the goods within 15-20 business days.

BTW this is not a slam on USPS - Your Postal folks have just so damned much stuff going to so damned many destinations that I am happy to get my stuff whenever it arrives.

[garymd]

My wife has been an attorney for the Social Security Administration (SSA) more than for 12 years. She works her a$$ off and is more than qualified for her position. While she makes decent money as a GS15 (lawyer's scale), she certainly could have done better financially in the private sector.

A few years back, Sam Donaldson had a report on "Eye To Eye" about the pathetic work ethic of government employees. My wife was PO'd to say the least. The next day she wrote a letter to Sam and got a personal, hand-written response back from him a few weeks later. I'll try to dig it out but he apologized and stated that these were isolated incidents at certain agencies, thanked her for her letter and hard work and referred to himself and others in his profession as "meat-axe grinders."

To Lynn's point though, you'll find that government employees often do get a bad rap although there are instances where it's certainly justified. It wasn't until the early 90s that the administrative assistants at SSA were forced to remove the TVs from their desks where they would watch the daily soap operas. Even their unions couldn't fight that one!

[3dzapper]

Here in RI we have three simple criteria for getting a plum state job:

1; Who are you related to?

2; Who do you know?

3; Who do you know that knows somebody?

If you fail to meet the above conditions you may still be hired but would actually have to work! Horrors.

In my experience with state workers, 10% of them do 90% of the work and are ridiculed by the majority for doing so until they either stop doing it or quit to go into private industry. State workers salaries and benefits are greater than those available to most workers in the state as well.

Rick

[Marvel]

Doesn't Rhode Island only have five full time employees?

[Gilbert]

Lynnm,

I have more work related experience with the Army Corp. of Engineers than I would care to say. I have studied their designs, and have had them review mine. It's required, so that the state can stick their finger in the pie too. I've seen State DOT engineers specify so damn much camber in beams that their bridges look like roller coasters.

My Uncle Peter, God rest his soul, was an idiot. He was Post Master for the Laredo post office for something like 15 or 20 years.

My sister, a DVM, worked 15yrs with the USDA at Tex. A&M. After 12 yrs. she finally couldn't take the crap anymore. You see, her boss, who insisted she sleep with him pursued and pursued. When her husband got involved she was transferred to a laboratory hell hole. When she tried to go over his head she got shot down. Apparently he knew the right people to kiss. Her government work story has a happy ending though. After 15 years, the final 3 in hell, she finally got FED up and quit. She now makes significantly more money, but has lost all the health benefit niceties. Those niceties would have come in handy in her recent bout with breast cancer. Ya know, only your tax dollars can buy the kind of insurance the government provides it's employees.

SHOT GUN FROM THE HIP, I DON'T THINK SO.

Do I believe all Gov. employees are fools, certainly not. Only 80 or 85%.

The bad rap and bashing that many citizens give the government didn't evolve over night. It was well earned.

For those of you on this forum that are or related to hard working Gov. employees, I appologize for the appearance of dumping you into the stereotypical cesspool. I know that there are some intelligent ones. I just never get to see them.

[3dzapper]

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On 2/15/2004 8:27:40 PM Marvel wrote:

Doesn't Rhode Island only have five full time employees?

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In the 1970 census there were 1,100,000 people in Rhode Island and 8,000 state workers. In the 2000 census there were 1,079,000 people and 15,000 state workers! Taxes anyone?

I can't complain too loud though, my wife is a professor at a state college and that is where I get my benefits from.

Rick

[TBrennan]

Gilbert---But you're hard worker right, you never **** the dog eh? You talk like you're the only guy who ever hit a lick. I know and despise your type.

[Huhuru]

Jordan

I'm happy that everything has worked out for you. I hope you and others on the forum will use U. S. Postal Money Orders when paying for items purchased on eBay.

Least one assurance is that its a federal offense if someone cash your U. S. Postal Money Order and don't deliver the goods.

I'm a retired U. S. Postal employee and proud of the more than 600,000 Postal Employees who deliver in rain, sleet and snow, etc.

Huhuru

[Gilbert]

Truely sorry for you TB. Good luck.

[Klipschfoot]

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(so on and so forth

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Gary, I once was involved in a presentation on personal cubicle work environments within the SSA. I could not believe the STACKS of newspapers and other piles of junk hidden within employees 6x6 cubicles. WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE DO?! All I could think was that somewhere in the chain, we were being ripped off because it was obvious that these government employees were punching in and out with VERY LITTLE accounted for in the way of public service. It happens every day of every year. The gov't ain't the largest employer because it produces the most, that's for sure!

[lynnm]

As usual any suggestion that public employees actually work their butts off just the same as most other employed people is treated as nonsense. I am out of this discussion. I apologise for disturbing anyone's biases.

[Joe Shmoe]

Hehe...sheesh this thread is outta control

I once thought I was ripped off, so I called the Wisconsin Information, where the guy lived and called every last name that matched his. I do believe I got ahold of a few realtives, and wouldn't you know a week later I had my stuff

This may not be a good thing to try if the last name is "Smith" LOL

Other than that, for the bigger sums of money, I would be making a road trip

[garymd]

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On 2/15/2004 11:13:54 PM lynnm wrote:

As usual any suggestion that public employees actually work their butts off just the same as most other employed people is treated as nonsense. I am out of this discussion. I apologise for disturbing anyone's biases.

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Lynn,

There are useless people in the government and the private sector alike. Not everyone sees what actually goes on in every government agency. They like to make inaccurate generalizations without anything to back it up. My father spent 42 years at NASA. My brothers work there now. They work extremely hard as do almost everyone else there.

Fred,

My wife works from home due to health issues. You're correct about SSA. It's a big agency with a big union. There are those who make it work and those who are useless. My wife puts in 60+ hours/week. She worked all day today and probably will tomorrow trying to SAVE taxpayer's money.

[Gilbert]

Lynn, I concur. I think I've learn to keep my mouth shut when it comes to forum items that strike a nerve or I disagree with. I'll try to keep it positive.

Garymd advised me of this very thing months ago. He is absolutely right. The K-forum is abound with a mish-mash of sorts. It's a guarantee that someone will won't like everthing individuals says. It was my bad, and I'll take my lumps. I'm taxed quarterly, and with 4/15 around the corner, anything Gov. related makes my blood boil.

See ya.