Comments on: Junk Mail for New Homeowners: Is it Really All Junk? http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php Living in Frugal Decadence Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:34:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Filling My Mailbox with Rebate Checks http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-4737 Filling My Mailbox with Rebate Checks Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:20:02 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-4737 [...] sure you know which side of the fence I’m on! Sure junk mail can be a drag (though sometimes junk mail is quite lucrative), and perhaps the US Post Office is not always reliable, but why get rid of mail all together? How [...] [...] sure you know which side of the fence I’m on! Sure junk mail can be a drag (though sometimes junk mail is quite lucrative), and perhaps the US Post Office is not always reliable, but why get rid of mail all together? How [...]

]]> By: Amanda L Grossman http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-658 Amanda L Grossman Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:38:59 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-658 Dear Ruth: Thanks for sharing your experience! Sorry you had it though.... Dear Ruth: Thanks for sharing your experience! Sorry you had it though….

]]> By: Ruth http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-657 Ruth Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:07:30 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-657 "You are getting at $150 mail in rebate" That was the statement I got when I told him it was supossed to be a $99 install. Though the salesman never filed the paperwork and I had to fight with them to get my rebate. The $99 install apparently included a motion detector, a door sensor and 2 window sensors (or something like that). Even though my house was prewired, we didn't have a phone line, so we had to get the GSM technology ($350) that works based on gsm signal rather than a phone line, another door sensor for the back door, and I think around 10 more sensors for the windows (at $10 each.) Later on with this company I had a problem with their "pet motion detector" I was told by the sales person that you had to have 100lbs of body heat in order to set off the motion detector and that my 9lb cat wouldn't ever set it off. LIE!! After weeks of arguing, 2 service calls, and the cops comming to my house 3 different time (good thing for alamr permits) the company left the detector installed but refunded my money for it. The saddest part of the entire experience is I am very budget minded, I *did* my research, I got quotes from several different companies ($99 installations DON'T EXIST) and had decided not to go with an alarm. That caused a huge fight, and I gave in and got the alarm. However, all that being said, having an alarm does give me some piece of mine when I am home alone. Chalk it up to a learning experience and used some of the tax credit on it. :-) “You are getting at $150 mail in rebate” That was the statement I got when I told him it was supossed to be a $99 install. Though the salesman never filed the paperwork and I had to fight with them to get my rebate.

The $99 install apparently included a motion detector, a door sensor and 2 window sensors (or something like that). Even though my house was prewired, we didn’t have a phone line, so we had to get the GSM technology ($350) that works based on gsm signal rather than a phone line, another door sensor for the back door, and I think around 10 more sensors for the windows (at $10 each.)

Later on with this company I had a problem with their “pet motion detector” I was told by the sales person that you had to have 100lbs of body heat in order to set off the motion detector and that my 9lb cat wouldn’t ever set it off. LIE!! After weeks of arguing, 2 service calls, and the cops comming to my house 3 different time (good thing for alamr permits) the company left the detector installed but refunded my money for it.

The saddest part of the entire experience is I am very budget minded, I *did* my research, I got quotes from several different companies ($99 installations DON’T EXIST) and had decided not to go with an alarm. That caused a huge fight, and I gave in and got the alarm. However, all that being said, having an alarm does give me some piece of mine when I am home alone. Chalk it up to a learning experience and used some of the tax credit on it. :-)

]]> By: Amanda L Grossman http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-655 Amanda L Grossman Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:37:30 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-655 Hello Ruth! Thanks for your comments. We did not receive the HCAD one...but that doesn't mean it's not coming:). Also, that is horrible on the installation! What did the company say when you reminded them that it was a $99 installation? Hello Ruth! Thanks for your comments. We did not receive the HCAD one…but that doesn’t mean it’s not coming:). Also, that is horrible on the installation! What did the company say when you reminded them that it was a $99 installation?

]]> By: Ruth http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-654 Ruth Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:14:48 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-654 Oh another thing to be leery of is the "$99 installation" for different security companies. This one I learned from experience... The $99 installation turned into a $760 system on my prewired house. And, it was something that *I* didn't even want in the first place (but that is an entirely different issue). Pretty much convinced that no matter what company, there is no such thing as a "$99 installation" Oh another thing to be leery of is the “$99 installation” for different security companies. This one I learned from experience… The $99 installation turned into a $760 system on my prewired house. And, it was something that *I* didn’t even want in the first place (but that is an entirely different issue). Pretty much convinced that no matter what company, there is no such thing as a “$99 installation”

]]> By: Ruth http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-653 Ruth Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:09:34 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-653 Congrats on the house! One of suspious looking letters I got was something that looked like it was from Harris County Apprasial District dealing with homestead exemption. After reading it closely, and then having someone else read it just to make sure, it turns out that it was from a company that wanted to charge me $35 to "help me file" my homestead exemption. Definetly not necessary, HCAD website has the simple form that took all of 5 min (if that) to fill out and mail in. Congrats on the house! One of suspious looking letters I got was something that looked like it was from Harris County Apprasial District dealing with homestead exemption. After reading it closely, and then having someone else read it just to make sure, it turns out that it was from a company that wanted to charge me $35 to “help me file” my homestead exemption. Definetly not necessary, HCAD website has the simple form that took all of 5 min (if that) to fill out and mail in.

]]> By: Amanda L Grossman http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-652 Amanda L Grossman Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:14:23 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-652 Hi BluSky: Nope--before the legislationw as passed, you used to have to pay back up to a $7,500 over the course of several years. But one of the effects of the recession was the passing of this $8,000 homebuyer's tax credit--we received it, and we do not have to pay taxes on it either. Can't get much better than that! Hi BluSky: Nope–before the legislationw as passed, you used to have to pay back up to a $7,500 over the course of several years. But one of the effects of the recession was the passing of this $8,000 homebuyer’s tax credit–we received it, and we do not have to pay taxes on it either. Can’t get much better than that!

]]> By: Budgeting in the Fun Stuff http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-651 Budgeting in the Fun Stuff Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:49:52 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-651 Great post! We had the same stuff and dealt with it almost the exact same way. I personally don't mind junk mail too much simply since some great deals are mixed in as well. I hope the curb numbers people hit my neighborhood soon...it's hard to see our numbers at night. Those official-looking mortgage forms are the most annoying! Great post!

We had the same stuff and dealt with it almost the exact same way. I personally don’t mind junk mail too much simply since some great deals are mixed in as well.

I hope the curb numbers people hit my neighborhood soon…it’s hard to see our numbers at night.

Those official-looking mortgage forms are the most annoying!

]]> By: BluSky http://www.frugalconfessions.com/save-me-money/junk-mail-for-new-homeowners-is-it-really-all-junk.php/comment-page-1#comment-648 BluSky Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:48:07 +0000 http://www.frugalconfessions.com/?p=397#comment-648 Don't you have to pay that tax credit back? Don’t you have to pay that tax credit back?

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