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From: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva)
Subject: Re: a better analogy for the warranty discussion?
Message-ID: <9L5A_-3@xds13.ferranti.com>
Keywords: cars, books
Reply-To: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva)
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
References: <8273@rsiatl.Dixie.Com> <3X4AKI@xds13.ferranti.com> <8503@rsiatl.Dixie.Com>
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 18:58:14 GMT

In article <8503@rsiatl.Dixie.Com> jgd@Dixie.Com (John G. DeArmond) writes:
> peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) writes:
> >And what would happen if you took your old Datsun or your K&R1 back and
> >demanded your money back because you weren't satisfied?

> If I were the Datsun dealer?  Why I'd cheerfully give him his money back
> because a) the car is now worth more as a collectors' item than it cost
> new b) I'd know that the use of his money had made me many time over as
> much in the 17 years and c) I'd know that I could generate enough local
> media attention because of such an unusual transaction that I'd make any
> losses back in short order.  I can see the headlines now: "Car dealer 
> refunds disgruntled owner's money after 17 years."

Right. I can see that in living color.
You'd be laughed out of the showroom.

How about a 1 year old Nissan, then? Can you get your money back on that?
Even if the Odometer shows it spent the whole time in your garage?

> Of course, you did not ask what the gating function would be in this 
> instance.  I'm sure that with a bit of thought, an appropriate function
> could be devised to limit the car dealers' exposure.

OK, how about explaining this term, "gating function", a bit. Sounds like
a limitation on your unlimited warantee.
-- 
Peter da Silva.  `-_-'  peter@ferranti.com
+1 713 274 5180.  'U`  "Have you hugged your wolf today?"