Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!rocksanne!sunybcs!kitty!larry From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Re: Advice on bulk foods ordering desired Message-ID: <724@kitty.UUCP> Date: Sat, 18-Jan-86 12:14:20 EST Article-I.D.: kitty.724 Posted: Sat Jan 18 12:14:20 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Jan-86 00:59:23 EST References: <388@piggy.UUCP> Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY Lines: 77 > We are seriously considering using a bulk foods ordering and delivery > service offered by "Suburban Foods". > Their offer boils down to this: > - enough food (meat, vegetables) for 4 "first meals" a week for six months > - $54 a week ($1400 for six months) > > They also offer to sell you a "commercial quality" 20.3 cubic foot freezer, > to be financed over three years (they claim $949 retail value). > The total bill still comes to $54 a week because they give you a > 20% discount on your food bill if you buy the freezer. Beware of this freezer deal. > They also offer to sell you a "commercial duty" microwave oven (again $900 > retail value, again financed over three years). The total bill increases to > $59 a week, they give you another 10% reduction on your food bill. Beware of this microwave oven deal. What do these price "reductions" tell you about how much money they are making off of you? > - Does the price seem reasonable (their quantity of food does appear > to be sufficient for ~100 meals)? Hell, no! That's $ 14.00 PER MEAL! That's a lot of money! > - What are the pitfalls to look for? > they use clear vacumn flash frozen wrapping No big deal. > they offer complete replacement of food if you buy their freezer, > for a one-time $200 premium (mechanical failure or external > power failure) That's a lot of money to pay for such "protection". If you are even slightly alert, you should not have any freezer loss. You should KNOW if you have a power failure, and I presume use the freezer often enough to KNOW if it is running, thereby giving you ample warning to call a repairman and/or start finding neighbors, friends, relatives, etc. to borrow freezer space. There are also freezer temperature alarms which you can buy for a damn sight less than $ 200.00! > they raise and butcher their own grain-fed beef No guarantee of quality. My advice is to forget about this outfit; this deal sounds like BAD NEWS. If you you want to go this bulk food route, screw 'em and do it yourself: 1. Call up some restaurant supply places and buy your own "commercial" quality freezer. There is a large market of used restaurant equipment, and you may find a decent freezer for well under $ 900.00. I would use some caution in buying a used commercial freezer, to the extent that I would talk to someone at a repair service and get some background information on the particular make and model before making a final purchase decision. Better yet, if you are serious about buying something used, pay a repair service the $ 50.00 or so they would charge for a service call to look at it first. 2. What on earth do you need a "commercial" quality microwave oven for? Commercial microwave ovens are designed for continuous service for far more hours per day that you'll ever use one. Their $ 900.00 "deal" will buy THREE perfectly decent "consumer" quality microwave ovens! 3. As for buying meat and other food in bulk, just go to a commercial resturant provision company. The vast majority of such commercial sources will sell to anyone off the street who buys in their standard case quantities. ==> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <== ==> UUCP {decvax|dual|rocksanne|rocksvax|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <== ==> VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice|shell}!baylor!/ <== ==> FAX 716/741-9635 {G1, G2, G3 modes} duke!ethos!/ <== ==> seismo!/ <== ==> "Have you hugged your cat today?" ihnp4!/ <==