European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse The age of a malfunctioning Var helps determine if you should hold it or unload i by Joel Dresang the Milwaukee journal or almost a decade the Ria videocassette recorder that Leonard Koszyczarek s kids bought for him and his wife for $250 ran like a top. Then last month the Var went on the Fritz. It broke a videotape. It would t Start right. It would t eject right. Finding a discount Coupon for a Milwaukee Var shop Koszyczarek took his machine into be repaired. He was told the Var would be ready in a week to 10 Days. Thirteen Days later he called Back. His Var still was t ready. He figured the shop had t even looked at it. So he picked it up and took it somewhere else. / a. A a. A. A a a technician at the second shop called the next Day to say that apparently someone at the first shop already had worked on the Var. Quot they said somebody was in it did some soldering opened stuff up whatever Quot Koszyczarek said. Quot it was goofed up in the Bottom line repairs would Cost at least $180, and the technician could t even guarantee the machine would work properly. It was t Worth it Koszyczarek figured. The technician agreed. Two Days later Koszyczarek bought a new Mitsubishi Var for $475. Quot that other Var is just sitting in the basement Quot Koszyczarek says. Quot it s done with. It s a total loss a whatever s left of it. It s a in the old Days says Koszyczarek when you needed a radio fixed you could ask just about anyone to recommend a Good repair shop. Tom Cyganek remembers the old Days. When he started repairing to sets 27 years ago he made House Calls All Day. But so few people need to repairs now that Cyganek has had to learn How to fix Vars stereos camcorders and other electronic devices. Rick Kaestner one of Cyganek s technicians says if it weren t for diversification and increasing numbers of electronics per household the profession he took up eight years ago i wish the Industry was More regulated. Its really easy for someone to take someone for a a Rick Kaestner repair technician saturday May 28, 1994 would be falling victim to an increasingly disposable society. Quot people Are moving More and More toward replacing thing instead of getting them fixed Quot says Kaestner. Quot the electronics Industry is the Only one i know where the products get better and better and the Price goes Down further and Quot a / with his career still ahead of him Kaestner is particularly perturbed by fix it shops that rip off Consumers. Quot i wish the Industry was More regulated Quot Kaestner said. Quot it s really easy for someone to take someone for a . When it comes to repairs Cyganek who is also president of the Wisconsin electronic service association says a the stars and stripes Rule of thumb is that if the Cost of repairing something is More than half the Cost of buying a new one junk it. As with All rules of thumb though whether to repair or replace takes a Little More pondering. Things to consider a make sure the device really does t work right Check the plugs and connections. Rev new the owner s manual. Call the store that sold you the item and the manufacturer s customer relations department to make sure you Are operating it properly. Ask whether it s still covered by warranty and what that coverage includes. A consider its age. Industry estimates say a Var should last 10 to 15 years a to set 12 to 15 stereo equipment about 20. If your broken device is already past its Primey a might consider going new. A a shop wisely for repairs consult your owner s manual for warranty information and for authorized service centers. Ask people you Trust and organizations like the better business Bureau for recommendations. A Arm yourself with sales receipts warranty statements and any earlier repair Bills. You May be expected to pay for an estimate. See whether you can apply any such fee to the repair Bill if you go ahead with repairs. A ask if cleaning is included. Get estimates on How Long repairs should take including time for parts. Ask if the repairs and parts Are guaranteed. Insist that any costs above the estimate get your prior approval. A write Down every development in the repair process in Case you have a dispute later. Insist on a signed claim Check that shows the Date and a description of your device including serial number. Get the names of everyone you Deal with. On the family broken Var should you fix it or ditch it James Dobson a nothing bothers me As much As the fighting and bickering that occurs from morning until night Between my two boys. Do All parents struggle with sibling conflict or does it result from our failure if mothers were asked to indicate the. Most irritating feature of child rearing i m convinced sibling rivalry would receive their unanimous vote. Little children and older ones too Are not Content just to dislike each other in private. They argue hit kick scream grab toys taunt tattle and sabotage the opposing forces i knew one child who deeply resented being sick with a cold while his older sibling was healthy so he secretly blew his nose on the mouthpiece of his brother s musical instrument the big loser from such combat of course is the harassed Mother who must listen to the noise of the Battlefield and then Patch up the wounded. H she requires peace and Tranquillity and most people Doshe May suffer under the barrage of canno fire. Columnist Ann Landers once asked her readers to respond to the question Quot if you had known then what you know now would you have had children Quot of the 10,000 women who answered 70 percent said Quot no Quot a subsequent Survey by Good housekeeping Magazine posed the same i vestion and 95 percent of the respondents answered its impossible to explain the contradictory. Results from these two surveys but part of the answer May be the parents ability to control sibling rivalry and the effect it has on the family. It s my Contention that something will Stop a screaming child or even a dozen of them. It is not necessary a or healthy a to allow children to destroy each other and make life miserable for the adults around them. Sibling rivalry is difficult to Quot cure Quot but it can certainly be treated by a Parent who wants to make a difference. Q i since there Are so Many problems about the use of television in our Home would t it be better to just get rid of to until our children Are grown up it a some families have done just that and i Admire their courage in doing so. But i think it is possible to keep our television sets without being dominated by them. I would suggest that the entire family get together to talk specifically about television r what a wrong with it How it can be managed and How children can learn to be discerning and selective in their use of the to set. Furthermore it is important for parents to watch television with their children not Only helping them understand what they Are experiencing but As a pleasant family activity. Watching to together can be a wonderful springboard into various kinds of teaching and discussion if it is approached properly. Or. James c. Dobson is president of focus on the family an organization dedicated to preserving the Home. Correspondence should be sent to him at focus on the family , to 444, Colorado Springs Colo. 80903
