Q. For a retainer fee of $750, Home Depot Expo will provide me a designer who would work with me on finding items for my home and color blending. When I use their service (installation and products sold in home depot) that equals 5k or more, my $750 will be refunded. Saleslady said the designers are not on commision so they are not going to make a profit on selling me any certain item. Also, installation fees are basically set. Doesn't this sound like a good deal? I need help with finding the right color blend for my living and dining room walls, hardwood floors , new cabinets for the kitchen and new window treatment. Sales lady said they can help me co-ordinate colors and someone would come over to my house for 2 hours next week. What do you think?

A. No its not a good deal and they dont do good work

Q. I purchased a washer and dryer (GE WJRE5500G and DWSR4636gg5ww)on 5/24/2008 with a delivery date of 5/25/2008. This washer began leaking from the bottom, all over my basement floor and flooded a large part of my basement. I called for a service technician of Saturday 6/28/08 after the plumber came to install my gas dryer ( was not told by Sears, that installation would be a problem), and the plumber stated I should call regarding the defective washer. I was put on hold for a long time when I called on Saturday June 28, 2008 and was given a Sunday June 29 2008 appointment. After hanging up, I went about my Saturday routine. On Sunday, no one called in the morning. I call again and was told that the appoint was made and the hours of operation are from 8am to 5 pm. I asked if I had to wait all day and was rudely told yes, they will call with a 2 hour window. By 3:30 I go on the website to see about the status of my claim : I view my request and wait. By 5:00 no call.

A. Very few companies give good customer service. The only ones that make sense are those who want to keep customers. I suggest for you to try to settle the current problem you have and let them know how you are dissatisfied. Never shop there again.

Q. Hi, i am writing the following intro letter to my direct end user, i have a retail showroom selling custom-made curtain/blinds/wallcovering/carpet. Plus help me amend it to a more appropriately expressed and persuasive letter with the correct format (best within 1 page) you may change here and there if necessary. Thanks for all the help and time WE ARE CURTAIN SPECIALIST NEAR YOU ! JUST 3 MINS' WALK ! Dear valued customers, We are located 3 mins walking distance away from you, hence, more convenient for you, more reliable, trustworthy and professional than door to door and exhibition salesmen. We made to measure curtain/blinds/wallcovering and carpet, from choosing materials, sewing to delivery, installation and all hassle of coordinating the process with your designers and contractors will be done by us. For customers without designers / contractors, rest assured, we can propose the materials, colors and style of the curtain/blinds/wallcovering and carpet that suits your home as we are 17 years in this trade. You can either drop by our showroom near you with your floor plan or we can extend our service by bringing some materials up to your house and take measurement at no cost to you. yours sincerely

A. I hesitate to alter anything, as it's your creation & any revisions from me would not reflect your sense of style. And I just know anyone in the drapery & curtain business knows all about style. But hey, if you just need to see an alternative idea, OK for 2 whole points, I'll give it go. Here' what I'd say as close as I can come to what you've written. We Are *Your Name Here* Your Window Dressing Specialists! Just a Short Stroll Away * Dear valued customers,) > Actually, they're potential customers, too generic. Maybe something like>> Hello, We offer made to measure curtains, blinds, wall coverings and carpet. You select the materials. We do the rest >> sewing, delivery and installation. Should you already have designers or contractors, we will coordinate the entire process to your satisfaction. You can either drop by our showroom near you with your floor plan; or we can extend our service by bringing materials to your home and take measurements at no cost to you. • 17 years experience • close & convenient • professional work • reasonable rates • act now in time for the holidays! CALL 1 987 654 1244 > Or whatever you number is *your address here*

Q. I have 35 windows to replace in my 100 year two floor house. I recently got three estimates, one from Lowes Thermastar Pella double-hung vinyl, but they feel cheap at the store. Home Depot offered a cheap American Craftsmen that has horror reviews. I am currently considering Pella's Encompass line, order directly from manufacturer, does anyone have any reviews about this line or other suggestions on good windows to consider? Thanks!

A. In an old home like that vinyl windows would look out of place. Most of the major window manufacturer's make whats called 'tilt pak' These are replacement sashes and will tilt in for cleaning like the modern windows do. you just replace the sashes within the existing frame so there is very little to demo and the current trim stays in place. You can get wood inside and aluminum or vinyl out side. And they are also dual pane.

Q. I just had three old aluminum windows replaced with custom fitted vinyl, double-pane insulated ones but I continue to feel a bit of a draft in the area beneath the window to the floor. Is this normal or have my windows not been measured correctly? The brochure they gave me after installation says its normal to feel cool air because that's the warm air inside bouncing off the cold window and then re-circulating. But I'm not sure?

A. I would suggest actually determining where a draft is coming in. Something that produces smoke, like a cigarette, or a match just after you blow it out. Even if you have a problem and the installers are willing to come back, the weather conditions at that time would be a concern, if it's calm they will not find any leaks. Most windows and doors, even new ones will leak a small amount, unless they are permanently sealed, under certain windy conditions,

Q. After purchasing my window AC unit, it was tilted approximately 30 degrees while being loaded into my vehicle. Should I wait to turn the unit on? I called Samsung regarding a different unit, which was carried up a flight of stairs sideways and they said it would not be a problem to turn it on immediately after installation but I am looking for a bit more expertise since their customer service did not seem to be exactly "award winning." When working with refrigerators and freezers I've always been told to wait 24 hours if the unit was tipped during transport/installation so I'm asking for your opinion... Should I wait? If I remember correctly the problem is that oil can flow into refrigerant lines?

A. No, unless you turned it 90 degrees or upside down, there is NO need to wait. the only reason you have to wait in the first place is because of the oil but at 30 or 60 degree tilt, NO problem. Turn it On and get cool!

Q. Components COLOUR CHOICE Alienware M17x Gaming Laptop - Space Black edit PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme QX9300 (2.53GHz,1066MHz FSB,12MB L2 Cache) OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate SP1 (64 BIT) + Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade Coupon - English edit OFFICE SOFTWARE Microsoft® Office 2007 Professional - English edit GRAPHICS CARD SLI™ Dual 1GB GDDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M edit HARDWARE SUPPORT 4 Year Premium Warranty Support edit LCD 17-inch Wide UXGA 1920 x 1200 - Beyond HD (1200p) Display edit MEMORY 8192MB 1333MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [2x4096] edit HARD DRIVE 256GB Solid State SATA Drive edit OPTICAL DRIVE Blu-Ray ROM combo (Blu-ray read only, DVD, CD read & write) Optical Drive edit PRIMARY BATTERY 9-cell 85Whr Lithium Ion battery edit Accessories SECURITY SOFTWARE McAfee® Security Centre - 36 Month Protection - English edit MONITORS & DOCKING 24in S2409W UK&I Black Widescreen Value edit WALLPAPERS Alienhead 3D(Widescreen) edit MOUSE POINTERS Standard edit AVATAR Alienhead 3D edit TIMEZONE (GMT + 00.00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London edit WINDOW STYLE Window Style - Default edit BLUETOOTH Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module - Europe edit WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Dell Wireless 1510 Half Mini Card (802.11n) European edit Services & Software ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE SUPPORT 4Yr Accidental Damage Support edit SELECT YOUR INSTALLATION UPGRADES Upg. Wireless Installation edit PRESTO – SOLUTIONS FOR PCS Get Started Support, 2 Months limited access to Presto for 2 queries edit PRESTO – SOLUTIONS FOR PCS PC Installation setup edit PRESTO – SOLUTIONS FOR PCS Data Transfer: Move your files and folders from your old PC , 1 incident within 30 days edit PRESTO – SOLUTIONS FOR PCS KidsSAFE: Set up parental controls, 1 incident within 30 days edit PRESTO – SOLUTIONS FOR PCS Wireless Setup: wireless installation and network setup, 1 incident within 30 days edit PRESTO – SOLUTIONS FOR PCS ConnectIT: connect your PC to any electronic device, 1 incident within 30 days edit PRESTO – SOLUTIONS FOR PCS InternetSAFE: Set up a safe Internet connection, 1 incident within 30 days edit Also included with your system Gedis Bundle Reference N08W1701 Order Information Alienware M17X Order - UK Shipping Documents English Documentation Dell System Media Kit Alienware M17x Resource DVD Power Supply 240W AC Adaptor Cables UK 2M 250V Power Cord Keyboard Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard Standard Warranty 1 Year Premium Warranty Support AutoMatic Updates AutoMatic updates - On Power Plan Balanced Hidden NamePlate Engraving Generic Name Plate Engraving Total £5,720.02

A. Answer: Alienware

Q. I'm going to install a ductless split AC system in my upstairs for my room and my sons room. I've been shopping around and have a few questions 1. Around how much would just installation be? It's 2 rooms, upstairs in a bilevel house 2. Is it acceptable to buy anything but LG or Mitshubishi? It seems those are the two "big" brands...there are other cheaper ones but i cannot find too much info on them. We'd only really be using these at night...We've had our HVAC unit replaced and serviced, it simply isnt going to do the job on the upstairs. We're sick of window units. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

(No Chosen Answer)