# I'm so sorry, your so stupid, or Canon product reps reply

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 24, 2007, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201 "2007-01-24T04:25:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/21 "2007-01-24T16:27:12Z")

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I hear ya. I’ve been there with eBay. Just _try_ to get them to delete an account you started in 1999 from an e-mail address at a dialup ISP that went out of business in 2001. They required me to send them an e-mail requesting termination from the original e-mail address. Despite about a dozen correspondences, each quoting the original and subsequent replies, they could not wrap their tiny minds around the concept that IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEND YOU AN E-MAIL FROM A DEFUNCT ISP ON A NONEXISTENT ADDRESS. Begging them to go out on the street and find a literate person to read my request to them didn’t seem to help, either. For all I know, they still have that account in their system.

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/22 "2007-01-24T16:43:30Z")

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How about you just email them a new question asking the page printing capacity of the CL-51 cartridge? You’re just confusing them by asking them to do math and specify the ink type. They’ve only got one CL-51 cartridge, and it only has one type of ink in it. Ask them how much that cartridge can print and you’re done.

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**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/23 "2007-01-24T17:51:13Z")

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did you ever stop to think they are haveing the same internal thread about your question(s)?.. each one going “hey, wonder how I can get him to try just one more time, I mean, the crap is right there on the frackin’ box, man”

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**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/24 "2007-01-24T18:58:02Z")

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[QUOTE=Larry Mudd]  
Ha. That’s hilarious.

Can I mention a head-scratching incident of remarkable slow-wittedness that I observed today? Thanks!

I purchased two horrible wee cigarillos today at a filling station. The total was $3.58, and to minimize change-wear on my pockets, I gave the clerk four dollars and eight cents.

She said, “One dollar is your change,” and gave me a shiny loon. I figure she’s just not paying close attention and, trying to be helpful, I offer “You’ve given me too much change,” and slide the loonie back to her.

All of the sudden she gets this uncertain, vaguely suspicious look on her face, and a few seconds tick by as she stands stock still, processing. I can see she’s confused and feel a bit embarrassed for her. I try to keep a helpful tone in my voice and say, “You should give me fifty cents.”

She looks at her partner for confirmation, and he nods. She takes two quarters out of the till and slides them across to me, together with the loonie she’d given me originally. Now I see where the confusion is coming from, and say, “No, no… just fifty cents.”

She reaches into the till and gets _another fifty cents_, and slides it together with the rest of the change. “Is that okay?”

I can’t explain why, but I feel horribly embarrassed now. I can tell I’m grinning like an idiot, trying to work out how to be polite in this situation. (By which I mean avoiding making her feel like an idiot.)

I take two quarters off the counter and say, “That’s fine… thanks…” and bolt for the door. As I’m on the way out, I hear the younger guy explaining to her, “He was telling you that you gave him too _much_ change.”

:smack:

The thing is, I chatted with her before the transaction and she didn’t seem mentally retarded or anything. Just utterly unable to work out what change to give back from $4.08 on $3.58.  
[/QUOTE]

Giving additional change after the till is open automatically results in total confusion since, well, the change giving machine has already done the math.

Please tell me this holds true in other countries? (For employees \<= 40 years old.) Those of us schooled in the non-calculator generation seem to be OK.

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**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/25 "2007-01-24T19:08:05Z")

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I had this lovely experience once, on the phone with a customer service drone from Sallie Mae, who holds my student loans, while trying to find out whether consolidating subsidized and unsubsidized loans into a single loan would let me keep the benefits on the subsidized portion.

We went back and forth with her providing all sorts of comical answers to questions I hadn’t asked. At least twice I had to say “Yes, I know what a weighted average is. That has nothing to do with my question.” Then she revealed that she didn’t know what a subsidized loan _was_, and when I asked to speak to a manager after that, she informed me that there was non available. I thanked her politely for answering my questions (the telephonic equivalent of smiling and backing away slowly with one’s hand’s placed palms forward), and called back later.

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**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/26 "2007-01-24T19:25:56Z")

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[QUOTE=Leaffan]  
Giving additional change after the till is open automatically results in total confusion since, well, the change giving machine has already done the math.

Please tell me this holds true in other countries? (For employees \<= 40 years old.) Those of us schooled in the non-calculator generation seem to be OK.  
[/QUOTE]

Weirder still, I’ve dealt with cashiers who wait to see me pull out change, THEN hit the “cash sale” button that pops the register open without doing the math for them, THEN stand there trying to figure out the math. If they want the math to be easy, use the machine’s function to calculate the change (i. e., key in the amount tendered). If they DON’T want the machine to calculate the change, don’t wait for me to count out the coins – hit the cash sale button now and save time. Instead of either solution, these people pick the worst of all possible methods.

Years back, some service stations gave you back pennies on the gallon if you paid cash for gasoline. This was always bizarre, since it was really hard to calculate and pump gas to get an even (no coins) amount of change. if they’d given back pennies _on the dollar_, it wouldn’t have been so hard, since the gas pump could be used to estimate.

The result was, all too often, complex change calculations being made by the sort of people who work cash registers at service stations.

Once, in a rural area, I was given way too much change back – like more than a dollar’s worth.

“You gave me the wrong change,” I started to say, fully intending to explain that it was too much and I should give some back.

But one attendant turned to the other and began _mocking_ me, using a sing-song voice, and laughing.

So I got into my car without another word and drove off with the money.

Sailboat

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/27 "2007-01-24T19:32:27Z")

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People like these challenged ones, are why I never hand anything that can be used for payment over to a person before I agree the sale has gone right. Grasp the card or money in a death grip, and walk away if things get rediculous. I’ve had people tell me we can’t correct that here, it’s to late to fix it at the register, or somebody will have to verify that and they’re at lunch. I just walk away, and it remains their problem to deal with for the next half hour, I’m out of there.

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/28 "2007-01-24T19:43:16Z")

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I and one other person were getting gasoline one day. They went in first and paid while I washed my window. I went in to pay and gave her my pump number and money. She was like “That was the other persons amount, you owe way more.” I told her to look where my vehicle was and the pump next to it, and asked why my pump would be the one that was where the lady had filled up. She new that the lady had filled at the other pump and I at the one the lady paid for. She then starts in with what am I supossed to do, and I tell her it’s not my problem call your boss, here’s what I owe. Bye.

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**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/29 "2007-01-24T19:49:33Z")

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[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord]  
I and one other person were getting gasoline one day. They went in first and paid while I washed my window. I went in to pay and gave her my pump number and money. She was like “That was the other persons amount, you owe way more.” I told her to look where my vehicle was and the pump next to it, and asked why my pump would be the one that was where the lady had filled up. She new that the lady had filled at the other pump and I at the one the lady paid for. She then starts in with what am I supossed to do, and I tell her it’s not my problem call your boss, here’s what I owe. Bye.  
[/QUOTE]  
Wait, what? There still gas stations where you have to go inside and pay? Screw that! If I can’t pay at the pump, I keep going to the next station.

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/30 "2007-01-24T21:50:59Z")

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To conclude this episode:

This morning’s reply sent to Canon:

Once again here is the question.

What is the difference in ink quantity between cartridges cl-41 color  
and  
cl-51 high yeild color.

I’m looking for the ink volume or weight of each, or a percentage.  
Canon’s reply:

Dear Mr. Jones:

Thank you for your reply. The CL-41 ink tanks contains 4ml of each  
color in the tank. The CL-51 ink tank contains, 7ml of each color in  
the tank.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Please feel free to contact  
us again if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Joann  
Technical Support Representative  
Conclusion:  
I feel a whooping alarm should be going off above Joann with someone saying We have a winner folks. Joann comprehends questions, and the rest of you can go home.

Joann you are fantasitic. Woo Hoo!

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**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/31 "2007-01-24T22:41:51Z")

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I would bet the people answering your email are not in an English-speaking country.

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/32 "2007-01-24T23:40:43Z")

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[QUOTE=ratatoskK]  
I would bet the people answering your email are not in an English-speaking country.  
[/QUOTE]

Who cares? Thats Canon’s problem, and I’m always happy to send mail to the upper management, when needed. I had a few things corrected at local stores by sending mail to corporate headquarters, when local persons did nothing.

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/33 "2007-01-24T23:59:28Z")

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[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup]  
_checks thread title_  
_notes accusation of stupidity_  
_re-checks spelling in thread title_  
**Gaudere** strikes again!  
😉  
[/QUOTE]

You mean that “I before E, except after C” thing, right? 😃

Having asked various tech questions over the years, the OP doesn’t surprise me in the least. I don’t believe Comcast has ever answered a question without sending two pages of instructions on Internet Explorer, even though I asked about a completely different browser. Epson can’t seem to get model #s straight. Apple makes their other customers answer my questions.  
Way back in 1995 I had a modem that didn’t work after calling their customer support line dozens of times I drove from Seattle to Portland to return the damn thing in person!

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**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/34 "2007-01-25T02:28:22Z")

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[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord]

Thank you for your reply. The CL-41 ink tanks contains 4ml of each color in the tank. The CL-51 ink tank contains, 7ml of each color in the tank.  
[/quote]  
You asked them for the ink volume, or weight, of each of these cartridges.

Since they haven’t told you how many colours there are, strictly speaking they haven’t answered your question.

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**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/35 "2007-01-25T03:09:09Z")

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Joanne’s the winner? ☹

It was on the box! :dubious:

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**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/36 "2007-01-25T03:56:36Z")

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Yes, but I assume he doesn’t have a box of both to compare.

Google still tells me that both cartridges are cyan/yellow/magenta, meaning you can consider them equal in that regard.

Thus: cl-41 = 3 \* 4 = 12ml  
cl-51 = 3 \* 7 ml = 21ml

So at final total: cl-51 has .57 times as much total ink in it. It is definitively determined that if you paid 1.57 times more than a cl-41 for a cl-51, you’re being ripped off.

There, that only needed the input of a few dozen dopers to resolve. I also affirm that when I was a Comcast tech, I would tell you technical crap if you asked it.

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**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/37 "2007-01-25T04:55:35Z")

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[QUOTE=Nanoda]  
There, that only needed the input of a few dozen dopers to resolve.  
[/quote]  
Five actually.

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/38 "2007-01-25T13:02:24Z")

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The colors are three. I knew that and it’s in the manul if you need to look. It doesn’t mater anyway as I’m looking for a percentage of volume for comparision. I was even ready to convert two different mesurements of volume. I did not have the cartridge package to read for any of them, and the stores in this town don’t carry the cartridges. The FAQs and the search on the Canon site didn’t have specifications for CL-51. All I was trying to find out was is the CL-41 at $25, or the CL-51 at $35 a beter value. Thank God I didn’t ask that.

The fact that there are 3 colors is not relevant to the calculation since once a color is gone the cartridge is done, so the three colors should be handled as if there is only one ink color. Using Nanoda’s method is the wrong way to handle this.

$25/4oz= $6.25 per oz  
$35/7oz= $5.00 per oz

The CL-51 is a better value, which isn’t always the case when buying larger sized product.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/39 "2007-01-25T13:07:52Z")

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**Harmonious Discord** , don’t you mean ml, rather than oz?

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-so-sorry-your-so-stupid-or-canon-product-reps-reply/389201/40 "2007-01-25T13:58:59Z")

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[QUOTE=Mangetout]  
**Harmonious Discord** , don’t you mean ml, rather than oz?  
[/QUOTE]

So right you are. The units are for ml.  
The rest remains valid.

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