# Things that seem like a good deal, but maybe really aren't? COVID edition **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [May 5, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190 "2020-05-05T16:47:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/1 "2020-05-05T16:47:26Z")
I got a text message from Verizon the other day. They are throwing a free 15 GB of data our way for the month of May, I assume to help us out “in these uncertain times.” Unfortunately, I rarely go anywhere because of the lockdown, and am on Wi-Fi when I’m at home, so that extra 15 GB of data doesn’t really do me any good. Any other COVID related offers or deals that folks have run into that really aren’t all that helpful? ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/2 "2020-05-05T17:33:09Z")
The car insurance refund commercials are friggin’ hilarious. "We know these are difficult times and money is tight. So we observed that people are naturally driving less during the stay-at-home order. Therefore, our insurance company, out of the overwhelming goodness of our hearts, will refund X% of your car insurance premiums! “Aren’t we wonderful?” Especially since the big bad govamint TOLD the insurance companies they had to do it! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/3 "2020-05-05T18:54:00Z")
Just got this email from the local hospital: > [@](#): > > We are pleased to share with you that beginning today, (local hospital) will celebrate every discharge of a COVID-19 positive patient by playing a short celebratory music clip of “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten on the hospital overhead speakers. Not sure what to think about this. It’s a nice thought but I think the time planning and implementing this could have been better spent. Also could make you sick of what is a good song. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/4 "2020-05-05T21:34:31Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I got a text message from Verizon the other day. They are throwing a free 15 GB of data our way for the month of May, I assume to help us out “in these uncertain times.” > > Unfortunately, I rarely go anywhere because of the lockdown, and am on Wi-Fi when I’m at home, so that extra 15 GB of data doesn’t really do me any good. > > Any other COVID related offers or deals that folks have run into that really aren’t all that helpful? Nothing is going to be a good deal for everyone - my plan added 15GB of mobile hotspot data. Doesn’t do me any good- but there are people who don’t have home wifi and suddenly needed internet access on a tablet or laptop so their kids could do their distance learning. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/5 "2020-05-05T21:48:43Z")
Yeah, that might not be a good deal _for you personally_, but if you were a student dealing with online-only classes + having to return to their family home without wifi, it would be a lifeline. And, as a professor at a public university in a poor state, I promise you there are a ton of students in that situation. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/6 "2020-05-05T22:05:43Z")
Cruise lines and airlines are offering me spectacular fares for August. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/7 "2020-05-06T00:10:41Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > The car insurance refund commercials are friggin’ hilarious. > > "We know these are difficult times and money is tight. So we observed that people are naturally driving less during the stay-at-home order. Therefore, our insurance company, out of the overwhelming goodness of our hearts, will refund X% of your car insurance premiums! > > “Aren’t we wonderful?” > > Especially since the big bad govamint TOLD the insurance companies they had to do it! > ~VOW Cite that the government told the insurance companies they had to do it? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/8 "2020-05-06T00:20:50Z")
LA Times article: [Insurance companies ordered to give refunds to Californians due to coronavirus](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-04-13/insurance-refund-premiums-california) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/9 "2020-05-06T00:26:22Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > LA Times article: [Insurance companies ordered to give refunds to Californians due to coronavirus](https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-04-13/insurance-refund-premiums-california) What about the other 49 states? Does it apply in AZ, where the poster is located? ---
**Author:** ![Happytree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happytree/32/3555_2.png) [@Happytree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happytree)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/10 "2020-05-06T01:46:55Z")
I have some money tied up in tickets to sporting events that will never happen. Stubhub and Ticketmaster are both giving me %120 credit, to put towards more events that will never happen! I’m never going to see a dime after this all shakes out. I understand, the good folks at ticketmaster are probably near starvation now. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/11 "2020-05-06T02:16:26Z")
As a college professor, I am really grateful for the 15 gig added in both April and May by Verizon. I have no internet at home other than my phone. Zooming with students uses a ton of data. It must be even worse for students, who have multiple classes to keep up with. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/12 "2020-05-06T02:21:34Z")
There’s a big car dealer that is offering to totally sanitize your car. And they will give you 2 free face masks. All you gotta do is bring it to them. Drop it off and I guess walk somewhere while they do it. But nothing is open near them. Since they’re on interstate frontage. Not exactly social distancing to call a cab and go ‘where’? And it costs only $99. Stoopid! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/13 "2020-05-06T03:02:26Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > The car insurance refund commercials are friggin’ hilarious. > > "We know these are difficult times and money is tight. So we observed that people are naturally driving less during the stay-at-home order. Therefore, our insurance company, out of the overwhelming goodness of our hearts, will refund X% of your car insurance premiums! > > “Aren’t we wonderful?” > > Especially since the big bad govamint TOLD the insurance companies they had to do it! My insurance company, here where there is no government mandate, has an interesting take on it, expressed in a recent email. It’s basically this: “We have to admit that most people are driving less due to stay-at-home orders, because the papers are constantly full of pictures of empty highways, so it’s hard to deny. But we also note that police are reporting more racing and stunt driving due to little traffic on the roads. We cannot yet predict how this will affect our claims rates (seriously, I am NOT making this up) and therefore we cannot at this time offer across-the-board rate reductions, although we may at a later date if sufficiently shamed by other companies all doing it. We are pleased, however, to offer you this 27-page form to fill out for a pittance of a discount in which you guarantee that you are not working for a specified period and promise that you will only drive for _ **essential** _ products and services, where ‘essential’ is defined by us to mean whatever the fuck we want it to mean, and in particular, if you get into an accident, it definitely wasn’t ‘essential’ so don’t even bother trying to file a claim”. Those may not have been the exact words but they convey the meaning quite accurately. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/14 "2020-05-06T03:21:48Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What about the other 49 states? Does it apply in AZ, where the poster is located? I’m presently staying in SCal, so I’m inundated with all the insurance commercials telling everyone what good guys they are by offering refunds. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/15 "2020-05-06T04:49:01Z")
I moved house just before the isolation. I had trouble getting the internet connected, so needed to tether to my phone. I really appreciated the extra data my provider offered. Now that internet is connected, I no longer need it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/16 "2020-05-06T12:06:57Z")
My gf has gone from driving close to 3 hours every day during rush hour to driving zero hours working from home, and her car insurance company (State Farm, IIRC) isn’t doing a thing. Meanwhile, I’m driving maybe a little bit more, as I’m the one going to pick up food and am still working remotely, and my insurance (AAA) is sending me a refund check! ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/17 "2020-05-06T12:28:22Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My gf has gone from driving close to 3 hours every day during rush hour to driving zero hours working from home, and her car insurance company (State Farm, IIRC) isn’t doing a thing. > > Meanwhile, I’m driving maybe a little bit more, as I’m the one going to pick up food and am still working remotely, and my insurance (AAA) is sending me a refund check! As far as I know, in most cases auto premiums are based in part on mileage - if your GF is now driving many fewer miles than she reported to the company, she should be able to change the info they have on file. Although I will say GEICO is applying the discount when you renew rather than sending a refund check so perhaps thats what State Farm is doing. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/18 "2020-05-06T12:53:57Z")
nm. misunderstood the OP. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/19 "2020-05-06T13:38:11Z")
State Farm is doing a refund. It will show up in June[https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2020/04/16/coronavirus-relief-how-get-your-car-insurance-refunds/2990448001/](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2020/04/16/coronavirus-relief-how-get-your-car-insurance-refunds/2990448001/) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/20 "2020-05-06T13:42:16Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > State Farm is doing a refund. It will show up in June[https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2020/04/16/coronavirus-relief-how-get-your-car-insurance-refunds/2990448001/](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2020/04/16/coronavirus-relief-how-get-your-car-insurance-refunds/2990448001/) Heh. My gf will be happy. We compared premiums and mine is waaaay cheaper than hers to begin with. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190.md?page=2)