# 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:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pancake\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@Pancake\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pancake_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/21 "2020-05-06T17:16:17Z")
the federal law directing mortgage lenders to allow forbearance for up to 12 months was left vague enough that lenders are allowing an initial 90 days for forbearance but the terms require all 3 months of forborne payments to be made on the first day of the 4th month. that’s not how forbearance works and they know it. normally, the skipped payments are added to the end of the loan term. [investopedia](https://www.investopedia.com/how-to-get-mortgage-relief-4800539) [usatoday](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/04/06/coronavirus-mortgage-relief-confusing-struggling-homeowners/5095180002/) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/22 "2020-05-06T20:31:14Z")
Gas is super cheap! But I have nowhere to go. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/23 "2020-05-07T07:08:19Z")
I have unlimited data, so nothing there. And the car insurance discount is only for the next policy period, which starts the end of July for me. So, I guess I have that to look forward to. I have to work, so the low gas prices help. But that’s offset by higher food spending due to stores never being open and other extra spending for conveniences. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/24 "2020-05-07T15:06:33Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > 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! Maybe have another member of your household follow you to the dealership in their car so they can drive you home? Then when your car is ready they can drive you there to pick it up? I know this might not be possible for everyone, but a lot of people aren’t sheltering alone, and a lot of households have multiple vehicles. I don’t think I’d pay $99 to have MY car sanitized but I’d pay to have my brother’s car deep-cleaned, as long as I could be there to see the look on the guy’s face when he realized how much cleaning he was going to have to do for his $99. The bath remodeling companies are all falling over themselves to offer up their best prices EVER! They will guarantee that they have never given any customer a lower price than they’re giving you! 20% OFF! $1000 OFF 20%+$1000 OFF. A free roll of toilet paper and a chicken with every bathtub. Plus they are SAFE, their sale consultants and installers spend a week in a special human sized autoclave before they come to your house, and they clean their samples and wash their hands, too! Since you can’t take a vacation, why not spend all that money on an ALMOST free new bathtub! It’s so cheap it’s almost like you’re robbing us, but we won’t call the cops because we care about our communities and you. We are there for you. Those bath remodelers have really saturated the local advertising slots with new commercials. It’s ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190/25 "2020-05-07T16:05:56Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I have unlimited data, so nothing there. And the car insurance discount is only for the next policy period, which starts the end of July for me. So, I guess I have that to look forward to. > > I have to work, so the low gas prices help. But that’s offset by higher food spending due to stores never being open and other extra spending for conveniences. I have unlimited data, too, but it got even more unlimited (before they throttle me) and the hotspot limit is now really high. My wifi doesn’t cover the whole house, so it’s nice to keep my phone on data. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-seem-like-a-good-deal-but-maybe-really-arent-covid-edition/853190.md?page=1)