[ddots-l] Fw: [MIDI-MAG] Fw: Talking Voltmeter from Omega who doesn't want to sell to blind users!
- From: "FrankLizarde" <franklizarde@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 28 May 2005 21:33:12 -0700
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Richer" <jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <MIDI-MAG@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2005 6:36 PM
Subject: [MIDI-MAG] Fw: Talking Voltmeter from Omega who doesn't want to
sell to blind users!
> I posted earlier that I thought the offending company was Oregon
> Scientific but it seems that I was wrong. Please see the following.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Greg Epley" <gregepley@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2005 2:43 PM
> Subject: Re: Talking Voltmeter
>
>
> > I'm going through that very thing with Omega right now. I received an
> HHM2
> > for my birthday this year; I've had the page on their web site
bookmarked
> > for around 3 years, and never in all that time have they ever had
anything
> > posted about a visually impaired warning. As of May 2nd 2005, still no
> > warning; that has appeared since that time, and not as a result of a
> > purchase of a unit for me. I contacted them about a fault in an
optional
> > accessory part and, not knowing any such warning, mentioned I was
visually
> > impaired; I also briefly mentioned how many years I had been working
with
> > electronics and meters. I mentioned to them twice now that I've never -
> > even in my sighted years - do any risky measurements with any previous
> > meters - and being blind now why would I start now? If nothing else I'm
> > going to be even more cautious now and let a sighted person do the
> > measurements with my meter.
> >
> > About four days later, a large, mysterious box delivered by FedEx
revealed
> > two checks - one for $316 and one for $100. The enclosed letter
revealed
> > this "no exceptions policy" - the $100 was a "birthday gift", and of
> course
> > the $316 was to reimburse my relative for the purchase of the meter,
which
> > Omega expected me to return to them.
> >
> > I immediately sent them a very firm email regarding the whole situation.
> > For one thing, just because one is "aware" a customer "has" a device is
> not
> > grounds enough to rob that person of the independence that device
offers;
> > whether Omega "knows" I have one doesn't change the bottom line that (a)
a
> > visually impaired person has the device and (b) that person can at some
> > future point, due to their own stupidity, attempt to take some legal
> action
> > against Omega as a result of injury suffered due to such incorrect use.
> (a)
> > and (b) are still the case whether Omega "knows" of such users or not,
and
> > their attempts to "clear" sales by phone isn't going to stop a damn
thing
> > (but then that course was most likely suggested by a bunch of legal
> advisors
> > and executives whose blood flow to their brains is cut off by neckties
or
> > pantyhose).
> >
> > As an aside to this "knowledge" of such visually impaired users, just
> > because I "know" something doesn't mean anything; I have free will; I
> worked
> > at a bank fairly high up in IT for many years prior to going blind, and
as
> > such became aware of names and accounts and balances that I will never
> > forget. Nevertheless, just because I'm walking around out here in the
> world
> > with that knowledge means that I must exercise free will and not share
> that
> > info with anyone; the same can be said of many other practicies and
> policies
> > one picks up working most anywhere - just because you know some bits of
> info
> > doesn't mean anything unless you intentionally misuse that knowledge for
> > your own gain or someone else's loss; exercise your free will to not do
> the
> > wrong thing and what's the harm?
> >
> > I currently don't know if I'm going to be allowed to keep my meter or
> not.
> > I'm going to fight it and have warned Omega of this, to not blow
something
> > out of proportion that doesn't need to be, and that I will contact media
> > sources if they so choose to do so. Omega is trying to do nothing more
> than
> > cover their ass for being stupid enough to not post the "warning" they
now
> > have on their site. As my purchase was made prior to any such warning,
> and
> > as my product does not appear to include the warnings they say are
there,
> I
> > can't see they have a leg to stand on. Their letter speaks of this
> warning
> > being on the product and in the manual. I can't speak for the manual at
> > this time, but I have had both the product box and the product
thoroughly
> > scanned by a sighted person or two and there is no such "warning" on it,
> > likely because it was on a warehouse shelf somewhere and not "new"
stock.
> > At any rate, Omega is over a barrel right now - I have product and two
> > checks totalling $416. I have no intention but to eventually shred the
> > checks, but I've outlined that to Omega on a dated timeframe.
> >
> > I can certainly understand Omega's caution to sell to visually impaired
> > customers. However, they could achieve a much better customer situation
> for
> > any visually impaired customers they become "aware" of by simply getting
> > their stupid legal department to draft some sort of "waiver of
liability"
> or
> > something to that effect. Perhaps that's not workable due to some other
> > legalities with the visually impaired, but I fail to see how what
they're
> > doing is any better or different. I've never been put into a situation
> like
> > this, where I was denied service because I'm this or that, and right now
I
> > don't know how it's going to turn out.
> >
> > Agreed with the warning that if anyone wants one of these products, I
echo
> > loudly do not tell them you are visually impaired! I plan to continue
> this
> > practice with anything I buy in the future, irregardless of how this
turns
> > out - never tell any product manufacturer you are blind, or God only
knows
> > what Pandora's box you will open up.
> > -Greg
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Steve" <k8sp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2005 11:04 AM
> > Subject: Talking Voltmeter
> >
> >
> > > Iomega Engineering sells a talking multimeter. Be advised, however,
> that
> > > you
> > > *definitely *do *not want to tell them you are visually impaired if
you
> > > orddr
> > > one. It is their belief that blind people are not competent to
operate
> a
> > > multi-meter, and another person from a different list who had to have
> his
> > > unit
> > > repaired, they refused to repair it after finding out he was blind.
> > > Instead,
> > > they sent him a full refund of his purchase price.
> > >
> > > Steve
> > > Lansing, MI
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindtech/
> >
> > <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > blindtech-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> > <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
Other related posts:
