I would prefer to buy near home since taking an item back would be easier, but often there is no advantage to a purchase near home. The following are some sales practices I have been caught up in:

• Store adds a fee for using your charge card without telling you;
• No open box returns (they almost never tell if that is the policy);
• 30-day only return guarantee;
• "No refunds" written on the bill of sale; and
• The price on the bill of sale and charge slip that I am to sign is not what I was quoted.

I refused to buy a monitor on sale from Best Buy when the guy told me I only had 14 days to return it, unless I buy the extended warranty.

Perhaps you don't mind a 30-day return policy but that doesn't seem like much of a guarantee to me. That 30-day return policy is also available from many mail-order places, and usually at cheaper prices. If the difference is only a few bucks, I realize that the shipping would justify paying more money locally. I hope to be more observant of the bill of sale and charge slip I am signing, and I hope you are too.

I received e-mail on the senior discount item I wrote about last month. I was told that some "stores" also honor Academic software prices. I knew that here in Orlando one store offers educational discounts, but I didn't ask about it for seniors. Do yourself a favor and ask in your local stores. Some chain computer stores also will set up a discount for your user group members. Check into that in your area.

The PC Mania bookstore web site is www.usapcmania.com and their phone is 1-877-4PC-BOOK (toll free). The web site was still not up and running at this writing but should be soon. An alternate number is 1-212-627-3171. They should still honor the column discount.

The language learning software discount is still good. Interested people should call 1-800-456-5825 to order or ask questions, and don't forget to mention the column.

Cheap travel

Go to their web site www.usairways.com and sign up for E-Savers. You can pick your favorite city, or all cities, whichever interests you, and at the stroke of midnight each Wednesday they will e-mail you special fares. You must leave on Saturday and return the following Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, although I just received one that would allow as much as a five-day stay, leaving on other days.

I'm told it's not unusual to travel from the eastern US to the West Coast for $99.00 RT, but I have yet to see such a deal since finding this. So far, only some of the deals have impressed me. Check it out. Travel is good in US or to Canada, San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Croix. The bad part is the short stay.

Want a great printer?

• Prices are as follows: MD-1000 for PC (refurbished) - 105700-RE - $199.00,
• MD-1300 - for PC (refurbished) - 105200-RE - $399.00,
• PowerRIP Level III PostScript - 105027-00 - $99.00, and
• Two MAC versions available; MD-1000 - $249.00 & MD-1300 -- $449.00.

To order, and for more information about the models, call 888-850-2577 and ask for Monica Martinez. Be sure to use the code 1140 to order, as well as the RE number for the printer you want. If you would rather have a new printer, ask for those special prices.

How about some Mac items!

First of all, it appears that Akimbo software has stopped development of many Mac-users favorite word processor called "FullWrite," and they're giving it away FREE if you want to download it from their FTP site. The address is (worked for me but not my proof reader, so you may also try ftp://ftp.akimbo.com/fullwrite, click on fullwrite_installer.bin. Once downloaded and installed, the registration code to enter is FREE-33333-33333 and that should do it.

Beth says FullWrite is a full word processor and desktop publishing program. Other features include: sidebars, tables, print merge, resumes, newsletters, legal documents, business cards, backgrounds and an equation editor, all of which have built-in templates. It's not a space hog either. In fact, it's on only one disk and could easily be run from the disk by leaving off certain things! How about that!

FullWrite includes offers on any number of specials. For those into rhymes, (for FullWrite owners) there is a special on "A Zillion Kajillion Rhymes" from Eccentric Software for $34.95 + $4.50 S&H. Just drop it into your FullWrite extensions folder.

It works with MS Word 6 and can also be used as a stand-alone. It's huge dictionary includes technical, slang and "SillySlots" of proper and place names. Intelligent suffix and prefix processing finds root words fast; just type a word and click.

Eccentric Software asks for your "FullWrite" serial number, which will be, as stated earlier, FREE-33333-33333. Obviously, few "Windows" people will want FullWrite, but it's free and that's how you get the $15 discount off Rhymes, available for both Windows and Mac. The number for Eccentric Software is 1-800-436-6758. You can also call them and order a bundle that includes "Rhymes," and another software called "Cliches" for $49.95, for which I have no description.

To check those out before buying, go to where you can do on-line demo's, and also download them.

The following are special offers that all user groups should have gotten from a company called Corel Co-op. They come to your user group periodically and this month I'm using a few of them to fill the column. Someone in your UG should be laying out the order forms at your meetings, but there are also phone numbers to order. Sample software was also shipped.

Clipart with a twist.

Create a pencil sketch of an object in 30 seconds. Then rotate it in real-time, and see how it looks as a woodblock print with a click of the mouse. Change the light direction just as easily. Call it customized art if you will. There's more, but let's look at the deal.

Viewpoint is offering a 50% discount off the normal price of $99.99 to the first 1,000 buyers by using the code "COREL6002-2" at Viewpoint's web site http://www.viewpoint.com/liveart, or by giving the code on Viewpoint direct phone orders (888-535-6468). Offer terminates 12/31/98. Only one allowed per number.

Nothing is as easy as creating borders with "ShadeTree's FraemzPS."

Eye Candy (Not the bikini beach bunny kind).

Remember that when a program is called a "plug-in" or a "filter," you must have the program it was meant to be used with. There were other offers in that mailing, but I think it's time to close out the column for this month.

You can reach my fax at 1-407-382-2781, or e-mail me at dealsguy@mindspring.com. Meet me here next month where I'll talk a bit about the disgusting part of our phone bills. Bob "The Cheapskate" Click.

For more information on the Tulsa Computer Society click here