NOpe, Depot and Lowes (and us and anyone else) only act as a transaction agent for you to buy the warranty from a third party--the same as the retailer does for you and the manufacturer. GE was the provider for many in the field last time I checked. THey were ours, but we've just changed providers and I can't recall what idiotic "protection service" sounding moniker we're using now. Retailers don't do anything but collect their 20% and route your call off to the third party if you have an issue. THe only thing offered by most extended warranties that does apply during the manufacturer warranty is coverage for spoiled food (refrigerator) and for damage from power surges. Everything else during that first year is covered (or not) by the manufacturer, and it's at their discretion as to whether or not to replace an item rather than repair it. Your "bonus coverage" is nothing more than smoke and mirrors from the warranty company. Neither the manufacturer nor the warranty company will be at all ameniable to replacing a "lemon" appliance unless you hound them unmercifully. It's still better to buy a decent brand and save your money on any after market warranty. If you're concerned about the ice maker in a fridge, pay the money to buy one without it and get a separate ice machine. Except that you'll be spending enough money to buy 2 "standard" refrigerators all over again. There IS no such thing as a brand with zero repairs. You'll read something bad about every single brand out there. The few complainers are much much louder than the thousands of everyday people not on the internet specifically to vent. If you want a recommendation for fewest repair issues, call a local appliance service company and ask them about which brand they get calls for the least. OF all the brands we sell, the Maytag/Jennair/Whirlpool conglomerate has more requests for the manufacturer's phone number to log a service issue than does the others. And, they have some of the worst service agents as well. Even so, we might get 1% of the WHirltag refrigerators we sell needing a service call that first year. Most do exactly as they were designed to do. You just don't hear about those.

I had installed 8 sets of ceiling speakers installed by the builder in my new condo. I used Cambridge Soundworks speakers for all of my speakers. Until recently they had retail stores in New England and California but they are now mostly web based. They have a wide range of speakers and prices so I was able to get higher end units for the living room and saved money with smaller/cheaper units in the master bath etc. Also purchased their outdoor units for my deck and have some book shelf speakers for the bedroom. The clarity is great. I have the whole house wired into a two zone system but had to get another amp to power it all up. When I have the whole house filled with music such as at a party the sound is amazing. The ceiling speakers in the living room are also tied into the 5.1 surround sound for music and also used for TV sound. (I went a bit crazy doing the whole house but it sounds great). Look at them at www.cambridgesoundworks.com . They frequently have sales so signing up for their e-mail newsletter may save you some money.

My experience with F&D is mostly positive. I've bought tile and cork flooring, and I'm happy with what I've purchased there. My only warning is to buy more than what you need because they seem to have a high turnover in their stock. When a certain tile sells out, you may not see it again. Twice I've bought a glass tile sample then went back to make a purchase and it was gone. as in not even on the display boards. On one occasion I didn't cherry-pick some stone tile and needed to purchase more. I went back the following weekend, and that tile stock went from 100's of boxes to about 12. I considered some engineered wood, but they mostly carry "hand-scraped" which I hate. And to be honest their in-stock engineered wood flooring is not very good quality. They do have nicer selections in their custom-order lines, tho. I've never placed a custom order so I can't speak to that.

I had a thrips outbreak a year or so ago, I have no idea where they came from - I hadn't put any new, unisolated violets into my plant room, but suddenly there they were, on 3 or 4 different plants in different parts of the room. Therefore, I knew I had to treat all my plants - about 35 in all. I disbudded all of them and sprayed them with an AVID solution - 1/2 t. per gallon of water - 3 times, a week apart. I also watered them with a solution of Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub, which contains 1.47 % Imidachloprid - probably 1/2 t. per gallon of water. Yes, it was a pain in the neck, but the thrips were gone and haven't been seen since, thank goodness. I would hate to throw out my whole collection without first trying to save them.