Sound Advice
By Don Lindich
Week 19, 2019
Q. I read your review of the VAVA dashcam and tried ordering from Amazon using the discount code NC58Z5UC. The code is not valid. What’s up with it not working?
-K.K., Milwaukee, WI
A. I received many emails about the excellent VAVA dashcam and the $40 coupon code, which reduced the price from $119 to $79. For the first week the code NC58Z5UC activated the $40 discount and readers were very happy with the deal and the camera. Then I started getting emails like yours telling me the code no longer worked.
I contacted VAVA and they explained that they were having technical difficulties. They provided a replacement code, and everyone who received the new code was able to get the $40 discount.
The problem is fixed and to make up for it, VAVA has extended the promotion until May 31st. Use code NC58Z5UC at www. amazon.com/dp/B07NC68QQ6 to get the dashcam for $79 instead of $119. letsvav
Q. As a frequent reader of your column in our local newspaper, I was surprised by your 2017 column on Speed Queen washers but kept it in the back of my mind. Fast forward to 3 weeks ago and our 25-year old Maytag’s tub rusts through. I know what the replacement will be: a Speed Queen. After consulting the spouse we got the TR5 top-loader model. This thing is magical. It runs everything in half the time, gets it way cleaner, the clothes come out nearly dry, and somehow leaves them fluffier (no idea how that works.) My wife is simply dumbfounded that her whites are actually…. white! Never in our lives have we had such a good washing experience. (Please note that we’ve never used the “Eco” cycle.)
Thank you for this fabulous advice. When can we expect more appliance reviews in your column?
-M.K., Palo Alto, CA
A. I am glad to help and gratified you are so happy! Your happiness should continue as the washer is designed and manufactured to last for 25 years or more. My own experience bears this out. Last spring my Dad bought new Speed Queen equipment when the transmission on his 35+ year-old Speed Queen washer failed, the only breakdown in all that time. Now he has a Speed Queen TR7 washer and the matching dryer with electronic controls. He loves his new washer and dryer and says his clothes never looked better. He does not use the Eco cycle either, preferring to use a bit more water to ensure a thorough cleaning. The machine uses new wash action technology and for those who are interested in learning more, I reviewed his TR7 on my website.
Given you are a Speed Queen fan, I have a special treat! In March I toured the Alliance Laundry Systems factory in Wisconsin, where Speed Queen is made. I am telling the story in a 5-part feature on my website. It’s an inspiring example of made-in-America manufacturing, and it is an unforgettable experience watching their workers turn raw steel and plastic pellets into beautifully-finished washers and dryers.
You have not been seeing appliance reviews because I was getting spread too thin covering major appliances in the column, and I was getting overwhelmed with questions about them. After discussing it with my editors I decided to refocus on my bread and butter of home entertainment, photography, music and small electronics. I will continue to regularly cover cooking gadgets, small appliances and noteworthy products as I have in the past.