Sterling Carb Auction on RCC?

Sterling · 03-28-2010, 06:44 PM

At 7:37 AM, Sunday, March 28, I sent Chad $300 via PayPal. I'm sorry to have wasted his time by making a promise I couldn't keep. At the time, things were going a bit better for me than now, but they had been steadily declining for me for about 18 months. For the past year I've been working a full time job and a part time job, different ones, doing different things, but always exhausted at the end of the day. It was never my intention not to send Chad his carb, but I let the carb orders pile up and when it came time to build an order that was $650 or Chad's $285 order, well business sense simply had to outweigh my own personal sense of right vs "ain't right". This is why I will eventually send Chad a Sterling Nikki (free). He deserves it, but I just can NOT say when that will be. It won't be until after I have taken care of all of my outstanding orders. Believe me, this whole thing is nothing I'm proud of, and I have felt guilty every step of the way.

However...
There are other circumstances about this situation that readers do not know. These circumstances do not justify my neglect to fill Chads order, but they do go far in explaining just how disgusted I am with this forum and how Kevin has chosen to handle this.

First off, I specifically state on my website that I do not conduct business via forum PMs. I don't always allow the PMs to auto-email me. I choose to keep a personal record of the ongoing business dialog in email form.
Despite that fact, Chad had tried several times to contact me via PM on this forum when he was getting antsy about his carb. When I did not respond, instead of attempting to email me, he made his grievance public on this forum. The thread was then brought to my attention by someone and I had to come here and defend myself. Kevin was apparently PMed by Chad for help, as well.
In my efforts to defend myself against the allegation that I was avoiding communication with Chad, I listed all the emails he could contact me by. There's a link in my signature that takes you to my website. At the bottom of every single page of my website is an email address specifically for the carburetor business. I also have my own forum.
...Chad also has my phone number.

Chad simply wanted his carburetor, and that's fair enough. But there was no reason for "calling me out" on a public forum. I'm a fair guy. In fact, I'm MORE than fucking fair. I didn't need to be strong-armed by the administration of this forum to tend to my personal business.

Furthermore;
When I first came here, when the RCC forum first started, I was very supportive. I donated a carburetor, happily. Proudly. It was not until I spoke with Kevin over the phone regarding this latest trip to Irvine that I found that I had been the largest donor to date. And Kevin didn't know it until I reminded him how much the first carb had gone for. Then I explained how I never got a tee-shirt for my efforts and how I was just a little upset by that.

This same thing happened this year. I didn't even know my logo was the biggest one on the shirt. I never even saw it. That's right, I was never sent a tee-shirt. It's just a tee-shirt, but it's also a piece of pride for me. I'm just one guy in his home garage working on carburetors, and I'm known in several countries among the some of the rotary community.
I never did mention to Kevin that the logo banner he created for me for display on this site has the word "carburetor" spelled incorrectly, and I only hope that it is spelled correctly on the shirt.
There's also the fact that I have never made a single sale from this forum. I repeat, after having donated over $900 in retail product, I have never made a sale from anyone who came from this forum.
Now the fact is, I have made dozens of sales by answering questions on the rx7club forum, even though I am not a vendor there, will not conduct business via PM there, nor do I ask anyone to contact me for business. So when I get an email telling me that if I don't post a new thread soon in my vendor section here on the RCC, it will relegated to inactive status, and then I come here and look to see that there have been absolutely ZERO new posts in my section, I find it not only hard to justify the time, but also kind of a pompous approach to attempt at generating forum traffic.
I don't take well to being pushed into anything, like most folks I figure, whether it's posting on a forum that "gives me a free vendor section" that I feel I've paid plenty for already, or being publicly chastised regarding my personal business.

Like I say, folks, I'm very sorry Chad had to endure all this. I let my hardships spill over into my business and thus effect my customers. But I also feel that this was handled poorly by the administration of a floundering forum for which free vendor sections that are offered up for only the price of a very small amount of monthly attention are deemed not worth that small effort by the majority of the vendors listed here.
This begs the question, Who needs who more in this symbiotic relationship; the vendors needing the forum, or the forum needing the vendors, and as such, who should be asking for the other's help?

Sorry Kevin, but I won't be treated with a lack of respect by anyone here, regardless of how poorly I've handled a business deal with a customer. And Chad is exactly that; my customer. He's bought a carb from me before.
You can do with this what you want, it's your sandbox, after all. But if you don't put threads back the way they were, in their proper areas, and you don't make me a moderator in the carburetor section again like I was, and you don't put my vendor section back into "active status" (-I think this much activity is certainly qualification), then I'm simply going to leave and not return. If you decide to set everything back the way it was, I will make more of an attempt to participate here.
Keep in mind, it was you who wanted to call me out and publicize this whole thing using your forum, even after our email dialog.

***ZGN*** · 03-28-2010, 08:45 PM

This is what forums are for, communication. If you don't want to participate then don't post. A simple PM E-mail or phone call letting me know you did not receive a shirt and it would have been addressed a long time ago. 6 months with out any contact is way to long.

6 months+ to issue a refund to a forum member for a product promised but not delivered is unacceptable. As far as I knew I held up to everything that we agreed to. You have your advertisement on 300 shirts that were given out and your banner had been displayed for over 6 months going on 12. You told me for the 1st time last Thursday that Chad would get his carb when you got your T-shirt.... This was the 1st time I have heard that you did not receive it. I then Promptly replied send me what size you would like and I would ship it out the next day.. I received no reply...

I am sorry you have had so much trouble... I don't make a dime off this forum and currently it has me over $1000 in the hole. I respond to all pm's e-mails and phone calls promptly. If you have a problem don't wait 6 months and blame me for you not shipping out product because you did not receive a shirt.. Also if you see something misspelled that needs to be fixed please tell me. I am not a spelling expert. I can help you if you communicate.

Thank you for finally issuing a refund to Chad.

Since you do not like to use the forum to communicate I am closing this thread. If you need anything please E-mail or call me anytime.

Sincerely,

Kevin Henderson

03-28-2010, 08:45 PM	#17
*ZGN* I fly drones & film crap. Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL iTrader: (6) Posts: 2,262 Rep Power: 10	This is what forums are for, communication. If you don't want to participate then don't post. A simple PM E-mail or phone call letting me know you did not receive a shirt and it would have been addressed a long time ago. 6 months with out any contact is way to long. 6 months+ to issue a refund to a forum member for a product promised but not delivered is unacceptable. As far as I knew I held up to everything that we agreed to. You have your advertisement on 300 shirts that were given out and your banner had been displayed for over 6 months going on 12. You told me for the 1st time last Thursday that Chad would get his carb when you got your T-shirt.... This was the 1st time I have heard that you did not receive it. I then Promptly replied send me what size you would like and I would ship it out the next day.. I received no reply... I am sorry you have had so much trouble... I don't make a dime off this forum and currently it has me over $1000 in the hole. I respond to all pm's e-mails and phone calls promptly. If you have a problem don't wait 6 months and blame me for you not shipping out product because you did not receive a shirt.. Also if you see something misspelled that needs to be fixed please tell me. I am not a spelling expert. I can help you if you communicate. Thank you for finally issuing a refund to Chad. Since you do not like to use the forum to communicate I am closing this thread. If you need anything please E-mail or call me anytime. Sincerely, Kevin Henderson __________________ Kevin Last edited by ZGN; 03-28-2010 at 08:49 PM..

03-28-2010, 06:44 PM	#16
Sterling Premium Vendor Join Date: Feb 2008 iTrader: (2) Posts: 74 Rep Power: 17	At 7:37 AM, Sunday, March 28, I sent Chad $300 via PayPal. I'm sorry to have wasted his time by making a promise I couldn't keep. At the time, things were going a bit better for me than now, but they had been steadily declining for me for about 18 months. For the past year I've been working a full time job and a part time job, different ones, doing different things, but always exhausted at the end of the day. It was never my intention not to send Chad his carb, but I let the carb orders pile up and when it came time to build an order that was $650 or Chad's $285 order, well business sense simply had to outweigh my own personal sense of right vs "ain't right". This is why I will eventually send Chad a Sterling Nikki (free). He deserves it, but I just can NOT say when that will be. It won't be until after I have taken care of all of my outstanding orders. Believe me, this whole thing is nothing I'm proud of, and I have felt guilty every step of the way. However... There are other circumstances about this situation that readers do not know. These circumstances do not justify my neglect to fill Chads order, but they do go far in explaining just how disgusted I am with this forum and how Kevin has chosen to handle this. First off, I specifically state on my website that I do not conduct business via forum PMs. I don't always allow the PMs to auto-email me. I choose to keep a personal record of the ongoing business dialog in email form. Despite that fact, Chad had tried several times to contact me via PM on this forum when he was getting antsy about his carb. When I did not respond, instead of attempting to email me, he made his grievance public on this forum. The thread was then brought to my attention by someone and I had to come here and defend myself. Kevin was apparently PMed by Chad for help, as well. In my efforts to defend myself against the allegation that I was avoiding communication with Chad, I listed all the emails he could contact me by. There's a link in my signature that takes you to my website. At the bottom of every single page of my website is an email address specifically for the carburetor business. I also have my own forum. ...Chad also has my phone number. Chad simply wanted his carburetor, and that's fair enough. But there was no reason for "calling me out" on a public forum. I'm a fair guy. In fact, I'm MORE than fucking fair. I didn't need to be strong-armed by the administration of this forum to tend to my personal business. Furthermore; When I first came here, when the RCC forum first started, I was very supportive. I donated a carburetor, happily. Proudly. It was not until I spoke with Kevin over the phone regarding this latest trip to Irvine that I found that I had been the largest donor to date. And Kevin didn't know it until I reminded him how much the first carb had gone for. Then I explained how I never got a tee-shirt for my efforts and how I was just a little upset by that. This same thing happened this year. I didn't even know my logo was the biggest one on the shirt. I never even saw it. That's right, I was never sent a tee-shirt. It's just a tee-shirt, but it's also a piece of pride for me. I'm just one guy in his home garage working on carburetors, and I'm known in several countries among the some of the rotary community. I never did mention to Kevin that the logo banner he created for me for display on this site has the word "carburetor" spelled incorrectly, and I only hope that it is spelled correctly on the shirt. There's also the fact that I have never made a single sale from this forum. I repeat, after having donated over $900 in retail product, I have never made a sale from anyone who came from this forum. Now the fact is, I have made dozens of sales by answering questions on the rx7club forum, even though I am not a vendor there, will not conduct business via PM there, nor do I ask anyone to contact me for business. So when I get an email telling me that if I don't post a new thread soon in my vendor section here on the RCC, it will relegated to inactive status, and then I come here and look to see that there have been absolutely ZERO new posts in my section, I find it not only hard to justify the time, but also kind of a pompous approach to attempt at generating forum traffic. I don't take well to being pushed into anything, like most folks I figure, whether it's posting on a forum that "gives me a free vendor section" that I feel I've paid plenty for already, or being publicly chastised regarding my personal business. Like I say, folks, I'm very sorry Chad had to endure all this. I let my hardships spill over into my business and thus effect my customers. But I also feel that this was handled poorly by the administration of a floundering forum for which free vendor sections that are offered up for only the price of a very small amount of monthly attention are deemed not worth that small effort by the majority of the vendors listed here. This begs the question, Who needs who more in this symbiotic relationship; the vendors needing the forum, or the forum needing the vendors, and as such, who should be asking for the other's help? Sorry Kevin, but I won't be treated with a lack of respect by anyone here, regardless of how poorly I've handled a business deal with a customer. And Chad is exactly that; my customer. He's bought a carb from me before. You can do with this what you want, it's your sandbox, after all. But if you don't put threads back the way they were, in their proper areas, and you don't make me a moderator in the carburetor section again like I was, and you don't put my vendor section back into "active status" (-I think this much activity is certainly qualification), then I'm simply going to leave and not return. If you decide to set everything back the way it was, I will make more of an attempt to participate here. Keep in mind, it was you who wanted to call me out and publicize this whole thing using your forum, even after our email dialog.