All,
I humbly disagree with the assertion that this issue should not be on the
list. I have never done business with Jim (nor will I), yet I find the
discussion useful and informative. To me, a principal purpose of the list is
to keep each other informed about suppliers -- good, bad, and ugly. In this
case, Jim abused this list as an advertising platform to the point where he
was banned. Nevertheless, many have sent him money on the promise of a
product. This is "good faith" and necessary to help support small suppliers.
For you TR8 list folks, you know that Brad Wilson collects enough capital to
produce new parts this way. Difference is that Brad delivers.
People have been complaining about Jim, on and off, since I joined the list
over a year ago. While he may very well be a nice guy and a skilled
technician, he has failed in his business. Since he has all your money, he
must have your addresses -- otherwise, how else could he ship the product??
He simply could have sent a post card to all of you for 23 cents, explaining
his situation. He also could have set up a free hotmail (or similar) e-mail
so that he could be contacted. So, for about $20, I'll bet this whole
discussion never would have happened (at least for another six months or so).
But he did not do this. And don't you wonder why he is speaking to his
customers through an intermediary??
Sadly, it appears that the threat of prosecution has become necessary to get
his attention. I encourage you all to look past any sympathy you have for him
and proceed. He has taken your money, hidden himself from you, and, in the
end, probably made it more difficult for upstart suppliers to gain trust and
do business. That hurts all of us. Good luck.
Here is a short story that I believe appropriate -- The power of car clubs
cannot be underestimated. I live in northern Virginia. Last weekend, there
was an interesting story on the TV news. Two Jeep enthusiasts had various
custom accessories stolen from their vehicles that were parked in their
suburban driveways. The got on their club e-mail list and put the word out.
Within minutes, many club members were surfing the web. One of them found
suspicious stuff for sale. The victims went to look at the stuff, confirmed
that it was theirs, and called the police. Within a day, crime solved, stuff
recovered, and crook charged with grand larceny.
Cheers,
Paul E., Esq.
Annandale, VA
71 TR6 Damson CC67060
80 TR8 Aqua TPVDV8AT210430
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