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part 2....
I left him a message about the whole order and was calling to find out another perspective of what I have been told this far. I couldn’t believe that the guy that was throwing a fit about our order being placed with Alex was the same guy that did the last group buy. I was really shocked that when he was a hobbyist like the rest of us it was a great deal, but once he opened a store, it was taking money away from him. I kept an open mind on the conversation but He made it very clear that he gave Alex a lesson in business that it was more important to work with his suppliers that to do a group buy. He also told Alex that he wouldn’t buy from him if he filled the Group buy. These are words from Steve, the owner or Front Ranges mouth on the phone today! He didn’t see it as an ultimatum, but rather as business. There was supposedly an agreement that Alex made Steve that he would only sell to him in Colorado, which doesn’t add up because of the emails that I sent back and forth with Alex to get him additional business in the Denver Area. I gave FRA the chance to correct this problem that was created, and he still denied having a hand in what happened, saying that it was all alexs decision and that he made it without any input from FRA. How is it made without any input from FRA when our order had no problems until Alex got a call and a business lesson from FRA??????? I gave the option today that FRA could easily contact his new supplier and order us our fish, make a little bit on it and save face over everything that has happened. FRA denied ever wanting the 50%, yet that didn’t come about until after the complaints from FRA about the group buy. I see the dilemma that FRA is in, but it is self inflicted. You stick your hand in the cookie jar and tried to make money that didn’t belong to you. You made a diver in Hawaii feel guilty about filling an order by your “business lesson” that you gave him, nice words by the way, I hope this lesson worked out well for you.
Steve, I for one will stand up and say it, I will not be entering your shop, ever, and I will be sure to let people know how you feel it necessary to run your business. There is so much more of the conversation I wish I had the time to take and type. Your warped idea of how we as a hobbyist population will spend our money will need to get corrected. Just because people do a group buy every now and then isn’t going to kill off your business. Your approach to this group buy is what will. Your actions will have not only an impact on your business, but also the way that people look at other LFS’s. I am sure that they will thank you as well. You have successfully ****ed on 20 people that had an order from a great guy in Hawaii. Your greed and need for having something in your pocket from a fish order that had nothing to do with you to begin with has had an impact on Alex’s life, Lots of people reading on RC, other LFS’s I hope your business lesson worked well for you. I am sure that Alex had a wrecked holiday season form everything that was going on, and the extra pressure form your actions.
Alex, if you got this far reading, know that I feel for you, I know the tough spot that you had to be in. I feel for you and am sorry for your accident, and your loss to diving. As a fellow diver, I know that there is a great level of peace that you feel when your down deep, in your own little world. I hope you get better soon, and I hope that this group buy didn’t cause you nearly as much grief as it caused me, but somehow I am sure you have been through the wringer also. Best wishes!
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