[TowerTalk] The other side of the story

[K7LXC at aol.com]

Howdy, TowerTalkians --

First, thanks for all your comments and particularly the guys who came to my defense. 

I run a retail business called Champion Radio Products and many of you have been customers of mine - thank you. I treat people with the same attitude that I would like them or a business to treat me with. Conversely I expect customers to treat me fairly as well. 

I'm also the founder and administrator of TowerTalk - this great reflector that is a valuable service to the amateur radio hobby. (BTW there are over 1400 current subscribers.) Bill Fisher, W4AN-SK, and I started it in 1996 and since then I have made over 7500 postings - most of which had to do with replies to tower construction questions. I can get cranky about off-topic stuff but mostly members act like adults and everyone benefits. 

Yes, I'd appreciate it if you folks would patronize my business but TT and Champion Radio are totally separate enterprises - one doesn't have much to do with the other. I promote TT on my website and occasionally mention something on TT that I have something that someone may be interested in; i.e. the tribander and vertical antenna comparison reports, guy wire tensioners, etc. But there has never been any attempt to use TT as a marketing platform for Champion; i.e. This Week Only - 10% Off, etc. 

But TT HAS NEVER BEEN a forum for bashing manufacturers or dealers - whether it's me or anyone else. While we all want to know who we should or shouldn't do business with (since many TT topics have to do with BUYING something), ranting and raving on a manufacturer or dealer is totally discouraged. Sure, we all get pissed off occasionally but TT is an unmoderated reflector so I don't see stuff before it's posted just like you do. 

The fact is that Mr. Cariello bought some safety equipment from me and between the theft of the first shipment and a screw-up from the manufacturer on the replacement shipment, Mr. Cariello wanted to return his merchandise. I live full-time in a motorhome and have a Personal Mail Box that receives and forwards my mail. I didn't have any idea that the merchandise was returned and then refused until I got the initial credit card dispute. While some of the things Mr. Cariello said were true, some were not. Mr. Cariello has not tried to contact me by phone or respond to my emails asking about the status of my merchandise or done anything to get this straightened out except get his money back without returning the merchandise. 

Mr. Cariello was a difficult customer to work with. I will never do business with him again. 

The fact is that he still owes me money and has my merchandise and he knows it. I asked him if that was how he ran his business. 

But no one is going to bash me on my reflector and get away with it. If I was half as clever as I thought I was he never would have been able to post his original rant. Oh, well. 

Yes, TT is a benign dictatorship and maybe you would have responded differently on your reflector - that's your call.

So he got bounced for conduct inappropriate to TT. And don't forget that HE started this. 

Cheers,
Steve    K7LXC