Beware! VegasSmokes Might be a Gamble!
aka Rockafella
Please Read This!
After writing the following but before sending it I did a search of the
group for VegasSmokes. I saw a lot about them posted here. Some good
and some bad. But I also saw one angry post by Freddy Vegas explaining
his disregard for what people wrote about him here and making it known
how he feels about being threatened with such posts. I know people may
be tired about hearing about VegasSmokes but obviously there is a reason
why it keeps coming up. So please bear with this one more time. I
apologize for its length but it was necessary to make my point.
_________________________________________________________________________
I recently had a bad experience with VegasSmokes that I feel should be
shared with all of you. But first a little about myself. This is my
first time posting however, I do read the posts here quite often. I
have been smoking pipes on an off for almost 25 years and more regularly
in the past 5 years. I am currently very active as the secretary for
the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston. Here's the situation:
A little over 2 weeks ago I received my VegasSmokes Newsletter,
something I look forward to each month. I was interested in their sale
of estate, unsmoked Charatan's which they were offering at a good price.
VegasSmokes offers a discount to newsletter subscribers and in this
month's newsletter they mentioned the Charatan sale a second time under
the heading of "Discounts for Members Only". Since the website clearly
showed a discount on these pipes to all visitors I thought that there
may be an additional discount for subscribers so I made an inquiry to
VegasSmokes by email just to be sure. I was already happy with the
price but wanted to double check anyway (do you blame me?). It states
on the website that they receive a lot of email and all emails may not
be responded to. I understood and accepted this and never did received
a response. Fine! I can live with that, the price was still acceptable.
I found a Charatan Grovesnor Canadian I liked and ordered it. I
received it in about 3 days and was initially very happy. However, when
I drew on the stem the air flow was constricted. I ran pipe cleaners
through both the shank and stem and could cleary see through the stem,
there did not seem to be any obstruction. Air drew easily from both the
shank and the stem separately but not when put together. I decided
there was a flaw and wanted to return the pipe for a refund. I checked
the website for their return policy and saw that estate pipes could be
returned on a case by case basis but this one was never smoked and I
didn't think it should be a problem. I checked the pipe over again and
figured out that the reason for the air constriction was due to the fact
that the tenon was about an 1/8th of an inch (or so) shorter than the
tenon hole leaving a small gap where air could get trapped.
I called VegasSmokes to see about returning the pipe, I got their
voicemail and left a message. After 2 days I still did not hear back
from them. I called again and once again got the answering machine. I
left another message and still never received a call back. I called one
last time earlier this week and left yet another message stating that if
I did not hear back from him by Friday that I would let the pipe
community know how I felt. Today is Friday, I still have not received a
call from them and I saw a Vegas Smokes post to this group as recently
as April 7th.
I consider myself to be a fair person but this is just bad business. If
he had called and said I couldn't return the pipe, at least I could
respect that (but it's too late for that now), even if I didn't agree it
was a fair decision (after all the pipe is unsmoked and flawed).
I consider most of the people I've met in the pipe community to be
genuinely nice people and very willing to help each other out in their
own way. I'm not getting this from VegasSmokes at all. I know he's
running a business but what kind of businessman doesn't respond to his
customers? And shouldn't he be trying to promote business instead of
discouraging it, especially in a time when smoking bans are in and
smoking is on it's way out??
I know many of you may have had successful business transactions with
VegasSmokes in the past. I'm sure they're fine if you're buying your
favorite tobacco. But I'm asking that you reconsider doing business
with them in the future. Or if you have a relationship with Freddy
Vegas, tell him to do the right thing. If he takes the pipe back and
refunds my money, I will write a retraction to this letter and forget it
ever happened.
If you want to buy pipes and tobacco at extremely good prices then I'd
say try pipesandcigars.com instead. I have never had a problem with
them. They have always provided fast and reliable service with very
reasonable prices. (And no, I'm not affiliated with them in any way. I
just like being treated fairly.)
I thank you all for your time and hope you can offer some support.
Sincerely,
Nelson Pidgeon
Ken Dixon
Every deal has been as advertised.
Ken in Miami
Escudo in a Barbers Own bent bulldog.
Todd M. Johnson
Because it's just bad for business on every front I rarely get involved in
this sort of thing. However, there are several things in your post that I
think deserve a response. First, the fact that your original and only post
is basically an airing of dirty laundry, and an encouragement to boycott a
dealer you've had a bad transaction with, seems to me in poor taste. That
would be like showing up to a pipe club meeting when you were not a member
just so you could warn all those who were members about the (in your view)
shady business practices of another member. This is a public forum and you
obviously can post what you like. This is not an issue of rights, but
rather of taste and decorum. I understand you are probably frustrated, but
I don't consider this a very respectable tactic for resolving a business
transaction. Your offer to "write a retraction" of this letter if Vegas
Smokes agrees to do what you want them to do is like trying to piss out a
forrest fire. The horse is already out of the barn.
As for your assessment of the pipe's flawed construction, I'd like to offer
one insight. If the draw on your Charatan is constricted (which I don't
doubt it is) I cannot imagine this is a result of the tenon being 1/8" too
short. Air does not get "trapped" between the face of a tenon and the
bottom of a mortise. The reason that a tenon should bottom out in its
mortise is to prevent condensation and gunk from building up in the space
between the two. What you are more likely experiencing is a difference
between the diameter of the draft hole through the shank and the diameter
of the draft hole through the stem. To resolve this whole nasty mess, you
might be much better served by a couple of needle files or a tapered drill
bit than a lengthy description of personal transactions between yourself
and a member of this board.
I don't do business with VegasSmokes, I don't know Freddy Vegas, and I
don't care who does or doesn't buy from him. I just think you've made a bad
situation worse. If you read the posts here as you stated, you'll know that
threads like this always turn into pissing matches between people who've
had good experiences with dealer X and people who wish he'd go ahead and
die.
If you can't get ahold of Freddy, send me the pipe with a check for return
postage. I'll run a tapered trill bit through the stem that matches the
diameter of the draft hole through the shank, and send it back to you.
It'll take all of 30 seconds. Just please don't post anything like this
again. These threads suck.
Todd
STOA Briars
www.stoabriars.com
JHowell982
figured out that the reason for the air constriction was due to the fact
that the tenon was about an 1/8th of an inch (or so) shorter than the
tenon hole leaving a small gap where air could get trapped. >>
I don't think a gap between airhole and stem hole would cause a restriction in
the draw. If the two holes are misaligned and there is not ENOUGH gap between
the two, there could be a restriction. In fact, since you say the stummel and
the stem both draw freely, apart, I would conclude that a misalignment is the
most likely source of the restriction. If you are otherwise happy with the
pipe and the price, you can remedy such a misalignment by appropriately
enlarging one or both holes with a fine rattail file. You don't mention, or
else I missed it, whether the pipe is straight or bent. If bent, the airhole
will be drilled at an angle to the mortise. Sometimes, the angle is such that
wood has to be removed from the smokehole toward the bottom of the mortise in
order for the pipe to draw well, and to pass pipe cleaners. Unless the pipe is
of such value that to fix such a problem would lessen its value, and unless the
price you paid is too much for a pipe with such a fix, it's probably less
hassle just to fix it. It's not an uncommon flaw in factory pipes. Certainly,
it would be better if the pipe drew freely from the start, or, failing that, if
you got a prompt response to your inquiries, but you're not necessarily out a
pipe if you don't get satisfaction from VegasSmokes. I have a number of pipes
that have been massaged in this way, and they're just fine.
Good Luck,
Jack
Sailorman Jack
I would say that he had every right to post his message here; although perhaps
he ought to have waited another week or so to see if he could resolve the
problem with Freddy Vega.
Think how frustrated Nelson must be. He bought a pipe which turns out to be
defective and can't get a response from the seller. That would make me pretty
angry.
Jack
>Subject: Re: Beware! Stop airing your dirty laundry!
>From: "Todd M. Johnson" tmjo...@samford.edu
>Date: 4/9/2004 6:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <Xns94C6C11D5A5A4t...@130.133.1.4>
Bill
I have never done business with Vegas Smokes. I have a select few retailers
online that I do business with and pretty much don't waver due to the excellent
service I've received. My personal preferences are as follows:
Affordable Pipes www.affordablepipes.com
Frenchys Pipes www.frenchyspipes.com
J.R. Cigars www.jrcigar.com
For pipe tobacco, I just see my local B&M.
Briarroot
>
> If you can't get ahold of Freddy, send me the pipe with a check for return
> postage. I'll run a tapered trill bit through the stem that matches the
> diameter of the draft hole through the shank, and send it back to you.
> It'll take all of 30 seconds. Just please don't post anything like this
> again. These threads suck.
<loud applause>
Well said, Mr. Johnson!
Regards,
Tim Parker ... Escudo in a Barling billiard
Todd M. Johnson
Jack, that wasn't actually my intention. We've all seen these threads
and they're just devisive and pointless.
> I would say that he had every right to post his message here; although
> perhaps he ought to have waited another week or so to see if he could
> resolve the problem with Freddy Vega.
As I think I mentioned in my post, I wasn't contesting his "right" to do
anything, just the logic behind it.
> Think how frustrated Nelson must be. He bought a pipe which turns out
> to be defective and can't get a response from the seller. That would
> make me pretty angry.
Yep, I'd be frustrated too, so frustrated in fact that I would likely
put 100% of my efforts into resolving the situation with Freddy.
> Jack
Todd
S. Kurt O'Dell
> postage. I'll run a tapered trill bit through the stem that matches the
> diameter of the draft hole through the shank, and send it back to you.
> It'll take all of 30 seconds. Just please don't post anything like this
> again. These threads suck.
>
> Todd
>
> STOA Briars
> www.stoabriars.com
That is a most generous offer, Todd; you should be commended for your
consideration.
The airing of grievances against vendors has become somewhat more frequent
over the past couple of years I have been on ASP, and it is a disturbing
trend, as it seems more often than not it is intended *solely* to put
pressure on the vendor in question to do what the customer wants with no
compromise.
I also agree that coming from a known contributor it is a bit different than
from someone essentially unknown on ASP. Your analogy about someone walking
into a pipe club meeting is apt; were something like that to occur, I would
consider it a tremendous faux pas and tend to disregard the opinions of the
one committing it. <sigh> I guess it is easier through a keyboard where you
don't have to look the other person in the eye when saying these things.
All that being said, I hope our latest contributor chooses to stay around
and become part of the ASP family. Heaven knows it isn't the first faux pas
someone has committed on ASP, and I have the suspicion it certainly won't be
the last. <g>
Welcome aboard, Rockafella,
Kurt O
aka Rockafella
I understand what you're saying, especially about being my first post,
however in most cases I am happy just sitting back reading the posts an
don't have many comments to make. I called VS on 3 (or maybe even 4)
different occasions with no response and tried to solve the problem in a
mature way (I wouldn't me ashamed of any voicemail message he wants to
post). As I metioned, he posted on here on the 7th which means he most
likely recieved my messages but chose not to respond.
I apologize to the group for coming out on a negative note but I never
would have done it if I had been treated fairly.
As for the air hole. You could be right, I'm not an expert in repairing
pipes, especially ones that have never been smoked. But I have another
Canadian with a metal tube inserted into the tenon and when I put that
in the defective pipe there was no problem with the draw. That and
measuring the tenon was how I came to my conclusion.
One last thing before I drop this forever. With your attitude I should
have no problem buying a brand new car and then replacing one of the
tires myself because is was defective. If I were a salesman I'd love to
have customers like you.
Again, I'm sorry if I offened anyone in the group(accept the intended)
with this post but bad business is bad business and I wouldn't want to
see anyone else, especially a fellow pipe smokeer, get burned (speaking
of forest fires).
Nelson
aka Rockafella
two to compromise. Like I originally said, I consider myself a fair
man and only ask fairness in return. That is the point people should be
defending then there would be none of these kind of posts.
Nelson
IcTop
It is not how many email address Frank got.
If he don't answer your emails (voice mails), there is not much one
can do here.
Keeping silent is the worst form of internet business.
If a dealer doesn't bother to answer your questions, imagine what will
happen when he got your money....wooo...scary!!!
Y.E
"Todd M. Johnson" <tmjo...@samford.edu> wrote in message
news:Xns94C6C11D5A5A4t...@130.133.1.4...
Hi Todd,
Although I agree in general with your comments, I do appreciate when someone
spreads his/her experience with dealing with a particular retailer, as long
as the experience is outlined in a rational and unbiased way, which the
original poster seemed to have done.
On a personal note, I haven't done business with Freddy in the past and I
may or may not do it in the future, but I certainly feel a bit cautious
about the fact that the retailer in question uses a false name, a pseudonim
that he employs in his commercial endeavors. To me that's a bit dishonest
when doing business. I'm a salesman myself and I'm sure my cutomers wouldn't
like it if i told them that I go by the name of Bluebeard or Ned Flanders to
conduct my business.
Cheers
Yoseph
fred hanna
that company and have not ordered anything since.
Fred
Dock J.Perry
an absolute gentleman and a driving force behind our local pipe
club.Knowing him as well as I do gives me the right to speak with
atthority to his character.Nelson is much more apt to give folks a
second and even third chance.Long after most people would have given
up in disgust, he'd labor on to find the good.He's about as forgiving
as a human being could be.His Catholic values and good citizen
additude no doubt contribute to this.I have no question that he did
all that he could before trying to work the matter out in THIS forum.I
can imagine that he hopped the retailer would read the post and
finally respond to him.I don't believe he was trying to instigate a
"pissing match" between ASPers but to warn others of a bad transaction
that he had. Sincerly, Dock J.Perry
Todd M. Johnson
If a dealer doesn't bother to answer your questions, imagine what will
happen when he got your money....wooo...scary!!!
I've never had any problems with Freddy.
Every deal has been as advertised.
Like I originally said, I consider myself a fair
man and only ask fairness in return. That is the point people should be
defending then there would be none of these kind of posts.
Again, I'm sorry if I offened anyone in the group(accept the intended)
with this post but bad business is bad business and I wouldn't want to
see anyone else, especially a fellow pipe smokeer, get burned (speaking
of forest fires).
I certainly feel a bit cautious
about the fact that the retailer in question uses a false name, a pseudonim
that he employs in his commercial endeavors. To me that's a bit dishonest
when doing business.
If a dealer doesn't bother to answer your questions, imagine what will
happen when he got your money....wooo...scary!!!
End quotes.
Nelson,
Above I've posted some of the comments that make these threads problematic.
First, though your stated motive for posting your experience with
VegasSmokes is to warn other smokers that dealing with this particular
establishment might be a gamble. Yet, everything in your post seems to
betray the fact that this is a last ditch effort at getting satisfaction in
*your* business transaction, i.e. if you out Freddy Vegas in a public forum
then he might break down and let you return the pipe. Your words were " I
called one last time earlier this week and left yet another message stating
that if I did not hear back from him by Friday that I would let the pipe
community know how I felt." My point was that these threads always turn
into exactly what this thread has turned into.
Guy A says guy B did him wrong. Guy C defends guy A because he's never had
any problem with guy A. Guy D echoes the sentiments of guy A. Guy F
chastizes guy A for talking bad about his buddy. Guy G states that this is
a public forum and he for one is glad that guy A told him about guy B's
shady business practices. Guys H, I, and J bring up tangencial points about
how guy B also smells bad, has crooked teeth, dates a prostitute, and they
wouldn't want to do business with anyone like that. Meanwhile, the whole
thing masquarades under the guise of "buyer beware" info. It's not that.
It's just a passive strong-arm tactic to get what you think you deserve.
You may absolutely deserve to be able to send the pipe back. I have no idea
the original terms of the sale. My point is just that these threads are
*always* a waste of bandwidth and degenerate into character defamation,
hard feelings, name calling, and rhetorical posturing.
I was quite serious in my original post when I said you could put it in a
box, send it to me, and I would fix it for you. No one should end up with a
crappy pipe that they paid good money for. I'm sorry you can't get Freddy
to answer your calls or e-mails. Maybe he's a bumb. Maybe his mother is
sick. Maybe he's telling you in a not so subtle way that you can't send the
pipe back. I don't care. I am just skeptical of these threads period aside
from who is right and who is wrong.
Todd
Planetary
> Hi Todd,
> Although I agree in general with your comments, I do appreciate when someone
> spreads his/her experience with dealing with a particular retailer, as long
> as the experience is outlined in a rational and unbiased way, which the
> original poster seemed to have done.
I concur. It's only radional for a community of like-minded consumers
to exchange information. And Nelson seemed quite clear that he was
reporting his personal experience, and I for one appreciate it.
We ought not blame the person who's taking the time to share information
for other people who might take it personally.
The constructive response is to see if we can get someone who knows
Freddy a little better to make some phone calls, or emails, and get
Nelson's situation squared away. This could all be a (rather serious,
but still just a) communication problem.
Cheers,
Jason
VegasSmokes.com
VegasSmokes.com and others as he's free to do (for all you IP detectives)) I
became aware of this post. Been away for 8 days due to my new family
responsibilities ... I'm allowed you know. I never would have saw it due to
the fact that my time has been extremely limited as of late and quite
frankly I've come to the realization some time ago that life is to short to
allow a newsgroup ... even ASP which will always have a place in my heart
... to dominate my time as it has done in the past. I have made friends
here, have done business here and have had my fair share of chuckles here at
my own and others expense but I do have a life ... or try to anyway.
For those of you who are new to ASP I'm give you a little history.
I've been posting here for about 6 years when I first started the web site.
Yes the site has been up for 6 years. My site paved the way for others
whether they admit it of not. That's a long time in internet time. Long
before the "new" ASP. In these years I have spent hundreds of hours and
maybe thousands reading, post sound advise, answering questions and hanging
out with my online pals. I've run ASP only killer sales, given away over
$12,000 in ASP give aways, sent free goods to ASPers, prayed for them and
their families when asked, donated to causes and more ... you who have been
around know this. What about http://www.tobaccoblending.com ? I built that,
maintain it and pay for it as a service and it gets lots of action just like
the review site. My gift as it were ... one of my contributions if you will.
Does anyone care? Thank me? The hours I keep putting into it as it grows?
Nope. Hell, at one time I was one of the ASP golden boys just like Frenchy,
Affordables, SP and others are now. I was one of the sacred cows. I'm not
sure why but sadly I think it was based on price as I admittedly did usher
in a more aggressive discounting policy than what was the norm at that time.
Sell cheap and everyone will love you ... superficially of course. And we
still sell cheap. We don't give the business away like some do but we are
still competitive ... but I digress. So, how did I lose my sacred cow status
you ask ... Simple. I can pin it down to a few reasons. I never separated my
personal life from my pipe biz life. I let people know me. I expressed
opinions which is not something that is tolerated well in ASP ... especially
from a retailer. Why do you think so few post here ... some of you have
driven them away. If someone is being a dick I'd tell them. I've had many a
heated and hostile tit for tat with many just like in real life ... but ASP
is not real life. Good ASPers who happen to be in the biz should just give
advise, goods and STFU about everything else. I once stated that people who
cling to dial up are slowing down the progress of the internet ... the call
went out to crucify me. I got hate mail. People said they would never buy
from me. I was an asshole. My response ... get a life, it's just an opinion
and one based on fact but people took that as an insult or arrogance. Was I
wrong? From a technical standpoint no but boy did I have hell to pay. Sticks
in my mind today how petty some here are from that experience. I've had
disagreements with Greg Pease and with Craig here. It's no mystery that I'm
not a fan of Greg's tobaccos. Why? Don't like the tobacco cuts, tastes young
to me when I've popped tins and really ... I just don't "get it" like some
of you do. I don't like Tiger Woods either. He once chewed me a new public
asshole for stating that I thought that Kent pipes where knock offs of
Teddy pipes and that I felt he didn't give enough credit to Teddy. That's
how I felt then ... not now mind you. Well, whether due to the fact that
Greg was becoming a dealer or he just doesn't like me (could care less) he
decided I, as an individual wasn't entitled to that opinion and so the
flames flew. I was basically told I didn't knew my ass from my elbow but you
feel free to look it up. I'll never forgive or forget that incident. As for
Craig's tobacco ... more returns from customers due to dryness and mold than
I care to remember. On my first order from Craig I asked if he had a
substitute for Consolidated Vanilla D40. He said he did .. a vanilla cased
burley. I had him ship it with my first order. When I got it it was some
rough cut green river burley crap that barely had any vanilla. I called and
told him that and he, in his gruff, lovable manner didn't deal with my
problem. So I said ... "So, what an I supposed to do with it?. He still
didn't say send it back so I said "Shove it up my ass?". He got a kick out
of that and said "You said it not me". On a stack of bibles ... I still have
that 5lb. bag to this day after 5 years to remind me how all pipe smokers
are just great people by nature. The amazing thing (even to me) is that I
continued to buy from both for a few years after that. One day after tiring
of being the last to find out about new tobaccos, never receiving any shop
samples, no tastings and no "limited tobaccos" it came to a head. Here is my
first email ...................
From: Freddy Vegas [lvsm...@earthlink.net]
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 3:07 AM
To: 'tob...@glpease.com'
Subject: Greetings from Vegas
Hey Greg,
Question ... how come every time there is a new blend, or in this
case 2, I have to hear about from other people, customers or read about it
on ASP? It's rather embarrassing .... I really hate to be embarrassed. I
hear that other shops/sites get samples and testers too. I even have to read
about price increases on ASP ... does that make sense to you as good
business for a 2 year customer? Trying to make me feel like the red headed
step child? If you want to give some info fine ... if not OK. Seems you and
Craig are content with letting me slip away or maybe this is how everyone
gets dealt with. I recall spending several thousand dollars on your products
... oh well. Sincerely, FV
Later I sent this to Craig ............
From: Freddy Vegas [lvsm...@earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 4:12 PM
To: 'c...@hci.net'
Subject: Greetings from Vegas
Hello Craig,
Below is a copy of an email that I sent to Greg a while ago that so
far I have not received a reply to. Was my last order, which hopefully I'll
get soon, at the new higher price? FreddyV
Here is the reply .............
From: Craig C. Tarler [c...@hci.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 6:12 AM
To: Freddy Vegas
Subject: Re: Greetings from Vegas
Freddy:
First, we have no order from you in the house! Second, the only samples of
Stonehenge that were sent by Greg were to a couple of friends -- no stores,
no dealers. The announcement of the blend was made only when one of the
recipients broke it on a.s.p. You were not overlooked as we didn't tell
anybody about it. We have made no announcement. There are 1,758 tins and the
stores who will receive it all called us immediately upon reading about it
and then we have had to ration according to amount of purchases of GLP over
the last year. You are well down on the list, almost at the bottom. This is
a special blend and we had no need to "sell" it to anyone. In fact,
rationing it is a nightmare! Craig
That's a capital FUCK YOU if I ever heard one. Well, about 10K from
me to them and I got that crap back which I know is total bullshit. Greg
never even replied. I guess they didn't get it. I had a thriving store a few
miles off the Las Vegas Strip and not even a sampler to introduce the goods,
no support, nothing for our monthly meetings (50 - 100 people at a time) and
they wonder why I was "well down on the list, almost at the bottom". Other
shops got support and I know it. Before the Chicago show in 2000 Craig asked
me to get him a Don Carlos 3 note bulldog and bring it with me. I did from
my own pocket, DCs weren't cheap back in those days. He later stuck me with
it for some reason I forgot and I was stuck with that pipe for a while. I
once told Craig I was short 4 tins of tobacco on an order that weighed about
60 pounds. He told me he reweighed the box and no way it was short and told
me I was wrong ... a liar. Ate that shit too. Told him all the Two Friends
were light in the beginning ... again too fucking bad. Told him out of 16
ounces to tobacco there was 1 or 2 ounces of dust ... if I want to pay for
water OK I was told and teach my customers how to smoke tobacco the right
way, DRY. Dry? I used to sneeze when I opened a bag. There are even more
reasons but more biz related than personal. So screw 'em I say. When I
stopped selling both I never got a call from either and I'm glad. I also
NEVER told the reason on ASP even when asked and pressured because that was
never my way ... WAS. So, you'd think I slapped someone's mother when I
gingerly used to say I'm not a fan of their stuff publicly. I was even
threatened once saying that if I was at some pipe show I'd get my ass
kicked. Hey, it's great to be loyal but idol worshipping is a whole
different matter. ooooh, The Dark Lord? Give me a fucking break. It's dried
leaves ... tobacco folks. There's more Captain black sold in a few hours
than a years worth of the Holy One's finest. Grown men shouldn't fawn over
anything that doesn't have tits. Like I said, I don't "get" it but god bless
those that would defend then ... like Moonies.
I once said Iraq should be leveled and turned into a giant Club Med.
Still do ... deal with it. I grew up in the shadow of the towers and lost
people in them ... if you didn't then STFU. Another reason for losing my
sacred cow status is the simple fact that I don't believe "The Customer is
Always Right". They are not ... you know your not but consumers believe they
*should* always be right or treated as such even when they are wrong. How
many times does someone in the wrong lose the fight at the customer service
desk and then start yelling ...I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE MANAGER!!!!!! You know
who you are. I don't play that shit. Never have. If you are my customer and
you are wrong I'm going to tell you. If you try to rip me off, I'll bust ya.
Leverage me by posting crap about me? Go for it. I don't roll over for
anyone. I took 3 bullets in Queens and lived cause I wouldn't give up my
sneakers. Stabbed twice for even less. Was beaten and left for dead behind
the Jamaica Armory on 168th St, because I refused to sign the back of a
check they had strong armed me for. Admittedly I have never been "right"
since. A doctor once suggested that it was that or the year I spent sleeping
in my car breathing carbon monoxide trying to keep warm that caused my OCD.
Obsessive Compulsive Order ... now here's a fun fucking 23 year mind game.
... ever notice how well I pack my boxes? They HAVE to be that way or who
knows what will happen. Every piece of tape means something. If you think
it's funny OCD then FU. I deal with it and live well in spite of it. So,
think strong arming me is going to work? Not quite. Truthfully I have rolled
over many times over C R issues but it's how not why. 9 times out of 10 the
first contact goes like this. "I just got the 20 tins of tobacco from you
and one or the lids popped. I want a new tin immediately or I'll tell
everyone I know that you ripped me off!" that's the same as when the guy who
shot me pointed that .38 at me. I just said fuck you and took 2 in the chest
and 1 in the leg but that piece of shit didn't get my sneakers. The folks
who say "Hey, things happen, can you do something for me?" get more than
they expected. It's just a matter of common decency. I don't need anyone to
kiss my ass but be civil. I guess e commerce and keyboard balls have bred
that attitude. Maybe some don't like me cause I am a street guy ... who
happens to love pipes. I'm not a pretentious pipe smoker. Not into classic
books, patches on my jacket elbows and certainly not a great thinker ... I'm
a doer. That must rub some the wrong way. You people who think you know me
don't have a clue who I am and those who do know me know I'm on of the most
stand up guys you'll ever meet ... old school to the core. Then there's the
fact that I've let everyone know about a few ASPers that have ripped me off.
Especially John McGrath. I was advised never to bring it up. Shit Greg even
knew about the matter for years.I didn't for years until I felt there was
nothing to lose and there wasn't/isn't. This guy sticks me for over 2K and
some of you morons still treat him like a king, a sacred cow even. How can
that be? No one has ever proven that the debt is not real ... because it's
not possible nor have I gotten an ounce of support in the matter yet I'm the
dick for not letting it go. $2000+ FUCKING DOLLARS and some of you act like
that's OK and I'm the dick. Shame on you all!
So I guess I'm a marked man on ASP ...an easy target. It's vogue to
take pot shots at me ... try to push my buttons right? All that feel
slighted or have a beef over an order or don't get an email fast enough for
you feel they have the right to put me out of business, take food from my
families plate, ruin me. Sure ... if you must but what does that make you?
Below we have a gentleman who wants me to suffer financial ruin over a $40
pipe. Makes sense right. Jeff Folloder loves to take his shots at me. He's
told me once I shouldn't be in the biz, that I blame others for my mistakes,
that I am a shitty businessman and he'll continue to God love him (and I do
too anyway) because he'll take what I am writing as a complaint or something
negative. Truth is I am not. In spite of what ends up posted here at times
99.999999999% of my customers are extremely pleased, the site continues to
grow year after year, every month are more visitors and buyers than the
last, our mailing list just passed 7000 subscribers but somehow a fuck up
like me is doing something right and I thank God every day ... every day.
And I do it by myself. All by myself except with some help from my son since
I've had to travel lately. No shipping dept, no CR dept, no billing ... just
me busting my ass 20 hours a day because I love what I do. Am I perfect?
Come on ... not by a long shot. I just do my best every day and go to sleep
like everyone else. I try harder every day tho. A true labor of love. This
is taking me hours to type and a nice Glenlivet buzz going to boot ... I
should be answering the 200 - 300 emails that are in my inbox so I guess I'm
screwing up now too eh ... but hell, there's always tomorrow.
So why am I even bothering with this you ask. A few reasons ...
scotch, the desire to get things off my chest, the distain for what ASP is
turning into, learnin' some of you new people who I am and to tell those in
the new ASP click ... and old ... who would rather judge me and jump on
someone else's bandwagon than know me to fuck off.
Love me or hate me ... that's your choice ... always has been. To
those that have supported me throughout the years and continue to ... I love
you all. To those that wish for my demise ... well ... you mean no more to
me than a speck of fly shit on a speck of dog shit.
Now I'll address the original poster below
.......................................
--
http://www.vegassmokes.com All your pipe smokin' needs at Rock Bottom
Prices!!
http://www.tobaccoblending.com Pipe Tobacco Blending Made Easy - Free
Resource Guide
"aka Rockafella" <birdsey...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:407718C8...@adelphia.net...
> Hello to the group,
>
> Please Read This!
I have found your email and have listened to your messages since my return
this morning and a reply would have been forthcoming. I do commend your
overall lack of hostility in both and will treat you in kind ... to the best
of my ability.
That's a simple one to address. The news letter has a mix of private sales
and public sales. It has to unless I am going to set up a complicated
password protected systems to seperate the two. I put all sales in the
newsletter. I even post the newsletter here on ASP. Certain deals can only
be had in certain combinations, amounts or criterior that only newsletter
folks get but I put all sales that I am running in the letter. What if I
excluded the Charatans because they are sales to the public? Would you have
seen it? Maybe, maybe not. I don't see how it would make any business sense
not to include ALL sales in the letter. Those who get the newsletter also
get first crack at the new items, then ASP, then I may or may not put a link
to the sales page on the site. There is no deception at work nor any
additional discount on the pipe. I don't see how you arrives at that. The
pipe was $45 which was a plus 30% discount from the regular price. Sometimes
I run a Buy Any Pipe And Get bla, bla Sale which only members and ASPers
would get. You are the first person that ever mentioned the matter of both
public and private sales being included in the member's newsletter so I have
never, other than right now, given it a second though. If you have any
suggestion for the better concerning the matter I'm open to it.
>
> I found a Charatan Grovesnor Canadian I liked and ordered it. I
> received it in about 3 days and was initially very happy. However, when
> I drew on the stem the air flow was constricted. I ran pipe cleaners
> through both the shank and stem and could cleary see through the stem,
> there did not seem to be any obstruction. Air drew easily from both the
> shank and the stem separately but not when put together. I decided
> there was a flaw and wanted to return the pipe for a refund. I checked
> the website for their return policy and saw that estate pipes could be
> returned on a case by case basis but this one was never smoked and I
> didn't think it should be a problem. I checked the pipe over again and
> figured out that the reason for the air constriction was due to the fact
> that the tenon was about an 1/8th of an inch (or so) shorter than the
> tenon hole leaving a small gap where air could get trapped.
I know of no pipe made that the bottom of the tenon is the same length as
the mortise. That would be considered a design flaw in my opinion. Actually
1/8" is quite long. Most budget pipes such as that one have flat ended
tenons. I've even seen it on pipes costing much more. The air rushing up the
shank's airway hits the end of the tenon and swirls before entering the
stem. Turbulance. This sometimes causes condensation if the smoke is on the
"steamy" side because the water will fall out of the vapor like a still.
this is fairly easy to fix. Take a razor and make the end of the tenon
concave ... like a funnel. Just hold the blade into the airway in the tenon
at an angle and turn the stem until the blade forms a funnel. This new
funnel will cause the smoke vapor to make a smoother transition from the
shank. I don't question whether you can or should return the pipe meerly
that what you see as a flaw might just be a product of the product. But then
again when you send the pipe back I might find that something is
fundimentally wrong with it ... in which case apply the above to the pipe of
your choosing.
>
> I called VegasSmokes to see about returning the pipe, I got their
> voicemail and left a message. After 2 days I still did not hear back
> from them. I called again and once again got the answering machine. I
> left another message and still never received a call back. I called one
> last time earlier this week and left yet another message stating that if
> I did not hear back from him by Friday that I would let the pipe
> community know how I felt. Today is Friday, I still have not received a
> call from them and I saw a Vegas Smokes post to this group as recently
> as April 7th.
That one took a bit of figuring out. Yes, my son told me he posted a link to
our pipe tips page in response to some question. He tries.
>
> I consider myself to be a fair person but this is just bad business. If
> he had called and said I couldn't return the pipe, at least I could
> respect that (but it's too late for that now), even if I didn't agree it
> was a fair decision (after all the pipe is unsmoked and flawed).
You can and should return the pipe asap. That was never in question. Contact
me for the proceedure. I always allow returns. Always will unless someone is
pulling a fast one. Heck, even the guy who posted that I actully have a life
outside Vegas in Florida at my families house tracked me down (ha-ha ...
what a detective ;]) because I let him RETURN an item when I was there. I
have great integrity ... slow response when I travel and on other occasions
when I'm swamped with calls and mail but great integrity. I've never
purposefully screwed anyone but as they say ... shit happens ... and when it
does I always, ALWAYS come through.
>
> I consider most of the people I've met in the pipe community to be
> genuinely nice people and very willing to help each other out in their
> own way. I'm not getting this from VegasSmokes at all. I know he's
> running a business but what kind of businessman doesn't respond to his
> customers? And shouldn't he be trying to promote business instead of
> discouraging it, especially in a time when smoking bans are in and
> smoking is on it's way out??
Nobody is perfect. I have bent over backwards for years for pipe smokers and
will continue to. Yup times are tough and we as smokers do have the fight of
of lives on our hands ... one we will eventually lose and we know it. Yet
you feel justified in trying to put me out of business over a simple issue.
Did it ever occur to you that I might be dead? Plane crash? Death in the
family? Sick? Am I not a person too? Did it occur to you to post here ...
"Has anyone heard from VegasSmokes.com? Are they OK? Can someone who knows
then well let me know? Believe me ... I have friends here who would have
told you I was away lately and they might have told you why and they might
have given me the message from you on my cell phone and I might have called
you right away. No. I'm a thief, a crook ... boy cott him. Sad really when I
think about it but you're free do do as you please as am I.
>
> I know many of you may have had successful business transactions with
> VegasSmokes in the past. I'm sure they're fine if you're buying your
> favorite tobacco. But I'm asking that you reconsider doing business
> with them in the future. Or if you have a relationship with Freddy
> Vegas, tell him to do the right thing. If he takes the pipe back and
> refunds my money, I will write a retraction to this letter and forget it
> ever happened.
You can't retract trying to ruin someone now can you. If you had the very
same issue in your business or place of work would a letter of retraction
mean anything to you? How would it go? Like this .... "Hey, remember when I
said VegasSmokes.com was lower than shit ... well after I said that they
gave in and let me return the piece of crap they sold me ... I guess my
boycott worked .... I got my pound of flesh so now please go back to buying
from them so they don't turn his lights off OK?" Don't bother OK. I'd take
the pipe back anyway because I'm honest not because of this. AND I always
refund the return shipping if the item is flawed. A retraction is completely
meaningless even if it makes you feel better. Thanks anyway.
>
> If you want to buy pipes and tobacco at extremely good prices then I'd
> say try pipesandcigars.com instead. I have never had a problem with
> them.
You've never had a problem with me either. Did you say you got the pipe 3
days after the order at 30% off? Not bad if I do say so myself :)
They have always provided fast and reliable service with very
> reasonable prices. (And no, I'm not affiliated with them in any way. I
> just like being treated fairly.)
>
> I thank you all for your time and hope you can offer some support.
Support in what? Trying to put me out of business with a boycott over a $45
pipe? Makes sense.
>
> Sincerely,
> Nelson Pidgeon
Be well, FreddyV
>
VegasSmokes.com
"fred hanna" <fredc...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:c35a85a2.04040...@posting.google.com...
> I once had--how shall I put it--a less than positive experience with
> that company and have not ordered anything since.
>
> Fred
I seem to recall that. It was over some trade we never went through with
right? I've have to look that up. Boy where you sore. FV
VegasSmokes.com
--
http://www.vegassmokes.com All your pipe smokin' needs at Rock Bottom
Prices!!
http://www.tobaccoblending.com Pipe Tobacco Blending Made Easy - Free
Resource Guide
"fred hanna" <fredc...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:c35a85a2.04040...@posting.google.com...
VegasSmokes.com
--
http://www.vegassmokes.com All your pipe smokin' needs at Rock Bottom
Prices!!
http://www.tobaccoblending.com Pipe Tobacco Blending Made Easy - Free
Resource Guide
"Y.E" <ye...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c57n5e$2nv3c3$1...@ID-205389.news.uni-berlin.de...
A false name? This is an internet newsgroup not a sworn testimony and I
don't "conduct" business here. I post my newsletter here every few weeks as
per the FAQs (not once a week or more like some who disregard the FAQs) and
people click the Buy It Now button if they choose and I mail the goods. What
in the world does my nickname which I've had for 20 years have to do with
that? If I came to your house and sold you a new roof do you think I'd use
my nickname? Please. FreddyV
>
>
VegasSmokes.com
http://www.tobaccoblending.com Pipe Tobacco Blending Made Easy - Free
Resource Guide
"Dock J.Perry" <doc...@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:2958f06.04040...@posting.google.com...
I'd be more impressed by him as a gentlemen, driving force behind your club,
a good citizen and Catholic if he had first posted to find out if I was dead
or sick or had some grievous emergency rather than the course of action he
choose ... but that's me. Or am I not a person too? FV
DrBlues
<vegas...@REMOVEcox.net> wrote:
.
> For those of you who are new to ASP I'm give you a little history.
>I've been posting here for about 6 years when I first started the web site.
Freddy,
here is what I have learned. Nothing matters. Not what other people
say, do or think. What matters is perception.
I am an EX- (for those of you who still don't get it that EX)-outlaw
biker. I partied hard, drank hard, smoked, shot, snorted, ate, dope,
beat the shit out of people rat packed em, rode in an outlaw
motorcycle club and was 1%er, looked like hell, you got in my face I
would find an equalizer. I rode hard, fought hard and I lost.
When I was about 33 something snapped and I thought what to fuck am I
doing? Who am I? What have I become? Went to AA, got rid of a piece of
garbage of a wife, sold my bike because my sponsor made me. Lost the
gear and have never hit anyone since. Why I am posting this? If you
look at me today I run in circles I never thought possible.(I dress
like a poster boy for Mr Normal cept when I am riding lol and no one
knows its me) People who have more money then I could even imagine.
They consider me their friend. It's all a game. I have friends (biz
owners) on here who have very strong opionons on others and pipe
makers and tobaccos etc, but they never ever say anything, why? Cause
it is business. Business is business when it becomes personal you
always lose. A couple of my friends here in Palm Coast are multi multi
millionaires and they are teaching me more then I thought possible. 1.
Is shut up 2. Shut up. 3. Play the game and look the part. Is that
kissing ass? Dunno but looks like in two months we are buying into a
spa that is doing way more money then I can make in 8 years, then
plans on opening a third one. Do you think I am gonna state my opinion
and screw this up? No. Its about the money. I know who I am, I know
what I believe and balancing being a buddhist and business is tricky.
Everytime you defend yourself on here you look guilty. If JHM screwed
you go to court. If you do not like glp sell something else. But who
to hell cares? No one owes you anything. If you do something for the
"thank you" it has lost its value.
Hey I come from the streets too and man when I am attacked my first
"gut" reaction is to "fuck em up chuck". I regret that I have created
that for myself. It is a battle I fight all the time. The reality is,
it an opportunity to grow, our enemies are our best friends. If we let
it teach us. I hate giving advice because I have enough trouble taking
care of me.
Let it go, never post on here in anger if you run a biz, use legal
channels if you need to and ignore those that jam you. You lost the
golden boy status when you let the biz become personal.
I wish you nothing but the best, do what you do the best you can
forget the rest, it just brings you down.
hey if you want to rant and rave and call somene an asshole give me a
call hell I love to hear a good pissed rant.
Take care of yourself freddy.
cordially
Terry
http://www.dr-blues.com/
Rabbi Dr. Onan ben Drusoy
news:%XMdc.6161$Gf1.5399@lakeread03...
Another reason for losing my
> sacred cow status is the simple fact that I don't believe "The Customer is
> Always Right". They are not ... you know your not but consumers believe
they
> *should* always be right or treated as such even when they are wrong. How
> many times does someone in the wrong lose the fight at the customer
service
> desk and then start yelling ...I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE MANAGER!!!!!! You
know
> who you are. I don't play that shit. Never have. If you are my customer
and
> you are wrong I'm going to tell you.
Being in business myself, there are some customers who are wrong, and some
ripoff artists out there. We all get them - but - we do not need them as
customers in the end. Those deserve to be ignored, and most of them are such
blatant wankers that it takes one deal to figure them out. Oh well, we got
***ked, and we move on. Those are not our customers.
On the other hand, if you have a good customer, and something goes wrong,
and you treat him like the above wanker, you will and should lose him.
Judging by your post, you do not know the difference between a
crook/scoundrel, and someone who has a legit dispute (or, for that matter,
is having a bad day/did not understand something and made a mistake etc). I
am not a crook or a scoundrel. What is more, most of my orders are either
PIF (where the organizer of the benefit and the beneficiary are the only
ones who see the order and I just get the bill) or sent to a US address for
transshipment to me in Russia. This situation leaves me with little
possibility for any sort of followup or complaint, especially if I know I
will not get any redress, and, therefore, you can be sure that you will
never see one order from me.
Ian S.
Rabbi Dr. Onan ben Drusoy
>
> A false name? This is an internet newsgroup not a sworn testimony and I
> don't "conduct" business here.
But it is connected to your business, and you are posting about topics
connected to your business. There are 2 forums for expats in Moscow - one is
a place where people discuss day to day life, often while fooling around,
and the other one, which is a startup, is business oriented - and happens to
belong to me. You can make a bet that I post using a pseudonym on the first
one - and I post zilch having to do with business topics there as it is not
my audience.
On my forum, I am me - with full name, proper E-mail address, and a working
phone number. And I would post that way, albeit perhaps minus the phone
number, on any Russian business or marketing related forum that I care
enough to participate in. Here, I am posting mainly for enjoyment - hence
the rather obscure pseudonym.
Ian S.
(and my name is definitely NOT Onan ben Drusoy - Onan is of course the
Biblical spiritual, albeit not physical, father of all wankers, and ben
Drusoy was a brigand during Talmudic times whose name lives on in Jewish
law. In addition, I am not an ordained rabbi nor do I have a doctorate. I
most certainly am an incomplete Minister in the Universal Life Church; the
incomplete status resulted from a printer malfucktion when I was printing my
ordination certificate.)
Y.E
don't "conduct" business here.
How about your business website? Don't you conduct business there? maybe
not.
I post my newsletter here every few weeks as
per the FAQs (not once a week or more like some who disregard the FAQs) and
people click the Buy It Now button if they choose and I mail the goods. What
in the world does my nickname which I've had for 20 years have to do with
that?
Nothing. That's your choice and I respect it. It's just that I won't do
business with a person using a nickname. It's not ethical for a businessman
to use a nickname. Again, your business website uses your nickname, I wasn't
refering to this NG in particular.
If I came to your house and sold you a new roof do you think I'd use
my nickname? Please. FreddyV
If your roofing website uses your nickname and not your real name I wouldn't
hire you.
Sailorman Jack
SJ
>Subject: Re: Beware! Stop airing your dirty laundry!
>From: "Y.E" ye...@yahoo.com
>Date: 4/10/2004 10:06 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <c58v1e$2ptjek$1...@ID-205389.news.uni-berlin.de>
Neil Bell
wrote:
>On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 03:03:32 -0400, "VegasSmokes.com"
><vegas...@REMOVEcox.net> wrote:
>
>
>Freddy,
> here is what I have learned. Nothing matters. Not what other people
>say, do or think. What matters is perception.
Very well said Terry. Freddy should take lessons from David at
"Bufflehead" - a class act all the way!
Neil
Neil Bell
WA6023SWL
Home: 375557.4 N - 1215602.7W
For e-mail replies remove the "notreally."
Bill
>"Bufflehead" - a class act all the way!
Hey hey now. Freddy has class...even if it is all third. ;)
A.T. Barr
>>>real<<< name? I don't care if they are selling knives, tampers, pipes, or
tobacco. Trust is a two way operation.
A.T.
--
"Don't you buy no ugly knife"
http://customknives.com/
David Quisenberry
sure what category it falls in....
"VegasSmokes.com" <vegas...@REMOVEcox.net> wrote in message
news:%XMdc.6161$Gf1.5399@lakeread03...
Don Gifford
Colonel Mustard, In the Study, With a Candlestick
--
Don Gifford
Aurora, CO
"It's okay, really, my cardiologist smokes a pipe"
**Whack diespamdie to reply directly**
rhodog
> sure what category it falls in....
In the category "last words before being removed in a straitjacket"
Cheers,
Erwin
GIG
your site when you will be absent and cannot respond to phone calls
and emails would have prevented this situation. When Tobacco Direct
was not responding to customers en masse, there were several threads
about the problems of not only unreceived orders but no responses to
numerous inquiries. No attempt was made to alert customers to delays
or the inability to respond. I stopped doing business with them
because they would not communicate with me. Especially as you are a
one-man business, you should let customers know when business is not
normal and when it will be again.
Also, you might benefit by not expecting people to act according to
your standards--business or personal. Be rational, fair, caring but
be cautious. You already know that the world is only occasionally a
kind, loving place. Don't expect goodness but appreciate it when you
experience it.
GIG
"VegasSmokes.com" <vegas...@REMOVEcox.net> wrote in message news:<HmNdc.6166$Gf1.1808@lakeread03>...
Adguru
Sampo Vuori
> "thank you" it has lost its value.
> Let it go, never post on here in anger if you run a biz, use legal
> channels if you need to and ignore those that jam you. You lost the
> golden boy status when you let the biz become personal.
> Take care of yourself freddy.
Thanks Terry, that was much better said that I was about to. Good advice
for a young man (like me :)
- Sampo
MWR
My tobacco order was charged for on December 18th and was
shipped surface-mail on December 29th. I am asked to believe
this because to this day, three-and-one-half months later it
has not arrived. I would be very surprised indeed to see it
arrive after such a delay, so I am resigned to have lost the
181 euros (or about $220) I was charged.
Did I receive the selfless dedicated service which FV so
convincingly posts about to clear up what may have happened
to my purchase? You judge: It took 3 <three> reminders over
3 weeks for the first reaction (an excuse: I just came back
from Florida...) and needed more messages to have my
question answered which was simply "when" was the order
shipped, and in "how many" packages. Á businesslike reply
would have answered that simple question post-haste, and
knowing that shipping occurs at my risk, that would have
been it from my side, what I got instead was very much of
the style and contents that once more graces the asp pages
from and over this peculiar businessman.
The percentage of satisfied customers quoted here seems to
need one billion of them to make up for a single one who is
not so. Well, that's me, one in a billion? I wish FV luck;
it seems that he may need those odds.
btw., I had not intended to go to asp over this. As always,
it seemed such a waste of time, maybe once more.
MWR
"VegasSmokes.com":
Ian Rastall
<david.nospam...@comcast.net> wrote:
>I would like to formally nominate this for ASP classic post. I'm just not
>sure what category it falls in....
It's how we all think, or have thought, at various times ... or at
least similar to the mindset of those who (undoubtedly) have
discussed this back-channel.
I see it like this ... compare the two messages: Freddy's post,
and the type of emails that probably went out a few hours later,
along the lines of, "Well, I guess that does it for Freddy on
ASP," ... or something like that. I don't like either, but the
latter seems worse, I think, for being an attack that can never be
countered, and for the implicit notion that the rest of us are all
above that. Frankly, I have more respect for someone who goes down
fighting, than for someone who waits until the former is on the
ground to start kicking.
Again, I don't like the sound of either side, and won't take up
either banner, but will just say, it's best to treat people who
are on the ground the way you would want to be treated when you
(invevitably) end up in that position yourself someday.
Sorry for probably offending both sides, and for the hypocrisy
that I'm sure I'm displaying but not noticing.
Ian
--
http://www.aspipes.org/
http://www.bookstacks.org/
http://www.learnsomethingnew.us/
Sailorman Jack
>>>>real<<< name? I don't care if they are selling knives, tampers, pipes, or
>tobacco. Trust is a two way operation.
>
>A.T.
Well, then. You won't have any problems with Freddy Vegas since it is a real
name.
I have four real names which I use. They are Sailorman Jack, Jack Hunter,
William P. Hall, Laurence B. Kobak. Guess which one is on my birth certificate?
Jack
JHowell982
William P. Hall, Laurence B. Kobak. Guess which one is on my birth certificate?
>>
I put a face with the name.
JH
Scott Curtis
wrote:
Mookie Wilson?
SC
"Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is more cowbell!"
Sailorman Jack
It won't be hard, JH. In the pipe world, I am always Sailorman Jack.
Jack
Bill
Sailor M. Jack
David Quisenberry
"Sailorman Jack" <chantym...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040410193142...@mb-m11.aol.com...
Sonam Dasara
>> I would like to formally nominate this for ASP classic post. I'm
>> just not sure what category it falls in....
"Why you shouldn't post on Usenet after drinking brake fluid and
mescalin?"
Bonaquisti
>pipe? Makes sense.
>> Sincerely,
>> Nelson Pidgeon
>Be well, FreddyV<<
(a yards worth of post snipped...)
WOW!!!!!!!, that was the longest post I think I have ever had the patience to
read in all these years...
It does however really remind me that I miss Mike Feldman's posts!
Hope you are OK Mikey!
PB
IcTop
to rant and dig up long time history. Such an entertaining Easter
weekend!
JHowell982
It does however really remind me that I miss Mike Feldman's posts!
Hope you are OK Mikey!
PB >>
Boy, there's a blast from the past. Come to think of it, I miss those, too.
JH
Leonardo Herrera
[...]
> So why am I even bothering with this you ask. A few reasons ...
> scotch, the desire to get things off my chest, the distain for what
> ASP is turning into, learnin' some of you new people who I am and to
> tell those in the new ASP click ... and old ... who would rather
> judge me and jump on someone else's bandwagon than know me to fuck
> off.
I was determined to not to read this long post, but I failed. Heh. Good
venting, I bet you felt better after writing this :-)
> Love me or hate me ... that's your choice ... always has been. To
> those that have supported me throughout the years and continue to ...
> I love you all. To those that wish for my demise ... well ... you
> mean no more to me than a speck of fly shit on a speck of dog shit.
Heh, I, for one, love you :-)
Cheers,
--
Leonardo Herrera
le...@epublish00.cl (remove the zeroes)
http://pipes.epublish.cl
Ed Duncan
say that.....couple yrs ago, and no credit card, Freddy was gracious
enough to allow me to snail mail him a Postal MO for a relatively
small tobacco order, and the product arrived here surface mail in 3
days. Great service. Freddy, you probably don't even remember this,
but thanks, and hope all's well with you/family and that you had a
nice holiday.
Ed Duncan
Batavia, NY
******************
Leonardo Herrera <le...@epublish00.cl> wrote in message news:<407aa855$1...@news.impsat.cl>...
Ron Bikacsan
Ron
"VegasSmokes.com" <vegas...@REMOVEcox.net> wrote in message news:<%XMdc.6161$Gf1.5399@lakeread03>...
> Thanks to a call from my son, (who posts under Frank White,
> VegasSmokes.com and others as he's free to do (for all you IP detectives)) I
> became aware of this post. Been away for 8 days due to my new family
> responsibilities ... I'm allowed you know. I never would have saw it due to
> the fact that my time has been extremely limited as of late and quite
> frankly I've come to the realization some time ago that life is to short to
> allow a newsgroup ... even ASP which will always have a place in my heart
> ... to dominate my time as it has done in the past. I have made friends
> here, have done business here and have had my fair share of chuckles here at
> my own and others expense but I do have a life ... or try to anyway.
> For those of you who are new to ASP I'm give you a little history.
> I've been posting here for about 6 years when I first started the web site.
> negative. Truth is I am not. In spite of what ends up posted here at times
> 99.999999999% of my customers are extremely pleased, the site continues to
> grow year after year, every month are more visitors and buyers than the
> last, our mailing list just passed 7000 subscribers but somehow a fuck up
> like me is doing something right and I thank God every day ... every day.
> And I do it by myself. All by myself except with some help from my son since
> I've had to travel lately. No shipping dept, no CR dept, no billing ... just
> me busting my ass 20 hours a day because I love what I do. Am I perfect?
> Come on ... not by a long shot. I just do my best every day and go to sleep
> like everyone else. I try harder every day tho. A true labor of love. This
> is taking me hours to type and a nice Glenlivet buzz going to boot ... I
> should be answering the 200 - 300 emails that are in my inbox so I guess I'm
> screwing up now too eh ... but hell, there's always tomorrow.
> So why am I even bothering with this you ask. A few reasons ...
> scotch, the desire to get things off my chest, the distain for what ASP is
> turning into, learnin' some of you new people who I am and to tell those in
> the new ASP click ... and old ... who would rather judge me and jump on
> someone else's bandwagon than know me to fuck off.
> Love me or hate me ... that's your choice ... always has been. To
> those that have supported me throughout the years and continue to ... I love
> you all. To those that wish for my demise ... well ... you mean no more to
> me than a speck of fly shit on a speck of dog shit.
> Now I'll address the original poster below
> .......................................
>
> --
> http://www.vegassmokes.com All your pipe smokin' needs at Rock Bottom
> Prices!!
>
> http://www.tobaccoblending.com Pipe Tobacco Blending Made Easy - Free
> Resource Guide
>
> "aka Rockafella" <birdsey...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:407718C8...@adelphia.net...
> > Hello to the group,
> >
> > Please Read This!
>
> I have found your email and have listened to your messages since my return
> this morning and a reply would have been forthcoming. I do commend your
> overall lack of hostility in both and will treat you in kind ... to the best
> of my ability.
>
> >
> > After writing the following but before sending it I did a search of the
> > group for VegasSmokes. I saw a lot about them posted here. Some good
> > and some bad. But I also saw one angry post by Freddy Vegas explaining
> > his disregard for what people wrote about him here and making it known
> > how he feels about being threatened with such posts. I know people may
> > be tired about hearing about VegasSmokes but obviously there is a reason
> > why it keeps coming up. So please bear with this one more time. I
> > apologize for its length but it was necessary to make my point.
> > _________________________________________________________________________
> >
> > I recently had a bad experience with VegasSmokes that I feel should be
> > shared with all of you. But first a little about myself. This is my
> > first time posting however, I do read the posts here quite often. I
> > have been smoking pipes on an off for almost 25 years and more regularly
> > in the past 5 years. I am currently very active as the secretary for
> > the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston. Here's the situation:
> >
> > A little over 2 weeks ago I received my VegasSmokes Newsletter,
> > something I look forward to each month. I was interested in their sale
> > of estate, unsmoked Charatan's which they were offering at a good price.
> > VegasSmokes offers a discount to newsletter subscribers and in this
> > month's newsletter they mentioned the Charatan sale a second time under
> > the heading of "Discounts for Members Only". Since the website clearly
> > showed a discount on these pipes to all visitors I thought that there
> > may be an additional discount for subscribers so I made an inquiry to
> > VegasSmokes by email just to be sure. I was already happy with the
> > price but wanted to double check anyway (do you blame me?). It states
> > on the website that they receive a lot of email and all emails may not
> > be responded to. I understood and accepted this and never did received
> > a response. Fine! I can live with that, the price was still acceptable.
>
> That's a simple one to address. The news letter has a mix of private sales
> and public sales. It has to unless I am going to set up a complicated
> password protected systems to seperate the two. I put all sales in the
> newsletter. I even post the newsletter here on ASP. Certain deals can only
> be had in certain combinations, amounts or criterior that only newsletter
> folks get but I put all sales that I am running in the letter. What if I
> excluded the Charatans because they are sales to the public? Would you have
> seen it? Maybe, maybe not. I don't see how it would make any business sense
> not to include ALL sales in the letter. Those who get the newsletter also
> get first crack at the new items, then ASP, then I may or may not put a link
> to the sales page on the site. There is no deception at work nor any
> additional discount on the pipe. I don't see how you arrives at that. The
> pipe was $45 which was a plus 30% discount from the regular price. Sometimes
> I run a Buy Any Pipe And Get bla, bla Sale which only members and ASPers
> would get. You are the first person that ever mentioned the matter of both
> public and private sales being included in the member's newsletter so I have
> never, other than right now, given it a second though. If you have any
> suggestion for the better concerning the matter I'm open to it.
>
> >
> > I found a Charatan Grovesnor Canadian I liked and ordered it. I
> > received it in about 3 days and was initially very happy. However, when
> > I drew on the stem the air flow was constricted. I ran pipe cleaners
> > through both the shank and stem and could cleary see through the stem,
> > there did not seem to be any obstruction. Air drew easily from both the
> > shank and the stem separately but not when put together. I decided
> > there was a flaw and wanted to return the pipe for a refund. I checked
> > the website for their return policy and saw that estate pipes could be
> > returned on a case by case basis but this one was never smoked and I
> > didn't think it should be a problem. I checked the pipe over again and
> > figured out that the reason for the air constriction was due to the fact
> > that the tenon was about an 1/8th of an inch (or so) shorter than the
> > tenon hole leaving a small gap where air could get trapped.
>
> I know of no pipe made that the bottom of the tenon is the same length as
> the mortise. That would be considered a design flaw in my opinion. Actually
> 1/8" is quite long. Most budget pipes such as that one have flat ended
> tenons. I've even seen it on pipes costing much more. The air rushing up the
> shank's airway hits the end of the tenon and swirls before entering the
> stem. Turbulance. This sometimes causes condensation if the smoke is on the
> "steamy" side because the water will fall out of the vapor like a still.
> this is fairly easy to fix. Take a razor and make the end of the tenon
> concave ... like a funnel. Just hold the blade into the airway in the tenon
> at an angle and turn the stem until the blade forms a funnel. This new
> funnel will cause the smoke vapor to make a smoother transition from the
> shank. I don't question whether you can or should return the pipe meerly
> that what you see as a flaw might just be a product of the product. But then
> again when you send the pipe back I might find that something is
> fundimentally wrong with it ... in which case apply the above to the pipe of
> your choosing.
>
> >
> > I called VegasSmokes to see about returning the pipe, I got their
> > voicemail and left a message. After 2 days I still did not hear back
> > from them. I called again and once again got the answering machine. I
> > left another message and still never received a call back. I called one
> > last time earlier this week and left yet another message stating that if
> > I did not hear back from him by Friday that I would let the pipe
> > community know how I felt. Today is Friday, I still have not received a
> > call from them and I saw a Vegas Smokes post to this group as recently
> > as April 7th.
>
> That one took a bit of figuring out. Yes, my son told me he posted a link to
> our pipe tips page in response to some question. He tries.
>
> >
> > I consider myself to be a fair person but this is just bad business. If
> > he had called and said I couldn't return the pipe, at least I could
> > respect that (but it's too late for that now), even if I didn't agree it
> > was a fair decision (after all the pipe is unsmoked and flawed).
>
> You can and should return the pipe asap. That was never in question. Contact
> me for the proceedure. I always allow returns. Always will unless someone is
> pulling a fast one. Heck, even the guy who posted that I actully have a life
> outside Vegas in Florida at my families house tracked me down (ha-ha ...
> what a detective ;]) because I let him RETURN an item when I was there. I
> have great integrity ... slow response when I travel and on other occasions
> when I'm swamped with calls and mail but great integrity. I've never
> purposefully screwed anyone but as they say ... shit happens ... and when it
> does I always, ALWAYS come through.
>
> >
> > I consider most of the people I've met in the pipe community to be
> > genuinely nice people and very willing to help each other out in their
> > own way. I'm not getting this from VegasSmokes at all. I know he's
> > running a business but what kind of businessman doesn't respond to his
> > customers? And shouldn't he be trying to promote business instead of
> > discouraging it, especially in a time when smoking bans are in and
> > smoking is on it's way out??
>
> Nobody is perfect. I have bent over backwards for years for pipe smokers and
> will continue to. Yup times are tough and we as smokers do have the fight of
> of lives on our hands ... one we will eventually lose and we know it. Yet
> you feel justified in trying to put me out of business over a simple issue.
> Did it ever occur to you that I might be dead? Plane crash? Death in the
> family? Sick? Am I not a person too? Did it occur to you to post here ...
> "Has anyone heard from VegasSmokes.com? Are they OK? Can someone who knows
> then well let me know? Believe me ... I have friends here who would have
> told you I was away lately and they might have told you why and they might
> have given me the message from you on my cell phone and I might have called
> you right away. No. I'm a thief, a crook ... boy cott him. Sad really when I
> think about it but you're free do do as you please as am I.
>
> >
> > I know many of you may have had successful business transactions with
> > VegasSmokes in the past. I'm sure they're fine if you're buying your
> > favorite tobacco. But I'm asking that you reconsider doing business
> > with them in the future. Or if you have a relationship with Freddy
> > Vegas, tell him to do the right thing. If he takes the pipe back and
> > refunds my money, I will write a retraction to this letter and forget it
> > ever happened.
>
> You can't retract trying to ruin someone now can you. If you had the very
> same issue in your business or place of work would a letter of retraction
> mean anything to you? How would it go? Like this .... "Hey, remember when I
> said VegasSmokes.com was lower than shit ... well after I said that they
> gave in and let me return the piece of crap they sold me ... I guess my
> boycott worked .... I got my pound of flesh so now please go back to buying
> from them so they don't turn his lights off OK?" Don't bother OK. I'd take
> the pipe back anyway because I'm honest not because of this. AND I always
> refund the return shipping if the item is flawed. A retraction is completely
> meaningless even if it makes you feel better. Thanks anyway.
>
> >
> > If you want to buy pipes and tobacco at extremely good prices then I'd
> > say try pipesandcigars.com instead. I have never had a problem with
> > them.
>
> You've never had a problem with me either. Did you say you got the pipe 3
> days after the order at 30% off? Not bad if I do say so myself :)
>
> They have always provided fast and reliable service with very
> > reasonable prices. (And no, I'm not affiliated with them in any way. I
> > just like being treated fairly.)
> >
> > I thank you all for your time and hope you can offer some support.
inquisitor
Do those of you who jumped on the original poster for outing dirty laundry
about Freddy have anything to say? I counted a minimum of five such outings
in Freddy's post.
Freddy said that if someone is being a dick, he tells them so, often
publicly. So if HE is a dick and someone tells HIM so, what is the problem
with that? Quid Pro Quo.
The fact that he repeated his racist Iraq/Club Med statement makes him a
dick in my book. Hey look, I can do that too!
OCD is a really difficult condition to live with. My sympathies go out to
him for that.
Christopher
Ian Rastall
<thre...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>OCD is a really difficult condition to live with. My sympathies go out to
>him for that.
I would take offense at any jokes about those of us with OCD, but
at the moment I'm too busy arranging my pipe cleaners.
Tony Miller
<vegas...@REMOVEcox.net> wrote:
> Thanks to a call from my son, (who posts under Frank White,
> VegasSmokes.com and others as he's free to do (for all you IP detectives)) I
> became aware of this post. Been away for 8 days due to my new family
> responsibilities ... I'm allowed you know. I never would have saw it due to
> the fact that my time has been extremely limited as of late and quite
> frankly I've come to the realization some time ago that life is to short to
> allow a newsgroup ... even ASP which will always have a place in my heart
> ... to dominate my time as it has done in the past.
But here you go with a 10 page missive on why you're right and your
customers/vendors are wrong.
Here is the proper response.
"I'll be happy to take care of the pipe if you pay the freight both ways.
Thanks for your business".
Then post this on ASP and be done with it. People will think you're an
honorable vendor, you'll make points and all for the cost of a few bucks.
I do know that if I ever were a customer of yours, and you didn't return
my calls/e-mails, the best way to get a response out of you is to post
something here. You ALWAYS reply to these.
(Might not be the response I deserved, but it would be *a* response)
-Tony
--
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