Empacher Buyers Beware!!!
Tristan...@my-dejanews.com
After over six months of waiting for my new Empacher to arrive, I am
shocked, appalled, and extremely pissed off to find that Bill McGowan, the
"president" of Empacher USA, was so incompetent that he entrusted my single,
along with another single, to be delivered by a man he hardly knew!
And what has happened, you might ponder? Both the boats disappeared
off the face of the earth for about a week. The driver, Mr. Jim Mitchell,
never brought them to Miami, their final destination. Instead he has
returned back to his home, Alexandria, VA. He has even told people at his
club, Thompson Boat House, that he DID in fact deliver my boat to Miami!!!
Luckily, the boats were discovered today. After a few phone calls to
Germany, everything "seems" to have fallen into place. Jim is still out
there though. If you have anything of value, let me warn you, Jim Mitchell
has already tried to rob me and another man of $14,000! Guard your boats!
But, still…who is really to blame here. Is it the thief…or the fool who gave
him the chance? Would you entrust anything of value to a person you barely
know based on the fact that he/she has a nice truck?!?! So…if you
choose to buy and Empacher from Bill McGowan, beware of the consequences.
(Sounds like a great Hudson or Resolute advertisement, doesn't it?) . If you
too have a sob story to tell about dealing with Empacher USA, please, please
tell me. My hunch is that this is probably a botched insurance fraud scam.
Some of the events that have taken place have been far to convenient and the
whole thing is a little too fishy.
Angry Victim,
Tristan Wietsma
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
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Howard C. Runyon
Tristan Wietsma has written,
"...Bill McGowan, the "president" of Empacher USA, was so incompetent
that he entrusted my single, along with another single, to be delivered
by a man he hardly knew!..."
You should have thought a while longer before posting that note. Lots of
us have carried boats for strangers and had boats carried for us by
strangers. If no one ever did that, it would be hard for many
competitors and teams to function in this sport. Over the years Bill
McGowan probably has been involved in the transporting of hundreds of
boats. I'm sure he takes the attendant responsibilities very seriously,
as most people do who move boats for others. (I expect it was your
responsibility--was it not?--to see that your boat was insured from the
moment Mr. McGowan tied it onto Mr. Mitchell's truck.) Be glad that
you've found your precious boat, and count your blessings. There are
lots of rowers who'd give their eye teeth for a new Empacher, and lots
of human beings who'd give their eye teeth--and more--to be able to eat
well enough and sleep well enough and take the necessary training time
to be involved in any competitive sport at all.
Howard Runyon
Chicago
Michael Sullivan
Tristan...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
>
> After over six months of waiting for my new Empacher to arrive, I am
> "president" of Empacher USA, was so incompetent that he entrusted my single,
> And what has happened, you might ponder? Both the boats disappeared
> off the face of the earth for about a week. The driver, Mr. Jim Mitchell,
> never brought them to Miami, their final destination. Instead he has
> returned back to his home, Alexandria, VA. He has even told people at his
> club, Thompson Boat House, that he DID in fact deliver my boat to Miami!!!
> Luckily, the boats were discovered today. After a few phone calls to
> Germany, everything "seems" to have fallen into place. Jim is still out
Oh horsepucky you rank amateur, and I mean 'rank'. There's not a rower
in the US who hasn't had a boat hauled by a stranger at some point, you
pay your insurance and you sweat a little while you wait. Of all the
things that COULD happen to your boat, theft is generally the farthest
thing from our minds. What did Mr McGowan charge you for shipping by
Mr Mitchell? Let me know, and I'll make a wager with you that it's
1/4 of the rate a bonded trucking company would charge, and 1/2 of what
Mr McGowan SHOULD charge if he should decide to get into the business
of hauling specific shells himself instead of looking for opportune
rides for them. BTW, have you seen how bonded trucking companies
and air freight companies handle shell crates that say 'fragile'?
I've hauled myself for other crews, and individuals, it's part of the
sport, generally the trust you place in other rowing folks is well
placed.
Resolutes and Hudsons and Vespolis and every other boat gets treated
similarly.
I've hauled shells in Europe also, and folks there had no qualms about
sticking their shells on my trailer at need.
Believe me that Mr McGowan is more distraught about this incident
than you are, crocodile. I'm also curious as to what happened,
we'll have to wait for the full story on RSR until Bill's made
a round trip to the whine-land.
When you get your new boats, be sure to rig them so the pins
and gates point UP.
LTSF (long time since flame)
Mike Sullivan
Elsts
Tristan...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
>
> After over six months of waiting for my new Empacher to arrive, I am
> shocked, appalled, and extremely pissed off to find that Bill McGowan, the
> "president" of Empacher USA, was so incompetent that he entrusted my single,
> along with another single, to be delivered by a man he hardly knew!
But he did mention that the guy DID transport several other boats
without incident.
Whether the boats were lost or not, you'd eventually get a new boat from
Empacher/the insurance company if they didn't turn up. I'm 100% certain
that Bill would NOT allow you to go without your boat.
> And what has happened, you might ponder? Both the boats disappeared
> off the face of the earth for about a week. The driver, Mr. Jim Mitchell,
> never brought them to Miami, their final destination. Instead he has
> returned back to his home, Alexandria, VA. He has even told people at his
> club, Thompson Boat House, that he DID in fact deliver my boat to Miami!!!
Well, it looks like someone is going to be going to jail over the matter
($14k worth of boats is considered Grand Larceny, or something like
that).
And I'm guessing if the boats were picked up by this Jim guy in another
state, perhaps the feds will get involved?!?!
Is it the thief…or the fool who gave
> him the chance? Would you entrust anything of value to a person you barely
> know based on the fact that he/she has a nice truck?!?!
Well, if you were REALLY that concerned about getting your boat, you'd
have taken the drive up to Boston, New York, or Delaware (where ever
they came into port), and picked it up yourself!
So…if you
> choose to buy and Empacher from Bill McGowan, beware of the consequences.
Yeah, you might get great service, get your boat one way or another in 1
piece, and a chance to meet the one good guy USRowing used to have!
> (Sounds like a great Hudson or Resolute advertisement, doesn't it?) .
If you
> too have a sob story to tell about dealing with Empacher USA, please, please
> tell me.
Yeah, I've got one. . . The boats are yellow, and cost more than I was
willing to spend, they didn't have one on hand when I had the cash. . .
Booo Hoooo Hoooo!
>My hunch is that this is probably a botched insurance fraud scam.
How is it a botched insurance scam if the boats were missing, and the
idiot that was going to steal them is probably going to be going to
jail? If it was an insurance scam, I'd think the guy wouldn't have said
he delivered them, and instead they were stolen off his truck somewhere,
and that he actually would have comunicated this to Bill (we're all
criminally minded in Fairfax County).
> Some of the events that have taken place have been far to convenient and the
> whole thing is a little too fishy.
>
Well, I'm going out to a bar tonight were lots of Fairfax County Police
hang out, and I'll tell them if they've got this guy in custody to make
him "Respect My Authoritay!" (as Cartman from South Park would
say-spelled phonically).
> Angry Victim,
> Tristan Wietsma
You're not the victim, Bill was. If this Mitchell guy was toting the
boats for you, then you'd be the victim! Since he was working for Bill,
you would have received the boat sooner or later (They'd probably even
throw one on the next 747 from Germany to Miami to keep you a happy
Empacher customer)!
I think you should be happy everything worked out, and after you meet
Bill (since it seems he's going to have to make the delivery himself),
and you still have ill feelings toward him and Empacer, so be it!
BJE
Fennelly
Tristan...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
> After over six months of waiting for my new Empacher to arrive, I am
> shocked, appalled, and extremely pissed off to find that Bill McGowan, the
> "president" of Empacher USA, was so incompetent that he entrusted my single,
> along with another single, to be delivered by a man he hardly knew!
> And what has happened, you might ponder? Both the boats disappeared
> off the face of the earth for about a week. The driver, Mr. Jim Mitchell,
> never brought them to Miami, their final destination. Instead he has
> returned back to his home, Alexandria, VA. He has even told people at his
> club, Thompson Boat House, that he DID in fact deliver my boat to Miami!!!
> Luckily, the boats were discovered today. After a few phone calls to
> Germany, everything "seems" to have fallen into place.
> My hunch is that this is probably a botched insurance fraud scam.
> Some of the events that have taken place have been far to convenient and the
> whole thing is a little too fishy.
>
> Angry Victim,
> Tristan Wietsma
>
>
This is a pretty strong posting. I can certainly understand your anger, but I
think your accusation of insurance fraud begs for some clarification. I've dealt
with Bill McGowan and found him to be a decent fellow. I have known him to trust
the wrong people and get burned (only in small matters), but I've never had
reason to doubt his honesty. You undoubtedly have more information about this
incident than I do, but I think it would be appropriate to present any facts
supporting your claims of fraud. Bill deserves a fair hearing and the newsgroup
deserves the whole scoop.
I must say that from time to time I have been amazed by how our system of
boat transport has worked so well for so long. I trust people to haul my boats
and it always works out. I haul boats for other teams and individuals without
demanding insurance or liability waivers, and it always works out. If payment is
required, I accept personal checks, and they always clear. A lot of stuff gets
hauled a lot of places, and usually there's no trouble. Part of that certainly
comes from knowing whom to trust, but the bad apples do seem to be few and far
between. If somebody is definitely in the wrong here, let the community know. But
be careful, and back up your accusations with facts.
Mike Fennelly
Cal Crew
James Worrell
> After over six months of waiting for my new Empacher to arrive, I am
> shocked, appalled, and extremely pissed off to find that Bill McGowan, the
> "president" of Empacher USA, was so incompetent that he entrusted my single,
> along with another single, to be delivered by a man he hardly knew!
I would seriously hope it was *fully* insured anway?
You would be mad if it wasn't.
Although my brother had a fun time with Sykes, an Australian
boat maker. Once the shell left the factory it was the responsibility
of the owner.
Of course the boat was put on top of a semi (organised by sykes)
and the boat was insured, but when it finally made it to Brisbane
it was about a foot or two shorter after meeting with what we
guessed was a tree ...
The insurance companies sorted it all out eventually, but you can
imagine the disappointment of unwrapping a brand spanker and
finding it crushed to hell, the riggers bent, etc ...
Regards
James
_________________________________________________________________________
J a m e s W o r r e l l
Bennett & Francis, Surveyors ICQ#: 11678707
http://www.bfsurveys.com.au AOL Messenger: Worrell J
http://www.rowingqld.asn.au SMS & Mobile: +61419888362
BilMcGowan
Thank you, r.s.r. readers for coming to bat for me. I'm writing this at
11:15P.m. on Monday, 6/22/98 and I've been dealing with this nightmare all day.
The story is FAR too complex to discuss over r.s.r. and, because of the
sensitivity of the matter betwen myself and Mr. Mitchell, it would be foolhardy
for me to discuss this situation as it relates to him. I've done ONE foolhardy
thing too many as it is, thank you.
Suffice it to say that I am up & at 'em early tomorrow morning to retrieve the
boats (in perfect condition) in Virginia, and will personally drive them atop
my 1988 "high-performance Japanese luxury sports-sedan" all the way to my old
coaching grounds of Miami Rowing Club (with a stop off at Shane Ctr. in Miami
Beach).
Mrs. Wietsma has every right to be upset. There's a good chunk of change
invested in an Empacher and, once ordered, every Empacher customer counts the
days until their boat arrives, and rightly so. This incident was
extraordinarily unique and very uncharacteristic of the rowing community.
That's precisely why I did not hesitate to disclose this problem on r.s.r. and
seek the help of r.s.r. readers to solve the problem. Sure enough, it was an
r.s.r. reader, Mr. John Kowal, who, in his duties as a mailman in Alexandria,
Virginia, was delivering some mail at a condo complex when he saw the truck
with the 2 Empachers on top. HAD I NOT POSTED MY DILEMMA ON R.S.R. IT'S
DOUBTFUL THAT THIS PROBLEM WOULD HAVE HAD THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME THAT IT HAS.
I'm very grateful that John put 2 & 2 together, called me, then called the
local police. This was all solved without any need for an arrest. I will NOT
comment beyond that. And I feel strongly that the overwhelming majority of
r.s.r. readers trust me and understand WHY (for legal reasons) I can't comment
beyond that.
I am looking forward to picking up and delivering these boats myself so I may
put some "closure" (such an over-used P.C. word these days, but it DOES apply!)
on this incident and use it as an example of a possible worst-case scenario. I
will cover my ever-widening butt in the future with some well-worded documents
to give to any driver I hire in the future. But I'm certain that no WRITTEN
contract would have changed this situation. There was an implied contract and
a high duty of care expected of the carrier that need not be in writing. But I
said I wouldn't go into that.
"Bootswerft Empacher GmbH" as the company is officially called was willing to
fly brand-spanking new boats to these 2 customers if this situation was not
resolved by Thursday. Rainer Empacher and I both agree that this incident has
NOTHING to do with the integrity of his company or MY company which, by the
way, is "EurowSport, L.L.C." NOT "Empacher USA".
My sincere apology to the Wietsma family, Gregg Fields (the other boat owner)
and Doug Wyatt (he has a $5. aluminum foot stretcher plate in this mess!) for
all of this incredible incovenience and stress. I assure you, I was a GREAT
deal more stressed-out than all of you combined! I hope that each rower will
hop into the saddle of their new 'packer and displace all of this anger and
stress through their oars and propell their new boats to victory! :o)
Thanks again, r.s.r. readers. I won't forget your support.
- Bill
Empacher.....Since 1947
Bill McGowan, Manager
EurowSport, L.L.C.
5 Gerrish Street
Brighton, MA 02135-1704
Office Phone & FAX: 617.787.1177
U.S. Toll-Free Phone & FAX: 888.548.6618
website: empacher.com
Ronald K. Chen
Tristan...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
> My hunch is that this is probably a botched insurance fraud scam.
> Some of the events that have taken place have been far to convenient and the
> whole thing is a little too fishy.
I know you are probably very frustrated, but I think this is a bit over the top,
and after cooler reflection you may regret this aspect of your post. A lot of us
know Bill McGowan, and while perhaps he trusted too much in this instance, I
don't think anyone has ever questioned his integrity in his business
relationships. If you think about it from a practical perspective, it wouldn't
be worth it to him or to Empacher to have a blot on their escutcheon within the
rowing community over this.
=================================================================
Ronald K. Chen ron...@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Rutgers School of Law - Newark
15 Washington St. (973) 353-5378 (TEL)
Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 353-1248 (FAX)
BilMcGowan
>escutcheon
I don't know what an "escutcheon" is, but you can't bet if I have one, I don't
want no BLOT on it! :o)
If I was going to abscond with anyone's boat to try to capture a few extra
Deutsche Marks in my pocket, I would have started at the top, with MIT's new
sectional eight which, BTW, is still in my possession awaiting the
construction and arrival of new Carl Douglas riggers. Furthermore, I
wouldn't have brought anyone else in on the deal and probably would have done
everything from the convenience of the Boston area rather than sending
anything to, in this case, Alexandria, Virginia. Cut me some slack, oh
McCrittics of mine. Maybe I'll call in David Copperfield to make the entire
next container disappear the way he makes 747's and tanks disappear.
Hummmm..... at approximately $175,000. to $200,000. per container, I just might
be able to afford to live in Boston AND possibly own an Empacher for myself!
:o) No.....it will have to be one or the other. Not BOTH....
BilMcGowan
> After a few phone calls to
>Germany, everything "seems" to have fallen into place.
The phone calls to Germany had absolutely NOTHING to do with the "falling into
place" of this situation. I had already faxed Rainer Empacher on SATURDAY
NIGHT explaining the situation as it stood at that time, to give him a
"heads-up" on the matter and to tell him as much as I knew at that time, which
wasn't much. I spoke with Rainer about 11 a.m. MY time. Mr. Kowal, on his
postal delivery route in Alexandria, Virginia, discovered the boats at
approximately 1:15 p.m. and called me at 1:19 p.m. stating that he spotted the
boats. If Rainer had never been called by the customers in Miami: 1) the
boats STILL would have been found at 1:15 p.m. and; 2) Rainer STILL would have
known about the situation in its entirety in complete detail from me.
Simple as that. Don't overcomplicate this already bizarre situation, or try to
make yourself some sort of catalyst for the successful retrieval of these
boats, because that was not the case at all. It was an absolute coincidence
that the boats were found after you complained to Rainer Empacher about this
situation.
Carl Douglas
BilMcGowan <bilmc...@aol.com> writes
>I don't know what an "escutcheon" is, but you can't bet if I have one, I don't
>want no BLOT on it! :o)
Bill - "Escutcheon: a shield with a coat of arms upon it". They come
Teflon coated nowadays, so no blots.
>
>If I was going to abscond with anyone's boat to try to capture a few extra
>Deutsche Marks in my pocket, I would have started at the top, with MIT's new
>sectional eight which, BTW, is still in my possession awaiting the
>construction and arrival of new Carl Douglas riggers.
And, as promised, MIT will get those stiff, strong & low-drag AeRoWing
riggers within just 10 days of our receiving those promised & essential
boat measurements (which includes making them & shipping them across the
pond).
I'm most impressed by how quickly the RSR posse saddled up & solved
Bill's problem. And everyone should praise Sheriff Bill's dynamism -
that's how a *good* agent works, moving heaven & earth to help his
customers. Sometimes best-laid plans go wrong and advantage gets taken,
as happened here. But if we can't trust people we know in rowing ....
Cheers -
Carl
Carl Douglas Racing Shells
(for AeRoWing low-drag Riggers & Fine Small-Boats)
The Boathouse, Timsway, Chertsey Lane, Staines TW18 3JZ, Great Britain
URL http://www.rowing-cdrs.demon.co.uk TEL +44 (0) 1784-456344
E-mail carld...@rowing-cdrs.demon.co.uk FAX +44 (0) 1784-466550
quar...@ermine.ox.ac.uk
> From: bilmc...@aol.com (BilMcGowan)
>>escutcheon
>
>I don't know what an "escutcheon" is, but you can't bet if I have one, I don't
>want no BLOT on it! :o)
This is a good one - I was going to tell you "a shield with coat of arms",
but apparently it's _also_ the part of a boat's stern with the name on it.
Either way it's not something Bill's likely to have blotted, like his
pristine copybook.
Salut to the newsgroup USA-wide for getting onto this case so quickly,
brilliant detective work. And respect to all those who have posted sane
and pretty restrained replies to the scull-owner's cross message - I bet
he's regretting sounding off so hastily. Bill, you have a lot of support,
much deserved. And if you can tell USRowing where to go, you're no soft
touch. When are you coming over to the UK to tell me this saga in person?
Ciao,
Rachel (and her dictionary).
--
_________________________________
The Rowing Service
Rowing...@pobox.co.uk
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~quarrell/
Greg Doyle
Tristan...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
>
> After over six months of waiting for my new Empacher to arrive, I am
> shocked, appalled, and extremely pissed off to find that Bill McGowan, the
> "president" of Empacher USA, was so incompetent that he entrusted my single,
> along with another single, to be delivered by a man he hardly knew!
Boats are routinely "entrusted" to other members of the rowing community
for transport. It's too bad this time didn't work out, but that doesn't
mean the other hundreds of trips each year should now be suspect.
Generally you have some idea of who you're dealing with, but there are
still surprises. Most of Boathouse Row will no longer deal with a
certain boat reseller because of a supreme greaseball move he tried to
pull on a fellow rower some years back (and he's so hapless, he probably
just thinks business is slow!!!). But prior to that, he had just been an
unpleasant businessman, not a greaseball. From what I have heard, Mr.
Mitchell had delivered boats successfully in the past. We'll have to
wait for more info to find out why this case was different.
> And what has happened, you might ponder? Both the boats disappeared
> off the face of the earth for about a week. The driver, Mr. Jim Mitchell,
> never brought them to Miami, their final destination. Instead he has
> returned back to his home, Alexandria, VA. He has even told people at his
> club, Thompson Boat House, that he DID in fact deliver my boat to Miami!!!
Hmmmm....you know Sherlock....your problem seems to be with Mr. Mitchell
and not Bill. If your postman stopped delivering your mail, would you
freak out on the postmaster general?
> Luckily, the boats were discovered today. After a few phone calls to
> Germany, everything "seems" to have fallen into place.
Don't think that YOU had anything to do with things falling into place.
Empacher (and Bill) would have stepped up to the plate in any case where
your boat was not delivered. If anything, you just wasted an overseas
call and gave some teutonic laughs to the guys in the shop.
> Jim is still out
> there though. If you have anything of value, let me warn you, Jim Mitchell
> has already tried to rob me and another man of $14,000! Guard your boats!
Hmmm....you got a badge to put behind that accusation? What if this
situation has ALOT more behind it? You don't have any wiggle room and
Mr. Mitchell, if exonnerated, can sue you for far more than your little
yellow water speedster is worth.
> But, still…who is really to blame here. Is it the thief…or the fool who gave
> him the chance? Would you entrust anything of value to a person you barely
> know based on the fact that he/she has a nice truck?!?!
Mr. Mitchelll, in all likelihood, entered into a contract when he agreed
to transport the boats. That's called business. Sometimes, people do
business with new partners. Some agreements/partnerships work out, some
don't. Get over it.
> So…if you
> choose to buy and Empacher from Bill McGowan, beware of the consequences.
Oh yes, watch out for that guy who will go to no end to satisfy a
customer, including calling out the entire r.s.r. militia to track down
your frickin' boat. You better row that thing like a screamin' banshee
for all the fuss you're makin'.
> (Sounds like a great Hudson or Resolute advertisement, doesn't it?) .
So why didn't you get one?
> If you
> too have a sob story to tell about dealing with Empacher USA, please, please
> tell me.
He still owes me a hat....my God!! the man's nefarious!!!
> My hunch is that this is probably a botched insurance fraud scam.
> Some of the events that have taken place have been far to convenient and the
> whole thing is a little too fishy.
>
> Angry Victim,
> Tristan Wietsma
Easy there Columbo....you owe Bill an apology. And be quite assured, the
r.s.r. community expects to read it here. Of course you've never posted
anything until this rant, so I am suspect of YOU for various reasons.
But we shall see.
And by the way, Empachers (and Bill) are still quite shiny in everyone's
eyes.
Cheers.
Satisfied Empacher GmbH Customer,
Greg Doyle
Philadelphia, Pa.
BilMcGowan
>When are you coming over to the UK to tell me this saga in person?
I'm leaving Boston on a Monday (6/29/98) to go to Henley Royal Regatta in
England. It's my first visit to see what all the fuss is about. I'll be the
extra-large Merkin with the relieved face and 2 Pimms in-hands and Brooks
Brothers straw boater. You can't miss me.
Thomas Whelton
Has any one else noticed this 'person' posted to r.s.r. via deja-news so
that a private personal response would not necessarily be possible? Gee
Whiz, imagine that in these modern times we see individuals taking 'one-way'
pot shots at others. Upon reading Tristan's post I was instantly angered by
it. I was all fired up to write a biting response in defense of an
independant businesman who happens to be an aquaintence when I found that I
was going to be denied the pleasure.
Perhaps I just have not yet mastered the necessary skills to reply to an
individual privately who has posted by way of deja-news.
It is obvious that a personal defense for Bill is not needed anyway, so many
others have already done so.
Tristan- since I know you will probably eventually read this I just
would like to say; first I can empathize with your anger over your delayed
delivery, but hey that's life and second if you are going to bash someone be
ready for the flames and don't hide behind deja-news, leave an address where
we can send you a private note so that you don't have to suffer such a
public ripping.
BTW- I think your insurance fraud statement was going way to far, you owe an
apology to Bill. (As for Mr. Mitchell he's the guy at whom you should direct
your anger.)
Tom Whelton
Boston, Massachusetts
Tristan...@my-dejanews.com wrote in message
<6mmi98$8ue$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
> After over six months of waiting...
(snipped)
WATE...@ix.netcom.com
BilMcGowan wrote:
>
> >escutcheon
>
> I don't know what an "escutcheon" is, but you can't bet if I have one, I don't
> want no BLOT on it! :o)
Congratulations to Bill M. for not only accomplishing (hopefully) the
retrieval of his boats, but for instigating one of the most absorbing
threads ever posted anywhere! I'm almost sorry it's resolved... And
congratulations, too, to posters who have been so supportive of the
brotherhood and so articulate and downright literary in their responses.
Now, I think I better find Mr. Mitchell and see if I can't get him to
deliver some WaterRowers ... the loss of which would be worth the
lipservice!
Great job, again, Bill...
William from WaterRower
bpa...@nospam-networkable.com
I think it was all a scam by Bill to not have to buy me lunch.
After calling his house to see if he wanted to do lunch I came across
all these postings. Maybe it was a lunch scam. You know - fake
having to run off to FA to avoid lunch having to pay for lunch at the
Arsenal Diner? Seems very suspisious to me.
But seriously, I fell the need to way in my opinion becuase I
consider Bill a friend personally and professionally. The fact that
he freaked out, sent out feelers, drove to get and deliver the boat
himself and if none of this worked out Emacher would have a new boat
to you this week at their cost (and trust me flying a shell by it self
from Germany probably costs more than your new shell) shows that he is
committed.
What we need is more accountablity in lthe rowing community
and Bill is providing that. What you are saying is when someone stands
up and takes responsibility for things that are clearly out of their
control it is just not enough. Even in these news groups Bill has
been carefull not to slander, something that you clearly feel the
need to do.
My adivce is to enjoy the boat (clearly a smart decision) get
on with your life and stop feeling full of judgement.
Bradley Paster
On Mon, 22 Jun 1998 21:28:08 GMT, Tristan...@my-dejanews.com
wrote:
> After over six months of waiting for my new Empacher to arrive, I am
>shocked, appalled, and extremely pissed off to find that Bill McGowan, the
>................whole thing is a little too fishy.
Victor Austin
From what I understand, Mr. Mitchell had also agreed to take some
boats for Vesper out to Nationals, but then never showed up. This has
left Vesper in a bit of a panic about finding a ride for their boats
(two straight 4s) out to Indy. So Bill was not the only who got
duped. Any one have room on a trailer from Phiily to Nationals?
mt...@columbia.edu
In article <6mmi98$8ue$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
<Tristan...@my-dejanews.com> wrote:
> After over six months of waiting for my new Empacher to arrive, I am
>shocked, appalled, and extremely pissed off to find that Bill McGowan, the
>along with another single, to be delivered by a man he hardly knew!
Not only that! I also have other information regarding "Bill McGowan"
(if that's his _real_ name!): Sources tell me that even _before_ they
got to the USA, "Bill" had them sent via container ship, and HE NEVER
EVEN MET THE CAPTAIN, NOR ANY OF THE CREW!!!
We're all just lucky that the shells got to the USA, where we could
track down the perpetrator. What if the captain of the freighter
decided to abscond with his entire cargo to, say, the Ivory Coast?
I'll tell you: it would have been _impossible_ to retrieve them, and
we'd only have "Bill" to blame...
(Congrats on getting the shells back, etc.)
Michael
> My hunch is that this is probably a botched insurance fraud scam.
>Some of the events that have taken place have been far to convenient and the
>whole thing is a little too fishy.
>
> Angry Victim,
> Tristan Wietsma
>
P.S. be quite sure you're getting _your_ boat back... Maybe "bill" switched
it with an _exact duplicate_!!
Michael Sullivan
BilMcGowan wrote:
>
> >When are you coming over to the UK to tell me this saga in person?
>
> I'm leaving Boston on a Monday (6/29/98) to go to Henley Royal Regatta in
> England. It's my first visit to see what all the fuss is about. I'll be the
> extra-large Merkin with the relieved face and 2 Pimms in-hands and Brooks
Oh, yecchhh... ! Go for the Brakespears, Bill. Pimms is
a Brit inside joke on us, it stands for:
Piss In Merkins Mug
:^)
Mike
Mrjkowal
Lets keep this thread going. Now that I know Bill is on the road and cannot
read this, I have two fine looking yellow speeders for sale, cheap. Must take
delivery immediately. John
robert scurria
Hey Tristan, lighten up!!!!! Every day we trust our property to people we
don't know, whether it's our car to a new mechanic, our household goods to
a moving company, or our cash to an investment or real estate broker. (just
look at Whitewater). I've been dealing with victims for 26 years and they
all have one thing in common; there's a crook in the mix somewhere. Don't
blame Bill, he's always been a decent and honest guy who this time was also
a victim.
Just be thankful for the good people who took the time to get involved and
help out. Take it from one who knows from experience, that's a rarity these
days. I'd venture to say they got involved because of Bill and his
reputation for being one of the good guys!
It'll be interesting to see if your indignant attitude makes your Empacher
any faster.
Bob Scurria
Mrjkowal
Tristan, Bill just left my house with two fine looking boats. One, I believe,
was yours. You have got to get a grip son. I know you are only a teenager but
you need to learn to hold your tongue. Had I not stopped for a coffee and
biggie breakfast on the clock before I started my deliveries I might have
spotted Jim's truck long before you wasted that call to the Fatherland. Bill
should be in Florida late tomorrow--or Thursday--or Friday. Depends on how
well he can cook up his NEW insurance scam on the fly. And all I got out of it
was an Empacher cap and a fanny pack. Since none of you took me up on my fire
sale of two cool yellow shells, cheap, immediate delivery, I am forced to go
back to my mail deliveries tomorrow to pay my rent. Oh, by the way, to all of
you who are amazed that a postal employee would be involved with rowing; please
remember, we in the post office know where you live. One final point; I
sometimes get to start regattas. I have all your e-mail address written down.
Two false starts could equal elimination. We deliver! John
Dr. Richard D. Lewis
Hey Bill:
Is John Koval (the hard working government employee)
going to recieve an Empacher hat out of his efforts ?
You gave Bill (Pres) Clinton one and he didn't even
spot ONE Empacher shell.
Richard Lewis
> - Bill
Dr. Richard D. Lewis
Mrjkowal wrote:
And all I got out of it was an Empacher cap and a fanny pack. John
YOU got an Empacher FANNY PACK out of Bill ?
WHOOOO ! This is much more serious than I thought !
Richard Lewis
Dr. Richard D. Lewis
Tristan you TWIT !!!!!!!!!!!
You could have beat Bill over the head and shoulders
and recieved Empacher hats, jackets, T-shirts
and fanny packs for the ENTIRE BOAT HOUSE !
Instead you insult him ! Are you sure you know how
to deal with vendors ?
I would have given anything to be in YOUR PLACE.
I would have had Bill coming south with a whole
U-Haul trailer full of Empacher stuff !
Richard Lewis
Mrjkowal
Actually he gave me a couple of other things as well. Also, my son cleaned him
out and the wife is sporting new Empacher this and that. I was holding out for
a shell of my own but he drove off into the thunderstorm before he would
committ. John
Ronald K. Chen
quar...@ermine.ox.ac.uk wrote:
>
>
> This is a good one - I was going to tell you "a shield with coat of arms",
> but apparently it's _also_ the part of a boat's stern with the name on it.
> Either way it's not something Bill's likely to have blotted, like his
> pristine copybook.
>
>
Fascinating. . ., uh, I knew that. Yes, of course that's the meaning I intended.
When I am the Starter at regattas, I always tell the stakeboat holders to hold the
"escutcheon" of the boat.
> _________________________________
> The Rowing Service
> Rowing...@pobox.co.uk
> http://users.ox.ac.uk/~quarrell/
--
Alan Sherman
The message <199806231335...@ladder01.news.aol.com>
from bilmc...@aol.com (BilMcGowan) contains these words:
> I'm leaving Boston on a Monday (6/29/98) to go to Henley Royal Regatta in
> England. It's my first visit to see what all the fuss is about. I'll be the
> extra-large Merkin with the relieved face and 2 Pimms in-hands and Brooks
> Brothers straw boater. You can't miss me.
2 Pimms? I don't think you've seen the price of _one_ yet! nor the
current exchange rate!
--
Alan Sherman <woody....@zetnet.co.uk> Tel:- +44(0)181-995-3198
Thames Tradesmen's RC
Ronald K. Chen
Perhaps Rachel or some other RSRer from the mother country could take a picture of
Bill McGowan in a boater. It would increase the hits on the Rwoing Service
considerably.
BilMcGowan wrote:
> >When are you coming over to the UK to tell me this saga in person?
>
> I'm leaving Boston on a Monday (6/29/98) to go to Henley Royal Regatta in
> England. It's my first visit to see what all the fuss is about. I'll be the
> extra-large Merkin with the relieved face and 2 Pimms in-hands and Brooks
> Brothers straw boater. You can't miss me.
>
> Empacher.....Since 1947
>
> Bill McGowan, Manager
> EurowSport, L.L.C.
> 5 Gerrish Street
> Brighton, MA 02135-1704
> Office Phone & FAX: 617.787.1177
> U.S. Toll-Free Phone & FAX: 888.548.6618
> website: empacher.com
--
Jon
Ronald K. Chen <ron...@andromeda.rutgers.edu> wrote:
: Perhaps Rachel or some other RSRer from the mother country could take a picture of
: Bill McGowan in a boater. It would increase the hits on the Rwoing Service
: considerably.
How about Bill actually *rowing* in an Empacher?
Perfect advertising then.
Jon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
j...@durge.org
http://www.durge.org/~jon/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
quar...@ermine.ox.ac.uk
> From: "Ronald K. Chen" <ron...@andromeda.rutgers.edu>
>Perhaps Rachel or some other RSRer from the mother country could take a picture
> of
>Bill McGowan in a boater. It would increase the hits on the Rwoing Service
>considerably.
If we do manage to meet up, and if Bill lets me, then I probably will.
Not sure the Oxford server could cope with the resulting excitement - it's
already got a load of around 14,000 hits a day on Rowing Service files -
but it's worth a try. Anyone got a pair of cunning Mission Impossible
shades-with-camera?
Rachel.
--
Dr. Richard D. Lewis
Rachel:
Be real careful with Bill. He will give out "free"
empacher hats, T-shirts, or even a fanny pack and
all you end up with is a coupon for a free "empacher
this or that" at some future date, if you can chase
him down with the goods at some regatta in the out
years.
Check out his goods first before you accept any of his
free empacher gifts. Accept only what he has on hand and
then get TWO of each.
Richard Lewis
bowman2x
Is it me or is Mr. Lewis a bit obsessed with Bill and his Empacher gear.
Bill, get this guy a hat ASAP--the flames are getting tedious. Sheesh.
--J
AlexFilRep
Hey, Bill!
Why are you encouraging people not to press charges? For the good of the rowing
community, this guy should be made an example of.
By letting him off the hook, you leave us all vulnerable to similar scumbags,
who may have the same inclinations...
Maybe they'll think twice about messing with the somewhat honorable rowing
community. At the very least they will know not to mess with Bill McG, yes? Do
us all a favor: fry his ass. "Pour encourager les autres".
Enjoy the HRR, while I help your clients at Nationals ;-)
Cheers.
Alessandro Selvig, Elite Rowing, Inc.
FILIPPI importer for North America
70 Lake Street, Boston, MA USA 02135
Tel & Fax (617) 783-8442
330 National Team Crews from 27 countries.
155 Medals, 34 golds (and counting).
Dr. Richard D. Lewis
Thanks Bowman !
Bill, are you there ? Is the shirt on the way ?
Richard
quar...@ermine.ox.ac.uk
> From: "Dr. Richard D. Lewis" <lew...@tacom.army.mil>
BILL SIGHTING:
noon in the Stewards today near the finish line of HRR, schmoozing
with the locals and taking the weight off his feet on the fence. No sign
of Pimmses yet but he promises it won't be long. No, I didn't have time
to take a piccie, much less scan it in - been a tad frantic today.
Um - Richard - he thinks your comments are getting a leetle beyond
a joke - let off the guy, eh?
MIDNIGHT UPDATE:
No Empachers are missing from the boat tents tonight.....
RQ (Special Bill-Seeking Operative)
Henley.
(oh sorry, England).
Dr. Richard D. Lewis
quar...@ermine.ox.ac.uk wrote:
BILL SIGHTING:
noon in the Stewards today near the finish line of HRR, schmoozing
with the locals and taking the weight off his feet on the fence. No
sign of Pimmses yet but he promises it won't be long. No, I didn't have
time to take a piccie, much less scan it in - been a tad frantic today.
Bill-Seeking Operative
Henley.
The Rowing Service
Hope Bill is having a good time at the Henley.
Good luck with the picture of Bill and the
Pimmses. It should increase the number of hits
on the web page by at least 50%. If you
get a real good pic of Bill and the Pimmeses,
please let me know and I will have a WHOLE BUNCH
of T-Shirts made up with his picture on the
back. Advertisement space available on the
frount.
Richard Lewis