Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 10:38:46 -0400
Reply-To: Matthew Bulley <gmbulley@bulley-hewlett.com>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Matthew Bulley <gmbulley@bulley-hewlett.com>
Subject: Reputation in a hyperlinked society
Mr Finn-
As you are probably aware by now, a note from Melissa Hohauser-Thatcher
(copied below) is circulating on a global VW-oriented newsgroup,
Vanagon.com. The note is in regard to your pre-purchase towing, purchase
for $200, and very-soon-thereafter offer to resell for $3,500 of her 1990
Vanagon.
The Vanagon list has approximately 1,000 members in many countries,
including many of your on-line competitors. Additionally, postings to the
list of disreputable actions by vendors are usually cross-posted to
numerous other VW-lists for discussion; including the VW-Audi list, the
VW-Audi Diesel list, the Syncro list, the Wet-Westies list, and numerous
others.
With this in mind, I would encourage you to speak out on your own behalf in
this regard. It appears, while your actions were not illegal, they are
reprehensible, and not in the spirit of good customer service. By leaving
this action unattended, you are becoming the fodder for these lists to
recount the times when they have been dissatisfied with your service. It is
not helping your business.
You can respond to Melissa to advise her of your actions in this regard;
this matter is between you two. Her address is in the header
Best of luck from a long ago former customer,
G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
Mount Olive, NC USA
877.658.1278 Tollfree
www.bulley-hewlett.com
My Agenda: Stop Suburban Sprawl.
My Methods: Revitalize older, highly-dense, urban towns. Champion
mass/rapid transit and fast Internet service to these towns. Demand
replacement of archaic, "separationist" zoning laws with neo-traditional
dense/mixed use zoning.
The Result: All Americans obtain superior living opportunities; sprawl is
restrained; and dense, beautiful, interlinked towns become our children's
inheritance.
Find out more at http://www.cnu.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>COPIED NOTE FOLLOWS>>>>>>>>>>>>
This was going to be a letter of farewell, but I found out today it is also
a letter of warning?
My '90 has been sitting in my driveway since February needing a head job
and a couple of other inconsequential repairs that basically made it a lawn
ornament. I recently decided that I could not attempt the head job alone
and couldn't afford it so I called PARTS PLACE, INC in Auburn Hills, MI to
see what they might be able to do for me. They hauled it and I followed 24
hours later to find out what they could give me. I know this place from a
friend with a Vdub shop on the other side of the state. $200 and some
tears later I departed.
Today I received a phone call from the man who I dealt with - JACK FINN -
who owns the PARTS PLACE, INC and he gave me the third degree - When
someone buys something and the condition of that thing is different than
originally thought - it's still a deal right? He goes on with this line of
question for about three minutes and then tells me that my van was fine -
the engine problems were "inconsequential" and they've fixed it up and had
it for sale at PARTS PLACE, INC for $3500. He asked If I wanted to buy it
back from him for that price.
Well, there's the story - take from it what you will. I will continue to
search for the van that is mine - in the meantime I'll keep the name
vwvangrrl@aol.com if anyone wants to write.
I hope this story makes you think before you sell - or to whom you sell -
or to whom you trust your van for mechanical info. And maybe you could
find someone else to deal with if you're already dealing with PARTS PLACE,
INC in Auburn Hills, MI.
I sure feel screwed - although I always thought that rollergirl (the van)
and screwing would come together in a much different way! Thanks for all
of the help and interesting info.
melissa
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