bovinehost
Administrator
Some of you are involved in this and some of you aren't. If you aren't, my advice is just click off and don't GET involved because it's a mess. But if you are, then you'll already have some background information on the cluster that has happened between Steve Barr and VBTC and Ernie Ball Music Man.
It's coming to a head, as they say, and I want to clear some things up. Steve has been banned here, but is posting at the Pit about this; I'm banned there, so I'll post my response here, in public, and you can make your own decisions about who's doing what to whom.
From the Pit today:
He wouldn't be as quiet as I've been and we all know it. I've been just about as quiet as I could be, given how many people have contacted me to try to figure out what's been going on with their basses, their money, their dealer.
Why have I kept my mouth shut? Because I wanted everyone who ordered a bass to get one, and I knew that calling Steve on his behavior would only lead to even more defensive behavior, possibly leading to more delays, etc.
On the Pit, any attempt to point out mistakes Steve has made can only lead to a public thrashing, followed by deletion, sometimes followed up with a good Ban to top it off. Now I've told Steve along the way what I thought, what I knew and what I've done. No big secret there, but if we want to go public with what's happened since, during and after School of Bass, what led to my resignation as Steve's EBMM sales guy, what had to happen for Steve to keep his dealership, how far Sterling was willing to go to keep him up and functioning, the steps he was supposed to take in order to ensure that paying customers were taken care of when the basses started rolling off the line, what happened to the deposits, where Frank's bass went, and yes, including what happened to Lisa's bass, I have plenty to say about that.
Because I know. I'm not guessing here.
I know. Frank and Lisa already know exactly how their orders were screwed up, and it wasn't me, it wasn't Music Man, it wasn't Aziah, it wasn't Frank nor was it Lisa. Guess who screwed the pooch?
When the Dargies started rolling out of SLO, how long did that first group of basses sit there, waiting to be paid for? I know the answer to that, too - fourteen days. Guess what the dealer agreement says about how long basses can sit without payment. Here's another thing to guess about - what the dealer agreement says about how many times a credit card can be declined before the dealer agreement is suspended for review?
So basses that had initially been ordered as 'stock', which included Lisa's bass, were cut off the bill because they couldn't be paid for. Now I was out of the process by the time the basses started to roll, so who screwed up? Lisa, because she paid in full and expected to get a bass? Frank, because he paid in full and expected to get a bass?
No. Did Music Man refuse to build anything? No.
At some point in time, in the HISTORY OF MAN, Steve is going to have to admit...well, he won't have to admit it, but he is going to have to consider the possibility that HIS actions led to the problems.
Not me, not Aziah, not Scott, not Dan, not the customers, and certainly not Sterling Ball.
In fact, there are two basses sitting in SLO right now, unpaid for. Whose fault is that? Chuck Ward's? Mine? I'm pretty sure I've got it figured out.
From the Pit:
I can't tell you how many times I've called that same number, asked to speak to Aziah or Beth or Jon or Scotty or Dan or any of the crew, and was put right through, sometimes without even "May I say who's calling?" I bet a number of people right here on the forum have had that same experience.
For you EBMM Forumites, I'll tell you right up front that I am far from perfect and I shouldn't be used as anyone's moral compass. But it wasn't me who played fast and loose with deposits and now with the truth.
After realizing that VBTC was going to be WAY short on money when the DDs began to deliver, Sterling gave Steve a number of options, things he could do to make sure that the whole thing didn't go belly-up when the bills came due. Ask me how many of those things Steve did. Ask me how long Sterling continued to try to help rather than just pulling the plug on someone who clearly was having BIG issues, some of them having been aired here and on the Pit. I'm not telling tales out of school or behind anyone's back.
Steve, if you're reading this, and I assume you eventually will, I would have posted this response on the Pit, but (a) I'm still banned and (b) I don't feel like being told to f*ck off and die like you did to Aussie Mark, who was only trying to get his bass - remember?
I thought there might be an amicable parting of the ways, but I should have known better, given the history of such things with you and everyone who opposes you in any way.
Sterling, if any of this is out of line or unwarranted, feel free to delete the whole thing, but I'm done with sitting around, watching your reputation being ransacked when all you did was try to save the guy's ass.
I'm a very unhappy Lord Bongo this week.
Jack
It's coming to a head, as they say, and I want to clear some things up. Steve has been banned here, but is posting at the Pit about this; I'm banned there, so I'll post my response here, in public, and you can make your own decisions about who's doing what to whom.
From the Pit today:
Steve Dude Barr said:
He wouldn't be as quiet as I've been and we all know it. I've been just about as quiet as I could be, given how many people have contacted me to try to figure out what's been going on with their basses, their money, their dealer.
Why have I kept my mouth shut? Because I wanted everyone who ordered a bass to get one, and I knew that calling Steve on his behavior would only lead to even more defensive behavior, possibly leading to more delays, etc.
On the Pit, any attempt to point out mistakes Steve has made can only lead to a public thrashing, followed by deletion, sometimes followed up with a good Ban to top it off. Now I've told Steve along the way what I thought, what I knew and what I've done. No big secret there, but if we want to go public with what's happened since, during and after School of Bass, what led to my resignation as Steve's EBMM sales guy, what had to happen for Steve to keep his dealership, how far Sterling was willing to go to keep him up and functioning, the steps he was supposed to take in order to ensure that paying customers were taken care of when the basses started rolling off the line, what happened to the deposits, where Frank's bass went, and yes, including what happened to Lisa's bass, I have plenty to say about that.
Because I know. I'm not guessing here.
I know. Frank and Lisa already know exactly how their orders were screwed up, and it wasn't me, it wasn't Music Man, it wasn't Aziah, it wasn't Frank nor was it Lisa. Guess who screwed the pooch?
When the Dargies started rolling out of SLO, how long did that first group of basses sit there, waiting to be paid for? I know the answer to that, too - fourteen days. Guess what the dealer agreement says about how long basses can sit without payment. Here's another thing to guess about - what the dealer agreement says about how many times a credit card can be declined before the dealer agreement is suspended for review?
So basses that had initially been ordered as 'stock', which included Lisa's bass, were cut off the bill because they couldn't be paid for. Now I was out of the process by the time the basses started to roll, so who screwed up? Lisa, because she paid in full and expected to get a bass? Frank, because he paid in full and expected to get a bass?
No. Did Music Man refuse to build anything? No.
At some point in time, in the HISTORY OF MAN, Steve is going to have to admit...well, he won't have to admit it, but he is going to have to consider the possibility that HIS actions led to the problems.
Not me, not Aziah, not Scott, not Dan, not the customers, and certainly not Sterling Ball.
In fact, there are two basses sitting in SLO right now, unpaid for. Whose fault is that? Chuck Ward's? Mine? I'm pretty sure I've got it figured out.
From the Pit:
Steve Dude Barr said:
I can't tell you how many times I've called that same number, asked to speak to Aziah or Beth or Jon or Scotty or Dan or any of the crew, and was put right through, sometimes without even "May I say who's calling?" I bet a number of people right here on the forum have had that same experience.
For you EBMM Forumites, I'll tell you right up front that I am far from perfect and I shouldn't be used as anyone's moral compass. But it wasn't me who played fast and loose with deposits and now with the truth.
After realizing that VBTC was going to be WAY short on money when the DDs began to deliver, Sterling gave Steve a number of options, things he could do to make sure that the whole thing didn't go belly-up when the bills came due. Ask me how many of those things Steve did. Ask me how long Sterling continued to try to help rather than just pulling the plug on someone who clearly was having BIG issues, some of them having been aired here and on the Pit. I'm not telling tales out of school or behind anyone's back.
Steve, if you're reading this, and I assume you eventually will, I would have posted this response on the Pit, but (a) I'm still banned and (b) I don't feel like being told to f*ck off and die like you did to Aussie Mark, who was only trying to get his bass - remember?
I thought there might be an amicable parting of the ways, but I should have known better, given the history of such things with you and everyone who opposes you in any way.
Sterling, if any of this is out of line or unwarranted, feel free to delete the whole thing, but I'm done with sitting around, watching your reputation being ransacked when all you did was try to save the guy's ass.
I'm a very unhappy Lord Bongo this week.
Jack
Enjoy your bass!!!
