Advice sought, anyone in contact with REL aka Richard Long

[alensatemybuick]

It sucks getting ripped off. The best solution in my opinion is to get what you were promised via some other means, and “amortize” the loss into that. Being out the money sucks, but what sucks even more I think is not having the item you were ripped off over. Of course that means once again putting your trust in another person, which can be hard. But in my experience having your faith renewed by someone who does carry through on their obligation goes a long way to feeling better about the prior experience.

 

[hugescale]

I am still hoping to find a way to get back in contact with Richard Long.

Please, can anybody help me to reach him or/and to forward a message to him?
Please, does anybody know something about what he is doing, where he is etc.?

Many thanks in advance,
Michael

 

[Millenniumf]

I don't have a pony in this race, but the way I feel about it after reading the thread is this:

REL needs to focus all his attention on paying back people who want to be paid back as quickly as possible.
He needs a blog where he offers full transparency: everything he has been doing to make amends, every casting he makes, every time he touches the airbrush, EVERYTHING. It won't pay people back, but it'll show good faith.
He should ignore the people spewing hate and focus on making reparations, because I know from experience that listening to the hatred and vitriol absolutely kills your spirit and makes it difficult to live up to what you said you would do.
He should continue to keep in touch with people who are still in his corner.

Five years after the post, not to mention all the time before that, is a long time to still be trying to make amends. I'd certainly be frustrated. Hell, I was ready to pull the plug on DeAgostini after only one year past when they promised to send Pack 15 (which, thankfully, arrived last month). So yeah, anyone who's upset has every right to be! But I also know that pressing the attack and trying to get your pound of flesh produces ZERO results and only succeeds in, as I said, killing the spirit of the person making an effort to pay people back. Thus, you're not just hurting REL if you're doing this: you're hurt every single member of the forum who is trying to get either a refund or their kit back. You're definitely justified in how you feel, but expressing it like that does nobody any good.

 

[moffeaton]

write it off. just let it go, and move on. He clearly doesn't care. You won't ever get satisfaction.

 

[hugescale]

I am a little confused.
Millenniumf: I do not understand what you are trying to say. For example you wrote "you're not just hurting REL if you're doing this: you're hurt every single member of the forum who is trying to get either a refund or their kit back." Is this a general statement or directed to me?
moffeaton: I know your advice is well-meant and therefor appriciated. In my case the assumption behind your statement might not be correct.

 

[moffeaton]

well, good luck!

 

[Jedi Dade]

I've had dealing with REL in the past that were successful i.e. I got what I paid for in a reasonable timeframe. But I have not been able to get a hold of him for years... and we were on good terms. I think MoffEatons's advice is sound if not helpful... unless you know where the dude is living and willing to go there in person you're not going to contact him. As cr@ppy as it is you might be, you may better off writing it off a as bad chapter, and move forward. REL isn't the first person to get in way over his head in this hobby, and not be able to dig their way out.

Jedi Dade

 

[Commander Max]

Moffeaton is right, in reality what can you do.
Type a sentence on a message board? It's been five years, if he was really interested in making a mends. Somebody would have spoken up here recently.
I've given up on the whole thing, he owed me more than just about anybody else.
The guy is gone, for all we know he is in Turkish prison. Even if you knew where to find him, what can you do. He will only tell you what you want to hear. You'll still never see a thing.

 

[BrundelFly]

Its a difficult one to deal with. Richard had his friends and admirers and his builds were great , so alot of people gave him the grace beyond the paypal period. He caught me and a few others out with his RM concept X wing and it was only after we found him out when he put the kits up for sale on Starship Modeller that ALOT of other problems came to light (go read the thread). Thankfully somebody here, as always stepped up to the mark and solved the problem by doing the owed kits for him. Without him we'd have lost out, and there are a couple of guys here that are like that all the time , they genuinely help the community and make good of their promises on behalf of others. I 've only ever had one instance where I stopped a payment and that was refunded very quickly . Ever since then I've never let anyone go beyond the paypal limit and if things don't add up I'd advise anyone to hit dispute to sort it.

HAhaha Gee....I wonder what dumbs%@t volunteered to fill all of those orders of back logged kits.





PS. you're welcome. ;-)

 

[BrundelFly]

What Jason said.

If it makes you feel any better, and....it wont.
But he owes me an A Wing. Ill never get it.

I know what it is like to have a back log. Long ago...when we were FM MODEL CO..we made the BSG VIPER MARK II.
We were overwhelmed with orders. I was behind about 13 months. I did all the casting and shipping...
BUT...I communicated..and I took care of everyone.
Everyone got their order. Eventually

My SLogan "We promise FAST Service!! No Matter HOW LONG IT TAKES!" Stolen from MAMMAS Pizza in Tucson. true!! haha

I got good at filling back orders, when I was done with my own, I helped some friends. I took several back order of other producers here, only one of which was Richard Long. Yes, I was compensated with kits, or rights to produce kits, so it was a fair deal to me. Do not want to imply I did it out of the GOODNESS in my heart, well...maybe a little. I did not like to see other model brothers and sisters get burned. Some of you who know me, know that in the Final Days of ICONS...I was painting ROGER YOUNGS for free, so they could ship. So Im not a complete "WHATS IN IT FOR ME A-HOLE."

We all need to look out for each other. Before you send $$$ to someone, ASK your friends, or people you might not even know if the person you are doing business with is trustworthy. Yes, most of us do this as a hobby, we have other lives and commitments, and things take time. But reputations are earned. Enough said.

Stay Safe.

Frank

 

[moffeaton]

Well said. We take care of our own... many times at our own personal expense.