Interest Rocketeer Rocket Pack and Harness screen accurate ***Deposits closed

[TomVDJ]

If this is true, it's horrible off course, but let's not forget that this run started WAY before the Covid outbreak! These terrible stories can be an excuse for delays this year, but what about the period starting in 2017?

I also noticed that you can not view the complete profile of TheRocketeer anymore, so no way to see when he was last seen on the forum. Why would you want to hide that info for people?

To be frank: all my sympathy goes to people that lost loved ones in the pandemic, but I don't know what to think about this claim. Brandomack even PM'd me a scan of the "death certificate" to proof his point. If my wife died, I would not even consider sending over a picture of her death certificate to anybody online. I think this is a very strange thing to do, to be honest. Anyway, I can not say if all this is actually true or not. I could double check with the person that signed the certificate (Jack Shewchuk) to see if the certificate is genuine, but I don't have any dog in this fight. Didn't order a jetpack, didn't pay any money here. Just following this thread in disbelief that nobody seems to care to loose quite a fair amount of money.

This run started in 2017, people! 2017! More than 5 years ago! Well, it's not my money, but if it was, I would have taken action years ago. Just saying...

 

[brandomack]

If this is true, it's horrible off course, but let's not forget that this run started WAY before the Covid outbreak! These terrible stories can be an excuse for delays this year, but what about the period starting in 2017?

I also noticed that you can not view the complete profile of TheRocketeer anymore, so no way to see when he was last seen on the forum. Why would you want to hide that info for people?

To be frank: all my sympathy goes to people that lost loved ones in the pandemic, but I don't know what to think about this claim. Brandomack even PM'd me a scan of the "death certificate" to proof his point. If my wife died, I would not even consider sending over a picture of her death certificate to anybody online. I think this is a very strange thing to do, to be honest. Anyway, I can not say if all this is actually true or not. I could double check with the person that signed the certificate (Jack Shewchuk) to see if the certificate is genuine, but I don't have any dog in this fight. Didn't order a jetpack, didn't pay any money here. Just following this thread in disbelief that nobody seems to care to loose quite a fair amount of money.

This run started in 2017, people! 2017! More than 5 years ago! Well, it's not my money, but if it was, I would have taken action years ago. Just saying...

Tom,

Kindly GFY.

 

[Spyhunter2k]

Wow. Keeping it classy. What a complete dumpster fire this run and thread is.

 

[brandomack]

Wow. Keeping it classy. What a complete dumpster fire this run and thread is.

I’m done with class and grace. Tom has no skin in the game and his inflammatory comment is only serving to make matters worse.

I’ve tried to help a friend that was in need, because his whole life was falling apart. I offered him a way to make good on his responsibilities so that the people that wanted a rocket pack could get a rocket pack and the people that wanted a refund could get a refund.

I am not obligated to do anything for anyone, merely trying to lead someone to do the right thing.

If anyone has a problem with that, you know what my answer is.

 

[ScottageCheese]

You're done with class and grace? Were you screwed over by Curtis?
Brandomack, no offense bro, but you got no place to talk. You're helping a loser like Curtis, labeling yourself one in the process.
It's been a year since you spoke up for him, totally damaging your reputation in the process.

 

[brandomack]

You're done with class and grace? We're you screwed over by Curtis?
Brandomack, no offense bro, but you got no place to talk. You're helping a loser like Curtis, labeling yourself one in the process.
It's been a year since you spoke up for him, totally damaging your reputation in the process.

I’ve done my best to help a friend in need. If you want to call me a loser, thats fine. I’ve lost all desire to participate in making replica props and your words merely confirm that.

 

[Spyhunter2k]

I’ve done my best to help a friend in need. If you want to call me a loser, thats fine. I’ve lost all desire to participate in making replica props and your words merely confirm that.

I don't think anyone that tries to help a loser becomes one by association. If you genuinely intended to assist Curtis with completing this run, and just weren't able to, fine.

Your posts are those of a man under extreme stress. I genuinely hope your background stressors—which I suspect are likely the true cause of your vitriol, and not actually Tom—are resolved soon.

The pandemic and other world events have added a high baseline of stress for all. Fot those experiencing a significant adverse event that just happened to coincide with the pandemic—divorce, family death, health issue—the combined level of anxiety and pressure has been almost unbearable at certain points during the past two years, and cause hateful words to be said to someone with which you'd likely be able to enjoy a beer with otherwise if you weren't dealing with COVID + cancer/job-loss/etc.

I've read many posts from both brandomack and TomVDJ over the years, enough to know that I would likely enjoy a beer with both of you in better times than the ones I'm which we now find ourselves.

Please consider what may be the true source of your frustrations before abandoning all kindness.

 

[TomVDJ]

I’m done with class and grace. Tom has no skin in the game and his inflammatory comment is only serving to make matters worse.

I’ve tried to help a friend that was in need, because his whole life was falling apart. I offered him a way to make good on his responsibilities so that the people that wanted a rocket pack could get a rocket pack and the people that wanted a refund could get a refund.

I am not obligated to do anything for anyone, merely trying to lead someone to do the right thing.

If anyone has a problem with that, you know what my answer is.

Indeed I have no dog in this fight, mate, but I had one in that other run of YOU, where people are also waiting for years and years to be either refunded or get a finished prop! It took me quite some effort to get my money back from that run, and you threatened me and called me names there too!

I just see a pattern, mate! I'm in this hobby way too long to fool me here. This run and your run of Blade Runner Blasters are not going to deliver anything and people here and in your run will most likely loose their money! That's how it's going to be, and people that do not realize that by now are just naïve!

You say "I am not obligated to do anything for anyone, merely trying to lead someone to do the right thing." Well, maybe finish your own run first, before stepping into another run that's going off the rails. And like I said on the RPF dozens of times before: people do not mind waiting a little longer, als long as there is COMMUNICATION!!! And that's a big issue in this thread and your own Blade Runner Blaster thread: radio silence for weeks! Only an update if people start pushing for it. And then again radio silence for weeks. It's that kind of pattern that raises all red flags for me!

Anyway, again: I don't loose any money here. I leave it to people that actually invested in this run to stand up for themselves and ask their money back. But this is a community and I have every right to express my opinion in the hope that people will realize what's going on here!

Brandomack, you say you just try to help a friend? Well, I'm just trying to help all people that invested money here and hope they are refunded (or get a pack, but I doubt that will ever happen). You can not simply take people's money, then just drag out this run for years and years and years, and expect that everybody is OK with this as long as you can present them with stories of misfortune (even if these stories are 100% legit).

Really curious what kind of money we are talking about here? Deposits were $300, right? Even if only a few people paid a deposit, we are talking about thousands of dollars...

 

[ScottageCheese]

This information will be added to Curtis' police report. Feels relevant. Sorry Brandomack. You've implicated yourself but admitting you are in touch with him. You've strung us along for the past year with BS updates.

By the way "helping a friend" is talking them off that ledge of commuting fraud, not aiding them.

And sharing the death certificate? That's some George Costanza stuff. Low.

 

[Spyhunter2k]

Folks have every right to pursue a fair resolution to issues with brandomack having to do with own run. TomVDJ I believe you did that on his blaster run, and no one can fault you for it.

But pursuing him on another person's run because he stepped in to try to help, and just wasn't ultimately successful in doing so...I'm not sure that this is fair or productive. It would only be so if brandomack had received some of the deposits or original materials for the run, but I don't believe that this is the case.

Curtis is the one responsible for this run. Implying another member has, not just responsibility, but criminal responsibility, simply because he "was in touch with" the personal starting the run and tried to provide and prompt some communication to members on Curtis' behalf...I don't agree with that.

I do understand the anger with having your hard-earned money taken. But, as I understand it, brandomack doesn't have your money, or the pack/molds, so what can pressure on brandomack in regards to this run ultimately accomplish?

I would instead be planning a repo of Westies14 's original pack from Curtis. No matter how broke or despondent he is, he should be able to simply hand this over to someone. And if he wants to be an upstanding guy, be could hand over anything he HAS finished. If a member lives close to Curtis, and is granted the right by Westies to take possession of the pack, that would seem to be the way to go. Just my opinion.

 

[TomVDJ]

It's clear that Curtis is not communicating at all anymore (for quite a while, not only since the death of his wife. His last post in this thread was from May 2018!), and brandomack is his spokesperson now. In that case, it's normal that people turn to brandomack to resolve things. And I'm not persuing anybody personally here, to be clear! Brandomack has every right to say: "Look guys, I also don't know anymore what's going on. I take my hands off this case too and will focus on my own run again." In fact that would be a very wise thing to do in my opinion. But as long as he acts as Curtis spokesman, he also has to deal with his "customers".

Anyway, I had enough of this. To me it's crystal clear what's happening here and what will happen in the end. I've seen it a couple of times before in the RPF and the "pattern" is VERY recognizable! But it's not my money at stake here, so people who did pay a deposit, have to step up (or don't and accept their loss). Not my monkey, not my circus!

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

This is my first time checking this thread out, and while I have no dog in this race I am slightly confused about all this because I have received many casts from Curtis in the last two years. As far as I was aware, he never left. So to read all this is a little shocking.

I haven’t had contact with him for a few months now and I guess I will have to avoid working with him in the future. I do truly hope you folks get some resolution.

 

[TomVDJ]

Good to let people here know that Curtis actually was doing some work the last two years. This means he had the opportunity to work on this project too, I guess? He just didn't and also didn't care giving some explanation here for several years... Well...

 

[TomVDJ]

...and another month passed without any activity in this thread. Just curious if something is actually moving here, or are people just taking their loss and moving on?

 

[ScottageCheese]

Yeah Brandomack what excuse do you/Curtis have this time?

 

[ScottageCheese]

Here are the latest photos of the rocket pack in silicone. Slow but steady progress is being made. markpoon yours will be the first shipped when its ready.

6 months ago.... damn that's taking a long time to cure.

 

[Gray Ghost]

I'm past the point of caring about excuses. Don't lead us on with false promises and deliver nothing, we have already been screwed enough over this.

As far as I'm concerned, until I get my money back, it's still fraud. I have already filed a police report and will continue pressing it until a resolution is made.

 

[bummer6]

Jeez is this still going on??
When you accept deposits you're taking on the responsibility to deliver the work on time. This is why I never take deposits, because I know stuff can get in the way and I don't want people to be financially invested in one of my projects until the project is ready to deliver. Curtis made his bed when he accepted that money, and frankly he can lie in it at this point. The money that was paid was for the production of the props that people paid for, and clearly Curtis used that money elsewhere or he grossly underestimated the cost of making the props. Either way people have a right to be upset.
My heart goes out to everyone who paid a deposit here. I've been scammed before and I know it feels dreadful.

While i understand those who have chosen for a refund. Can everyone please refrain from preventing Curtis to earn an income while this pack is being molded? There is currently NO money to refund anyone. I am counting on using the profit margin from these sales to cover refund costs. Curtis still has expenses he needs to cover other than what i am covering, if he can’t pay his rent and is out on the street then there is no hope of completion here.

Can we please agree to leave his sales be, so i can make your refund happen sooner?

Thanks.

This is a really shady thing to say in my opinion. Again, Curtis got himself into this situation and asking people to let him make a living while having spent tons of other peoples money on god knows what makes absolutely no sense. People have been waiting an unreasonably amount of time for something to materialize. As Brandomack himself, people here seem to be done with class and grace, and very understandably so.
What Curtis has done and continues to do is harming the prop making community as a whole. It's not just about him anymore.

 

[TomVDJ]

Jeez is this still going on??
When you accept deposits you're taking on the responsibility to deliver the work on time. This is why I never take deposits, because I know stuff can get in the way and I don't want people to be financially invested in one of my projects until the project is ready to deliver.

Exactemundo!!! I also NEVER ask money before I have actually something IN HAND that can be shipped! Maybe RPF Staff should introduce a rule about deposits. A good one would be that if nothing is delivered within 5 months, people HAVE to get a refund (and you can force this trhoug paypal in that case). I've seen quite some threads recently where people waited for years on a product and nothing was delivered.. This indeed harms the honest propmakers here...

 

[Machina]

I’m still here checking on the thread time to time. I’m out around 900$ myself. (Deposits for the initial offerings in 2017, and a second deposit for the Run of the helmets in 2018 when that was offered)

Months back i reached out to Brandon to share my invoices and experince with Curtis. Over the years, I picked up a team and work at a fiberglassing infusion factory that makes high impact bucket seats for race cars and boat parts.

I’ve offered our assistance to just get something! Weather it’s the original molds that was cast from the legacy pack, or the idealized rocketpack. If we had the molds we can pump the remaining orders of some 4/5 people witch is nothing and I’d be able to just get my order and close this project.

But unfortunately I didn’t get a response to that offer.

Our team would of whipped out these castings in no time. Even if it’s the original mold that was made off the stunt it still at least SOMETHING. (Better than nothing)