Author Topic: Brooks ! I need help !!!  (Read 2443 times)

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Offline irishman

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #30 on: February 10, 2007, 05:56:30 AM »
I owe apologies to many and an explanation to all. First, I thank those who were worried about my health. I am well and am touched by your concern.

The heat in my barn malfunctioned several weeks ago and became inoperable when we experienced several  days of -20 temps. I ordered wireless for my computer which still doesn't work. I am using the library in Toledo to communicate.

In the past, I have been slow to answer my mail. I will improve. My production takes lots of my time. The world is competitive, material has soared in cost. Avoiding the loss of business to china is daily on my mind. At the end of the day, I enjoy building barrels, and I thank all of you for that.

Goldhound56, I owe you a specific apology and an explanation. As we were preparing to head south, gathering some product to take to ship from Ohio, JB and I took turns, setting aside your order. Documents with your payment didn't include a shipping address. (this happens about 10% of the time) All that was needed was an email to you. It wasn't done! I was negligent. I didn't make the connection between your name and Goldhound56, which somehow allowed me not be be on top of this. Your barrel is ready to ship with your name on the box.  I am sorry and I have learned from this.

When I return to the woods in about a week (watching weather), I will have clear info on any barrels that have not been shipped. Between now and then, I will answer all emails within 24 hours.

I thank you all for sticking with me thru this. It has improved me.

                                                      Michael

pls note the library closes in 5 minutes ......I have some unanswered email




Offline rays89

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #31 on: February 10, 2007, 09:22:42 AM »
Micheal
   Its good to see your doing ok.  It seems like Micheals reputation is getting alittle tarnished in this thread. I've known Micheal for quite awhile now and consider him more of a friend than "just a vendor" I know his business is small  Sometmes life will throw a curve ball causing delays. I deal on E-bay alittle and I come across sellers that are just full of BS. But I kjnow with Micheal he "shoots striaight" He has the "old school values" He takes alot of pride in his work and it shows. If there ever is a delay with Micheal something is wrong but it will be fixed.  Due to the complications of not having heat or an operable computer has caused some delays at the moment. But I know Miciheal will correct the problems asap, and those who are waiting for barrels will not be disappointed when they receive them. If you have read the threads on Brooks barrels you would know the quality of his work is excellent.
               Ray

Offline goldhound56

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #32 on: February 11, 2007, 03:28:59 AM »
I purposely stayed out of this thread until Michael had a chance to weigh in. No need to make a bad situation worse.

Michael: I'm sorry it came to this to get stuff straightened out. I never meant to question your integrity. I did not accuse you of cheating me (as some have said), and I am not seeking a refund. I really want my cannon (not just a barrel, but a complete piece). I'll send you my address. I have one suggestion: As you are a sponsor of this board and well-liked and respected by its administrator and moderator, perhaps you could simply call Graybeard or Double D and ask them to post a thread here when issues arise such as the circumstances you are facing now. I wish you best of luck.

Those who defended me: Thank you for seeing that I was just seeking answers and not trying to trash anyone's reputation (Michael's OR mine). I had exhausted every avenue I had available to me; this was the only way I knew to get information since there's no phone listing for Brooks USA.

Double D: I found your response the most interesting. Your jumped in with your warning to buyers, but in the same virtual breath you defended Brooks staunchly. I found that an odd combination. You see, part of being a buyer is doing research, and I had done mine. THROUGH THIS BOARD. I found nothing that indicated there was slowness in communication, so I expected prompt communication. I appreciate that you followed up with an apology, but scolding others for not posting their concerns seems a tad hypocritical considering that you and Graybeard dropped the hammer on me for doing that very thing. I know that sponsorship is thicker than readership, and it's more important to keep a sponsor than to keep a board user. That should speak volumes to everybody who uses this service. In other words, Let the USER beware.

I'm sure this will be my last opportunity to speak, as I fully expect to have my user rights revoked. If not, I'll let everyone know when I get my cannon.

Best,

Kenny aka Goldhound56

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #33 on: February 11, 2007, 03:48:12 AM »
I purposely stayed out of this thread until Michael had a chance to weigh in. No need to make a bad situation worse.
...
I'm sure this will be my last opportunity to speak, as I fully expect to have my user rights revoked. If not, I'll let everyone know when I get my cannon.
Best, Kenny aka Goldhound56 



No way will your 'useer rights be revoked'.  There was a very real issue, we muddled through it with more or less patience, and it was resolved.  Hopefully we will go on through life as friends.  In the greater perspective of life, this is a MINOR bump in the road.

Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Chief of Smoke, Pulaski Coehorn Works & Winery
U.S.Army Retired
N 37.05224  W 80.78133 (front door +/- 15 feet)

Offline Double D

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #34 on: February 11, 2007, 05:52:58 AM »
It would be real easy to turn this into a big long argument.  I shouldn't but I will.

Kenny your user rights will not be revoked for speaking out, you are not going to be run off this board. You are going to be encouraged to stay,   Only one person here has the horse powder to actually ban you.  He will have a great big internet fist fight with me if he tries and I don't think he is even considering it. Graybeard and I have argued before.  The day that he runs someone off for speaking out, I follow you! And I believe many on this board will be right with us.  Bill may be a cranky O.F. sometimes, but he is fair.   You are only going leave because you choose.

Have I been eating a bit off humble pie? No I have not!

Am I apologetic, yes I am.

But you hold some culpability in the tenor of this thread also.

You are well with in your bounds to ask if anyone else had any problems and wait for the response. That’s part of the research I suggest in the Caveat. 

We would have found out Brooks has communication issues. We could have worked to resolve the issue amicably.

But you had to add,  "I'm wondering if I got rooked."    Now I don't know what that means to your generation, but to my generation that means "I'm wondering if I got cheated" 

If you had left that statement out, this thread would have ended long ago. 

There was nothing stated in your post that supported that you were about to get cheated. 

Given what had been posted on the board about Brooks at that time there was no reason to suspect you where about to be anything but very happy with a very nice cannon.  Actually there still isn’t reason to suspect that. 

Your implication that Brooks was about to cheat you was and still is unfounded and uncalled for. 

It sure didn't appear to me you heeded the Caveat I posted before you ordered.  You pinned down neither the order timeline nor the phone number before you ordered. If you had you would have never made the post at all.  Did you even communicate with Brooks at all before the order?  How was that communication? Did he respond to your email and furnish you with phone numbers, and delivery schedules?
When you queried the board you found no complaints about Brooks, because no one had reported problems to the board or the Moderators. You should have posted a question on the board about Brooks before you ordered.  You would have found there were problems just showing up.

 If my staunch defense of Brooks at then time it was made was incorrect, why did you order from them.  You ordered from Brooks because at the time you ordered Brooks reputation was excellent.

Your statement “sponsorship is thicker than readership, and it's more important to keep a sponsor than to keep a board user.”  Is also unfounded and I find it a bit offensive and it couldn’t be further from the truth.

As far as sponsor goes as long as they are honest and up right I will support them. The second I think they are cheating someone or not tending to business I will be after Graybeard to take them down.  The Sponsors play by the rules on this board.  The only thing they can do that you can’t is offer things for sale on the board. 

I know Graybeard feels the same way about this as he has refused a sponsor for our board due the questionable website they had.  Didn’t matter that they changed hosting service, they still tried to lie to him and they don’t advertise on Graybeards.

You Idea about a sponsor notifying the Moderators about business problems is a good one.  I wish Brooks had told us earlier.

The Caveat Emptor about doing business on the internet stands.  You have to protect yourself.  I originally wrote that caveat for my Martini list at  http://www.martinihenry.com/links.htm after an Internet supplier who was on the list bilked Martini shooters out of thousands of dollars in shooting supplies.  I modified it for the cannon list when the issues with Cannon Mania came up.

It stands as fair warning to protect you.

When writing messages on the internet it is very difficult to communicate voice inflection and facial expression, both part of good communication.   

When I read your message what I read was that you had 2 weeks before placed a direct order on Brooks website with no prior contact and felt you were about to be cheated.  That is the message you conveyed to me.  Two weeks is not sufficient time to receive an order and not a reasonable time to feel cheated. 

If that is not the message you intended to convey, then again you have my apology, but that is the message, I got.

Enough of this, lets put this to rest and get back talking cannons.

Online Graybeard

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #35 on: February 11, 2007, 11:18:36 AM »
I don't recall coming down on anyone. What I did was to say that I had every confidence Brooks would come thru with a quality product for you and to say that I think that while it's a nice ideal to shoot for I just do not honestly think it's realistic to believe a one man business can both keep the product flowing and be johnny on the spot with communication every day. I'm not saying that about Brooks in particular but all such small operations in general.

Speaking your mind will never get you kicked out of here. Violating the rules will. So long as you stay within the rules you can argue and speak your mind as much as you like. Heck I have some Moderators who I agree with so rarely that on those few occasions one of us will point out how rare it is we actually agree on something.

I've kicked sponsors off before for not doing right by our members and for not following the rules. I refunded one's money for a full six months just so I could kick him off two months before those six months were up. He was violating my rules and refused to rein himself in. Sure one sponsor could be considered more valuable than one member in that the sponsor pays and members don't but no one not even sponsors are immune to the GBO rules.

I believe if any of you actually found yourself in the situation of running a small one man business that is very labor intensive you too would find it difficult to keep up the minute on communications. If you've not experienced it first hand you just don't understand how tough it is.


Bill aka the Graybeard
President, Graybeard Outdoor Enterprises
256-435-1125

I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life anyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life!

Offline Cannonmaker

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #36 on: February 11, 2007, 04:17:08 PM »
A sponser is usless with out members,  it's like  icecream with out anyone their to eat it, it will just melt away.

Rick
Rick Neff
Neff Cannons & Machine LLC
480 N 1st Street East
PO Box 55
Malta, Idaho 83342              Keeping history alive with the roar of the guns

http://www.neffcannons.com/

Offline goldhound56

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #37 on: February 16, 2007, 01:16:11 AM »
This will be my final posting on this issue. On Feb. 14, I received a phone call from Michael Brooks to inform me that my mortar had been shipped. Michael and I had a very long and pleasant conversation, at which time I explained to Michael my definition of being rooked. I told Michael that I felt I had been rooked by not receiving a timely response to my e-mail. Michael agreed with me 110 percent and stated this would only make him better about keeping up with his e-mails.

For those of you who have responded that two weeks was too soon to be complaining about not receiving my merchandise, I had ordered a black powder cannon from another manufacturer. The first one was received in less than two weeks. Therefore, this was all I had to judge my actions on.

As far as the quality of my mortar from Brooks, it appears to be second to none. It arrived Feb. 15. As far as I'm concerned, this matter has been put to bed.

Kenny Nelson aka goldhound56

Offline Double D

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #38 on: February 16, 2007, 03:38:20 AM »
21 days from clicking on Paypal to Delivery at your doorstep.  Pretty darned good for a custom made item if you ask me!!!

Offline radio2

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #39 on: February 16, 2007, 01:37:44 PM »
I got an e-mail today saying my order shipped today, Not bad only 2-weeks, I'm happy

Offline EL Caz 66

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #40 on: February 17, 2007, 08:03:42 AM »
Goldhound & Radio its a Photo request Please.. ;D Ed

Offline goldhound56

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #41 on: February 21, 2007, 11:41:00 AM »
I'm not setup for pic's ! It look's good !!

Offline radio2

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #42 on: February 22, 2007, 02:49:30 PM »
Here is the firecracker cannon & Mortar, I am verry happy (wife not) but that's to be expected!  She did say they look real nice looking after awhile meaning it was ok to buy.  Now I ordered a golf ball mortar from Brooks and can't wait, he said about 5 weeks! It's custom built with base and that's all I can say. It's going to be fun to explain this one to her :) >:(?

Click on pic to enlarge!

Offline EL Caz 66

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #43 on: February 22, 2007, 03:44:17 PM »
OK Ok, Now you need to post a Vid..something like this..  ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGJ8oma2MVg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEqm6QmiHVY

Congrats.. enjoy!!

Offline radio2

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Re: Brooks ! I need help !!!
« Reply #44 on: February 22, 2007, 04:10:59 PM »
Just wating on some fuse, And then the fun begins!