For the benefit of the non Australians on this board Melbourne is about 600 miles from my home in Sydney...
Last Thursday I travelled to Melbourne and came back home today to find I had been barred from a certain forum for comments I made whilst a 10 hour drive away from my computer. The person making the comments did not known the ID I use an this board so they "had some fun". Unfortunately as the IP address is logged the only way those entries could have been made is from one of 3 PCs inside my house or by accessing the wireless network which is a secure network set up for me by a fellow collector who has had some recent "legal problems". He has admitted to what was done over the weekend but as he puts it I'll have a hard time proving it.

What I do know is that a few people I thought were friends have gone off half cocked and without any chance to offer an explanation have acted unilaterally. I could contact them and explain but why should I bother they have made their minds up so I guess I'll have to take them up on the suggestion of enjoying my time here. Oh and I have excellent anti virus software and I've reconfigured by wireless router so all is well.

To Rich and Larry I do offer on behalf of the idiot who hacked my network an apology, I'm sure he won't have the balls to do it himself.

He has enough to worry about (the odd case of arson).

Now all I need to do is find another kind soul to house the Code 3 catalogue updates, I can only assume that as my presence is not welcome in a certain place they have removed my intellectual property from their site.

In the mean time I just have to have a laugh as its only a hobby after all.

Location: Sydney Australia

I feel your pain. I received a PM a while back, and assummed it was someone who accessed that sites PMs and sent an unwanted sales pitch to my home computer. I posted my complaint and a warning (which I believe would be appreciated), and then discovered it was actually sent by the moderator. Much to my dismay, there was slew of posts on what an A-Hole I was. I erased my own access to that board, and haven't gone back. To me its their loss. I'm trully sorry that I will not have much future communication with Rich Krom, but I won't miss the Other Guy in the slightest.

I must make a correction to the above post. I will miss viewing the kitbashes and conversions moderated by Rich Krom. As one of the first garage/aftermarket supplies of decals and small parts, Rich has enhanced the hobby for 1/43rd and 1/64th scale kitbashers. I do not believe I would have made so many FHP cars, or Brush Unit models, and enjoyed the time spent building, if it wasn't for his products.

Unfortuneately, for my peace of mind there are too many "Other Guys", the former Code 3 Collectibles (the dreaded "Other Company") Board Members on fireengines.net. for me to participate.

I think some people got a little too sensitive

This post on that other place only lasted a few hours before it got "pulled"

Amazing how he takes a snippets from all the 'good' feed back !

Despite the private messages from members on this board with their femurs attached to Johns (self proclaimed) I am still yet to have my situation resolved as is another member in Europe, yes you guessed it the Philly squirt!!!

Despite 7 yes thats SEVEN phone calls to Code 3 HQ and even FUNRISE every time I call to escalate the complaint the supervisor is not in! Amazing how I would find spending $200 on a broken model unreasonable and then being asked to fork out yet another $100 plus to return the broken model after funrise said keep it and then have to wait months for the model to get to US and then wow maybe ill get my money back if it dosnt go missing.

Way to go code 3 , customer service at its best!!

My next step?? Im thinking a wonderful video of a philly squirt on fire! a nice inferno Im thinking a catchy tune and some disgruntled text on the screen every now and again, Ill be sure to post the video when the cliff edge arrives and I go that far, extreme maybe, not happy absolutely!, but what else is new and who cares? Not code 3 !!


You would think being a loyal member and spending $1000's of dollars would get you a little respect but apparently this means nothing.

Matt (the unhappy one still)

Whilst those involved in this continued saga are happy at the assistance offered by US based collectors, pulling posts that are deemed by one person to be objectionable simply place another roadblock in the enjoyment of our hobby. Hopefully all those affected will be able to get their questions answered and not have to resort to further postings or attempted postings on public or is that private forums.

Location: Sydney Australia

Its pretty sad with the hitler-like dictatorship over on the other board. Last I checked this was america, and there was freedom of speech. Its a shame Larry has become a puppet man with the strings attached to John and Code 3. I said it before, as a board owner and sponsor, you (Larry) have an obligation to make it right for the members like him who are having MAJOR unresolved problems. I believe your board says collectors helping collectors. What help have you been larry, aside from deleting posts and locking threads critical of your dear code 3. Oh...and calling people cowards, when you don't have the integrity to release the inside contact information for Code 3 that we all know you have. You are such a fine gentlemen Larry. Way to further the hobby. And Dunkel should be ashamed of himself for not taking personal ownership and reaching out himself to these collectors. Truly pathetic.

I don't have a problem with Larry but it's about time the organ grinder stopped the monkey from picking the tunes.....

Location: Sydney Australia

Before I say anything else, I want to make two things abundantly clear. First, I won't argue for a minute that Code 3 appears to be dropping the ball with regard to customer service lately. I say "appears" because I personally haven't had any problems with them recently and am relying on information from others as the basis for this judgment. Second, I respect the right of any individual to disagree with the way that Larry runs his board.

Those two things being said, I must take exception to a number of opinions expressed in the previous post.

1. You may not like the way Larry runs his board, but invoking the name of Hitler in this conversation is simply ridiculous. Enough said.

2. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits congress from making laws that abridge the freedom of speech. It does not in any way prevent Larry from determining what is posted on HIS board. The fact that you can come on this board and criticize Larry, John, Code 3, and anyone else you want to indicates that the concept of freedom of speech is, in fact, alive and well in America.

3. The fact that Larry has contacts within Code 3 does not create any obligation on him to intervene on anyone's behalf with regard to customer service problems. Furthermore, it seems to me that Larry is showing great integrity by not disclosing contact information for Code 3 (or any other company for that matter) that I assume that he has been asked to keep in confidence.

Location: Palouse, WA

Godwin's Law: As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.

Same applies to any online discussion group, I suppose.

mjl

The sad part is that we as collectors wouldn't care how good or bad customer service was if there had not been the problems with the model. The best customer service department is one I never have to call!

Location: Sydney Australia

Al...that then gives Code 3 the best customer services around because you never get to talk to them.....LOL.

When did their quality start to go down the tube....for mine it was around the Tarrytown platform ...it was the first one that bits fell off ad nauseaum.

But their "unethical" or "purely Loyal to customers" business practices started Waaaaayyyyyyyyy before that