RapidPod & GenCon?

Mark · Aug 28, 2007

TheLe said:
So a good salesman is simply someone who can get a lot of sales.

Not as such.

Bardsandsages · Aug 28, 2007

DaWizard said:
I am no longer with Rapid POD so the point is mute.

They have hired a nice sales lady who very sweet and knows little about the gaming industry, however, she does have a great understanding in digital printing. Her name is Nikole Bennitt and her number is 502.212.6258.

Use them if you like, or not, I'm already sipping margaretas on the beach!!!

Good luck all,
Ken Whitman

And yet you have just launched a new business venture. I once was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, as I have never done business with you directly and I appreciate the fact that there are two sides to every story. But your flippant attitude toward some of the accusations that have been leveled by respected folks in the industry just leaves a sour impression. I mean, you joke about sipping drinks on the beach while someone who prepaid you for a service he did not get posts as much in public? I'd be embarassed. You seem to think it's funny. And that's just sad.

DaWizard · Aug 29, 2007

Bardsandsages said:
And yet you have just launched a new business venture. I once was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, as I have never done business with you directly and I appreciate the fact that there are two sides to every story. But your flippant attitude toward some of the accusations that have been leveled by respected folks in the industry just leaves a sour impression. I mean, you joke about sipping drinks on the beach while someone who prepaid you for a service he did not get posts as much in public? I'd be embarassed. You seem to think it's funny. And that's just sad.

I am not trying to be disrespectful or funny, I am just stating facts. I make wise business decisson and I make lots of money in the gaming industry. I deal with the best people and know all the insiders. People, who may or may not like me, deal with me because i make them money.

You would be surprised who will work with you if you can make them money.

As for people who slander me, i could care less... If its true, why has no one sued me? The reason is... its not true!

Good luck, and if you ever need any advice on how to make money in the adventure game market, i would be glad to talk with you. Anyone here can call me anytime.

-Ken

kenmarable · Aug 29, 2007

DaWizard said:
As for people who slander me, i could care less... If its true, why has no one sued me? The reason is... its not true!

OR because they are a small company without the resources to pursue a lawsuit?

OR because their losses individually are small enough that they don't think it's worth the bother trying to sue someone with as shifty as a reputation as you?

OR because your changes in management and new company startups can shield you personally from liability?

There are many, many reasons that are far more logical than having so many separate people in separate parts of the world in separate industries all creating this conspiracy of slander against you.

But, bottom line, I guess the best I can do is say that from the years of hearing about your business activities, I will never have any part in a project that you are involved in. Whether or not a single word of what they say is true, your reactions to them on this and other boards (even leading to a banning from RPGnet) has led me to see pretty clear your level of customer service. That alone warrants an inclusion on my personal black list. I can only encourage others to do the same.

Bacris · Aug 29, 2007

DaWizard said:
As for people who slander me, i could care less... If its true, why has no one sued me? The reason is... its not true!

Ken, I have never had dealings with you, but this statement is such a silly argument it is beyond logic. That's like saying that because you never get a speeding ticket, you've never sped.

I'm sure people really want to go to court over a couple hundred bucks - especially when it's across state lines. The transportation fees alone would likely cost as much as would be recouped.

I can't comment on if the statements are true or not, but your argument holds about as much water as fishnet stockings.

Bardsandsages · Aug 29, 2007

kenmarable said:
OR because they are a small company without the resources to pursue a lawsuit?

OR because their losses individually are small enough that they don't think it's worth the bother trying to sue someone with as shifty as a reputation as you?

OR because your changes in management and new company startups can shield you personally from liability?

There are many, many reasons that are far more logical than having so many separate people in separate parts of the world in separate industries all creating this conspiracy of slander against you.

But, bottom line, I guess the best I can do is say that from the years of hearing about your business activities, I will never have any part in a project that you are involved in. Whether or not a single word of what they say is true, your reactions to them on this and other boards (even leading to a banning from RPGnet) has led me to see pretty clear your level of customer service. That alone warrants an inclusion on my personal black list. I can only encourage others to do the same.

Exactly, it is extremely difficult to use the normal channels to resolve such issues (Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs, etc) when someone changes their address and business identify every year or so. It's difficult to sue someone over $200 when you are across the country and it might cost more to file the paperwork than you will ever recover. I learned a long time ago that most small publishers in this industry don't even regularly consult with a lawyer, so they don't even know what half their rights are.

Steve Conan Trustrum · Aug 29, 2007

DaWizard said:
As for people who slander me, i could care less... If its true, why has no one sued me? The reason is... its not true!

So you're calling yourself a liar? In other threads you have yourself said you've broken contracts for your own convenience and profit (letting contracts from earlier, smaller orders to be broken in order to fulfill later, larger contracts from someone else.) That's hardly a business practice that speaks of integrity or the ability (or perhaps merely the inclination) to honor contracts.

i would be glad to talk with you. Anyone here can call me anytime.

Except when you owe them money, haven't fulfilled an order, or send them shoddy work, it seems. You've a rather well-known reputation for ducking calls when you're culpable to someone.

DaWizard · Aug 29, 2007

Steve Conan Trustrum said:
So you're calling yourself a liar? In other threads you have yourself said you've broken contracts for your own convenience and profit (letting contracts from earlier, smaller orders to be broken in order to fulfill later, larger contracts from someone else.) That's hardly a business practice that speaks of integrity or the ability (or perhaps merely the inclination) to honor contracts.
Except when you owe them money, haven't fulfilled an order, or send them shoddy work, it seems. You've a rather well-known reputation for ducking calls when you're culpable to someone.

Good luck to you all, I hope you dreams come true and you make lots of money during the journey... like i did.

cya,
Ken

Paradigm · Aug 30, 2007

RapidPOD took an order from me for delivery at Origins, Paradigm's premier convention. It was not filled. Not having this title cost me at least $5000 in lost sales. I also saw first hand the techincal challenges they had on-site, so I decided to give them a break. It was evident that their failure to provide was completely absent of malice. The did fill my Origins order for GenCon Indy, and I did manage to sell an undoubtedly diminished number of units at the lesser show. I also paid significantly less for these units.

It is now clear to me that RapidPOD basically crumbled when attempting to ramp up their operation. The failure appears to be in not fessing up, flat out, when it hit the fan. There are other PoD operations out there that several publishers could have gone with, even last minute. As it was, for the Witch Hunter screen we needed for GenCon Indy, we went to another source.

A public forum such as this is a terrible place to resolve such issues. If I were Ken, I would have restricted my response to pointing out that I am not the same Ken Whitman cited earlier and would have avoided responding to other accusations / questions.

Steve Conan Trustrum · Aug 30, 2007

DaWizard said:
Good luck to you all, I hope you dreams come true and you make lots of money during the journey... like i did.

Well, the sad truth is it takes a bit longer to make the money when you're not scamming other people for it. And for someone who made so much money, it's interesting how you were begging fellow entrepreneurs to loan you $22.5K for ink.

http://www.prosper.com/lend/listing.aspx?listingID=70067

I found it interesting that site lists you as having a "high risk" credit history of non-payment and an 84% debt-to-income ratio (with 20% being the "high end of normal") for someone who made so much money and was supposedly raking it in with RapidPOD.