[FASTFORD]

another company in trouble...

http://www.hubgarage.com/mygarage/PerformanceParts/blogs/13780

 

[cobra 28]

It does not surprise me.

 

[327NUT]

Never used his stuff......but good or bad I hate to see that happen to anyone, hope he can pull it out, for him and his employee's.

 

[4 Jaw Chuck]

Buell the motorcycle mfg is out too.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/575/4837/Motorcycle-Article/Buell-Out-of-Business.aspx

 

[cobra 28]

I think this thread shows that arrogance has come full circle on Barry Grant
http://www.fordmuscle.com/blog/holley-chapter-11/112275

 

[Jon]

Just highlighting a nuance of these bankruptcy posts, that the FordMuscle.com article pointed out. I'm certain we'll be seeing more of them .

Obviously, any form of bankruptcy is a significant red flag. However, Chapter 11 bankruptcy is more of a reorganization, whereas Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a liquidation of assets, typically followed by a termination of business.

In Chapter 7 the business ceases operations, a trustee sells all of its assets, and then distributes the proceeds to its creditors. Any residual amount is returned to the owners of the company. In Chapter 11, in most instances the debtor remains in control of its business operations as a debtor in possession, and is subject to the oversight and jurisdiction of the court.

Also, keep an eye out for company people making the rounds of forums to spin these bankruptcies as "a slimming-down for a leaner, stronger company" or other some such garbage. We've seen that in the past, and we'll see it again in the future.

 

[Tech @ BG]

Just highlighting a nuance of these bankruptcy posts, that the FordMuscle.com article pointed out. I'm certain we'll be seeing more of them .

Obviously, any form of bankruptcy is a significant red flag. However, Chapter 11 bankruptcy is more of a reorganization, whereas Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a liquidation of assets, typically followed by a termination of business.




Also, keep an eye out for company people making the rounds of forums to spin these bankruptcies as "a slimming-down for a leaner, stronger company" or other some such garbage. We've seen that in the past, and we'll see it again in the future.

Jon , if you'll look at our post count we have been on here for quite some time offering tech advice and trying to help wherever possible. No lawyers from here coming on to spin anything but I will say this.

We have actually been getting lean for close to a year or so and am actually at a point where we can operate profitably but just was not making any ground up on past bills from when the economy was strong and things were going wide open. We recently had a short term line of credit pulled which is what led to this having to occur.

Barry chose not to put out a formal press release and to just let me explain what happened as a lot of the members are used to seeing me here and on other forums helping out.

Unlike when the other company came on ,gave their spin and then left just as quick we have a different take on the boards and am pretty active on about 20 of them or so.

As I told one of the other forum owners we do appreciate the fact that we can come on and help those who have already bought our products and need help they may not otherwise get if they didn't post.

 

[Jon]

I'd really like to know more about the relationship between the "Tech @ BG" username, and the "TechGuy" username.

For example, "TechGuy" first signed up on our forum to defend PowerTV, the company that mass-spammed forums and lied to thousands of people, as well as defend Comp Cams, one of the main sponsors of PowerTV. Details are here: PowerTV Stealth Marketing Campaign. Or, just type "powertv" into Google; it's on the front page of results. TechGuy said that he had actually "been here for a long time". By my understanding, the implication was that Tech @ BG and TechGuy were the same person, using multiple usernames. True?

We haven't heard from TechGuy in over 7 months. Now, he's back in action, to enlighten us on the details of the Barry Grant bankruptcy. Barry Grant employee? Former employee?

Anyway, the point of my post was to alert people to potential "messaging" tactics by the companies involved, and to scale down the drama of the word "bankruptcy".

We have numerous business owners and employees on this forum, from throughout the entire industry. The vast majority of them seem to behave themselves quite well, make valuable contributions to this community, and are greatly appreciated.

 

[Tech @ BG]

I'd really like to know more about the relationship between the "Tech @ BG" username, and the "TechGuy" username.

For example, "TechGuy" first signed up on our forum to defend PowerTV, the company that mass-spammed forums and lied to thousands of people, as well as defend Comp Cams, one of the main sponsors of PowerTV. Details are here: PowerTV Stealth Marketing Campaign. Or, just type "powertv" into Google; it's on the front page of results. TechGuy said that he had actually "been here for a long time". By my understanding, the implication was that Tech @ BG and TechGuy were the same person, using multiple usernames. True?

We haven't heard from TechGuy in over 7 months. Now, he's back in action, to enlighten us on the details of the Barry Grant bankruptcy. Barry Grant employee? Former employee?

Anyway, the point of my post was to alert people to potential "messaging" tactics by the companies involved, and to scale down the drama of the word "bankruptcy".

We have numerous business owners and employees on this forum, from throughout the entire industry. The vast majority of them seem to behave themselves quite well, make valuable contributions to this community, and are greatly appreciated.

Jon, you just jogged my memory enough to fill in the dots with that post. I told the wife last night that user name was familiar but couldn't remember.

Definitely a former employee who has not been with our company going on 2 yeas the end of the month who also works for another carburetor company now. I thought he was posting on here as "CarbGuy" but guess thats is what he is using on some of the other forums. We have no affiliation with him whatsoever .

 

[trees]

My take on [email protected] has always been favorable. He seemed to provide great info for users/owners of BG Carbs and carbs in general. I never noticed any push for BG products, though he obviously had a big following here. Being a full fledged FI type, my interest in carbs has declined tremendously over the past 10 years, though I still own one multi-carbed vehicle to remind me of why I went EFI. It is sad to see any type of decline in our industry, but it is a big sign of the economic condition of our country.

Trees

 

[Jon]

I agree. [email protected] has been a long-term technical asset to this forum. However, there is a conflict involving Barry Grant's potential involvement with PowerTV, a deceptive stealth marketing company that has spammed numerous forums, and been banned on dozens. For example, one of their marketers repeatedly lied about what cars he owned. On a GM forum, he claimed to own a GTO. On a Toyota forum, he claimed to own a Toyota. On a BMW forum, he said that he owned a BMW. On a Ford Forum, he even claimed to own a "1990" Ford Focus (Focuses weren't even manufactured until 2000). Etc.

Also, when confronted with the duplicitous nature of one of their marketers' communications, James Lawrence, the CEO of PowerTV, accused us of threatening to "take him out", in this thread on 3.8mustang.com. In addition to the accusation of what I perceived as threatening to murder someone, PowerTV's CEO also mentioned some garbage about stealing "personal photos" from his honeymoon.

To further confound the issue, we now have the realization that the [email protected] username is used by multiple people, one of whom now appears to be a former employee who is popping in to do what appears to me to be some spin work in the carburetor industry, under a new username. While I admit that our guidelines don't specifically enunciate such nuanced applications of multi-use usernames, it's a solid example of why companies should only use one username per person.

If Barry Grant doesn't pay PowerTV to do marketing for them, that's wonderful, and we look forward to many more years of shared communication. However, if they're deploying techs to answer questions on forums, while also paying stealth marketers on the side to spam those same forums and lie to their members, then, unfortunately, they'll have to sever ties with this forum, and, most likely, others as well.

 

[Tech @ BG]

I agree. [email protected] has been a long-term technical asset to this forum. However, there is a conflict involving Barry Grant's potential involvement with PowerTV, a deceptive stealth marketing company that has spammed numerous forums, and been banned on dozens. For example, one of their marketers repeatedly lied about what cars he owned. On a GM forum, he claimed to own a GTO. On a Toyota forum, he claimed to own a Toyota. On a BMW forum, he said that he owned a BMW. On a Ford Forum, he even claimed to own a "1990" Ford Focus (Focuses weren't even manufactured until 2000). Etc.

Also, when confronted with the duplicitous nature of one of their marketers' communications, James Lawrence, the CEO of PowerTV, accused us of threatening to "take him out", in this thread on 3.8mustang.com. In addition to the accusation of what I perceived as threatening to murder someone, PowerTV's CEO also mentioned some garbage about stealing "personal photos" from his honeymoon.

To further confound the issue, we now have the realization that the [email protected] username is used by multiple people, one of whom now appears to be a former employee who is popping in to do what appears to me to be some spin work in the carburetor industry, under a new username. While I admit that our guidelines don't specifically enunciate such nuanced applications of multi-use usernames, it's a solid example of why companies should only use one username per person.

If Barry Grant doesn't pay PowerTV to do marketing for them, that's wonderful, and we look forward to many more years of shared communication. However, if they're deploying techs to answer questions on forums, while also paying stealth marketers on the side to spam those same forums and lie to their members, then, unfortunately, they'll have to sever ties with this forum, and, most likely, others as well.

Jon... I think you are blowing this way out of proportion when there is no need to. You can check with any of the members here and you will not find where we have "spammed" them on or off the board, thats not our deal. We post when somebody has a problem and if somebody sends us a pm we respond and that it is. Same with many of the other boards and we even have boards contact us asking us to be a part of thier forum because of the way we conduct ourselves.

Now regarding the "TECH @ BG" user name , I am the only one with the company that uses it on all of the sites we are on. Prior to Barry cleaning house two years ago and myself taking over the tech department here it was only used by one person as well and that is the person who signed up and started posting as "TechGuy" after he was no longer with our company. No multiple log in names or any other bs from anybody here. No multiple users from one company and you know what really bothers me about where this thread has gone Jon? You will find [like now] that I am even on here sometimes nights and weekends when somebody has an issue and that time is on my dime and I do not get paid a cent for it but it is all to try and make sure my department gives the best customer support possible.

I told you by pm I would check and see if we were advertising with PowerTV when I got back in on Monday to which I will do but I can tell you 100% without even checking we have not been part of their marketing and spam campaign that you keep linking back into this thread.I cant give you an answer when I am not in the building because we prob advertised with close to 100 publications or more and I have no idea who they all are. Not sure why you are trying to cast this shadow upon us as I have been very upfront with you in our pm's as well as supportive of your position both prior at PRI and SEMA even when many othes in the industry have not.

 

[Jon]

I will repeat that "Tech @ BG" has been an asset to this forum. I do think that having multiple people use the same login might not be a great idea, for the reasons illustrated here. "Alan @ BG", "Bob @ BG", "Carl @ BG" might be a better strategy. That way, if someone leaves the company, their username can be discontinued, but the " @ BG" moniker will still be recognized. I don't see this practice as deceptive, just one that, over time, we can all learn from, including myself.

"Not been part of their marketing and spam campaign" is something that I heard from many of the involved companies. They pay PowerTV for marketing and promotion, but, of course, not for the mass forum spam campaigns involving their products. If they didn't know it was happening, then they should've terminated their relationships with PowerTV upon finding out, not sat idly as PowerTV continued the same exact tactics. Once you find out what they're doing, and you continue your business relationship without curtailing their activity, it means you're complicit.

SEMA's name has been repeatedly tied to stealth marketing campaigns involving our forum, and many, many others.

Once again, I will repeat that "Tech @ BG" has been an asset to this forum. If you no longer work with PowerTV, that's wonderful. If you still do, then you can't post here in your capacity as an employee of an automotive company that does business with PowerTV. Same goes for any other company, and we will be enforcing that rule over the long term.

I look forward to hearing back from you on Monday.

 

[Tech @ BG]

I will repeat that "Tech @ BG" has been an asset to this forum. I do think that having multiple people use the same login might not be a great idea, for the reasons illustrated here. "Alan @ BG", "Bob @ BG", "Carl @ BG" might be a better strategy. That way, if someone leaves the company, their username can be discontinued, but the " @ BG" moniker will still be recognized. I don't see this practice as deceptive, just one that, over time, we can all learn from, including myself.

"Not been part of their marketing and spam campaign" is something that I heard from many of the involved companies. They pay PowerTV for marketing and promotion, but, of course, not for the mass forum spam campaigns involving their products. If they didn't know it was happening, then they should've terminated their relationships with PowerTV upon finding out, not sat idly as PowerTV continued the same exact tactics. Once you find out what they're doing, and you continue your business relationship without curtailing their activity, it means you're complicit.

SEMA's name has been repeatedly tied to stealth marketing campaigns involving our forum, and many, many others.

Once again, I will repeat that "Tech @ BG" has been an asset to this forum. If you no longer work with PowerTV, that's wonderful. If you still do, then you can't post here in your capacity as an employee of an automotive company that does business with PowerTV. Same goes for any other company, and we will be enforcing that rule over the long term.

I look forward to hearing back from you on Monday.

Part of the reasoning behing using the "tech" as opposed to a personal name stems from the need to keep a certain annonimity since we have several guys in our tech department and with the number of forums we help out on we would not want everyone calling in and asking for that one person only as any of our guys are qualified to help.It also keeps a consistency from board to board but I can see the argument for both sides.

I will get back to you on Monday but in just trying to do an internet search the only thing I saw that came back in a search was a link to StangTV [not sure if they are the same] but it was for a generic press release for an induction package that gets sent in a mass emailing to all of the magazines at one time. These are not something we pay for as those who choose run them do so for free. I also handle all of the incoming email for out tech-sales account and I haven't seen anything related come across that either.

 

[Jon]

I definitely see your point about trying to cut back on a flood of phone calls of forum-goers asking for a specific person they remember from a forum.

But anonymity (or, in this case, ambiguity) is a double-edged sword. Now, because the "Tech @ BG" username was used by more than one person, you have to deal with a separate headache -- sorting out the conflated identities of that username. When the person who previously was "Tech @ BG" shows up here with a brand new username, on a mission to spin for PowerTV, it can reflect poorly on Barry Grant.

On another note, it looks like SEMA is pleased with PowerTV's behavior. Melissa Lawrence was elected to the SEMA Businesswoman's Network, and James Lawrence was a candidate for SEMA's Robert E. Peterson Media Award.

Perhaps SEMA rewarded them for spamming so many forums, or trying to convince people that we threatened to murder them.

 

[Tech @ BG]

I definitely see your point about trying to cut back on a flood of phone calls of forum-goers asking for a specific person they remember from a forum.

But anonymity (or, in this case, ambiguity) is a double-edged sword. Now, because the "Tech @ BG" username was used by more than one person, you have to deal with a separate headache -- sorting out the conflated identities of that username. When the person who previously was "Tech @ BG" shows up here with a brand new username, on a mission to spin for PowerTV, it can reflect poorly on Barry Grant.

On another note, it looks like SEMA is pleased with PowerTV's behavior. Melissa Lawrence was elected to the SEMA Businesswoman's Network, and James Lawrence was a candidate for SEMA's Robert E. Peterson Media Award.

Perhaps SEMA rewarded them for spamming so many forums, or trying to convince people that we threatened to murder them.

Jon... there is nothing to sort out here and I really don't understand the witch hunt you are on. I have always been supportive in my support for you as has Barry Grant Inc and this is the way we get rewarded?

It has already been stated and should be clear that this post was made by a FORMER employee AFTER he left. No confusion , no "conflated identities" and had you not kept posting trying to tie us together with this FORMER employee and your issues with PowerTv in the past noboby would have even gave it a second thought.I have already posted we have no affiliation with him and that he works for a different carburetor company now.

Help and support was and has been given by the Tech @ BG user name on this an many other forums regardless of who the employee was using it at the time and that is what the forum members see and have come to know from that.

BTw... I just asked our current guy in the marketing department here if we were using PowerTV for any of our marketing and he said we were not and to his knowledge we had not.

 

[Irelands child]

I guess I will weigh in.

I don't use the BG carbs but that doesn't mean that I don't have a respect for the product. With that said, I have read many of the posts made by Tech and find them extremely informative and helpful to me and most likely as well as the original posters. If BG at one time in the past supported the Power TV crap, so be it!! Do they now? If so, Jon you have a point. If not, then as a fairly long time poster here feel that I can make a point then that this is a witch hunt and your micro attention with BG is unwarranted. Please let BG make their case and let's get on with the intent and mission of this forum that you normally run so very well.

Dave W

 

[malc]

I guess I will weigh in.

I don't use the BG carbs but that doesn't mean that I don't have a respect for the product. With that said, I have read many of the posts made by Tech and find them extremely informative and helpful to me and most likely as well as the original posters. If BG at one time in the past supported the Power TV crap, so be it!! Do they now? If so, Jon you have a point. If not, then as a fairly long time poster here feel that I can make a point then that this is a witch hunt and your micro attention with BG is unwarranted. Please let BG make their case and let's get on with the intent and mission of this forum that you normally run so very well.
Dave W

My thoughts as well.

 

[cobalt327]

Has been read.

 

[Jon]

That's excellent that Barry Grant isn't using PowerTV. Thank you. My concern is that some companies may be implementing helpful tech people in forums, while using stealth marketing techniques on the side. You've addressed that, and I appreciate it.

We still have the issue of the same username being used by multiple people, and perhaps we can act accordingly, and avoid any potential future confusion. We also have the issue with Techguy (the previous Tech @ BG) now showing up to spin for business interests in the industry, but, as he's no longer the person posting as Tech @ BG, it will be dealt with separately.

Tech @ BG -- Can we reach an understanding whereby your company will use one username per person on this forum, and won't pass the same username among different employees? If you don't want to identify people specifically by name, how about using different generic usernames: "Help @ BG", "Tech @ BG", "Support @ BG", etc.

I admit that our posting guidelines do not specifically address this circumstance, but, in light of this situation, we may very well have to adjust them. Otherwise, it's extremely difficult for us to delineate the difference between different people using the same username. I understand your position (former employee now acting in a manner inconsistent with Barry Grant's philosophy), and I'm hoping you understand mine -- confusion as to who exactly is behind these usernames, and what their varying business interests are.

And, at the risk of sounding like a repetitive idiot, I will say again: "Tech @ BG has been an asset to this forum".