Josh, that's a gross misrepresentation of what I posted and you're smart enough to know it.
I would never advocate or endorse unethical behavior in line with what has been represented in Barry's post. It doesn't need to be said that he was 'too trusting'; obviously that trust bit him in the ass and it's truly unfortunate. It certainly reinforces the fact that every organization has a dirty, gross underbelly with little creatures scuttling around on it.
My point is this: wouldn't you make a couple of trips out to the US to first take a look at operations, feel out the culture and the dynamics of the organization, AND SIGN THE FUCKING PAPERWORK before you uprooted your entire existence and flew it 12,000 miles overseas? I mean, you're an experienced businessman. To be frank, that's a rookie mistake.
I feel sympathetic to your situation; we live and learn and at the end of the day that's the best we can do. But it's not a home run until that ball clears the fence and 'almost' never cuts it.
I'm not slamming you personally Barry. But dude, I learned two important lessons pretty early on: trust IS NOT ENOUGH anymore when doing business with anyone and you never mix friends and business. Maybe 25 or 50 years ago it was OK. But not anymore. And I'm only 23.
CS hit it.
To pick up and move on just a phone calls and emails is not just crazy but down right stupid. At the very least you should have gone alone to scope out the situation and got your feet wet.
Dont any of us work during the day, damn. BTW, I don't think it was or is barry intent to run Heffner out of biz. Its to clear the air for himself and his family. If he gets more value out of it than some of us then it was worth it. To say he could hav and should have done many thing diff is obvious and pointless. 20/20. I can understand what he has gone through as I believe many of us have experianced something similar.
I'm having a shitty day and I was doing well wallowing in my own self-pity until I laughed out loud at the office. Now I'm going to have to dish out extra whippings to the peons to convince them I am as POed as they thought.
The bottom line here in my eyes is simple...Was Heffner a prick to this guy who flew half way around the world like was reported or not. If not, what is Heffners side? I dont care what everyone else thinks about heffner or that he's a nice guy or an asshole. Becuz thats there opinion. I want to hear what Heffner has to say. If you think he was to trusting...fine I grant you that but the actions of Heffner upon his arrival...IF TRUE...are unexceptable. Come on Jason how about your side.
That's Krazy? Or it just a coincidence that at one time, Douche/Krazy/Rogue used the same photobucket account?
Why don't you have one of the guys behind your screen name (Dolly, Jake or Heffner) give Doug Levin a call then. Or are you afraid to find out you're once again wrong?
What track have you decided to meet me half way at so we can race? I've already agreed to go "tire to tire" like you requested. And please, enough with the "it's my next outing" excuses.
I do feel sorry for Barry - that is a shitty situation to be put into.
However, I can't help coming to the conclusion that it really doesn't seem to be a big 'expose' on the truth about Heffner as much as it is Barry airing his greivances. It sorta sounds like a case of vastly different perceptions about what was going to happen and without the other side, we only have one perception about what the deal was.
Without the other side of the story (which I am sure is equally long and polarly opposite to this one) it's really impossible to pass judgement.
Barry it sucks that you got essentially stranded in the USA. With all due respect, it sounds like you really didn't have your ducks lined up (from a contractual perspective as well as a financial one) to make such a big move. Glad you landed on your feet.
But the bottom line is that I fail to see how any of this story - other than the claim of swapping out numbered parts or charging for parts not installed - is relevant in any way to this forum? If all the stuff other than parts-swapping and sub-par parts is true as TM posted it, what relevance does it have to Heff's ability to build cars?
It seems as relevant to me as the whole "expose" about the guy at UGR with a criminal background.
And before the nutswingers latch on to that sentence I just posted, I couldn't care less about the UGR guy's past, and I doubt any of his customers could either. If anything it probably makes him *more* of a "regular guy" and it means nothing to me whenever it's brought up. I'm just saying it seems as relevant to his ability to build cars as this story is to Heff's ability to build cars.
For the record, while I'm as interested in whatever collatoral damage is done to Heffners business as he was in my family, I am not interested in trying to damage his business.
Everything I wrote can be verified with much of it able to be verified from several sources.
CS said I should have blown my top when Jason refused to sign. That is easy to say, but was counter-productive. Being a bully would have destroyed what trust there was left. I elected to take the hit and mvoe on.
When he broke the news, after we talked it out, I looked him in the eye and shook his hand and told him we'd keep it to ourselves and move on.
Then came the cyber snipes and the attacks where the info could only come from one source... yet we remaiined silent, just tried to defend ourselves enough to save some dignity. Heffner would never confront or insult me presonally. For one thing I could lift him over my head, there was never going to be any issue like that, it was all behind the scenes.
I still was getting numerous people asking for advice and those that were looking to go to Heffner I continued to encourage to go there - KNOWING that it was not the quality I was used to... but then I had nothing better to point them to at that time anyway, and I kept my word to keep quiet and protect his business.
Jason, you should have looked after my buddies. When you shafted me, I did walk away and shake your hand, but 1 then 2 then 3 of my buddies?
Krazypsi is the last buddy that got screwed. He stands up for what he believes is right, and I saw it was about time I did the same.
John Hennessey - no one has had as bad press as you have, yet you keep going. I doubt Heffner Performance is going down over a kiwi that got burned, but at least the story is being told.
SRTMike - I'm not done. The relevance will be clearer later. Nothing radical - just will make people think about where they want to spend their hard earned dime is all. If I need to bring on an engineer to bring some credibility we can do that. for now I'm just saying.
as for the "other side" of the story - Jason knows damn well the basic facts are beyond dispute. There was no misunderstanding about a 50/50 JV or any other key element here, just a failure to perform on both sides. One because he wouldn't, the other because without that he couldn't.
The worst I have to fear here is insults about how i didn't turn HP into a world beating global empire in 5 weeks starting from the reception desk.... or that I wasn't built like BigMike like a TORQUEMONSTER was supposed to be in Jasons mind.
That really sucky Barry. I remember when we met in Auckland how excited you were to really make great things happen at Heffner's. lol, I was ready to send my car over there after talking with you and hearing your enthusiasm. I recall asking you later how it was going and you mentioned that it didn't work out but didn't go farther than that. To read your experience really makes it sound like a bit of an understatement to say it mearly didn't work out. I do have to say that I am glad that you were at least able to cut your losses and avoid getting sucked into a worse situation.
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You're gonna need a bigger bat!
I have done a business deal through Barry - he facilitated the sale of an engine I had and through what I knew of him and his recommendation to his friend - we shipped an $11K engine to Australia on little more than an e-handshake. His ability to "know" me helped get this engine sold.
It's a cold world out there - and sometimes, I think the internet leads us to believe that we "know" folks a little better than we really do and it sure can lead to disappointment.
I hope that Barry and his family recover from this setback. it's easy to armchair quarterback and be critical for others' decisions - but in reality - no one is perfect - and we just learn from our mistakes and grow from him. He who has never made a mistake should cast the first stone.
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Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body totally worn out and screaming ~ WOO HOO what a ride!
<--- Yes my minion... Sharp/en that pitch-fork..........
