Adventurebilt hats status update (read if you have an outstanding order)

[Bruce Wayne]

Bruce_Wayne can clarify this, but I believe I read on Club Obiwan that he placed his order on the 31st (which I took to mean Oct 31 2012), so I believe that was a "modern era," full price order...I have not seen a definitive post on someone receiving a hat from the back order list of those of us paying from the 2007 time frame in over a year...

Just poking my head in the door to say that I did indeed order on the 31st of October of this year. I paid the new full price.

 

[jlee562]

Bruce_Wayne can clarify this, but I believe I read on Club Obiwan that he placed his order on the 31st (which I took to mean Oct 31 2012), so I believe that was a "modern era," full price order...I have not seen a definitive post on someone receiving a hat from the back order list of those of us paying from the 2007 time frame in over a year...

Probably because most of those orders were not from TFL or COW regulars.

The take away is that Steve is still making hats. I'm going to be optimistic about my order. YMMV.

 

[Hoyt Clagwell]

I don't have a nickel invested, so I'm going to keep my trap shut.

 

[SoulmanRKC]

Still waiting on my hat order from Feb 2008 - Pain in full. I've called everyday for weeks. Left messages. Emailed. I have never received a response. I've been calling the BBB on a monthly basis to report my lack of successful transactions.

 

[gtdean48]

... Pain in full...

Freudian slip typo no doubt but VERY apropo

 

[jlee562]

Hats still being received by COW members as recently as a few weeks ago.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Steve posted this on COW a little bit ago.

Hello all. I am sure most of the fans here know I have suffered from cancer and have been really sick for a long time as we fought it. I have suffered like I did not know a human could suffer but it seems that I have it beat, I think. I am in remission. My immune system is still weak and I seem to catch everything that goes around and even a scratching a bump turns into a huge infection. I am now finally recovering from the flu with pneumonia which the flu turned into and have had to deal with that since Dec.

But this long illness has left me devastated financially which has effected the business of getting hats made on old orders. And so I am here with hat in hand begging for some help. I really need to sell 6 beaver hats in order to get the production moving again. And while I have pride I will accept charity too as I am in dire straits today. I have lost everything but my hat shop which is still on my mom's land. I live in a 30 ft camper, having lost my house but the only money that I owe are hospital bills, chemo bills and of course I owe people hats. I paid my utility bill this month but my water will be cut off the 20th of this month. My family basically can help me out no more and so I am appealing to you guys.

I went from being on top of the world with making the last Indy hat to almost dying and losing everything. My life insurance policy would have cleared up the old orders by refunds which would be handled by my daughter so no one would have lost a thing upon my death. My daughter has kept that paid up for me thankfully.

So if 6 people would please purchase a beaver hat real soon it would save me and I would get these made within 4 weeks as I have a huge cache of hat bodies bought several years ago when times were good and before I became ill.

I am a proud guy but I have had to lose that pride with this illness and so I will take charity if no one wants a hat. This is killing me to have to come here in this way but it is my last resort. I feel that if something does not happen to turn this around I very well could be charged with fraud or something similiar. I am frankly surprised it has not happened already, but being as sick as I was that was not my top worry. Living longer, or not dying was.

My email is sdelk@cableone.net if anyone can donate to old Fedora and I will thank you ahead of time. Also anyone that wants to email me you can do so at that address. You guys know my website so I won't post that.

I want to get back on top of things and gain some respectability again yet that will require some help from the fans, and I hope I am not asking too much. God Bless all of you and I hope this is a good year for all of us.

Oh, I have a cell phone, but no service right now. If I can sell 6 hats and get some charity help, I can get it on. My number is 662 570 5873 and I will post here when I get it on so if anyone wants to talk they can call me. I am not at the site phone number as that is my mom's phone and I no longer use it. Thanks! Steve

 

[mingoslim]

Sad state and I feel for him.

But this note leaves me with mixed emotions. I have been waiting over 5 years, and have suffered some severe setbacks myself in that time. Otherwise, I would probably just write off my money as lost, as some folks have suggested and simply order from another maker, but frankly, I can't. I do not have the money . . .

And although I understand his hardship, it really does not excuse his refusal to honestly answer those of us that he took money from. I have been hoping for an update on the status of my order. It has been 5 years since I paid and I have e-mailed . . . phoned . . . I even sent a letter via US Post (with confirmed delivery service, so I know it arrived.

I have tried just about everything I could think of, and still have not heard back.

 

[Blackthorn]

Wow...this is so sad....

 

[Rick Blaine]

Artists & businessmen seldom cohabit the same psyche.

 

[jlee562]

If it's any help, I heard back from Steve at the end of January shortly after he posted this. I cannot offer any explanation as to the uneven nature of his responsiveness, but as far as I know, he's still making hats and sending them out as best he can.

 

[jchabalk]

Adventurebilt Lead Times and Contact Info

Hi there, i figured i'd ask here and see if anyone knows...

I ordered an Adventurebilt a little while ago and have had a difficult time getting in touch with Steve. I think he's probably just really busy but wanted to see if anyone knew of a good way to get in touch with him.

 

[alanfgag]

There are others who have encountered similar problems.

 

[jlee562]

He's still out there making hats. Another COW member received a hat this week.

 

[mingoslim]

It would be intersted to know when this COW member ordered his hats . . . Is he clearing up his backlog (there are some of us who are going on 5 years) or just trying to start over with new orders?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It would be intersted to know when this COW member ordered his hats . . . Is he clearing up his backlog (there are some of us who are going on 5 years) or just trying to start over with new orders?

According to his post over on COW, he ordered six months ago.

 

[jchabalk]

thanks guys, i appreciate it. i'm looking forward to the hat and i'm glad steve's on the rebound!

 

[mingoslim]

Six Months Ago!

According to his post over on COW, he ordered six months ago.

This is so, so sad . . .
He has 5 years of back orders, but instead is producing hats for people who just paid six months ago? I guess he figures he can just start up again, and begin making money from folks who do not know his repuation, while pocketing the money from those who ordered so long ago.

Has the man no integrity????

 

[Mulceber]

No, from my understanding he's still working on back-orders. I seem to recall hearing he works on new orders on Weekdays and back-orders on weekends. Personally I would have just stopped taking new orders until I was caught up, but I don't think Steve is trying to cheat anyone. -M

 

[casechopper]

From my understanding of the situation (and I have nothing vested in this). Steve is pretty much broke. He's using what he makes on new orders to live on and also buy materials to try to send out some of the old orders as he can.