Communication?

**Cannibal** · 07-20-2012, 10:54

Originally Posted by GaryBunk

When everyone tells others that regardless of all your hassles you will be happy, that is just bs. People come here for help and as veterans you owe others honesty. I can tell you if asked I would tell someone that, You couldn't give me an oes product because there is no guarantee I would get it without a fight. Lets all quit enabling Brian, he will be a better person for it.

With respect, I disagree with your logic. By your own statements, when people are being told how 'great' the OES tarps are, they are also being told about his lack of communication and slow delivery. How do you propose we are more honest? By omitting the fact that OES does make one of the most respected tarps in the field? To me, that would be more deceitful. It isn't like potential buyers have to go digging to find out about OES communications. If they know about OES, they most likely also know about the bad stuff.

I understand your personal dislike of the way Brain does business. It seems fair that you would understand why some folks don't mind the silent wait in return for quality. Sure, there are very high quality tarps available from other vendors that will ship 'right now', but some folks like the name, person, or product more than the others. For the record, I can't recall anyone that had to fight for their tarp. They had to wait and be ignored, but their tarp came in eventually. Waiting and fighting are not the same at all.

**angrysparrow** · 07-20-2012, 11:03

Originally Posted by GaryBunk

People here and probably more so new people coming here for help, hopeing that the veterans will help them with honest advice. When everyone tells others that regardless of all your hassles you will be happy, that is just bs. People come here for help and as veterans you owe others honesty. I can tell you if asked I would tell someone that, You couldn't give me an oes product because there is no guarantee I would get it without a fight. Lets all quit enabling Brian, he will be a better person for it.

It's fine if you want to give advice that you think they should buy elsewhere. Nobody questioned that.

I simply said that I feel it's not up to the forum to regulate someone's business. The only thing we require is that businesses that are represented here make hammock-related products.

BTW Snow-Ape, glad you finally got a shipping notice. I hope it indeed turns out to be worth the wait for you. Post back and let us know.

**SilvrSurfr** · 07-20-2012, 12:01

I'm a big "vote-with-the-wallet" proponent. I drive my family crazy with the list of businesses I boycott. Burn me once and I'm done with giving you money. I've been boycotting a certain multinational conglomerate for 30 years, but it's really a futile endeavor. Even if they don't make the product, they probably make 90% of all the electrical components. It's impossible to boycott some companies.

Though I haven't done business with all our cottage vendors, I've dealt with quite a few of them and have had positive experiences with all but one. And that one will never ever get my business again.

I haven't dealt with OES, but I do know he makes some fine tarps. Personally, I probably wouldn't boycott a vendor for communication issues, especially since this particular vendor does have a full-time job and this is a side business. Now if he got my order wrong and wouldn't correct it, then I might add him to my long list of businesses I boycott.

**Beast 71** · 07-20-2012, 16:30

Originally Posted by GaryBunk

I am always at a total lose to understand why everyone here continues to enable this sort of behavior. Everyone here enables Brian to continue with his poor service. I'm sure Brian is a nice guy, but I'm also pretty sure all the people that attempt to do business with him are also equally nice people. They go to great lengths to do business with him because everyone here says he's such a nice guy (just a very very poor business man) and them what happens? He doesn't follow thru, and he was enabled be each of you. There are vendors here that make great products, and provide some of the best service one will ever find (Marty at WL is a good example). I know this is not my forum but if it was, I would regulate who does business here because everyone I have chatted with and purchased from have been great, everyone here deserves better. The statement about the quality is just a lame excuse, I have seen his tarps and used tarps by others, they are tarps!
To listen to some you would think they will cure cancer and bring eternal life.
Everyone here deserves better not if I would ever do business with OES. I think I answered the question apropriatly.

Just for the record I've never "enabled" Brian in any way. I've never bought an OES tarp because of his business practices so I've never recommend one because I have no experience with them. There are MANY quality vendors here and because of the popularity of their products there are sometimes shortages but most are good at estimating lead times and responding to email or PM's. Even if you wanted to stick to a cottage vender Jacks-R-Better are very good at keeping a complete inventory. I've never seen a tarp of thier's but if they are even half the quality of their quilts they'd be superb tarps. The original poster was asking if this was normal for OES and not my opinion OES, so that is what I responded to.

**GaryBunk** · 07-20-2012, 17:37

Originally Posted by Beast 71

Just for the record I've never "enabled" Brian in any way. I've never bought an OES tarp because of his business practices so I've never recommend one because I have no experience with them. There are MANY quality vendors here and because of the popularity of their products there are sometimes shortages but most are good at estimating lead times and responding to email or PM's. Even if you wanted to stick to a cottage vender Jacks-R-Better are very good at keeping a complete inventory. I've never seen a tarp of there's but if they are even half the quality of their quilts they'd be superb tarps. The original poster was asking if this was normal for OES and not my opinion OES, so that is what I responded to.

Ok I guess I need to clarify, Every time someone has problems getting their tarp from Brian, people jump in with you need to understand he is busy or is a really nice guy. That is what I mean by enabling. The person that has PAID his money and expects nothing more than the timely delivery of an item he has paid for is often told they need to be patient (just go back and look at the posts whenever there is a problem with Brian). I don't know him from Adam, but had problems trying to order a tarp from him back in January and finally gave up. You are absolutely right in that there are some tremendous vendors here, WL and Marty is a good example (I have purchased from him and will every time I get a chance). DIY Gear Supply, Thru Hiker, and OWF-inc are all great vendors also and I would refer any one of them without hesitation. I guess the thing that is always irritating is that things change when you have purchased something from a vendor, you have taken your hard earned money and given it to someone expecting a good or service, communication is part of the deal till you deliver the product. Being a nice guy or being busy or any other excuse is just crap. I bet everyone here you pays for something expects to receive it and not have to beg and plead while being ignored. What should happen is everyone quit making excuses for bad behavior, END of POINT.

**Beast 71** · 07-20-2012, 18:03

I've never made an excuse for him, yet I'm the one specifically singled out

.

P.S. I happen to agree with your sentiment, but yet again the question was "Is this normal for OES?".

**JasonByers** · 07-27-2012, 17:12

I ordered a tarp from him last Wednesday and he shipped out within his 48 hour limit priority mail and sent a shipping confirmation but did not put a tracking number on it. That was last Friday and today a week later I still have not received my tarp. I think the shipping confirmation was fake just to keep his 48 shipping promise. I've emailed him with several questions and twice asking for the tracking number with no response.

**Snow-Ape** · 07-27-2012, 22:41

Likewise...except I purchased on the 12th, received shipping confirmation on the 20th, and still no tarp... And worse yet, no communication. He was on the forums here though on the 19th though... I guess we know why he doesn't use PayPal though...

**Snow-Ape** · 07-28-2012, 21:29

Received word back from Brian with an explanation and a tracking number today... He was apologetic, but did concede that I wasn't the only one that "slipped through the cracks".