From The Mailbag

Message sent to you follows
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Mr. Branch,
I am writing to ask if you could add this to your blog. Randy Dimwitty has slandered me for the last time, without me acting. So far, he has not damaged my name, in any way. However, I am tired of hearing about it. While looking up info on him I found your blog and read some usful information that I wish I had found a few months ago. I feel that if you could add this, it may help to keep others from making the same mistakes, so many others have.... dealing with Randy.
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I started out simply asking what a $30 membership to AllBounty would get those that paid it. This is the thread from there:
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"For 30.00, you get the ability to be here."

Randy S Dinwiddie
Raven Financial Group
Atlas Recovery Group
Deal Media
Columbia Power Sports
Unified Wholesale
www.allbounty.com
www.recoverystars.com
Deal Maker
The Lake Patriot
UARA101
-email-
-email-
573.418.0712
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What am I paying for when I pay $30, then? I have paid for many listings, in several places and never had results. On the other hand, I have gotten free listings and received most of my referred work from them. Don't get me wrong, on my next statement, I enjoy the people here and I am not looking to leave. However, there are so few people here that many will not see my listing, where hundreds, if not thousands see a lot of the free listings. So that leaves "being here"... that is not an incentive for me to spend one dime. I come to the forums to associate with like-minded people, to pass information on to others, and receive information. I can do that with the thousands, I mentioned...for free. I cannot accept taking funds out of my household to "get the ability to be here". I hoped that the explanation I wrote before would have gotten a business minded person to see the light. Today’s economy does not allow most people, to spend on non-essentials. Without the strong possibility of a mass return, this can't be expected from the average, actively working Bail persons. Without a membership in quad digits, this return will not be possible. Its a catch 22, I know, but I just don't believe this was thought out in the long term or else there would be several posts being made per day, there would be more useful subjects on the boards, and there would be many more members....active members, at that. Just attempting to point out a few of the down falls to this idea.
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L. Scott Thomas
Rock Solid Recovery Group
770-842-9917
L_S_THOMAS@FREEDOMGS.COM
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Networking and doing business is not pro bono everywhere, just the unproductive places.

Randy S Dinwiddie
Raven Financial Group
Atlas Recovery Group
Deal Media
Columbia Power Sports
Unified Wholesale
www.allbounty.com
www.recoverystars.com
Deal Maker
The Lake Patriot
UARA101
-email-
-email-
573.418.0712
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I have to disagree, Randy. I have received more work from "free forum" contacts than I have from any method I have paid for. That makes these places very productive, in my eyes. And I have done it all... aside from posting billboards and putting my company name in neon. I have tried Yellow Page adds, Business Cards, T-Shirts, Coffee Cups, Hats, Presentation Booklets (that I sent to every company within 80 miles of my office), so on and so forth. The best references I have received came from "free" means of communication. The same with referred work..."Free". So I definitely have to stand by the old adage "The best form of advertising is word of mouth advertising". The best places to get that word out are places that have more ears to listen. That would be the places that are free.

(Added on Wed Apr 23 2008, 09:05AM)
I thought about this, last night, after posting the above and I do not mean to be offensive. I only have questions, as a business owner about what is going on with this entire subject (Randy, we have talked about my other business's and I am very good at what I do because I am very careful, when it comes to business)...

I feel the need to remind some that this idea, subject, (whatever you want to call it) has come up in the past. Many members have been lost because of decisions to charge for forum membership. That may not be a sound business decision. Especially when you factor in a recession. Gas and milk are both at $4/gallon... massive home foreclosures... world wide food riots... do you really think now is the time to ask the average, working class BEA, Repo Personnel, or Bonding Agent for hard earned money, when it's all anyone can do to feed their families and pay their monthly bills ? I am sorry; I just don't see when, where, or how this is going to benefit me. Taking more money out of my household, having no advertising guarantee, and not getting anything substantial on my returns (discounts on insurance, cars, equipment, ect.) I realize that it will get us an open door to the UARA (I apologize...it gets us a discount into UARA), but what does that mean? Now days, every one wants to run an organization...NIBE, NABEA, NEA, PBUS, TAPBA, GAPBA, etc…and now you have UARA...What exactly will this organization or this forum do for us...? Will you get us discounts on goods and service's... rental cars, air flights, hotels, etc..? I don't know about anyone else, but I don't just spend money to get rid of it. I have to receive a good or service that is worth the expense. In today’s economy, I cannot part with ANY money that doesn't return.... at least, 3 fold. Just like I won't run a search on a subject file, when the client has asked to pay a discount...I will only check the addresses from the file. That keeps my overhead down, and I explain that to the bondsman. I figure, if they want my full services, they will pay my full price. If they only want to pay 50%, they get 50% of my service. The difference is, I make sure they know the benefits they are paying for, in advance. If they still don't pay, that’s their decision… but it doesn’t mean I kick their account to the curb. So, what are the services being offered, here? Is it something that I can't get anywhere else? If I can get it elsewhere, is it less expensive here? Bottom line...what are the benefits to paying for AllBounty and/or UARA?


L. Scott Thomas
Rock Solid Recovery Group
GA. 2007-F-306
NSIN# ST0707
HDIC #1

"The hero is not the man that acts without fear,
He is the man that acts inspite of fear"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Server charges to keep site online, expenses paid for website promotions such as T Shirts bumper Stickers and other things to promote the website.

There are to mant things to list.. webmaster, search engine optimization etc... If that doesnt make things clear for you I dont know what will

There is no free lunch Scott, you know that as well as I. If you are expecting it free forever you will need to go to those sites that offer that. Period.

Randy S Dinwiddie
Raven Financial Group
Atlas Recovery Group
Deal Media
Columbia Power Sports
Unified Wholesale
www.allbounty.com
www.recoverystars.com
Deal Maker
The Lake Patriot
UARA101
-email-
-email-
573.418.0712
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------You have attempted this before. By now you should realize that the sites that make it are the ones that have their sponsors paying those costs. I know of very few that make it requiring the members to pay these costs. The ones that do make it, only do so, by barely squeaking by. You are correct, there are no free lunches. I pay on other sites, along with others, by contributing to the subject matter and sending out business referrals to others, that do the same. These sites are truly free, to its members. I have never paid, never been asked to pay, nor will I pay these sites or their owners. Asking for payments and/or contributions when the surrounding market is free to members...that is site suicide.

I will continue dropping in.... I am not looking to leave. I will continue this until I am removed. Because of the payments that have been requested, and my refusal to comply, I am not contributing with posts. After all, why would I risk loosing my words, ideas, and industry tricks when the final day to pay, comes? I have written freely in the past but once I am gone, those words will be left, and that wouldn't be fair. I cannot continue to help build a forum, with my words, that is eventually going to kick people out, have no one contributing, and most likely go under. Others have obviously come to the same conclusion...look at the lack of posts and the requests for removal of membership. Other than the chat box, it can be days between posts, in the forum. That’s not the best for promoting an active, professional site. I don’t believe this has been looked at with a business mind. This is where the wants and needs of customers, clients, and members should come into play. Without these people…there is no site to run and own.
********************
L. Scott Thomas
Rock Solid Recovery Group
GA. 2007-F-306
NSIN# ST0707
HDIC #1

"The hero is not the man that acts without fear,
He is the man that acts in spite of fear"
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3126 visitors so far this month.... We are still above average on site visits. The only thing we have lost is the free loaders.

I dont have a problem with you disagreeing, but I have to agree to disagree. There is no free lunch in life. Pay for things that matter and drop the things that dont. If you dont find value here then you have no one stopping you from leaving.


Randy S Dinwiddie
Raven Financial Group
Atlas Recovery Group
Deal Media
Columbia Power Sports
Unified Wholesale
www.allbounty.com
www.recoverystars.com
Deal Maker
The Lake Patriot
UARA101
-email-
-email-
573.418.0712
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"Pay for things that matter and drop the things that don’t"... if you could give me a straight answer on what it is that is supposed to make this site matter, I might feel different. As of now, I feel the same as I did when you first mentioned charging for membership. There will be no return on that investment, and you aren't explaining why that will change.

I have made every attempt to remain professional and get you to realize that what you are asking for is not a smart business decision or proper business etiquette, but since you have now struck out at me twice, telling me to leave and not answered me professionally, I will lower myself to your level. Maybe you will be able to answer this.

Is that the way things are done in business???...."If you don't agree with my outlook, LEAVE." I have owned (and still own) more successfully, professional businesses than most have ever-even visit. If I were to ever hear of this type of "managerial decision" being made in one of my companies.... heads would roll. We will agree to disagree. Now that you are attempting to offend me with comments like "you have no one stopping you from leaving." and "If you are expecting it free forever you will need to go to those sites that offer that" then I will rebuttal with.... no free lunches??? Then pay for your own site. Don't ask me or any other member to pay. Don't use people for their money and then kick them out of the forum when they stop sending you checks (Like Bob AKA BHB).

The free loaders are the ones that allow someone to pay the bills they create and then get offended when the free ride stops. I have never asked for or received anything from your sites with out working for it, so that comment cannot be directed at me, however it is directed at some people that I find useful, knowledgeable, and that I call friend. None of the people that you have ever directed this type of comment at, in the past, has ever received anything from your site (I talk to these people and know both sides of the story). The same cannot be said for this site. It has received much in the way of free handouts and as soon as that stops these people get kicked off the site. The greatest assets you have ever had have been run off. The people that could do more for you than you could ever do for them...get deleted if they disagree or stop sending you money.

There may be a ton of visits to the site but there is no return on that. Not one person, whom I have spoken to, has gotten a call off of the reference of this site. Visits mean nothing without results. I can visit the home page of 100 web sites a day. That gets no one paid and it gets no one any work. So telling us how many visitors there are doesn't tell anything about our own business or its growth. I don't understand why you get so hung up on these numbers. They prove nothing.

I know your next step. Your pattern is to delete anyone that disagrees or steps up...Go ahead. That will just prove my point. Some are meant to be business owners and industry leaders. Others are best suited for keeping a JOB, and they prove this by the decisions and the comments they make. These people are probably better suited to be a construction worker, or delivery person for the food industries (maybe even Schwanns; you know where you work), or maybe even a door greeter at some chain store. I never meant to offend anyone but all the talk of money and payments and freeloaders and being told twice that I could leave.... the worst part is I know your story. The pot calling the kettle black is no way to win people over. I can't take any more of the backstabbing, name bashing, and unfair treatment of those that either can't defend themselves (mainly because they have been kicked off this forum) or the ones that just won't. I'll do it for them. That’s who I am. That’s what I do. I hope this shows others who they are truly dealing with, in you. Any questions…feel free to contact me. Otherwise, I am done with these childish actions. Do, as you will.

L. Scott Thomas
Rock Solid Recovery Group
GA. 2007-F-306
NSIN# ST0707
HDIC #1

"The hero is not the man that acts without fear,
He is the man that acts in spite of fear"
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All of the above was deleted and replaced with.
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For $30.00, you get the ability to be here and a free Directory Listing.

That’s what your 30.00 gets you. You are not a member of UARA until you pay the fees wich is a seperate issue

Server charges to keep site online, expenses paid for website promotions such as T Shirts bumper Stickers and other things to promote the website.

There are to mant things to list.. webmaster, search engine optimization etc... If that doesnt make things clear for you I dont know what will

Smack talk is prohibited here... Be professional or be kicked out Sno....

Last warning
Randy S Dinwiddie
Raven Financial Group
Atlas Recovery Group
Deal Media
Columbia Power Sports
Unified Wholesale
www.allbounty.com
www.recoverystars.com
Deal Maker
The Lake Patriot
UARA101
-email-
-email-
573.418.0712
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I attempted to reply with this message but was denied access.
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I knew that you would delete my posts. That’s your MO. That is why I have copied this thread...just in case I wanted any of it, later. OK, I'll play your game, now.

Could you please answer my questions without the offensive remarks about free loaders, leaving, or any other useless information? I have explained my point of view, which has been met with nothing but negativity, but of course, then that negativity gets deleted and/or edited. Please explain why anyone should pay, with there being nothing returned to his or her business. Explaining what costs you incur, does not explain this. How does t-shirts, bumper stickers, a racecar, a new blimp, the brand new exotic cruise liner “SS AllBounty’, or any of this help the members? I believe this only helps one person…and it’s not the forum members. I can bet that none of the active forum members have asked you to do this. Besides, you had stated (before it was deleted) that there are no free lunches.... then why are you asking people to pay to be members. You state that you have all these expenses...but “there are no free lunches, Randy”. Why would anyone want to pay YOUR expenses, which YOU incur, in conjunction with YOUR site? There are no free lunches… so pay for it or have your sponsors counter some of these costs. They are the only ones gaining from this site, not the members. Last, please explain why you speak negativity and then delete it before it is seen by anyone but when I do, I get threatened with being kicked out. And please explain why when I speak fact and good business practice my posts get deleted. Others may want to learn from my comments.
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Yep…he deleted me before I got to reply. Why give the warning and then not allow me to respond, PROFESSIONALLY? And the above post was more professional; with no…what did he call it…”Smack talk”. But, this is what it says “The website declined to show this webpage”