Re: inappropriate behavior by Toledo hobby shop owner...

One of the things I absolutely hate about the internet is the fact that you can condemn someone, by name, with only one side of the story. There is ALWAYS another side of the story.

Don Cardiff Model Railroad Design Kaneville, IL

And that side would be, what..."I'm an unprofessional, chauvinist pig who likes to hit on young women that come into my store"?

--Dan

Why would you want to stand between her and a idiot like this? I'm sure she'd lay a much better smack-down on him than you could and probably get away with it much easier if the cops were called. In a situation like this the best thing a husband can do for his wife is hold her purse so she has both hands available for whacking. ;-)

Eric

Jim Stewart wrote:

My 55 year old large Polish wife would have decked him if he did such. If she could get there first in front of me.

Don, I understand what you are saying. If there is even some *remote* chance that what the owner said was actually misunderstood he deserves a chance to answer to the charges. None of us would accept any less for ourselves. It would be a terrible shame to completely ruin someone's reputation if there were some misunderstandings that could be clarified. Lynn

Thanks - I looked for it but evidently didn't check the first message in the thread.

"That's me." I

girlfriend?" He

thought we were

A couple of years ago the Train Show coordinator for the club I belonged to at the time repeatedly traveled down to Toledo to kiss Steve's butt to get him to come to our show. He came, was a jerk, his prices weren't anything special, and we didn't ask him back again.

Another group I feel sorry for in a case like this is the club up in Blissfield. The last I knew they rented their space from Steve and had to pay part of the rent by providing security for him at the shows he holds in Toledo. Nothing like a well-to-do club having a jerk as a landlord.

While you certainly MAY be right in a few cases, this does not seem to be applicable to this one. Anyway, it is very dangerous to condemn someone on the internet without being able to back it up. A lawsuit may cost a large sum of money. And in the case of such a "rogue" hobby shop, there is a pretty good chance someone tells the owner about a thread like this one and thus the owner in turn has a good chance to either defend himself or sue the claimant. Thus, I don't believe that we see many unfounded rants about shops, manufacturers and the like, here.

I sometimes find it very helpful to read about good and/or bad service here and in other newsgroups. Decent service sadly is not a given any more ... although I can't complain about model railroad shops (yet). I had some very bad experiences with digital camera sellers here in Germany, though. And I got excellent service from Brawa, a model railroad manufacturer for European prototypes.

Regards,

George W. Pflaum

What I was trying to say is, we only have one person's story of what happened. Did it happen at all? Why is this guy crying about it on the internet? No, I would be the last to defend the situation as described. But did it happen as described? Is there another agenda involved? For example; Did 'Steve' commit the unforgiveable sin of selling something at full retail?

Don Cardiff Model Railroad Design Kaneville, IL

Speaking of reading all of the posts, did I ever say anyone was lying? By the way, the comment about paying full retail was said with tongue in cheek - a lost art these days.

Don Cardiff Model Railroad Design Kaneville, IL

I have meet this guy a few times at GATS shows. I believe the story. Enough said.

And I've been in his store and been at the shows and have never seen any indication of any such behavior from Steve, his wife (she helps run the business), his kids or his employees.

Someone already has been criticized for pointing out that there are at least two sides to these stories. Only the people present know the facts for sure. From those facts I assume they will make the proper decision to deal with those facts. For the original posting author, that decision, no more business to be done at that store, is much more intelligent than some of the other things that have been posted here.

I find it ironic that a local shop, that someone that posts here works for (now), did exhibit that stereotypical paying customers be damned attitude. It got old quick and I took my business elsewhere. I have made a few visits over the last several months and the store now seems to treat customers with the respect owed a paying customer.

you are right, I've never seen him act that way in front of his wife either. Maybe that's the ticket, you need to shop there when she is present.

Andy

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Joe's is the excuse I use every few months into talking my wife into making the 4 hour round trip to visit her Dad who lives a mile down the street from the store. Amazing inventory. I go there to stock up on detail items and check out the Microtrains rollingstock that appears on the clearance table from time to time.

If you need directions, let me know. We are easy to reach from anywhere.

OK... we are looking for something to do this week-end; how would we get there from the south via I-75?

dlm

Oh come on. All Don was saying is that there generally 2 sides to a story and maybe, just maybe, that's true in this case as well.

Jim

Yes I guess you are right. But I think so was I. I don't know the 'real' story and will wait for the original poster to come back with more detail (which I highly doubt will happen) before commenting further. Have a nice holiday.

even from Antarctica? Sorry, trying to inject a little humor into this thread.... very little humor it would seem ;^)