Is Fred Newman latest to be on the list?

[michael_j._kravit1]

Jeez, just when I thought is was to go back into the water, another

retailer takes my money and does not produce a product!

 

This list has often discussed dead beat retailers, I have read them

and empathized with the victims. Who would figure that I would be a

casualty of this pandemic.

 

Well last year I paid for a subscription to the "Beyond the Zone

System" newsletter distributed by Fred Newman and the View Camera

Store. Fred took my money and send me a couple of 2 year old back

issues as a promotion. To this date I have never seen a single copy

of the newsletter.

 

I emailed Fred and inquired about the status of my subscription. Not

a peep in response.

 

Perhaps Fred will read this and correct a wrong. Otherwise, I

suppose that I am in good company.

 

Mike

[__jon__]

>I emailed Fred and inquired about the status of my subscription. Not a peep in response.

 

Have you tried the telephone? So your subscription was lost and your email ended up in a spam filter. Call him.

[walter_glover]

I abhor the recent practice of posting the same item on more

than one forum but I can see that many would find it justifiable.

In this instance I am re-posting my response that I posted on the

Large Format Photography Forum because I think that there has

been considerable dereliction in the duties of the original poster

in the first instance to check ALL avenues of conciliation before

making his allegations public, AND a dereliction in the duties of

the moderators of both forums for failing keeping an eye on such

slanderous accusations and take the appropriate action.

 

Trial by Television is repugnant enough - trial by internet is an

abomination. Cyber vigilantes!! A binary code posse!!

 

My post read:

 

Well, I have had a number of prompt, efficient successful

transactions with the man you mention and have nothing but

praise for the attentiuve service that has been afforded me.

 

Call me paranoid, but ordering from Australia I do either

pre-empt or back-up my email order with a phone call. Both Fred

and Dennis have always been helpful, courteous and

informative. I am surprised to see a character assasination

triggered without further and better particulars of the incident

offered.

 

Walter Glover

[dm4x5bwpiezo]

I have been a long-time (but low-dollar) purchaser at VCS, mostly accessories and BTZS products. Fred has never failed to return phone calls, be helpful with advice, answer questions, fill orders promptly. My questions about film testing software or the fit of the focus cloth (a great product, by the way) were given full attention. His company is one of the few who are more committed to the field of large format than to making a quick sale. Why would anyone assume that email is more reliable than getting an answer to a problem from a human voice? Pick up the phone.

[jorge_gasteazoro4]

Michael c'mon men, pick up the phone and give them a call, you are crucifying these people without giving them a chance to fix the problem...

[brian_ellis16]

I used to subscribe to this newsletter. It was published sporadically and not on a fixed schedule though I think I did usually receive four issues a year, just not exactly every three months. When "last year" did you subscribe? Are you sure an issue has been published since you subscribed? I know Fred reasonably well and have dealt extensively with Dennis by phone. Both are highly reputable individuals and I'm sure they are not trying to stiff you. If an issue has been published since you subscribed then most likely your e mail message got lost in the shuffle of spam filters and the hundreds of e mail messages many retailers receive in the course of a day. As others have said, before posting a message like this you should make a greater effort to find out what's going on than you've made with your single e mail inquiry.

[geoffrey_swenson]

Oh brother, Pick up that phone! I�m pretty certain that you are wrong and not Fred Newman. I would think it unlikely that he would run away to the Big Islands with your money.

[bob haight]

Fred is out of town until Thurs. I spoke to him last week and as always, he is great to deal with. He is very accessible by telephone.

[fred_newman]

Michael, The View Camera Store isn't a "dead beat retailer" but we are human and do make mistakes. Please give me a call and I'll see that you get the DMAX issues that you are missing.

 

The DMAX newsletter is our quarterly publication covering films, developers and Phil Davis' Beyond the Zone System. DMAX is in its tenth and (most likely) last year. We depend on Phil (Phil's over eighty but still a workaholic) for most of the articles and it's not certain how much longer he will want to write.

 

Dennis Kibbe

[christopher_nisperos2]

Mr. Kravit,

The Fred Newman I know is a good man.

I find it rather reprehensible that you've chosen to air such a petty

affair in public, especially without having tried your simplest

recourse, the telephone.

 

Morally, your action appears to be worse than Fred's oversight.

In my view, you've lost your credibilty in this situation.

[michael_j._kravit1]

First,

 

Let me say that I appreciate Dennis responding to my problem albiet quite a bit late.

 

Second, I NEVER called FRED a DEADBEAT. Please re-read my post. I staed that "This list has often discussed dead beat retailers, I have read them and empathized with the victims"

 

Third, I was wronged. It took a post here to get a retailer to respond.

 

All I asked was to have Fred respond. Dennis has finally done so and I consider this issues closed and resolved.

 

End of story.

[bob_bernstein]

Fred Newman is a first class gentleman and a large format expert. I and a group of friends have purchased many items from him. I have also enjoyed his expertise in one of his many superb workshops. He is just not 'any retailer' but a throw back to the lost old days of expert service. Any disparaging remarks are utter nonsense. Everyone in the group should do business with him.

 

Bob Bernstein