Here we go it is Feb 05 has anyone received a magazine as promised ?
good luck
no but the first ever electronic version in Nov sure had a cool bus cesterfold. lol
Who's bus is that LeRoy lol how is Anne doing
What? You mean everyone didn't get theirs, like I did?
Sorry I just had to do it!
;D BK ;D
i have not got a magazine in a long time how can i see the electronic one ?
i paid 3 yrs was to get both the magazine and online bummer john
I knew this would happen, like Clifford said. I lost my money on it too. At least we still have the board.
And again for you MCI guys. Don't forget to join us at mcibustalk.com (http://mcibustalk.com)
Be patience guys the check is in the mail our USPS is slow lol,seriously Mike could respond instead of treating us like mushrooms I filed with my credit card co enough for me
good luck
No magazine here in the frozen foreign country to the north.
Well, what now?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
be patient! He is busy with his crayons personally making each one... ;D
luvrbus makes a good point.
I think I used Paypal...
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I have not received an issue since last year circa November(I think). I don't like either but all of the time it takes to bash Mike on here could have been directed to contact Mike and his people to get answers. I'll just wait it out and if I get the next issue fine. If I get renewal notice, I'll have to think about it given the amount of info and pictures on the internet. Mike let's us post on here at will so I doubt this childish bashing will do much good.
This forum needs us a lot more than it needs MAK. We generate the content and some of the best content comes from two of the guys that are complaining about not receiving their magazines.
I haven't heard a peep on the fate of BCM since Dec 2011 nor have emails been answered. Is the magazine is officially "belly up"??? I suggest that in the spirit of goodwill to paid subscribers you put all "old" issues on the website for download by the subscribers before the website is taken down. I'm a $99/3yr subscriber who got about 7 mo of subscription before things hit the shoals. If they can do that, I (and maybe others) would appreciate the effort since we're in the winter "doldrums" I'd like new (to me) bus stuff to read.
It's not going to age like fine wine! -- Cal
Deleted
Hey how bout that I just pulled mine out the mail box. Can't wait to get into it... Wait a minute, that's not the magazine in question. Guess I lost the ability to recognize the darn thing... After all I haven't seen one since last June...:-[ 8) 8)
Milton since when is it a problem to ask for what you paid for no one is bashing Mike just tried of the BS and you call see what happens no body asked him to put the bs out about a Feb magazine he did that on his own with no help from soul here
Past behavior is an indication of future behavior. I don't know what Mike's problem is in why he doesn't respond to concerns anymore but I just have to wonder how many people don't contact him first that's all. I've seen it before when someone had a problem with the magazine and came on here and crabbed only later to retract it after finding that taking the direct approach works or at least used to. It reminds me of an unrealated story of some people mad that the lawn at a vacant house was going uncut. Some neighbors went to city hall and filed complaints. Finally someone with common sense just told these people that they were wasting time and took his lawn mower across the street and cut the grass himself. I guess keep after Mike first then complain on here is the short answer and your flames are welcome.
If you looks at these various thread, you will see that folks have TRIED to contact MAK. Indeed, I have gotten several calls from folks trying to contact MAK (my banner ad shows occasionally at the top of the forum and BCM main page and folks see my number). I had a lady email me to see if I had some alternative contact. She had subscribed to the magazine for a Christmas present for her brother-in-law and was so proud that she had gotten him a unique present.
Over the years, I have defended MAK, but the incentive to do so now is dwindling.
Jim
Yep JIm we both have been around Mike for years why he does the things he does is a big ? mark for me so simple just to say enjoy the board no more magazine easy huh
good luck
Also if you'll notice the "Mike" that answered people and resolved things was a different "Mike" (Sullivan) and not MAK - Mike Kadletz.
;D BK ;D
There seems to be a history here. Yall think the magazine is going away? I wonder if it is for sale? I noticed teh other site or the site migration is a NING thing? That really seems like a bad idea. The current site is a good deal and could be built on.
Yes, the magazine is for sale, you may already have been contacted with an offer to buy by the time you read this.
And yes again, Ning is a bad idea, you'll be very alone on there, most of us aren't going.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Quote from: buswarrior on February 08, 2012, 07:11:00 PM
Yes, the magazine is for sale, you may already have been contacted with an offer to buy by the time you read this.
And yes again, Ning is a bad idea, you'll be very alone on there, most of us aren't going.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I actually sent a PM to one mod, but haven't got a response. Who is the right person to contact?
Quote from: RnMAdventures on February 09, 2012, 11:43:19 AM
I actually sent a PM to one mod, but haven't got a response. Who is the right person to contact?
All the moderators are just volunteers. For anything to do with the sale of the magazine the only contact person would be Mike Kadletz (or his wife Karen) Jack
I am showing my ignorance here. I read where three guys purchased BCM in 2009. I saw a post by Paul on a different web site. It sounds like he stayed on as a silent partner or a majority share holder?
Quote from: RnMAdventures on February 09, 2012, 05:40:48 PM
I am showing my ignorance here. I read where three guys purchased BCM in 2009. I saw a post by Paul on a different web site. It sounds like he stayed on as a silent partner or a majority share holder?
They took over operation with an option to purchase, but did not purchase. Chad, Mike S and Phil may still be doing some work for Mike K., but Mike & Karen K are the owners. Jack
I like how the home page says "celebrating our 20th year"!! Guess that includes the going on a year without a mag!! I think Clifford had the right idea. Contact your card company to start the refund process, or just write the whole thing off as a loss. I think the people who put their heart and soul into it are gone. Only one left cares about only one person, and we alll know who that is!!!
I have most of the BCM mag's going back to the early 90's. Not so much 2001+. I picked one up the other day, April 1995. Mike K is talking about putting together a caravan trip with a bunch of buses. I wonder if that eevr happened? I hate to see BCM go away. It's a good thing for the hobby. I am puzzled as to why more folks aren't into bus conversions. The S&S is just not comparable in my opinion.
I really hope it pulls through. If you guys that have a history with the folks aren't getting your calls returned or answered, then I don't know how serious the sale is. They are the most loyal in the hobby with long time sustained contributions. If they stop supporting the effort, it will be a long road to recovery. My guess is that he is converting the mag to online edition only. That would eliminate the overhead of printing and shipping. He eluded to that in the last edition. There is a way to keep it going where it is profitable or at least breakeven. My history with electronic information distribution goes back to the mid 90's. I saw the old BBS (dial up bulletin board systems) slowly die while the internet took over. I ran a BBS back then. They were a money maker in their day, but I only did it as a hobby. I was a partner in a computer business for a short time in early 2000-2001 and handled the web end of the business. I learned a valuable lessen with all that. I got involved with it after the business was well established, which should have been a no brainer success story. However, sometimes things go too far the wrong direction and it is hard to recover unless you have a lot of money to throw at it. A good Reputation is everything in a business... you won't last without it.
I looked on the net about the sale, but found nothing. How did you guys find out about it? Is it listed on the web?
Actually: This is a mag. Only draw back is no hard copy. Your questions get answered quickly. We all write articles and publish pictures. I prefer the hard copy. I do understand why it is hard to make a profit when you can get the same info faster and free here or other forums. Would like a straight yes or no; but I also know how hard it is to give up a part of you life. Sometimes we hang on to long. Sometimes we jump to quickly. Only MAK can make that decision. Bob
I remember once when I was little I subscribed to Grit magazine from a neighborhood kid. I never got a single magazine though because the kid spent my money on candy. He never would talk to me about it and avoided me for years.
I'm just sayin........
With this in mind, I already said that I kissed my money bye bye and will not buy into the magazine scam again and the funds, if they did still magically exist, could be used to keep this forum up. This is really only to make me feel like I actually got something for the money though I'm sure it bought somebody smokes and beer.
Nah, I ain't bitter.....just truthful.
I purchased a subscription about a year ago and have only received one issue (June 11) Sigh...
Hey Carbone,
I wonder how many have purchased subscriptions since then and received NOTHING?
It is still happening, the machinery for accepting payments is still operational...
There's something unethical about this.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I for one purchased a subscription and have recieved NOTHING not even a thank you for my money!!
Robert
Recent subscribers: You might be in luck with your credit card company if you are within their time period for getting
money back from BCM. Banks may have ways of squeezing money from a company beyond what mere civilians can do. Typical credit card agreements that small companies sign up for are pretty heinous. Unless the legal system has changed, the big banks hold company owners personally responsible for bad charges basically forever with family members bank accounts at the bank on the hook too. There is no escape with bankruptcy protection (like somewhere in the fine print is a waiver of bankruptcy protection etc.-- its pretty one-way in favor of the bank). They can play rough if they so choose.
i paid for 3 years 99.00 and only got 1 sinse jim
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Finformlocal.com%2Fimages%2Fbeating-dead-horse%25202.gif&hash=c1c0afa47044c441c1aa43f556e17e1b34063d5a)
Fellow subscribers:
My suggestion to "Top Management of BCM" is to make the online versions of back issues freely available to current subscribers and call it even. Back issues are of decreasing value as time goes by -- there just aren't that many "bus nuts". The current management of BCM may want to maintain a good reputation if they are planning to stay in bus related businesses because its a small community and word gets around -- we are in the internet age after all and nothing goes away, it just gets loaded into databases far and wide and stays.
I noticed that you can still subscribe or buy stuff online from BCM. Disgruntled subscribers can force a "chargeback" for non-fulfillment if they so desire and I think that banks impose some penalty fees for that and eventual cancellation of their credit card account if there are too many. A thought.
Quote from: technomage99 on February 19, 2012, 04:37:46 PM
Fellow subscribers:
My suggestion to "Top Management of BCM" is to make the online versions of back issues freely available to current subscribers and call it even. Back issues are of decreasing value as time goes by -- there just aren't that many "bus nuts".
I am certainly agreeable to this settlement, having also paid for three years.
What I feel is the worst thing is the "management" isn't communicating whatsoever with their faithful customers.
Bump! :-*
I see your Bump 8) and raise you 3 ;D
Wow, we have been so busy, I havent been on the boards much latlely, as it has been some buy work times, and I hate to hear what is happening to BCM. I sure hope this forum stays, it has been a life saver for us on many occasions. We dont get to keep up with all the goings on as much as some of you do, but, would like that option as we go into retirement. I have got to say, we have only gone to one rally, but, we met some amazing people there. Some of the best people are bus people. We have met a few that have just came by our place to meet and talk bus, and we have met a few on the road. We certainly hope to get the chance to meet more in the future. As far as Mike is concerned, I will be nice and just say, shame on you.................Ruthi
Fellow subscribers and advertisers and BCM creditors: You have only a limited time to turn up the "steam pressure".
You have a maximum of 60 days to get credit card charges "back-flushed" (charge back) to get your money back (if you paid by check -- forgetta bout it). You must follow the right procedures with the banks' customer-no-service and make sure that they accomplish "back-flush" before 60 days elapse. Do not take NO or DELAY for an answer! Banks can do some "heinous" things to companies and individuals who violate their credit card agreement (like raid checking accounts, savings accounts CDs etc. legally without warning if they are maintained within the bank's empire and possibly beyond -- they can legally grab first, then argue in court later >:(). As a small business owner, I wouldn't want to be on the "pointy end of that stick".
I just finished reading the thread about what a certain engine is worth, then I came here to respond.......as tight as some of you seem........I'm amazed you haven't tarred and feathered them considering the price you paid for the magazine........LMAO!
I received 3 robo emails from Kellie about how she is helping Mike Sullivan get the magazine running again. Last week I checked and Mike S's phone was not in service. I wish them luck. If the Mike in California grabbed the working cash, Mike S is in a bind. The California Mike doesn't answer his phone.
Cal
Cal, I wonder why only you are getting the email (my assumption).
I have stayed in touch with Mike S and talked to him a couple of weeks ago. I am 99.999999% sure that he has no intention of trying that gig again.
If he had any plans, I am sure he would contact the normal contributors to seek articles.
Jim
Mike Sullivan is not involved with the magazine anymore.
Mike Kadletz is who anyone needs to talk to regarding the magazine. Please direct all questions to MAK.
Thanks!
Thanks Paul and Jim. You are correct. I left the business several months ago as announced at the time. I have no knowledge of what is currently being done there. I don't know who Kellie is or why she is telling anyone she is working with me.
The phone I had is no longer in service and the only phone number I know of for the business is the one at the top of the BCM home page at www.BusConversions.com (http://www.busconversions.com)
Phil and I still help out as volunteers here on the forum to support the bus nut community but are not a part of BCM's operations or ownership anymore.
Mike Sullivan
Mike, Paul and Jim:
Here's the top of the 3 emails I received from Kellie in reply to my queries/complaints (private info **** out):
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From:
"mike@hwybus.com" <mike@hwybus.com>
Add sender to Contacts
To:
"Cal*** T*******" <calprivmail-busconv@yahoo.com>
Thank you for your email. My name is Kellie and I am going to be helping Mike get the magazine back up and running. Sorry for the lack of communication. I will post an update as soon as I have correct information about the next issue. If you have any questions or ideas, please contact me at kellie@hwybus.com
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is the Mike Sullivan who just replied on this forum is the REAL one (hope everyone else is who they appear to be too)? If the real Mike Sullivan is puzzled,
I suspect his address book suffered a heist. I expect next to receive more emails like "lottery winnings or business opportunities" from Nigeria or the Ukraine along with Viagra etc. No problem tho, since all my email addresses are disposable and can be replaced by new ones. I get "bacon", and spam goes into the great "Bit Bucket" in the cloud.
Getting back to the fate of BCM: Mike Kadletz and Chad Laines (nor anyone else) answer the phone # listed on the homepage nor emails, wonder what they are up to??
Curiouser and curiouser
til later,
Cal
Just to clear some things up. Mike Sullivan (Hightechredneck) has NOTHING to do with the BCM now.
Quote from: HighTechRedneck on March 05, 2012, 06:56:48 PM
..........I left the business several months ago as announced at the time. I have no knowledge of what is currently being done there......Mike Sullivan
I personally can attest that Mike Sullivan is no longer at all affiliated with BCM itself.
Mike Kadletz is the one who this "Kellie" would be working for. In the email, I see no reference to Mike Sullivan at all. Mike Kadletz hasn't posted on this thread (that I know of), and is the one that there is NO communication coming from
Mike Sullivan has gone over and above, what he should do, to try to make sure everybody knows he is no longer affiliated with BCM.
To me it is clear.
FWIW
John
Yes, I am the "real" Mike Sullivan. Mike Kadletz has the forum screen name of MAK. Technomage, I am the person you spoke with on the phone a year or two ago when you subscribed/renewed (I remember because of the Babylon 5 usage of the term "technomage" and our discussion about that.) But I left BCM late last year.
As John said, that email almost certainly is referring to Mike Kadletz and not me.
Let me lend my reputation, and friendship, in support of Mike Sullivan, known by his handle: "HighTechRedneck"
Busnuts, make no mistake,
This guy, Mike Sullivan, this BUSNUT, facilitated a renaissance of the BCM brand.
And many of us celebrated and purchased subscriptions again, after having given up on the poor service of the former owner.
You may check the archives, I was less than enthusiastic, cynical even, but put my money down too. And then spoke strongly in support of the proven effort being put forth.
However, in hind sight, it is easily assumed from casual observation, Mike S did not have full control over the financial levers of the business.
As it went wrong financially, he was gracious, and courageous enough to publicly announce on this BBS, he could not continue, and with a magazine volume ready to publish, returned the BCM brand to its former owner, Mike Kadletz.
And Mike Kadletz has failed to publish the turn-key volume that Mike S gave him, instead offering it to read as a web based magazine, which costs NOTHING. There is a considerable amount of paid-up subscription money somewhere that has not been spent on the subscribers.
And there is no evidence of an attempt to move forward from there. The empty promise of a February anniversary issue, now that it is March, says it all.
If you don't know what all this means, best you ask someone who might, to explain the business relationship that must have existed, if it went from there, to here, and back again.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
http://hwybus.com/ (http://hwybus.com/)
So what is the future home of something special ?
I have no dog in this but would it not seem logical to believe that the Mike S that left had a pretty good idea about what was going on at the time he left ?
Would he not know how many subscribers were being "ripped off" ?
I have a hard time believing that 100's of thousands of $$'s are gone, thousands maybe (as in less than 10< way less) are "swiped".
I am just curious.
Which part of this are you having a hard time with?
However, in hind sight, it is easily assumed from casual observation, Mike S did not have full control over the financial levers of the business.
Logically, if you don't have full control over the money, you don't have full control over the money.
Which also means you don't have control of the information.
None of us have access to the dealings, but we can imagine...
Suppose a passionate fellow stepped up, trying to help a dying hobby publication, and then for awhile, put out a magazine for the hobby that he loves, but without full disclosure of the finances?
Make no mistake, BCM was failing before Mike S tried to help. There are too many of us on here that had left, read between the lines, the magazine would have failed already back then, if Mike S hadn't stepped in.
And, with the benefit of hindsight, we are where we are, with no magazine, and unfulfilled subscriptions?
For anyone with any business acumen at all, the signs are very clear as to what might have occurred.
It is painfully obvious that Mike Sullivan has been very gracious in choosing to remain silent on the details.
And he has my respect for his Christian resolve to be positive.
Better man than I.
Ownership of this BCM venture did not fully leave Mike Kadletz's hands.
Otherwise, how did he end up with it back in his hands?
It should have simply failed. Full stop. All finished. But it didn't...
Best focus your inquiry, before, during, and after, towards Mike Kadletz.
Barring evidence to the contrary, it is obvious that he has held the reins all the way through.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
???
Thank you Mike Sullivan, you authenticated yourself (what a memory!) .
Mike Kadletz has yet to "esplain hisself". I figure he's working on a way to "milk the brand" a wee bit more til he proves (to me at least) differently or am I just being paranoid.
Google satellite photos of the business address show 4-5 buses (depending on which photo) out back of 7246 Garden Grove Blvd. Google Street photos show NO business sign over or on the door at that address.
By the way, the latest Google satellite photos have resolution so high you can even see "people" in the parking lot. In fact the resolution is so good, I think they used aircraft recon (or it was a smogless day in CA?). The Google street photos had such high resolution that somebody at Google went to all the trouble of "blurring" people, phone numbers on signs and license plates. No sign over 7246 though. I figure the high rez photos were within the last year (maybe very recently).
My latest question is: Is there really a business operating at 7246 Garden Grove Blvd anymore???
til later,
Cal
Quote from: technomage99 on March 07, 2012, 06:11:23 AM
By the way, the latest Google satellite photos have resolution so high you can even see "people" in the parking lot. In fact the resolution is so good, I think they used aircraft recon (or it was a smogless day in CA?). The Google street photos had such high resolution that somebody at Google went to all the trouble of "blurring" people, phone numbers on signs and license plates. No sign over 7246 though. I figure the high rez photos were within the last year (maybe very recently).
I may be wrong but I believe all the low-level Google Earth photography is from aircraft rather than satellites. The 'blurring' on the Street View images is done by clever software, not people (can you imagine what a task it would be if it was done manually?). There was a lot of discussion in the press about it at the time - an earlier Google privacy controversy which has since been overtaken by new ones.
Jeremy
I appreciate the support from folks who know me.
Taking responsibility is very important to me and I do want to set the record straight on this topic. From July 2009 through October 2011 I was President of the corporation we formed to take ownership of the BCM brand. Chad Laines and Phil Lyons were the other two Officers of the company. Our ability to insert funding was extremely limited so a deal was negotiated that provided a minority stock ownership for Mike Kadletz in lieu of paying for the brand, and he invested $5000 in startup capital. As folks who invest in stocks elsewhere know, this gave him a vote in the selection of the officers but not in the day to day operations of the business. No other cash came with the magazine.
Chad, Phil, and I were the people doing the work and making decisions, and as President I led the team and managed the day to day operations and finances. And as folks who called in know, I was the voice on the end of the phone when they called. Chad and Phil both had extensive day jobs and so had to do there work nights and weekends. We did our level best and worked very hard for little or no compensation to revive the magazine. With the support of subscribers and advertisers things made a good bit of progress and I think many will agree that it was looking good. There were many struggles and challenges and at times we stretched the patience of our audience, but it was a labor of love for a community that we were (and still are) a part of.
Between 2009 and the present, over 1000 magazines have failed. Nearly all of them were much bigger than BCM. And many RV industry related businesses have collapsed. BCM is at the junction of these two challenged fields and although we made a lot of progress, the financial challenges were insurmountable. Adding to problem, in March of 2011 I suffered a major personal hardship that took me away from the business for a month. That absence created a hardship for the business that proved to the beginning of a snowball that grew to devastating proportions.
Anyone that has run a struggling business understands the critical month to month balance of receivables vs. payables. Through the struggles I did my best to keep subscribers informed, but the fact remains that we failed to print/provide the April, July, August, September or October issues. We did credit the missed issues back to all subscriptions and ads, but of course that only helps if future issues actually get printed.
Mike Kadletz had expressed interest in regaining control and getting the magazine back on its feet. After the rally in October failed to generate revenue, instead losing money, I made the decision that the magazine needed the reinvestment and different leadership and I resigned. Chad and Phil then elected Mike Kadletz to the Presidency, partly for the labor availability, partly for the investment, and partly for his experience with the magazine. Phil has since resigned.
I have no knowledge of what is currently being done or planned. I do still believe that Mike Kadletz had, and likely has, every intention to revive the magazine. But in this economy I suspect he is finding that to be a bigger challenge than he anticipated.
There weren't and aren't large sums of cash being absconded. Prior to the 2009 transition the magazine was losing money. In 2010 it achieved a pleasant break even status and then in 2011 it lost money. By the time I left the missed issues had brought subscription revenues to a near halt and of course you can't bill for advertising when it isn't getting printed. Yet there are monthly overhead costs that remain no matter whether it prints or not.
I feel very badly for all the people who have paid for subscriptions and not received magazines. I can't condone the silence that has gone on by the current ownership, that is a big mistake in my opinion. But I do understand the struggle they are having in getting it back into print and I know there isn't a big pool of money being derailed into someones personal account. That doesn't make it right. Communication needs to be happening routinely to keep people informed. But first and foremost, I hope that everyone recognizes that it is a small hobby, a small hobby magazine, the only one specifically for this hobby, and it is not a big money maker for anyone.
Phil, Chad, and I did our best. Beyond that I don't know any answers.
Hi Jeremy:
I just read Mike Sullivan's chronology which clears some things up, but not Mike Kadletz's silence.
Are the Klingons at 7246 "cloaked" or just gone leaving some ol stuff in the back yard?
I figure most forum readers and contributors won't be puzzled by the above terminology.
til later,
Cal
Thanks Mike,
If that doesn't clear it up for the folks, then ****'m!
Come see me when you get over on this side of the mountain.
Mike Kadletz had said several times before Mike Sullivan took over that BCM was losing money and that the buses he sold were covering the losses.
Sounds to me like MAK is the only guy who has ever put any real money into this adventure. I guess more accurately MAK and those of you who paid for subscriptions that you never received. Time to move on.
Hi forum gang:
Birds of a feather flock together, but when the lead bird flies into a plate glass window, time to veer off and join another flock.
Anyone got something else in mind?? I figure the next axe to fall will be the demise of this website-- somebody's gotta pay for it.
I hope magazine subscriptions and sales of other stuff have been refused/suspended. Anyone tried to buy something from MAK lately as a test???
Cal
Thank-you for the most complete and honest summary of the situation.
I believe it will help all to move on,which for the good of the many is what is needed.
I would assume that the board will survive, it is my understanding that the Simple Machines platform is freeware and so costs nothing, correct me if i am wrong.
And hopefully my method of inquiry has not totally alienated anyone/everyone.
At one time, BCM had a dedicated server on GoDaddy. Given the huge size of the database (including a ton of hosted pictures), I would suspect that the yearly cost of hosting this website is not insignificant. I doubt that the sidebar ad income offsets the expense.
I think a few folks have offered to host the site, and I know that the data is being archived, so I don't think the forum part of this site will go away.
Jim