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Any one else nervous

7K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  GordMay 
#1 ·
I have to say, I am a bit nervous when I see the mid-season "Clearance Sale" here on Sailnet. I would guess everyone else here got the e-mail promotion for the clearance, that I just received. It makes me wonder just how far they want to sell down. The instructions in the e-mail for sure do not talk about the possibility of having to wait for restocking, for an item to be shipped. When it is gone it is gone.

Am I unduly concerned? Any thoughts?

Walt Ward
 
#2 ·
I am quite nervous!
I just ordered a bunch of parts June 30th to be brought down with visitors to my Yacht in the Netherland Antilles and they have shipped the butt connectors but nothing else. My guests are leaving soon and Sailnet does not answer their phones or emails and their voicemail boxes are "full".
BTW - they charged my card for $90 or 25 butt connectors and double booked my order.

They are acting like they are either out of business or about to be out of business.

Any ideas on how to cancel my remaining order?
 
#3 ·
David

Sorry to hear about your order problems. The best thing might be to see if you can stop payment through your credit card, although I would guess it is too late for that. It seems to me that Sam & Cheryl were the epoxy that held this thing together. When they left you could feel the place start to quake. What scares me is the prospect of loosing these Message Boards, if SailNet does close up shop. Where do we go then? Withdrawal will be a *****, we might have to go through a twelve step program. I have gone over to Sailjazz by e-mail and asked Sam & Cheyl if they will pick up the ball if the air goes out of this one. Let''s just hope for the best, I would hate to see this thing go down. I wish someone from SailNet would come in here and let us know what is going on, the way that Sam used to do.

Walt Ward
 
#4 ·
This “Sailnet” board is one of the very best forums around - and I wouldn’t want to see anything happen to change that.
In the event that anything “untoward” should happen here, I can recommend “The Cruisers Forum” at:
www.cruisersforum.com
Let’s hope this excellent board remains the excellent forum we all benefit from, enjoy! Support "Sailnet.
Regards,
Gord
 
#6 ·
Jack:
That’s a pretty open-ended question to ask an egomaniac, like myself ... :)
I don’t, however. have any inside information on “Sailnet” nor the board. I was merely responding to the “possibility” projected in the previous post. Sorry if I alarmed anyone.
Gord
 
#7 ·
Gord

I agree with you wholeheartedly on everything you said about this forum. I have been to the Cruisers Forum a few times in the past and agree that it might be the next logical choice. I have always kept coming back here because the Sailnet boards are so simple, and it works. For instance, I just went over to Cruisers, I counted the number of message categories, they have 44, compared with the 12 we have here.

I started this whole thing. I hope I was wrong and we find out SailNet is just having a normal, run of the mill sale, like most businesses do. And; that I have to apologize.
However with David''s report on his recent experience, we have to wonder. If anyone out here has had recent good experience ordering and dealing with SailNet on problems, it would help us if we could hear about it.

Walt Ward
 
#8 ·
Sounds like "business as usual" for Sailnet. This nice forum aside -- which they tried hard to bury when they redesigned the web site last year -- they don''t answer phone calls, they do not answer emails, and generally just don''t care.

In the past 2 years I have sent them 9 email messages, each asking to purchase one product or service or another. Not one reply -- but 4 copies of their email sale announcement.

Sad but true is that the forum is the only saving grace for what could be a good operation.
 
#9 ·
Like David, I too have been the victim of the "SailNet Double Order" bug.
I tried to call but there was no answer and the voicemail is full. So I sent an e-mail to customer service hoping they will cancel one of the two orders. If not, well I guess two copies of Calder''s book is better than none.
TEE
 
#10 ·
Who knows what is going on here at SailNet. One of the sad things, if all of this goes down, is all of the stuff in the archives. There is welth of knowlage just in the Article archives alone, and then another wealth of knowlage in the Message Board archives.

In an effort to be prepared, I sent a e-mail to Sam & Cheryl over at SailJazz. I am going to try to copy my note to them, and Cheryl''s reply below.

Sam & Cheryl

Do you have any plans of doing a message board?

I am afraid things are starting to come apart at Sailnet. The message board system that you set up there has provided a lot of sailors with a place to go for information relating to our own problems, or to just spend time reading a lot of interesting questions and the answers from one sailor offering to help another. I have no doubt that a few friendships have been formed as a result of the message boards. Through the years I have not been able to buy enough product from Sailnet to be suportive, only a couple of very small purchases, however, I have enjoyed being a Sail Perks member to help support the message boards. If you do decide to get into a message board program, I for one will be happy to become a "Sail Jazz" member in an effort to support it.

You guys are doing a nice job with Articles, that is one thing that has already gone to pot over at SailNet. Your Email Forums seem to be some what like your old Email Lists at the other place. All you need now is the message board to be complete.

If you do get into a message board -- PLEASE -- use the same format that exists at Sailnet! It is simple and it works. It is the best one, and the least confusing message board format on the internet.

Thank You For Your Time

Walt Ward
Boyne City, Mi. ------ North end of Lake Michigan
---------------------------------------------

Walt,

As a matter of fact we do intend on launching a message board. I can not promise it will be exactly the same, but I''m sure it will be as simple to use. Our first dock talk is in the cue to be launched next week and the message board will be next.

Yes, our email forums are the same product as the other place :) because we liked it so much. However, we''ve made some improvements. We added an easier interface for joining the list plus categorized the list to make browsing and selecting easier on the user. Plus we took out the @ on the address and replaced it with # to make it more difficult for scammers to pick them up. Protecting our list as much as possible has always been a priority for Sam and me.

Thanks for your email -- we appreciate your support.

Regards,
Cheryl
 
#11 ·
I''m trying to contact them regarding wrong item shipped. Voice mail boxes full with sales saying "please don''t leave any more messages". No response to e-mail.

Also just noticed today that the listing has dissapeared for their 800 number from the address at the bottom of their web site. Although I see the number is also on the top right in front of the red boat.

Not a good sign.
 
#12 ·
Among the other changes at Sailnet, their email service is kaput -- very quietly I might add. Not that the loss is that big of a deal, but it was convenient to use that email account for correspondence from this board. I did inquire not that long ago because the button for accessing email accounts suddenly disappeared, althogh you could still get there through the "My Account" page. Not any more. That page no longer has an icon for email period.

I used to do a lot of business with Sailnet but haven''t in the last year or so. Everything was put on back order even if the website said they had it in stock. The lousy service has made me go elsewhere, Defender primarily.
 
#13 ·
I have been attmpting to raise Sailnet customer service or sales for two weeks. I have had similar results as some of the other folks who have posted. I even tried to contact folks in Charleston to find out if they heard about whether Sailnet''s ship is sinking. Nothing yet. Like everyone else, phones are not answered, voice mail is full, emails are ignored. I have orders that have not arrived, prior to which incorrect orders were sent. I will not retutrn these until I hear from Sailnet in fear that I will loose more money. I suggest everyone stop ordering from Sailnet until they resurface AND appologize for this unconscionable act. I guess there is always West Marine or Defender.

Good luck all...
 
#14 ·
I have been a Sailnet Member for several years now.
Having received an EMail about the clearance sale, I placed a $300 order a week ago.
My CC has been partially charged (including the full $35 shipping amount), but several items are missing from the order status page and no tracking # has been provided.
As with the other comments in this thread I have called and EMailed several times to no avail.
Sad to see what was once a fine organization come unglued like this.

Also nervous...

Mark Mulrooney
Houston, TX
HC38T ''Arcadia''
 
#15 ·
I´d like to make a suggestion to both those of you with pending orders who are getting poor Sailnet customer service (or none at all...) and/or those who wonder what´s going on and would like a better sense for whether or not to place future orders.

There are several Chambers of Commerce and a SC state consumer protection agency that could be contacted, any one of which would accept a query or a query and follow-up with Sailnet. The local Business Chamber in their area (I´m without much connnectivity right now while in a small Spanish cyberhut, so you´ll have to dig it up yourselves) has an active website and would be an especially suitable place to inquire. If only a few of you replying in this thread were to contact them, via email or better yet phone, I´m guessing you could either coach a Sailnet owner to respond to one of these threads OR you could pass along the email reply you receive.

Good luck to those of you left hanging. FWIW I experienced some of these same problems years ago and so they may not alone suggest that Sailnet is going under...but it surely does sound shaky at the moment and not the place to put orders.

Jack
WHOOSH, lying Ria de Arousa, Galacia, Spain
 
#16 ·
I have already put in a dispute with my credit card company for items sent to me in error. Note that this procedure requires you to first attempt to correct the problem with the vendor so in any letter or document for your dispute clearly state that you have attempted to contact the vendor by e-mail or message attempts at their phone number and that you have received no response.

I would recommend that anyone who hasn''t received items or have been having problems with an order for more than a week or two to get this procedure rolling immediately.
 
#17 ·
Sad to say, I''ve seen this pattern played out many times before in the armouring community. The behavior described is "to the letter" what happens to many an armourer''s internet business right before they disappear for good... usually leaving many upset customers in their wake.

They usually never show up again.

I wouldn''t order a single thing off SailNet until they shape up and resume communication... and even then I''d wait awhile. This smells alot like a vanishing act.
 
#18 ·
Had a problem with sailnet a few months ago... Billed twice, after cancelling one order. Got almost no response until one day someone on the phone eluded to the fact that the business had changed hands and the problem was almost immediately taken care of. I haven''t heard of anything new happening, it would be ashame b/c it looks like it started to turn around.
 
#19 ·
All of us should email the editor at SA...

This came up in one of the other forums about the long term viability of the Sailjazz model vs. having Sailing Anarchy host these forums and owners lists.
-----
Yes, actually I do. Sailjazz has no visible business model for long term funding, while the SA crowd is bouncing between 80,000 and 100,000 DAILY visitors. Their advertisers are already paying $$ for that reach, so adding this traffic is easy. I KNOW how much it costs for big-time bandwidth, and good intentions will not keep this running.
Paul

On Jul 20, 2005, at 9:27 AM, Walt Leutwyler wrote:

Paul,
The good folks at SailJazz, Sam Boyle and Cheryl Boyle, have a Newport list already in place no need to create something new. Do you have some concerns about SailJazz? In an e-mail to me yesterday Cheryl wrote "I understand folks are concerned if SAILjazz is here for the duration and I am saying yes!"

Walt_/)
On Jul 20, 2005, at 10:36 AM, Howard wrote:

fyi: Sailnet is about to sink into history...so most of the Beneteau list
subscribers are switching over to sailjazz because the founders ran Sailnet until they were taken over by their investors.
Hopefully Sailjazz will do better than Sailnet... Sam & Cheryl Boyle have
probably learned their "dot com" lessons....
The Sailjazz email forums are identical to Sailnet...really no surprise to
anyone.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 09:00:31 -0700:

Subject: World''s largest sailing website WANTS to host our email lists

These guys show up as THE sailing website with the largest volume of traffic. They heard about the good owners lists and message boardshere, and Sailing Anarchy is thinking about offering to host all these lists & message boards (in SEPARATE forums from the wild and wooly racing boards).

I''ve been very impressed over the years with their access at the very top of the sport.... where else do you find Robert Perry talking about his design work and while playing guitar that night at in a bar in China. Many, many posts from the TP52''s, Pyewacket, Sidney-Hobart crews and lots of others.
Paul

From the SA front page
-----
We have heard from a number of sources that SailNet is or is about to close their doors. We tried to get in touch with them, but got nothing but voice mail hell - in fact the sales voicemail said don''t leave a message - not exactly a ringing endorsement for business. Here is what was sent to us today:

Someone who lives close to Sailnet has posted a series of pictures showing that the Sailnet sign has been taken down, the parking lot is empty, and the building is locked up, with a closed sign in the door. He went once at 9 am, and then when he returned a little later, there was a Mercedes parked near the door, but despite pounding on the door, there was no response. He asked around at a few other buildings nearby, and was told it''s been mostly deserted there.

Ouch. Things don''t sound any better over at their forum (which we have never visited but hear is pretty good). If anybody can verify, please do. Btw, we''d be happy to take over the message boards as a distinct entity here at SA. If anybody knows about them, get in touch with The Ed
7/20/05

------
SA Kicks...
From an advertiser: Over 30% of my traffic comes from your site, while your least favorite competitor delivers under 2%. I''ll be back.

No surprise to us - the SA community is an active one that spends money and isn''t afraid to do so with advertisers who support this site. We have become the #1 most visited sailing site because of you eaders who are down with the SA scene. Thanks y''all.
7/7/05
 
#21 ·
Found this on the usenet this AM...buyer beware!

Over in the binary group alt.binaries.pictures.sports.o­cean I have posted
the pictures of my visit to Sailnet''s main headquarters in N Charleston
TWICE this morning, just to make sure. Their hours were 0830-1700 ET so I
went there at 9AM. While I was in the parking lot, another sailor drove in
and said he couldn''t get them on the local phone, get emails answered or
FAX them, either. He came to see what I saw.


At 9AM, as you can see in the pictures, the building was locked, a sign
said CLOSED stuck to the front door, the building was dark save for one
night light in the lobby, but, curiously, right inside the front door was a
running copy machine, which may also be the FAX machine. Its LCD display
was lit up. There''s still power to the building.


Well, after going nowhere at 9AM, I walked across the parking lot to
Hospice of Charleston in the next building over and talked to the nice
ladies who were watering their sidewalk garden. I asked them if they''d
seen anyone at Sailnet, recently. One lady said she hadn''t seen anyone in
the parking lot for "some time", as she put it. I walked around to the
County Clerk of Court''s office in the back of the building and talked to
the ladies through the prison bars that protect them from angry voters.
They hadn''t really noticed any activity, but weren''t looking much.
Government employees, they run in a vacuum it seems. I wondered as I left
if they would have even notice the building burning they were in.


I went off to shop my local favorite thrift shop (found a brand new
fishtape, first class quality for $5). As it was after 10AM, I wandered
back to Sailnet to see if anyone had shown up. They had! There was a
nice, grey Mercedes C-230 sports car (see photo) parked in the closest slot
to the building, so I got out of my car, again, and went up to peer into
the darkened building. I knocked and knocked on the front door...no
answer. I walked around to the side of the building where their other
business, something called Oroton-something, and found the keyless entry
door also locked and no response to my knocking. I kept an eye on the
front of the building while I sat in the car, but finally gave up as
whoever was inside never appeared at any of the windows I could see. Maybe
he was contemplating Peggie Hall''s latest suggestions while sitting on a
Porta-Pottie in the employee lounge. Maybe he was hiding, afraid I''d punch
out his lights for not delivering my stuff...(c;


Note to Scott - No rigging and no answers to many poundings. Sorry I can''t
get to your rigging. If you need to have it picked up and can get the
building opened, I''d be glad to take it away for you to have it picked up
at my place.


I''m not saying Sailnet is history. Maybe they''re relocating to palacial
new facilities in some posh industrial area, with 4 times the floor space.
But, from what you and I can see today.....it looks like they are DOT
BOMB...


If you''re waiting for delivery on your credit card orders, better call your
card company and warn them. If you look at the Mercedes in the picture,
you''ll see I handily photographed the LICENSE NUMBER, a SC tag that can be
traced to a person. Two places come to mind who might be interested in
your fraud case:


Charleston County Sheriff''s Office - 843-554-4700
North Charleston City Hall/Cops - 843-554-5700


Ask them what they know and let them know you got no response.


If any of you are already members of Sailnet''s webpage forums, you might
want to copy and paste this message and the pictures to their forum pages.
From reading a few of the posts, most people there don''t even know usenet
exists, much less these newsgroups.
 
#22 ·
This has been, and may continue to be, a unique and wonderful forum to share information, and debate boat-related issues.
Unfortunately like all commercial enterprises, the Sailnet forum exists at the mercy of the marketplace, and may just suddenly disappear.
If the rumors of Sailnet’s imminent or extant demise are true, we can expect the forum to simply disappear without warning - perhaps at month-end (billing period).

I don’t expect that the CruisersForum will necessarily fill the needs of this membership, nor replace the Sailnet board, but it may provide a meeting place to stay in touch with developments - and to “tag up” with each other. I will endeavour to maintain a clearing-house of information at http://cruisersforu.com
Specifically at the thread: http://cruisersforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2059
Titled: ”SAILNET Message Board”
Under the “Blue Water Cruising” divider, at the heading “Books, References, Links & Website’ Announcements”

Here’s hoping the rumors are false, and the Sailnet Message Boards remain up & active.
If not, check in at the CruisersForum

Best regards,
Gord May
 
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