Dean's World

I am trying to stay calm, and I am trying to keep up normal blogging to avoid letting this take over my life. But I need to emphasize something.

Operation Give, the blogosphere's effort to help U.S. service members and Iraqi children, has had $30,000 (THIRTY THOUSAND) dollars stolen from it by a company in Atlanta!!!

We are horrified, we are angry, and we need your help.

Please. We have shipped tens of thousands of toys to Iraq, but now one shipping company has made off like bandits with enough money to buy a small house in some parts of the country. They took it as a deposit for shipping and did not return it or make good on it. Money you gave, money I gave, and toys you shipped to our warehouse have evaporated into thin air because a shipping company in Atlanta made off with money we gave them in good faith to pay for their shipping services.

This is big people. THEY FUCKING STOLE FROM US. They're in Atlanta. Please, if you have a weblog, link the Chief's story, and if you know anyone in law enforcement or with other legal means to help us figure out what's going on and to get that money back, please help us.

This isn't funny. This is money we gave to help Iraqi children and to help our brave and noble service members serving over there. WE GOT RIPPED OFF, AND WE NEED TO GET THESE PEOPLE AND GET THAT MONEY BACK.

This isn't funny, and it isn't minor. Please help if you can.

* Update * As of July 14th, it looks like things are going to be cool. We were getting no answers or explanations of any kind from Atlas but now we've heard from them, gotten full explanations, and pledges to release our cargo in Kuwait. There are more details that I won't get into publicly because we don't want to embarass anybody, but it's looking like this is going to work out. Thank you so much for your help. You people are amazing.

(link)

The Sanity Inspector (mail) (www):

Suggest starting by contactingthe office of the Georgia Attorney General. It may take a few tries before you get put through to someone who knows what's going on outside their own cubicle, but keep trying. If you email me some more particulars, I'll take it up with my state legislator, with whom I have a nodding personal acquaintance.

Bastards....

7.13.2004 10:05pm

urthshu (mail) (www):

Just emailed Peggy Mayo of Operation Air Conditioner about it, and linked to the story on my blog, too. :-)

7.13.2004 11:44pm

Stephen Nelson (mail):

Dean,

I just sent Neal Boortz at WSB in Atlanta an e-mail with a link to Chief Wiggles. I'm going to try and track down their Clark Howard Show; Clark does a "consumer advocate" show and has a rep for dealing with crap like this. Clark broadcasts from Atlanta 1 pm to 3 or 4 pm EST, but I don't have a number.

7.14.2004 12:14am

Found a number for "Clark's Consumer Action Center (10am - 7pm): 404.892.8227 (All U.S.)". He doesn't have toll free, but hey, can't be that much. And his show is on 1-4pm EST, and the number for it is 1.877.87.CLARK Locally: 404.872.0750

7.14.2004 12:21am

Rachel Ann Anolick (mail) (www):

done dean; not that my blog has such wide appeal, but
one never knows who has the solution. Hopefully this will be resolved quickly and the children will get their toys.

7.14.2004 1:47am

chthus (mail):

In addition to contacting the company directly, they are also a member of “The Freight Club, world wide association of independent freight forwarders.”
http://www.thefreightclub.com/index.html

According to Chapter 7 of the By-laws of this club, a member can have their membership expired by exclusion. This occurs when “The board of directors can determine on the exclusion of each member by a 3/4 majority of votes, if one of these PERFORMS DISHONOURABLY or deliberately harms the interests of the association.”
http://www.thefreightclub.com/general.htm

Unfortunately, Mr. Ludwig is a board member, so this vote may not be possible, despite their dishonorable behavior
http://www.thefreightclub.com/profile.htm

Nonetheless, you can contact other group members and let them know who they are associating with, especially the other US members.
http://www.thefreightclub.com/cgi-bin/member.cgi

Or contact the club directly.
http://www.thefreightclub.com/contact.htm

Be polite and to the point, but let them understand that the actions of this company shouldn’t be tolerated.

7.14.2004 1:58am

Tim Worstall (mail):

Dean,
Who is the shipping company in Kuwait? If they are a branch of one of the international chains then something might be worked out with them. The only one we have an acocunt with is Expeditors so if it's not them I'm not sure I can help directly. But let me know.

7.14.2004 4:55am

Dean Esmay (www):

Dsmith: We'll look into that, thanks!

Tim: It's Atlas Shipping. See the Chief's message for more details.

7.14.2004 7:31am

Dean,

If you have a way to contact Plunge, let him know two things: 1, the blog entry you are linking to doesn't show up on the main screen, and 2, when you atttempt to leave a comment, you get an mt 75 error code.

7.14.2004 9:25am

Jay Solo (mail) (www):

Dean, look for an e-mail from me about this. I'm concerned about the Chief's post being hidden.

7.14.2004 10:19am

Dean, look for another e-mail from me following my having learned that all does seem to be legit and still a problem as noted, per a comment from Plunge at Winds of Change.

7.14.2004 2:15pm

LissaKay (www):

Update from Plunge This may not be over yet.

7.22.2004 9:13am

Commenting on Dean's World is a privilege, not a right. Dean is your host, you are his guest, and you should behave in that fashion. Dean is not your babysitter, nor is he your punching bag. Please remember this. In general, you are free to disagree with anyone on any subject you wish, but abusive behavior will not be tolerated.

Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.

Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.