The situation, and a call for assistance.

Jason R · Post by **Jason R** » Dec 7th 2002, 3:43 pm

I don't have any confirmation of the facts revealed by the visitor to AU's headquarters. However, if Ross took AU for himself and it is no longer part of CMIH, I don't know what the situation is for refunds or bonus material, etc.

It is growing increasingly obvious to me that there is little that I can do to force AU to give people their money. Rather than spending time sending out surveys, etc. I think that the next move is to mass mail all customers and to strongly encourage them to report a fraud complaint to the IFCC and the attorney general. It looks like waiting for something to happen is not going to bear fruit.

Additionally, calls for help from investors did not help. They could care less about the customers. It looks like they may now have their own reason for grievances, especially if the rumor is true, and Ross did take AU from the shell company.

I have a few more suggestions/revelations:

1) Suggestion: I think that the DVD section should now be split into one forum for discussion of the DVDs and one for customer problems.
2) Revelation: I do not run anotheruniversesucks.org, but I did donate free hosting for as long as it remains necessary for the site to remain active. I am in the process of transferring petition tools, survey tools and mass mailing tools to the dedicated group of individuals behind that site.
3)Suggestion: I think that a small group of customers should be organized to facilliate communication with other customers and pursue legal options.

Finally, as I have been adding clients, I am afraid that my ability to pursue refunds for customers has suffered. I think that a small team3-5 customers who have some time to give to the cause will be much more effective than the current arrangement, which has not resulted in refunds. I will still remain 100% dedicated to the pursuit of refunds, but I think some new blood in the mix will help.

Again, I am not ending my involvement, I just need some help in organizing. If we cannot appeal to Ross Rojek's conscience, perhaps we can appeal to his fear of incarceration.

Jason Rosenfeld

zero · Post by **zero** » Dec 7th 2002, 4:06 pm

Did i read this right - AU is now no longer connected with Ross or CMIH ?

When did this happen - or is it just rumor?

fnordboy · Post by **fnordboy** » Dec 7th 2002, 5:49 pm

zero wrote:Did i read this right - AU is now no longer connected with Ross or CMIH ?

When did this happen - or is it just rumor?

So far a rumor in the Can We Visit Sacramento? thread.

andrewgd · Post by **andrewgd** » Dec 7th 2002, 6:48 pm

Jason Rosenfeld wrote:I think that a small group of customers should be organized to facilliate communication with other customers and pursue legal options. . . . I think that a small team3-5 customers who have some time to give to the cause will be much more effective than the current arrangement, which has not resulted in refunds.

What sort of things/skills do you think would be necessary? (Just so we have some idea as to what this could involve...)

pgh kenny · Post by **pgh kenny** » Dec 7th 2002, 7:35 pm

i gotta be honest, i don't think there is going to be anything to be gained in the legal venue. everyone who is owed money or products should report that fact to the authorities, but to get any further we'd need legal counsel and no one is going to take on this case. if we haven't seen any results with all the h*ll we've raised thus far then i don't see the point in wasting anymore time. if there is a mscl fan that also happens to be a lawyer in the right practice area... then maybe we could get somewhere...

if ever vigilant howard can't get his money, i don't see any way for us to have success.

if fans want to donate time, I do have some ideas, for example if people have vhs clips of the mtv "my so caled life videos" (which were half hour segments where members of the cast introduced videos during 1995), maybe someone could collect them and transfer them to mpeg, etc. etc. At the time, I wasn't smart enough to record most of these, but I have a few minutes of the mtv clips so I know that it would be really cool to see them again.

JPP13 · Post by **JPP13** » Dec 7th 2002, 7:45 pm

kenny, I said the same thing a few months ago. Legally, and practically, the amount of loss per customer (damages) just is not enough to warrant hiring a lawyer.

The pressure needs to be kept up on the local Attorney General. And if someone wants to file a small claims suit locally, that would be simple enough, but all that leaves you with is a Judgement. ie a piece of paper.

Best advice I can give is:

1. Continue to pressure your bank/credit card. Don't take no for an answer.

2. Call the authorities. The numbers are all over this site.

3. Learn a lesson. I know this is the last thing anyone out $100+ wants to hear, but it could be worse. In the future, lets not listen to tales of wine and roses about a company with no track record.

4. Throw a brick through Ross Rojeks window. Street justice - the only real justice left. (ok, Im kidding about this one. Seriously.)

pinkchimney · Post by **pinkchimney** » Dec 7th 2002, 8:21 pm

JPP13 wrote:Best advice I can give is:

1. Continue to pressure your bank/credit card. Don't take no for an answer.

2. Call the authorities. The numbers are all over this site.

3. Learn a lesson. I know this is the last thing anyone out $100+ wants to hear, but it could be worse. In the future, lets not listen to tales of wine and roses about a company with no track record.

4. Throw a brick through Ross Rojeks window. Street justice - the only real justice left. (ok, Im kidding about this one. Seriously.)

Don't kid about #4. Don't want to some like a 'primitive man," but it seems that is the only way we can get some justice. I am sure that guy (ross) will get what he deserves somewhere down the road when he robs someone who won't take his s**t.

so-called customer · Post by **so-called customer** » Dec 7th 2002, 8:25 pm

I agree that those who don't have sets yet and are owed refunds need to keep the pressure on their banks or credit card companies. A class action suit would likely prove fruitless. To get anyone convicted of fraud you have to prove intent, which is harder than it sounds.

I do believe that the bonus items are history at this point, unless someone can step in and take over that side of things, but it won't be a matter of those who paid AU for them getting them fulfilled, as AU is in all likelihood going to walk away claiming they did what they could. The only way I see a lunchbox/bonus disc happening is if an independent source produces them through the appropriate channels, but who here is willing to pay an additional amount to get this stuff?

I can't support bootlegging the MTV material as a viable alternative to a legitimate bonus disc.

JPP13 · Post by **JPP13** » Dec 7th 2002, 8:33 pm

Is there any way a group of us can buy the bonus discs and sell/distribute them? Any clue on what the cost may be? If AU is not going to get them, and in fact they are made, well youd think whoever is holding them would be happy to get anything for them. I would definitely be interested in something like that.

so-called customer · Post by **so-called customer** » Dec 7th 2002, 9:25 pm

I doubt anything much has been done on the bonus discs, since the rights for some of the material may not have been secured (ie not paid for). The interview footage would need clearing (which I suspect is doable), but the MTV footage may be harder to get due to Ross' previous arrangements for it.

Packaging could also be a problem since it would require clearances from Disney and/or BMG. That said, it is entirely possible for someone other than AU to put this all together for the fans, and include even more material than AU was trying to, but someone would need to finance the costs until the product was ready to market. Considering how badly this has been handled so far, I don't know if the talent would be interested in being involved or not - unless someone can guilt Claire or Jared into footing the bill and selling it off their websites...

fourwordman · Post by **fourwordman** » Dec 8th 2002, 2:25 am

ADMIN EDIT

Please do not post personal address information about anyone in this forum.

Sascha.

Rickie Love · Post by **Rickie Love** » Dec 8th 2002, 3:25 am

Hey there fourwordman...sure Ross won't mind us all dropping by?? How about we send him 50 extra large oyster pizzas or something...just for starters

Seriously though...home addys and such gettin' publicly posted...kinda risky, no?? WTF am I doing, defending ROSS???

Hmmm...What did Jason say...send him a flaming Brown Bag O' Doggy Crap?? With all he's done to us, I understand the urge, just be careful....

fourwordman · Post by **fourwordman** » Dec 8th 2002, 3:42 am

what the risk?

Rickie Love · Post by **Rickie Love** » Dec 8th 2002, 4:01 am

Well...is his complete address listed in the phone book along with his number or something?? May I ask where you got it? Can't the shmuck, like, sue you if he gains a stalker who got his personal info from you? As ironic and fucked-up as that would be, that's pretty much what I meant with the risky comment.

andrewgd · Post by **andrewgd** » Dec 8th 2002, 4:29 am

I'm sure it was gained by reading the f##kedcompany messagesboards. His girlfriend/wife (I'm confused as to which it is) was mentioned there, and thats the name associated with the number...

Forum

The situation, and a call for assistance.

The situation, and a call for assistance.

Re: The situation, and a call for assistance.

Who is online