Kickstand Magazine Update

[Peatbog]

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” - Epictetus

I don't think you foolish and stupid. I think you to be a scam artist who knows exactly what he is doing.*

My plan was to just write off the $20 I wasted on your magazine as a lesson learned, but your continual egotistical and self-serving babbling have annoyed me to the extent that I have filed mail fraud charges against you with the USPS.

Your website still states as of today:

"6 Issue Run
February through December
Coincides with the cruising season
50-60 pages per issue"

You have sent me two issues and it has been over a year. You ripped me off. Your excuses defending your scam no longer interest me. Considering the lack of content and quality of your magazine, it should be easy to publish an issue every month. Here's an idea: refund my money for the product you promised me in the time you promised it that you did not deliver. I asked you for a refund several times over the past several months and you could not even bother to reply. Now you can reply to the USPS. You can explain to them how you sold thousands of people a product and did not deliver it in the time you still advertise on your website.

You may obtain sympathy from some with your self-serving whining, but it won't be from me. I know a scam artist when I hear one. You are a disgrace to the bicycle community. If you really want to help the bicycling community, you should start by discontinuing to swindle people who are in it. You still take subscriptions, yet you still state on your website that subscribers will receive six issues per year. You are advertising a blatant lie and that is fraud.

You may be content to think us all "foolish and stupid" enough to continue to believe your twisted self-serving propaganda, but you will find that not all of us are. You may continue on with your ranting and raving but many of us are just plain tired of hearing it. If your ego weren't so large perhaps you would notice.

You ripped me off. Now quit pretending I am at fault for being upset about it.




*"When you know you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut" - Will Rogers

Wow, look at that. You aren't the only one who can cut and paste quotes.

[bradkevans]

Dear mr. Peat bog, I personally would like to apologize for causing you so much ire. At no time did we attempt to scam you or defraud you.

Starting anything is full of challenges, and unexpected turns and twists. What launched from an idea into a real project has been full of new learning experiences. The magazine isn't staffed by a group of well paid individuals, but instead was a few people who all had other jobs in order to pay for this to happen... And volunteered our time to see if we could make this happen, And we have worked endless hours to keep the flame lit, drained our personal bank accounts to pay the very real print bills.

Clearly our mistake was promising more than we could deliver, I understand that now. I am however proud of the 9 issues that we have managed to produce over the past 2 years. It is somewhat of a miracle in and of itself, that we accomplished even this. But we have fallen short of your expectations, and for that sincerely apologize for the offense and anger that not shipping magazines as quickly as we had hoped has caused you such duress.

I make no excuses for what we have and haven't managed to accomplish, we have worked our fingers to the bone to produce the best magazine we knew how to, as quickly, and as we could afford to. Should you or any of the other folks here prefer a refund, we will happily credit back to you any unshipped issues still due to you that you have paid for in advance.

To those that still believe in us, and have sent messages of encouragement, we sincerely thank you for your support. The truth if the matter is that i had no idea that magazine (or lack thereof) could cause such consternation, and for that i sincerely apologize. As you may have seen, we have been able to secure a new channel formour magazine, and it isnour hope that this will breathe new life into our quest to make a cool magazine. We continue to work on making inroads into a sometimes unforgiving and challenging marketplace, and appreciate the support you have shown us.

Send us an email at subscribe@kickstandmag.com to allow us to process your refund.

[Peatbog]

Strange that you should totally ignore my past requests for a refund, but now seem only too happy to do so. Why that is, totally escapes me, as does the new tone you have taken in your attitude*, but since you made the offer, I do want a refund.

An email has already been sent to the address you provided.

When the UPSP contacts me about the mail fraud charge I filed against you, I will tell them, after I receive the refund, that you did finally offer a refund and came through with it.


*I'll even ignore the patronizing.

[GameBent]

I have spoken with Brad recently, and he displayed the same new attitude towards me as well. It is much appreciated!
I'm willing to forget the past as long as he keeps us updated and doesn't get defensive or insulting.
It would also be great if Kickstand was released on a regular basis.

[mikesbikes36]

sounds like someone else ...LOL
i to have only recived 2 issues for my year script ....sure would like 2 see a new one !!! whenever no rush ...

[Dorian]

Interesting:
http://www.thedenveregotist.com/editori ... brad-evans

Very much so!

p.s. note listen what he says @ 11:55.

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” - Epictetus

"If you want to be thought of seriously, and as someone with integrity, don't talk down to them as you would talk down to an ignorant child, for you will in turn be thought of as an ignorant adult! It is the ignorant adult who cannot accept when he has underachieved, and he will blame others when they question his performance at delivering a product he has offered. Business has higher expectations than something that is considered a mere hobby - with hobbies you can do what you please (when you please) with no regard to anyone but yourself. But, when people are counting on you (as a professional businessman) to "deliver" you had better do it like a professional, or you will be thought of as a overextended amateur, who cannot be trusted to get the job done." - Melmoth Parnassus

[cman]

Foolish and stupid
“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid” . a quote from Epictetus. Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher of the first century AD. He says this wonderful thing: that people around us to can have opinions, but we must endure it only because we want to grow. Our growth is apparently accompanied by opinions of others about us. As we grow we will therefore be different. And we better learn to tolerate others judge us.

I think Brad meant to say he is learning from this criticism(hopefully).


I firmly believe that making your hobby into a business is not wise for your happiness.

[Peatbog]

Today I received my refund for the unshipped issues of Kickstand. I guess filing a charge of mail fraud is useful after all. This concludes my business with the magazine and the guy who runs it forevermore.

[mikesbikes36]

id just like 2 get the rest of my issues !!! i paid for a year and i have recived 2 issues !!! times up ...time for a new issue !!!

[jerryny26]

I have all the earlier issues. Looking forward to the next! Just went back and re-read the older ones last weekend. I too have a subscription.....and eagerly awaiting the next issue!

Jerry Peck
Adams, NY

[iRide Custom Bicycles]

Hmmm...I guess I should request a refund as well. That's disappointing.

[Dorian]

Has there really only been 3 new issues since Dec. 2010? #6 came out in Oct.2010 I think.

Dorian

[CCR]

I haven't kept track of when but I know i signed up on issue #4 and the last one i got was #9, I renewed the subscription because they told me it was coming due, and they sent me issue #9 again ...

[cruisehard]

I've gotten 3 issues so far... I guess I'm lucky!

[bobby jimmy]

Brad,

You have lied locally for years and now you have ripped people off on a grander scale, be proud. You have tried to make excuses that include lies about peoples health, and bs'ing people into buying a magazine that's content is childlike. You were smart to avert your eyes when I walked into the room, I appreciate you avoiding me. It confirms everything I know about you.

Consider politics, you could go places.

I'm going for a bike ride.