Usenet opinions, submitted for your amusement...

[Gerard]

For those folks that don't surf the Usenet groups, here's a Google Groups search
on the terms: kamado service in the group alt.food.barbecue:

http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=kamado+service&num=100&scoring=r& hl=en&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_ugroup=alt.food.barbecue&as_usubject=&a s_uauthors=&lr=&as_drrb=q&as_qdr=&as_mind=1&as_minm=1&as_miny=1981&as_ maxd=28&as_maxm=5&as_maxy=2006&safe=off

[curly]

So RJ's been exposed for a long time out there huh. I've never used UseNet groups so wasn't aware.

Dang, thought we were exposing him here, but his behind has been exposed for years

[Gerard]

I'm fascinated by the way that newsgroup's general opinion of the Kamado Company has changed over the years.

RJ and the Kompany could do no wrong in the threads that are more than a few years old. But, except for a few stalwarts, more recent threads are almost unanimous in their condemnation of the Kamado Company's customer service and warranty support.

I'm guessing we'll see even more angst there in the future.

[curly]

I was reading through one of the threads and this one guy kept on and on about how Kamado didn't need to make cs any better because they are so far booked ahead and have been forever and there is absolutley no one competing with this type of cooker. Well, that has changed!

No matter what anyone says, I find it hard to believe that it's so time consuming to make one of those cookers. Oh, but it's home made and it has many components. Whatever!

How hard could it be to have 100 handles made at a time, 100 grids, 100 upper grids, etc, etc. He could have 100 untiled #7's made at any time and wait for the tile to be picked. How can they not have figured out how to accomplish this after 45 years of this being ALL THE FAMILY HAS EVER KNOWN

[tcoliver]

Ah, you forget the main flaw of RJ, he has no money and therefore can't afford to buy materials and manufacture parts and grills for stock. RJ's whole goal is to get the 50% up front which basically pays for his materials and labor. Without this he can't do anything. This is what got me sideways with him as he was supposed to make and ship grills and accessories for me to stock and have available but his tune changed very quickly and he just wanted me to be a salesman and make the sale and then send him the 50% down, wait for the grill to be made and shipped (6 mos. later) and then I would get my share. This was in no way what I signed up for!!!! This is what he does anyway and there was no real reason for me to be in the middle of it, it was actually more expensive because the customer then had to pay Ga sales tax. Once again this is why he is always running a sale, to get an influx of downpayments to get cash flow!!! Sorry way to do business.

[curly]

Tony,
Yeah, I believe the handwriting is on the wall this time.

[DavidS]

Gerard
Loved the link to Google groups. It was fun to read: My Problems with Kamado corp and the update of my problems.

[Gerard]

Ahhh, David... you're referring to this thread:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.food.barbecue/browse_frm/thread/784 786446d2c3dea/eade69fb56ecf770?lnk=st&q=kamado+service+group%3Aalt.foo d.barbecue+author%3Adavid*&rnum=1&hl=en#eade69fb56ecf770

Started a nice little flame war, didn't ja? Those two seem to go at it endlessly. One is pissed and surly, the other is a K fanboy who is so deeply indoctrinated he's hopeless.

But the overall gist of the thread was that many others had shared the same treatment you received.

It is noteworthy... years earlier, a post like yours would have found very little support but would have had tons of folks defending the Kompany and denouncing you as unreasonable or proclaiming your story such an aberration it should be ignored. But now, ticked off customers seem to outnumber the K toadies. Guess those kamados just aren't aging quite as gracefully as advertised.

[Porkchop]

even tho it's old news, it still galls me when i read posts like:

" At the end of the day their mission in life is NOT to rip you off. " How do you feel about that statement Tony??? i understand giving someone the benefit of the doubt, but there's just no way RJ's gonna be able to claim incompetence, uh, i mean "we're just a mom and pop business" forever. the more one digs, the more RJ's true colors are brought to light.

the great thing is, even tho there are so many with their heads so willfully buried in the sand, there are still posts like the following from a certain chef of raspberry chipotle note: "To tell the truth, if I find myself in the market for another Kamado, I will seriously consider the KomodoKamados...The main reason for this is that everything that I can glean about the company and their product seems to indicate that they are doing EXACTLY the kind of things that Richard and Company should have been doing. Building a better moustrap. And improving the service to go along with the moustrap"

and this from someone who has caught on to the whole "cult of personality" approach Kamado Corp/RJ employs: "But remember the Kamado Corp. mantra everyone else stole Richard, The Great's idea. They all seem to be doing much better than he, it seems"

great thread!
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[foxhound]

I enjoyed that porkchop....made my day...thanks

[JasmineFilter]

What will really make our day is when someone finally gets RJ served!@

[curly]

RJ has probably already got his Mexico exit planned out perfectly. May be a few tunnels in the building somewhere