I hope this is the right place to post, this is scott from vector imaging

[Scott vector]

Let me first start off by apologizing to the members of the site who have trusted me to place orders. Over the last 5 years or so I have supplied a lot of searay owners with replacement panels with no delivery issues. At the start of the season my only panel material supplier informed me that they will no longer stock the burl material on the shelf, this was after I had placed a substantial order. They initially made me wait about 8 weeks for delivery and this was after I had to beg them to actually buy more material to begin with. Since then, every time I order, the material is promised within a week but they have not shipped it in less then a month or better. I tried adjusting my lead times to suit this but they never give me a consistent time frame and every week I call they tell me "a few more days". They say this is due to the poor economy, I believe them, there are not many supply houses stocking what they used to so getting parts and material has been extremely hard. Because of this issue I had to slow down my order intake putting serous financial strain on myself and my company. Unfortunately, the material I get is unique to this vendor, it looks like searays old material but it is not, as any of my customers who have my panels can attest to. I have tried to find a replacement company to supply it but I have had no luck, I can get non UV stable material but I cannot in good conscious use it, it will fail just like the OEM panels. in the middle of all this I have also been through a divorce and another back surgery making it 4 total. and recently a horrible situation I have found myself in where I was charged with possession of a gun that wasn't even on my property or in my possession, this link to the news paper article explains what happened.http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x165...th-having-sawed-off-shotgun-denies-allegation

I assure you all I will be cleared of any wrong doing, I was apprehensive in posting this as I did not want anyone to think I am some kind of criminal but to save my reputation I feel it is necessary to disclose everything, I do not have a criminal past at all,I am just a small business owner struggling to make ends meet. I have talked to quite a few members here who have orders and explained my situation and have had great support from them, that is something I appreciate more then I can describe

So needless to say these last 6 months have been the worst in my life, but I have been able to hang on and now I have enough burl material in stock to do whatever jobs I am behind on, I have already started sending out drawings and orders. my new shop number is 774 929 7079 I ask anyone with outstanding orders to please call me anytime day or night. my email is scott.cambra@vectorled.com now that I am back home I will be able to answer any and all emails and phone calls. Again I am sorry for the delays and issues but I promise that I will not stop until everyone is happy and the product is delivered.

Thanks for understanding, please feel free to post any of your questions or feeling here and I will address them immediately. If this post is in the wrong forum cold the admin please move it and I apologize in advance.

 

[Scott vector]

Wow Scott, that's a lot of stress to have to deal with. I hope that things improve for you very soon, and hope you have a good recovery regarding your back surgery.

I've never been a customer of yours, but if I ever restore another boat that needs a new panel, I will be sure to throw some business your way.

Good Luck,
Scott (us Scott's need to stick together)

Thanks for understanding, it means a lot to have the support of people you respect, this site and it's members have been great to me over the years and I feel like I have let people down these last 6 months, I am willing to do anything to fix it. I hope other members are as supportive as you.

thanks Scott

 

[AKBASSKING]

Good Luck Scott! Thanks for letting us know. I too am not a customer yet. But I have referred some folks to you.

Please keep us updated and know that our hopes and prayers are with you buddy!:thumbsup:

You have friends here at CSR!

 

[Scott vector]

Good Luck Scott! Thanks for letting us know. I too am not a customer yet. But I have referred some folks to you.

Please keep us updated and know that our hopes and prayers are with you buddy!:thumbsup:

You have friends here at CSR!

I will keep all of you informed, I plan on being more involved with posting on the site, I usually shy away from public posting but with dealing with all of the issues I have been having I have come to the conclusion that it is better to inform then not. I am ashamed that I did not get on here sooner but I was very afraid that members would turn on me and think i am some kind of criminal and right now I don't think I could deal with that emotionally. This court case I have scared me to death so my level of stress is through the roof.

 

[Two Peas]

Good for you. It takes some cahonies to make a posting like this on a public site. It is nice to see. Sorry to hear about the struggles.

 

[Scott vector]

Good for you. It takes some cahonies to make a posting like this on a public site. It is nice to see. Sorry to hear about the struggles.

Thanks, I figure that good or bad the people of this site have earned the right to know what is going on, all I want of for my life to get back to normal and have customers who are happy with my service and product. Without my company I have nothing, no way to support my kids or make a living, so more then anything else I need to earn back the trust of the members of this site.

 

[My58SR]

This was a good thing you have done for yourself Scott. Personally I would of done this damage control months ago. I have been in business all my adult life. Divorce,suppliers the whole nine yards. Just remember, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. I made it and so will you. Oh ya I got the boat!!!!

Mike

 

[StressAweigh]

Scott I hope everything works out for you and your kids in your favor Hang in there I will be calling you soon I need a dash panel for my boat

 

[Scott vector]

This was a good thing you have done for yourself Scott. Personally I would of done this damage control months ago. I have been in business all my adult life. Divorce,suppliers the whole nine yards. Just remember, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. I made it and so will you. Oh ya I got the boat!!!!

Mike

Thanks, yes I should have explained my situation but I was afraid that I woudl lose customers in a time where I was barely getting orders, but this arrest was the last straw, thankfully a member here who is also a customer and a judge... gave me some great advise and moral support, I can't thanks you enough Charles. HE suggested that I post a thread, so far everything he has told me to do was the right thing. I am just happy that those of you who responded are being positive, in my world there is nothing worse then not being able to keep your word, and not being able to deliver on time has caused me many sleepless nights. I guess some people in my situation would have closed up shop and ran, but I could never ever do that, I could not live with myself if I knew I had screwed over even one customer, I usually become friends with most of my customers, I like that type of customer relationship, now, the only thing on my mind is restoring that and making sure that all customers walk away feeling like they where treated as best as possible.

 

[Scott vector]

Scott I hope everything works out for you and your kids in your favor Hang in there I will be calling you soon I need a dash panel for my boat

I appreciate that, god knows I need the work, hopefully by the time you need panels all my issues will be resolved and I can get back to what I was for the last 5 years, someone you all can count on to get the best quality panels in a reasonable time frame, I will not rest until I have achieved that goal.

 

[JerryS]

You have my support, Scott. If I need any panels in the future, I will use you for sure. I am really pleased with the work that you have done on my panels. --- Quality work!:thumbsup:

 

[Scott vector]

You have my support, Scott. If I need any panels in the future, I will use you for sure. I am really pleased with the work that you have done on my panels. --- Quality work!:thumbsup:

Thank you Jerry, I hope that some day I get all the panel jobs from this site again, I see there is another guy selling panels now, I wish him the best, I hope he is using material similar to mine,I would hate to see members getting panels that do not last, I would feel responsible seeing my current issues have really tested the confidence of them members here and I am sure they turned to him because of my situation.

 

[Summer Fun II]

Good for you Scott for manning up. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
If I was smart enough which I'm not !!! . :smt021
I would take my dash panels off right now and send them to you. :smt001

Good luck & take care. :smt001

 

[The Bill Collector]

Scott, hang in there.... What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger and my dash panel looks Great !!!

 

[hmcsw]

Scott, thanks good luck getting the past in the past. I will hang in there with no complaint.

 

[Scott vector]

Good for you Scott for manning up. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
If I was smart enough which I'm not !!! . :smt021
I would take my dash panels off right now and send them to you. :smt001

Good luck & take care. :smt001

thanks wayne, at first I was worried about members thinking I am some scumbag, especially with this BS gun charge. I will explain this situation so that everyone understands what I have had to deal with.

As you all know I was behind on orders for weeks even months. so when I got my last shipment I decided to take on another employee part time and temporary. His job was to keep the laser cleaned and restock it with material to be cut so I could concentrate on plotting cuts and designs. Now since the wife left, I have also had to do all the paperwork and night cuts, like some car products I sell. so my work load doubled when she left. Also, her father and I decided to expand, he bought a larger machine and we where to go in together. Well when the wife left, I was no longer allowed to use this bigger machine, which means that instead of cutting a set is a couple hours it now takes all day because my machine is smaller and you have to adjust the panels and cut them in multiple passes. SO in any case I need some help. I was introduced to this kid by a neighbor, he seemed to be a good kid he had children and he really seemed like he wanted to work. so I hired him. Little did I know that a few days before this, gang member tried to kill him, shooting at him while he ran down the street. WEll, in his infinite wisdom he decides to acquire a sawed off shot gun! He felt he needed protection. The police immediately got wind of this gun and contacted the kid and told him that if he turned it in, they would not charge him. He not being so trusting of the police called, he came clean to me about the whole situation, he asked me to help him or give him moral support as me being a business owners and his boss would help show him in the right light. I told him to come to the shop (which is also my home) and we would discuss his options. When he showed up, he had the gun with him. I immediately told him to remove it from my property and that I did not want it in my home. I am not a fan of guns, I am not anti gun but I just don;t feel the need or desire to collect or own them.

He puts the gun in an adjacent property and comes inside. Well, the police had been tailing him for hours, so when he stopped at my home, the applied for a search warrant for my property. They came busting in ten minutes after he showed up. Upon entering, the lead police officer started yelling at us about the gun and hand cuffed us both. This is when I realized that I am now being inserted into this nightmare! They then proceeded to destroy my home and shop, destroying some of the burl material that I had just finally received, they left no stone unturned, even though the kid and I told them repeatedly that it was not in the home. At this point after the kid told everyone who would listen that I have nothing to do with this gun, he decides to tell the officers where the gun is, but he is scared. see the gun according to the kid was not even fire-able so it is not considered a real firearm. He had told me he put it over the fence on the property . He asked me in front of the police if I could tell them what he told me minutes ago. So I told the police that he told me he put it over a fence because I told him I did not want it on my property. After some searching they found the gun. took me inside and charged us both with possession of a sawed off shotgun. One of the other police officer inspected the gun and notes that the firing pin was missing and it had barrel damage, this did not deter the lead police officer, he charged as if I had it tucked in my jacket., so I was arrested, and charged with possession of a sawed off shot gun. this charge is second only to getting charged with a ak47, it carries a sentence of 20 years to life in prison if convicted. I was arraigned the next day and held for 7 days on a mandatory hold for something called a dangerousness hearing. So for 7 days I could not contact anyone, especially the customers already waiting weeks for work. I spent the time is a cold dirty cell, it was the most horrible experience of my life.

At the danger hearing I was of course not found to be a danger and was released but on a ankle tracking devise, this devise is hooked up to my old phone number, your not supposed to use this phone while the monitor is attached to it, so I had to get a new phone line installed with a different number so I could start calling customers to assure them that I was still alive. When I got home I found that they destroyed
most of my new burl material by stepping on it and scratching faces and even breaking a few. They dumped out my switch containers and destroyed all but about 5, I believe they stepped on them too. They also dumped out my prescription medicine and stepped on them all crushing them to dust, I use pain killers for my back issues and just having another procedure meant without those pills I can barely walk.

Every time I told them something was important they made it a point to destroy or damage it, it was horrible, I was furious but I was helpless, I had to sit and watch it all happen while they mocked me like children. I look very young, I am 36 but I look early 20's, so the police where treating me like I was some punk kid, not realizing that I am a business and home owner here in the city, they thought they raided an apartment and that I was just the renter. I could not believe how poorly I was treated and humiliated he and I was completely cooperative. The 7 days I spent locked up I barley slept, all I kept thinking was that I was already behind on my orders, and now, for a whole week I couldot return phone calls or emails, it is torture, I saw my whole life falling apart.

My lawyer thinks it will all get cleared up, there is even another site on the internet where a lawyer picked up on the case and stated how the state doesn't have a strong case at all. I have to go back to court on Jan 18th for the pre trial, hopefully the gun would have been tested by then and the charges get dropped, if not, this case could drag on for a year. and in that year I would be on this ankle tracker the entire time! The good thing is that my shop is in my house, so I am actually working longer hours now then I was before because it is all I can do. And my ex wife is using this as a power play, she has my 4 year old from spending the weekends with me which is really hard t handle on top of this emotional night mare I am going through, which I am sure is not even legal, I have rights to see her. Our oldest daughter is 16 and prefers to live with me. so on the weekends I will be working full time through until I get all my work caught up, I was to get to a place where my lead times are a week at most. I want to make it so no own every has to worry about their order again and life can get back to nice and boring, just like I like it.

so that is the story in a nutshell, sorry for it being so long but I felt I had tell my side the best I could.

I hope you all understand that I was a victim here,not a criminal, I am going to fight this, no deals I want a jury trial and I fully expect to be vindicated. again the link to the news paper article is in my first post, you can read it if you like

thanks for reading
scott

 

[tdschafer]

Wow Scott, That Sucks!!!!
I didn't even know a sawed off shot gun was illegal!! It sounds to me like you may have a civil case against the PD in your area but, I'm no lawyer so that is just a laymans observation.
I will hold off on purchasing my panels for now and when you get through this I will consider your company again. All of the feedback prior to this was stellar and I was looking forward to doing business with you.
I wish you the best of luck and I am sorry to hear all of the crap you are going through. Hang in there and I'm sure you will prevail!!

 

[Scott vector]

Wow Scott, That Sucks!!!!
I didn't even know a sawed off shot gun was illegal!! It sounds to me like you may have a civil case against the PD in your area but, I'm no lawyer so that is just a laymans observation.
I will hold off on purchasing my panels for now and when you get through this I will consider your company again. All of the feedback prior to this was stellar and I was looking forward to doing business with you.
I wish you the best of luck and I am sorry to hear all of the crap you are going through. Hang in there and I'm sure you will prevail!!

thanks it should not take me longer the a couple weeks to get caught up and that includes new orders from this week, now that I do not have my little one on the weekends I can just work straight through and get caught up. I want people here to think of me the way they used to, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get to that point again

 

[Summer Fun II]

Scott to put your mind at ease a little bit. :smt001

You are a paid Sponsor on this site. :thumbsup:

So I don't think ANYBODY on here is thinking that you're a crook. :smt038

We all hit bumps in the road of life and You'll get threw this bump. :thumbsup:


Take Care, Wayne

 

[Scott vector]

Scott to put your mind at ease a little bit. :smt001

You are a paid Sponsor on this site. :thumbsup:

So I don't think ANYBODY on here is thinking that you're a crook. :smt038

We all hit bumps in the road of life and You'll get threw this bump. :thumbsup:


Take Care, Wayne

I sure hope so Wayne, I am grateful for the support from you guys, I have not felt at ease in weeks, it takes a toll on the mind