emmtee83
Member
I have been watching this thread with interest for the last few weeks. The main reason I have not said anything up til now is because I had no idea how out of control this situation has become. I will explain the situation I am in…..and before I start, this is not composed in self-pity, but here goes.
I am an ex-partner in the business venture that was Bowling Balls Australia. My role in the venture was not in the running of the business (as I had a full time 9-5 job) but as a cash investor. The decision was made early that because he wasn’t working, this would become his job and I would allow him to run the business and make decisions in consultation with me. We had several highly ranked bowlers on staff who also knew of my position in the business.....all I had met on at least one occasion.
Max had been in business previous to BBA, owning a successful crash repairer business in Adelaide. Over the years, he had successfully won a contract with Daewoo – repairing damage done to panels, etc. on cars in transit as they travelled from interstate into Adelaide. As he explained to me, his business went under due to having to manipulate panels because the ones that were supplied by Daewoo didn’t fit and a range of other circumstances….I foolishly didn’t check out his claims but this is a big lesson (one of many) I have learned for the future.
Our partnership started in 2006 and for the following two years had quite a successful business going. We bowled together in league on a weekly basis and would catch up then and update me on how we were travelling. At that point I didn’t have any suspicions as even bowlers from our league were buying and receiving that ordered gear from us.
Then the Global Financial Crisis hit….people stopped buying, other pro shops had started up and things had got quite difficult. To my current dismay, I borrowed funds in the form of a bank loan and paid for a couple of shipments using my credit card. Max and I agreed that BBA would pay for these loans but I soon became concerned because I could feel things going downhill. I knew we were not the only business in the world that was suffering – so I let things take its course for a little while. I suspected that once the financial situation got better, we could pick up where we left off. I know now this was not to be the case.
The last 12 months have become somewhat unbelieveable. I ended by business relationship with Max at the close of the financial year of 2010. Our personal friendship also took a steep decline from then onwards. I have found out Max has not lodged a tax return for the business since the end of financial year 2006….something that has affected me personally. I have since obtained bank account statements from the working account – they have made surprising reading. All I can say (without posting a copy of such statements) is that once money had entered the account for payment of a purchase, that payment was soon gone – mostly via ATM source or EFTPOS at a supermarket. I can only assume he has been using this money to live. I can confirm he now receives a Centrelink benefit as this also passed through the account at one stage has now been shifted. The business had made 22 payments over the space of 7 months for the loans I took out for it but have not seen any money for these debts since November last year. I am resigned to the fact that these are now my liabilities, and the financial strain has twice now almost cost me my marriage.
I thought everyone here deserved to know the truth. I’m not sure when the last time someone received an order they put through Max. I have since closed the bank account used for BBA’s trading but that won’t stop Max from changing the account number he gives out on his invoices. I have obtained a business extract from the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs confirming the business name ‘BBA’ has not been registered since April 2009 – another fact I was very surprised to find out. I have also applied to the Compliance department of OCBA to have the website shut down. Not too high on their priority list so it might be some time before I see that happen.
This whole business relationship has taught me so much about the big bad world out there, but it won’t stop me from trying to succeed as an entrepreneur. I have started my own pro shop which is soon to be called Ballz’n’All Pro Shop…..I have been trading since February and has gone off without a hitch. As for Max, I haven’t spoken to him in about 2 months. I would assume he is aware of my actions in trying to shut down this business venture, but the strongest way to do this is by word of mouth. I urge everyone to not use the website because there is very little chance of seeing your money or gear if you do.
Max may have suffered from a broken down marriage and the loss of his father to death, but it is UNFORGIVEABLE that he has taken customer money for purposes other than to fulfil a service promise. I feel gutted for any one of my customers who has lost out in this whole situation, so I am currently collating a list of people that have been affected. Whilst I cannot get you your gear instantly, and whilst it may not be my responsibility, I am willing to try and make things right, one order at a time. I have been able to intercept one payment to the bank account – I have been able to order his gear for him since then, am expecting it next week. Please PM me so we can discuss.
Please be mindful, however, that whilst I will try to do everything in my power to ‘right the wrongs’, no individual customer has lost more than I – not only financially (I won’t disclose how much, but it is in the tens of thousands) but in my personal life too.
I hope this can provide some answers to what has happened. I was unable to say anything earlier until I had collated the proof I needed. Feel free to drop your comments below. As for myself, I will forever criticise myself for making such a bad business decision.
I thank you all for your understanding in advance.
I am an ex-partner in the business venture that was Bowling Balls Australia. My role in the venture was not in the running of the business (as I had a full time 9-5 job) but as a cash investor. The decision was made early that because he wasn’t working, this would become his job and I would allow him to run the business and make decisions in consultation with me. We had several highly ranked bowlers on staff who also knew of my position in the business.....all I had met on at least one occasion.
Max had been in business previous to BBA, owning a successful crash repairer business in Adelaide. Over the years, he had successfully won a contract with Daewoo – repairing damage done to panels, etc. on cars in transit as they travelled from interstate into Adelaide. As he explained to me, his business went under due to having to manipulate panels because the ones that were supplied by Daewoo didn’t fit and a range of other circumstances….I foolishly didn’t check out his claims but this is a big lesson (one of many) I have learned for the future.
Our partnership started in 2006 and for the following two years had quite a successful business going. We bowled together in league on a weekly basis and would catch up then and update me on how we were travelling. At that point I didn’t have any suspicions as even bowlers from our league were buying and receiving that ordered gear from us.
Then the Global Financial Crisis hit….people stopped buying, other pro shops had started up and things had got quite difficult. To my current dismay, I borrowed funds in the form of a bank loan and paid for a couple of shipments using my credit card. Max and I agreed that BBA would pay for these loans but I soon became concerned because I could feel things going downhill. I knew we were not the only business in the world that was suffering – so I let things take its course for a little while. I suspected that once the financial situation got better, we could pick up where we left off. I know now this was not to be the case.
The last 12 months have become somewhat unbelieveable. I ended by business relationship with Max at the close of the financial year of 2010. Our personal friendship also took a steep decline from then onwards. I have found out Max has not lodged a tax return for the business since the end of financial year 2006….something that has affected me personally. I have since obtained bank account statements from the working account – they have made surprising reading. All I can say (without posting a copy of such statements) is that once money had entered the account for payment of a purchase, that payment was soon gone – mostly via ATM source or EFTPOS at a supermarket. I can only assume he has been using this money to live. I can confirm he now receives a Centrelink benefit as this also passed through the account at one stage has now been shifted. The business had made 22 payments over the space of 7 months for the loans I took out for it but have not seen any money for these debts since November last year. I am resigned to the fact that these are now my liabilities, and the financial strain has twice now almost cost me my marriage.
I thought everyone here deserved to know the truth. I’m not sure when the last time someone received an order they put through Max. I have since closed the bank account used for BBA’s trading but that won’t stop Max from changing the account number he gives out on his invoices. I have obtained a business extract from the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs confirming the business name ‘BBA’ has not been registered since April 2009 – another fact I was very surprised to find out. I have also applied to the Compliance department of OCBA to have the website shut down. Not too high on their priority list so it might be some time before I see that happen.
This whole business relationship has taught me so much about the big bad world out there, but it won’t stop me from trying to succeed as an entrepreneur. I have started my own pro shop which is soon to be called Ballz’n’All Pro Shop…..I have been trading since February and has gone off without a hitch. As for Max, I haven’t spoken to him in about 2 months. I would assume he is aware of my actions in trying to shut down this business venture, but the strongest way to do this is by word of mouth. I urge everyone to not use the website because there is very little chance of seeing your money or gear if you do.
Max may have suffered from a broken down marriage and the loss of his father to death, but it is UNFORGIVEABLE that he has taken customer money for purposes other than to fulfil a service promise. I feel gutted for any one of my customers who has lost out in this whole situation, so I am currently collating a list of people that have been affected. Whilst I cannot get you your gear instantly, and whilst it may not be my responsibility, I am willing to try and make things right, one order at a time. I have been able to intercept one payment to the bank account – I have been able to order his gear for him since then, am expecting it next week. Please PM me so we can discuss.
Please be mindful, however, that whilst I will try to do everything in my power to ‘right the wrongs’, no individual customer has lost more than I – not only financially (I won’t disclose how much, but it is in the tens of thousands) but in my personal life too.
I hope this can provide some answers to what has happened. I was unable to say anything earlier until I had collated the proof I needed. Feel free to drop your comments below. As for myself, I will forever criticise myself for making such a bad business decision.
I thank you all for your understanding in advance.
