Shame on Wendell Reich

Steve
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27 March 2009, 07:41

bucko

overdone

27 March 2009, 07:54

Wendell Reich

Linda and Bill hunt Elephant. Have great hunt.
Dudley looses export Documents.
Reissuing export documents takes longer than issuing originals because of police reports, forms, etc.
Time passes, but export company keeps telling Linda that the trophies will ship soon.
Linda gets frustrated, and rightfuly so.
USF&W tells Zim that they must revamp their CITES forms.
All exports from Zim stop.
New CITES forms ready ... wait, they forgot to put a place on it for Elephant.
Reprint all CITES forms.
Parks Office in Bulawayo gets robbed. All computers stolen.
Move Export document application to Harare.
CITES export doc issued ... wait, where is the Warthog?
Re-submit CITES application
CITES form issued. yehaw!
Stateside agent applies for CDC permit for Baboon.
Now, we are waiting for the CDC permit, that should be ready on Monday March 30.

It was a small mistake that snowballed due to other issues in Zimbabwe.

The shipping agent kept telling Linda, "They will ship soon!" So, as anyone might, she gets frustrated.

Not sure how many words that was.

27 March 2009, 08:58

SGraves155

Thanks , Wendell.
This thread reminds us of Genesis 50:20

"You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..."

Your even-handed, un-emotional, but caring replies have shown us the sort of person many of us already knew you to be.

27 March 2009, 17:04

Gatogordo

How much does cancellation insurance cost for a say, $30,000 hunt?

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When considering US based operations of guides/outfitters, check and see if they are NRA members. If not, why support someone who doesn't support us? Consider spending your money elsewhere.

NEVER, EVER book a hunt with BLAIR WORLDWIDE HUNTING or JEFF BLAIR.

I have come to understand that in hunting, the goal is not the goal but the process.

27 March 2009, 17:54

Wendell Reich

Thanks Steve.

quote:
Originally posted by Gatogordo:
How much does cancellation insurance cost for a say, $30,000 hunt?

If you are under 60 $1700 / over 60 $2330.

27 March 2009, 18:06

BulldogMaster

Aaron,
Thanks for the answers. I appreciate your candor.

Let me sum up.

1. You work for both sides and would serve as a referee in a dispute.

2. You would "give up" your commission if the hunt was not as advertised or if by some reason the operator screwed up the hunt. I assume your commission is 10% to 15% of daily fees and trophy fees? This is stated in your contract with the hunter?

3. If the operator goes out of business or disappears, you would "give up" your commission.

4. You recommend trip cancellation insurance to cover these events. I do not know exactly what trip cancelation insurance covers. Does it cover a "bad trip" (defined as 100% operator fault in misrepresenting the hunt or changing an area that hunter was unaware of). I assume that it covers illness. Does it cover "going out of business" by the operator? The reason I ask about this possibility is that there a few operators out there that may "on the edge" of going under if they continue to get cancellations and a lower number of bookings for 2009 and 2010 due to the economic mess.

Thanks for your answers.

27 March 2009, 21:23

Aaron Neilson

Most of your what you say here seems to be a fairly accurate summation!

Aaron

27 March 2009, 23:03

larryshores

Every trip cancellation contract I looked at did not cover outfitter bankruptcy.

27 March 2009, 23:15

Wendell Reich

Travelguard does if you purchase it within 14 days of booking th etrip.

Let me read the fine print and see what the exclusions are.

27 March 2009, 23:24

dogcat

I would be interested in knowing what the exclusions are. Sometimes you think you are insured for one thing but not another.

27 March 2009, 23:27

Wendell Reich

I started a new thread here.

Description of Benefits.

28 March 2009, 01:38

Dago Red

I lost count after 111. more than a hundred though.

28 March 2009, 22:56

collector

long read

05 April 2009, 09:08

Russ Gould

quote:
I believe you can purchase cancellation insurance up to a couple of days before you leave

Not.

For obvious reasons, most insurance companies insist that you purchase your trip cancellation insurance within a few days of making the first financial commitment to the trip.

You can buy baggage insurance at the last minute. But that won't help you in this context.

05 April 2009, 09:45

Wendell Reich

quote:
Originally posted by Russ Gould:
Not.

For obvious reasons, most insurance companies insist that you purchase your trip cancellation insurance within a few days of making the first financial commitment to the trip.

That is not correct Russ, if you read the Description of Benefits for Travelguards Policy, it clearly states ...

(page 2 bottom of second column)

INDIVIDUAL ELIGIBILITY, EFFECTIVE & TERMINATION DATES

Persons eligible for insurance under the policy are any traveler(s) who purchases his/her insurance through or from a properly licensed agent/agency located in the U.S., who enrolls for coverage and pays the plan cost, providing he/she has not already departed on his/her Trip.

Anyone who wants to read the entire DOC can do so here D.O.C.

There are 3 items that will only be covered if you purchase within 15 days.

1. Pre-existing conditions waived.
2. Cancel for any reason (must pay 1.4x premium rate to obtain this coverage)
3. Cancel for Work reasons ($24 additional)

Other than these three, everyting else that is normally covered is still covered if you buy the insurance late.

09 April 2009, 08:12

GeoffM24

Travelguard wouldn't sell me airline bankruptcy protection because it was more then 2 weeks after payment of the downpayment on the trip. Since most people don't buy their air at the same moment as the airfare this was poor policy.

09 April 2009, 19:42

BulldogMaster

Did poor old Linda get her shipment?

I was hoping this thread would disappear into cyberspace.

12 May 2009, 06:46

Linda Adams

Finally, my husband and I can put closure to a nightmare after 34 months.

Our trophies arrived in the US on April 14 and after several more set backs with Fish and Wildlife and trucking companies we are happy to say that our trophies arrived today.

We went to the Taxidermy shop and picked up my husband's elephant tusks and to look at the hides once they arrived. We were surprised that all of the hides look extremely good and the taxidermy shop stated they think that all could be mounted.

We still could not believe our eyes when we seen our trophies and happily took the elephant tusks home.

We did receive a phone call from our taxidermist tonight to reasure us that the hides look good and if the trophies are mountable they will be completed within approximately three months.

We can not begin to thank the many people that intervened on our behalf with help and support and through all the e-mails and telephone calls that we received. There really are some wonderful people out there.

You all know who you are and we want to personally thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of our hearts.

This has truly been a very happy day for us.

Linda Adams

12 May 2009, 06:57

jcarr

Good to see it finally worked out Linda, now the most important part is that you have to make sure and post some pictures of the finished product, so don't forget us when you get them home.

12 May 2009, 07:00

Jack D Bold

12 May 2009, 09:42

Saeed

Glad Linda got her trophies.

But, I cannot help thinking that Wendell got accused for things going wrong that were not due to him.

He did everything he could to help and he should be commended.

12 May 2009, 11:07

BrettAKSCI

+1 Glad to see you got your trophies Linda.

Brett

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12 May 2009, 18:44

hikerbum

quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
Glad Linda got her trophies.

But, I cannot help thinking that Wendell got accused for things going wrong that were not due to him.

He did everything he could to help and he should be commended.

Absolutely agree with you Saeed..........

12 May 2009, 19:17

dogcat

Hopefully an apology to Wendell is out there somewhere. He did his part in spades to sort this out.

12 May 2009, 19:33

Peter

Perhaps she will change the title of this thread, as it still shows "Shame on Wendell...".
I am not holding my breath. Still, "all's well that ends well".
Peter.

12 May 2009, 19:40

kibokolambogo

quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
Glad Linda got her trophies.

But, I cannot help thinking that Wendell got accused for things going wrong that were not due to him.

He did everything he could to help and he should be commended.

May I second you on that statement!

12 May 2009, 22:01

tendrams

I am very glad that Linda got her trophies! Nearly three years to get trophies back however....still unacceptable! Was this "all the booking agent's fault"? Certainly not but, like it or not, that IS where the buck stops when you are in this business and serving as the administrative link between client and PH/taxidermist. The fact that it took 34 months to get these items out is a pretty decent expression of how much influence an agent really has if things go sideways on a hunt. Definitely something to consider when booking a hunt!

If my math is correct, it was over two years before Linda started raising hell on the internet over this issue. Frankly, that is MUCH more patience than I would have under similar circumstances.

12 May 2009, 22:09

Frostbit

quote:
Originally posted by Linda Adams:
Finally, my husband and I can put closure to a nightmare after 34 months.

Our trophies arrived in the US on April 14 and after several more set backs with Fish and Wildlife and trucking companies we are happy to say that our trophies arrived today.

We went to the Taxidermy shop and picked up my husband's elephant tusks and to look at the hides once they arrived. We were surprised that all of the hides look extremely good and the taxidermy shop stated they think that all could be mounted.

We still could not believe our eyes when we seen our trophies and happily took the elephant tusks home.

We did receive a phone call from our taxidermist tonight to reasure us that the hides look good and if the trophies are mountable they will be completed within approximately three months.

We can not begin to thank the many people that intervened on our behalf with help and support and through all the e-mails and telephone calls that we received. There really are some wonderful people out there.

You all know who you are and we want to personally thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of our hearts.

This has truly been a very happy day for us.

Linda Adams

Any thought about changing the title of this thread now?

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12 May 2009, 22:24

Gatogordo

quote:
Originally posted by tendrams:
I am very glad that Linda got her trophies! Nearly three years to get trophies back however....still unacceptable! Was this "all the booking agent's fault"? Certainly not but, like it or not, that IS where the buck stops when you are in this business and serving as the administrative link between client and PH/taxidermist. The fact that it took 34 months to get these items out is a pretty decent expression of how much influence an agent really has if things go sideways on a hunt. Definitely something to consider when booking a hunt!

If my math is correct, it was over two years before Linda started raising hell on the internet over this issue. Frankly, that is MUCH more patience than I would have under similar circumstances.

Me, too.

Well, not for the first time, I'm going to play the devil's advocate here and state that we'll never know IF the Adam's would even have their trophies if she hadn't of started this thread. I'm not saying Wendell Reich did anything wrong, but I'm reasonably sure that the other end lost some bookings because of it. PERHAPS this thread got the needle off of zero, or perhaps not, we'll never know.

12 May 2009, 23:15

Saeed

Gatogordo,

You might well be right, but, the title of this thread puts the whole blame on Wendell.

And - at least as I understand it - none of it was his fault.

13 May 2009, 09:37

Michael Robinson

quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
Glad Linda got her trophies.

But, I cannot help thinking that Wendell got accused for things going wrong that were not due to him.

He did everything he could to help and he should be commended.

I agree 100%.

This thread was a boomerang, IMHO.

13 May 2009, 11:24

jetdrvr

quote:
This thread was a boomerang, IMHO.

13 May 2009, 12:39

Rusty

Since, it looks like no one else will say it, allow me. . .

Wendell, "Thank You" for all your help.

Rusty
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18 May 2009, 03:11

jeff h

THE END

18 May 2009, 10:41

N E 450 No2

Wendell Shame, Shame, Shame,

Truth is, from what I have read it WAS NOT Wendells fault.

As to Linda, I can apreciate Her frustration.

However In Zim, even IF the papework is correct, it takes a while.

If it has to be redone... Then WHO KNOWS.

18 May 2009, 22:27

Idaho Sharpshooter

Actually, this thread and meeting Wendell at SCI Reno has moved him to my short list for a plains game hunt. He got teased unmercifully for the whole show, and always cracked a smile. He sort-of knows me from here, and gave me every bit as good a rip as I tried to put on him.

Seriously, quite a gentleman; even if this entire deal was not any of his fault or doing.

Rich
Buff Killer

19 May 2009, 02:25

Dave Fulson

Wendell is owed an apology for damn sure. He handled the situation very well in MHO , far better than I might have under the situation. I felt the womans frustration, but the thread name
was, and still is, out of line BIG TIME. Without a public apology , not many agents, me for damn sure, would accept her for a client. Good show Wendell.

19 May 2009, 09:14

Indy

quote:
Without a public apology, not many agents, me for damn sure, would accept her for a client.

Why? For complaining about the trophies that she and her husband paid $50,000 or so to get just disappearing into nothingness after being years late?

Anyway, all's well that ends well.

19 May 2009, 21:57

hikerbum

quote:
Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Actually, this thread and meeting Wendell at SCI Reno has moved him to my short list for a plains game hunt. He got teased unmercifully for the whole show, and always cracked a smile. He sort-of knows me from here, and gave me every bit as good a rip as I tried to put on him.

Seriously, quite a gentleman; even if this entire deal was not any of his fault or doing.

Rich
Buff Killer

After seeing this thread and other posts by and about Wendell, I am only MORE inclined to book with him in the future.