Sounds like the Pied Piper!

quote:

Originally posted by Rod_Serengeti:
In all the time I've been here, I've never seen a Scott Green posting. Did he post under a psuedonym?

Hey Rod, I don't know if Scott ever posted here or not. The post was basically in rebuttal to some that were saying the Batf, etc., needed to called on John Ricks. My post just countered that I've dealt with a crooked gunsmith (Scott Green) and I don't think Mr. Ricks falls into that catigory. Well, at least not yet.

Terry

What Mr. Ricks has been doing is probabaly not illegal, but certainly is a little crooked in that he contracts to do the customers work and then either does't do it, or do it the way the client wants it done. Then he blatently lies about doing the work when he is off doing something else. He ties up a considerable amount of his clients wealth, represented by the guns and parts he has and is not working on as promised. Perhaps some can afford to let their wealth lay around idle, but that should be the choice of the owner. Not some custom shop owner playing little tin god with the man's goodies, doing something other than what he contracted to do.

Rod, I've got to print your post about "ungodly" stamina and take it down the short pier in the boat harbor here and show it to some of the boys and their crews who are just now sailing out into the latest round of storms in the Gulf of Alaska to start their first halibut and blackcod longline trips of the year, just to see them off rolling in the scuppers with laughter, buoyed by the thought that they don't have it so bad after all!

Seriously, one wouldn't be in any custom building business, if he didn't communicate with the customers. You've got to figure out how to cut it to the minimum and get paid for it too. Like do you consult with a lawyer and not get billed for every split second that you use to tell him what you want done? Wayne

I dropped off a blank and barreled action to a guy last summer. He said he'd call when he was ready to start the wood. I told him I was in no hurry knowing the main thrust of the business is general repair work. I haven't bugged him once since, maybe I should expect a discount

Any of you guys hear of BTK. Nice guy according to all his friends. I always check better business bureau before doing biz with anybody I dont know personally. Good Luck getting your gun back.

Really a poor anology, and the BBB may not know any more than you do. Besides we're not dealing with Jack the Ripper here. Just an invisible, mysterious disapearing gunbuilder that don't let his customers know what's going on with their long overdue projects, that they have with him. Wayne

Didn't we go through a similar problem with Jack Belk?
Did everyone resolve their problems with him?
He's was also reguarded as an excellent smith and I even spoke with him about some work I wanted done.
The two smiths I've used in the past either died or retired. I sure wish a had one close so I didn't have to do everything by mail.

My first post here. I like a few here have a gun being built by John Ricks. The last time I had heard antything from him was August when I saw pics of the gun in the white and the stock roughed out. I left several email and voicemail messages with never a response. At first my messages were genial enough, but lately I was getting pretty hot under the collar.

Last Sunday, I drove to his place with the hope of finding him there or at least learning what the situation was. It's about a 2 hr. trip including a ferry ride.

He was there and apparently had just returned on Friday and had been away for some 5 1/2 months. His family is part owner of a construction business and one of the owners died... not sure if it was a family member or not. He had been in California dealing with the situation and getting the business in shape to be sold. He was very apologetic for not staying in contact with me. He neither made excuses nor gave one for not communicating with his clients. I don't understand it either. I do know that things happen in life that we can't control and I'm willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt. I saw my gun and the pieces and parts that I had left with him. He said that he was going to try to get all the guns completed within the next 6-8 weeks. He did say that when that was done he was going to think about retiring... not from the gun business but from some of the other construction business stuff that he's been involved with. The work I've seen of his has been first rate and I have nor reason to think that my finished rifle will be any different.

Should have gave him a roll of quarters or a phone card.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by brianbo:
He was very apologetic for not staying in contact with me. He neither made excuses nor gave one for not communicating with his clients. I don't understand it either. I do know that things happen in life that we can't control and I'm willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt/QUOTE]

Over the last 2 years I have also found John to always be very apologetic. He's had a lot of practice at it.

Pud

I have spoken to John. We have agreed on a delivery date for my rifles.