I am looking to replace the wheels on Froggie and as I am want to do, following some research I posted details of the wheels I was considering and sought advice on them and other possible suggestions at the Australian Cycling Forums (ACF). As I was not interested in ProLite wheels I indicated this in my posting at ACF. I didn’t see the point in others suggesting a brand that did not appeal to me.

It seems choosing to be uninterested in a product is not acceptable to Mr Deon Attard (aka Jacks1071) at Pro-Lite Oz who has filed a “report” at ACF about my posting. His report is quoted verbatim below:

This comment is inappropriate and has board members asking WHY would he say "Other suggestions (not ProLite)?" No reason other than Andrew is a fuckwit and doesn’t like me because I’ve called him out for giving shoddy advice to noob riders on about 20 occassions (sic). So because he doesn’t like me, obviously he wouldn’t want to use our products which is fine by me because I don’t want a fuckhead like Andrew rolling around on our wheels anyway. The cheap shot however was uncalled for and serves no purpose other than to try and discredit the Pro-Lite brand. I thought this was all over and delt with but obviously not… Get a life Andrew – you are fucking pathetic.

I have chosen to post this report by Mr Deon Attard in full as I feel it is important that his views should get a proper airing.  I think it is also important that Mr Deon Attard of Pro-Lite Oz be given the opportunity to detail the “about 20 occassions (sic)” where he has “called him [me] out for giving shoddy advice to noob riders on about 20 occassions (sic)” and hence I extend Mr Attard an open invitation to share the details here; if nothing else I would like to correct any bad advice given. Alternatively one can see all his postings via his profile at ACF. Good luck in locating these 20 odd occasions.

For those wondering why I might not be uninterested in ProLite wheels, I suggest you take a moment to read this post and this post.

I can assure Mr Attard and Pro-Lite International that I will not be “rolling around on [your] wheels”; that I can promise you with 100% conviction.

I am also curious as to whether this is a view held by Pro-Lite International Ltd and hence have extend to them the opportunity to comment.

Update: As promised I offered Mr Steve Fenton, CEO of Pro-Lite International the opportunity to comment on how his company is represented in Australia.  I sent the following email to Mr Fenton on February 17, 2010 at 1812:

Dear Mr Fenton

I have recently being subject to, shall we, some interesting commentary by your Australian representative, Mr Deon Attard. I have published Mr Attard’s comments on my blog at http://www.aushiker.com/2010/02/dont-talk-about-the-war-i-mean-prolite with the associated links. I am curious as to whether Mr Attard’s comments are also reflect of your organisation’s and I offer you the opportunity to respond to Mr Attard’s comments and my postings.

Regards
Andrew Priest

At 2143 on February 17, 2010 I received this response from Mr Steve Fenton’s email address. I will let it stand as it is and you as the reader can form your own opinion.

You seem to have a lot of time on your hands and a quick search seems you obviously love to get into this kind of debate which I can only assume is due to something lacking in your life. Maybe you can add train spotting or collecting aeroplane numbers to your daily routine.

Get a life and grow up.

I replied at 2152 and now consider the matter closed.

Dear Mr Fenton

Thank you for your comments. I will happily add them to the website. I am sure potential customers will be happy to be informed about your approach to doing business.

Regards
Andrew Priest

I wish purchases of Pro-Lite wheels all the best with your purchase.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Tags: Australian Cycling Forums,Pro-Lite Internation,Pro-Lite Oz,Prolite,Steve Fenton
Categories: Bicycle gear reviews, Bicycling
3 Comments »

Latest blog posting on ProLite (Pro-Lite) can be found here.

The last few days have been most interesting at the Australian Cycling forums. It seems that a new forum member, Mr Deon Attard of Pro-Lite Oz, also known as Jacks1071 has not taken to kindly to me after I removed links from his first few postings in the forum. Links which directly linked to his business and lacked relevant context in the threads posted, i.e, spamming which is in breach of the forum guidelines.

This it seems means that if others make a point it is okay, but if I express a similar view, Mr Attard gets a touch upset. Rather amusing I thought.  Here area a couple of his most recent examples.

I gave them a call [Ay-up] this afternoon and it seemed nothing was too much trouble. With your outstanding personality I am not surpised [sic] they didn’t want to do anything outside of the square as to most likely avoid dealing with you.

I think they dodged a bullet there.

Maybe you could take them to consumer small claims for not offering to remove the case from the price for you????

Sue – do it.

Maybe you can bully them into getting what you want.

Source: Thread on Ay-Ups. Mr Attard made these comments on page 5 of the thread. The thread is quite interesting in its discussion of lights and dynamos, well for the most part anyway and by the way another respected member of the forums had also contacted Ay-Up and got quite a different response to that suggested by Mr Attard.

and in another thread on a wrong sized bike, Mr Attard had this to say:

Andrew,
You must think everyone is out to rip you off, how sad that must be for you. And how much spare time you must have on your hands because you’re ready to pick a fight with everyone you deal with?? No wonder you have to buy everything on-line. From what I hear no bike shop in WA will sell to you.

In this case, by being polite the guy had his frame swapped. If yet again he took your advice of legal action, the shop would have got their backs up and said f*&k you – I’m not doing crap for you you rude pr*ck and wouldn’t have helped. Did you learn something today???

By NOT following your advice the guy got a new frame.

The curious thing about this was that my suggestion, also made by a number of forum members was to go back and talk to the LBS and if necessary the state consumer protection department. Mr Attard’s advice was to sell the wrong sized frame on eBay and get another one. Thankfully the purchaser took the step to go back to the LBS after seeking advice from consumer affairs and is now expecting a replacement frame.

All this raises an interesting questions about Mr Attard’s business practices . At the time of writing:

• Pro-Lite Oz did not have a returns policy or other sales policy on his website;
• Mr Attard is big on supporting Australian business going by his posts in the Australian Cycling Forums yet his business seems not to be about Australian product but rather importing or representing Pro-Lite International Ltd, a Chinese company. Pro-Lite International is linked directly from Pro-Lite Oz via the “product information” banner.
• Mr Attard given his postings in the Australian Cycling forums does seem to have an issue with consumer rights.

So you may say so what it is just a dummy spit and to some extent it is, but I think it also raises an interesting question about the way Australian bike shops conduct their business.  I know of others who have issues with local bikes shops such as Durx with Glen Parker Cycles and myself with Fleet Cycles and it seems to me that there is no surprise when people shop overseas for bikes, parts and accessories when we have experiences like this. Is it time for the local bike shops to understand that good service is expected? That the behaviour of the likes of Mr Attard, Glen Parker Cycles and Fleet Cycles really do the local industry no justice?

Maybe my next bike will be purchased from the UK like 700×23 has done … maybe we need to do more of that.

Update – November 3, 2009: In light of the above I found this thread in the Australian Cycling Forums started by Mr Attard rather interesting …

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Tags: Australian Cycling Forums,Fleet Cycles,Glen Parker Cycles,Pro-Lite Oz
Categories: Bicycling
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Thanks to the efforts of Rolandp at the Australian Cycling Forums, there is now a Google map of the Perth Bicycle Network grants for 2008-2009.  That is Rolandp’s map shows us where the grant monies have been allocated and what projects have been completed.

If you have information on any of the projects, i.e., its status, please add the details to the thread at Australian Cycling Forums.  This way Rolandp can use your contributions to update the map.

To get more information on a particular area, just click on an icon for a dialogue box to open.

 
View DPI Grants 2008/09 in a larger map

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Australian Cycling Forums,Grants,Infrastructure,Perth Bicycle Network
Categories: Bicycling, Commuting and Recreational
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