posted 09-03-2013 07:28 PM                  

The Suggestion box is where you had to post something to better the VCA experience... you could no longer post to the regular forum... or the members only forum... Once in the suggestion box, no one could see it... no one could read it... no one could talk about it... the communication was with the powers that be only... Basically a waste of your time...

I don't know a shy withdrawn Viper owner... LOL can you see where this started pi**ing people off??????

After this persons post, I trust that things are happening in the right direction. It'll be so nice to have "Our" club back again. I only hope that SRT will still be in the mix as they have been in the past.
K
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From VT:
Keep this discussion and others going please. I promise it will not be censored, moved to the ****ing suggestion box, or edited unless it violates a posting policy such as name calling. And if a post is removed for a valid posting policy violation, you will be notified with the reason. If that doesn't happen please let me know ASAP.

The Suggestion Box is going to suffer a miserable and painful death, I promise you that.

For way too long these discussions were not allowed for the "benefit of the club" and it's fair to say that backfired hasn't it? Keep it going.

As for vendor posting on the forums. Last summer, after almost 2 years of arguing, we changed the vendor posting policies from restricted to non-restricted. At one point, the site sponsors weren't allowed to post their pricing, product availability, logo, contact information in the general forum threads. They were restricted to posting that information in the Supplier Section. Why? Something to do about too much spam on the forums. <- bull****. I'm going to say it was because one vendor, JonB - PartsRack, was prolific (not spamming) in helping users here find good deals on various parts and services and may have, at times, violated some posting policy along the way. So, in order to punish one vendor, all vendors were inadvertently punished.

I know factually that our long-time site sponsors didn't like the restrictions. Some have stopped posting technical help altogether in the general forums because they couldn't respond with a simple post about how many GenII water pumps they had in stock for $xxx.xx in a "How to fix my water pump" thread. True, while it may have silenced one vendor it alienated many others. And the vendors did try to follow the new rules and worked within those guidelines some more begrudgingly than others. But for lack of a better explanation, it sucked for them and for us.

We argued about changing the vendor posting policies back to what they used to be. Helpful. I spoke with several vendors and they all agreed that they could police themselves, an honor system if you will, and promised not to flood the forums with spam posts trying to outbid each on pricing. After long debate, the policies were changed last summer.

- They can post product, pricing information in the general forums.
- They can respond to threads with product information, pricing and availability.
- They can use their corporate logo for their avatar.
- They can add their contact information in their signatures.

When this change occurred (which was never publicized and I don't know why) I was warned that it would open the site back up to the alleged spam attacks that caused the changes in the first place. It's been over a year and no spam. The Site Sponsors stayed true to their word which was never an issue anyway.

Looking back on this one particular event: The changes occurred because one vendor was an "issue". We can't have these fire, ready, aim changes without open discussion and input from the actual club members.

As for non-paying vendors posting on the forums, that is your call, the membership/site users/sponsors. I do know that paying site sponsors took issue in the past with non-site sponsors posting links to their sites enjoying "free" advertising while the paying site sponsors did the same but had to pay. It wasn't fair to the paying site sponsors to allow, essentially, competitors to post here freely. For example, Formica House Dodge, a paying site sponsor, has a GenV for sale ad on the site. Later, Guido Used Auto Sales posts a link to their ebay ad selling their GenV. Directly competing with Formica, Guido's ad thread is pulled.

But when a member/user comes across a good deal on ebay and wants to post a link to it in order to help the community (not necessarily to advertise something that may compete with a site sponsor) it gets pulled. This needs to be revisited.

With the Viper aftermarket being so minuscule I believe we need every reputable vendor out there that can help us maintain our Vipers on this site helping. But we need to find a fair way to make that happen.

This topic is one of many discussions that will be had on this site. Policies must not simply change but evolve in a fair manner.

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another post form the same person:

And I will state that, when the first vendor policy changes were made, I supported them. It seemed to make sense at the time but it became obvious very quickly that everyone was being punished, inadvertently, because of one maybe two noisy apples. We make mistakes, mistakes will happen. But these mistakes can be minimized with more input and discussion. I know we'll have more input, discussion here in due time. Know that the entire board has heard all of you. And we are working, together, to right this ship. We're separating fact from fiction. I'm confident that very soon the board and officers will begin addressing with you the very fluid events that have occurred recently and perhaps in the past.

I wish I could post more but based on the NDA and confidentiality agreements I and others have signed I will become suspended should I share something to be deemed as "confidential". As much as this gets my underwear stuck in a pucker vortex I cannot allow myself to fall into this trap and be removed from the board. I will not be able to help if I'm suspended. But rest assured we're on this. Have patience.

posted 09-04-2013 05:30 PM                  

Ralph was asked last week on twitter "now with the VCA's demise, how do we stay intouch with SRT staff?"

posted 09-05-2013 08:49 AM                  

To all VCA Region Presidents:

Your board of directors have been spending significant time over the last 2 weeks working through some big steps to propel the club forward. We have committed as a group that a focused charge to create significant and swift changes is needed. There are a number of extremely significant objectives the team has laid out, all of which keep the membership and the club's health at the forefront. You'll be hearing of the many changes that we plan on making over the coming weeks.

Lee will be addressing the club in a letter by the end of this week on some of these changes as well as transition to a new President going forward. Lee understands that there is a lot of passion about the current direction of the club, he has constantly and diligently been working for the betterment of the club. Lee outlined to the board last night that his job is going to require a lot of time over the next quarter and that a transition to a new President will be the best for the club at this point. We thanked Lee for putting the club’s needs ahead of his office. Again, Lee will be addressing all of you directly in the coming days.

You are welcome to share this with your members.

Sincerely,

M L

VCA Secretary

on behalf of the VCA Board of Directors

posted 09-08-2013 03:43 PM                  

the thread is about bringing back the members that were banned.

Randall is DaytonProwler on the VCA site too.

posted 09-09-2013 12:32 PM                  

Mr. Randall Arnold

Your multiple resignations submitted to both Dan Everts and myself as National Vice President are accepted. Further, this is to notify you that effective as of the date of this notice, your membership in the VCA is suspended for disruptive conduct in accordance with the authority in the VCA Bylaws Article II, Section 3c. Additionally, along with your status as suspended member is loss of any VCA Membership rights and privileges including the disqualification to hold any position within the VCA. This means that you are no longer a director or hold any positions within the club.

Your actions in attempting to seize power, unsettling the organization and the membership, illegally removing the elected President, and issuing demands to others that usurp the presidency have damaged and harmed the club and are quite unacceptable.

As counsel explained during the call this past week, as President, the bylaws provide me the authority to take this action, particularly as half of the national officers are in agreement.

Regards,

Lee Stubberfield, President
Viper Club of America

posted 09-09-2013 01:34 PM                  

Randall. out...
Jim J a zone director who supposedly leaked the Chrysler letter... out.

Then Dan E was promoted to National VP.
Then Dan E was promoted to National President.

not sure if the hammer is done swinging... but... you can't make this sh*t up...

I have to add so far the actual club members are in shock... total shock...

EDIT: The Nat'l secretary was just suspended. Forum Moderators who spoke out have been suspended...

It ain't over...

posted 09-10-2013 08:26 PM                  

One of the supposed bribes with a Chrysler employee was a helmet that was given to a SRT official... By his long time friend who also owned a Viper... not as a club gesture... AND we thought that was nuts... but Pizza... that's too funny. Maybe he was secretly dieting, because he couldn't fit into his track gear... LOL

This rendition of the VCA has taken the stance that they had to run the club like a business after the Chrysler BK... They got really serious. Too serious for most of us.

posted 09-18-2013 05:20 PM                  

Thank you to all who took the time to vote and share your opinions and to have your voice heard on this historic matter with the Viper Club of America. It is late so I will make this brief.

The Results of our South Central Texas Viper Club vote to separate from the National Viper Club of America are:

24 Votes to Separate from National Viper Club of America
27 active members chose to abstain from the vote by not responding
0 Votes were cast to stay with the National Viper Club of America

This is an overwhelming majority to separate South Central Texas Viper Club, Inc. from the National Viper Club of America.

This will not be immediate. Legally you will all remain members of the VCA until 12/31/2013 if you do not renew.

Your elected regional board will draft a letter of resignation for the region to submit to the National Board of Directors informing them of the intentions this region will take as of 12/31/2013. The South Central Texas region will dissolve and no longer be recognized. The South Central Texas Viper Club, Inc. will live on. Currently over 90% of the current VCA regions are in talks to form a new club. This club will take everything we have always asked for and put in on paper in new By Laws. Once these are written I will bring them to you and we all can vote if we want our region to join this new national club or stay independent as our own club. The next few weeks will bring a lot of change. You participation is greatly encouraged.

Thank you to all who have voted. Your voice has been heard!

posted 09-19-2013 06:38 AM                  

There is a new club forming. Once Randall and Maurice got suspended they got together and decided on the new National club. So far it is going to be called the VOA or Viper Owners Association. Things are really starting to look up.

The VCA BOD released this yesterday:

An Apology to Ralph Gilles,

September 18, 2013

Dear Members and Enthusiasts.

Over the past few weeks, the VCA has gone through some turmoil. As you can see, your Board has now agreed to significantly overhaul the VCA Bylaws in order to move the club forward. We would also like to take this opportunity to apologize to Ralph Gilles. We greatly respect Ralph and what he has done for Chrysler; SRT; the VCA; and our wonderful Viper. He is the rare automotive executive designer and brand CEO, who talks the talk and walks the walk, who frequently makes himself available at VCA local and national events. He is truly a wonderful friend of the Viper Nation.

Best regards,

Viper Club of America Board of Directors

posted 09-19-2013 09:59 AM                  

When the news came out that Maurice was booted, lots of angry owners got vocal. Then about a day or two later the VCA BOD decided that Maurice wasn't properly booted... Offered a olive branch for him to come back as VP. But it was too late. Maurice & Randall with a crew of others started the talks about a new club.

funny though how Maurice was improperly booted, but no one ever said Randall was improperly booted...