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-   -   Recent interactions with GTM/Gamma (http://www.the370z.com/forced-induction/107822-recent-interactions-gtm-gamma.html)

bullitt5897 10-01-2015 02:42 PM

Ok so let me chime in here. Since I know more of the back end inner workings than most and the deals that have transpired from the GTM to Gamma transition. Like many of you I have outstanding items that are owed. I will not go into my personal details because I do not feel the need to vent them here.

SAM:
- Sam sold the intellectual rights to a foreign group that has taken over the product line.
- GTM is no more and Sam was hired by the new company...
- Sam is no longer making decisions financially for the company. So asking him will get you "nowhere" trust me on this...
- Sam on all the documentation/licensing is on purpose and I will go into that in a second.
- Sam's role has been strictly limited to R&D and the Tech side of the house.

The New Guys:
- The new guys are not US based and when they bought the intellectual property of GTM. They hired Sam to keep developing products.
- Because the new guys are not stateside they needed help in getting the new business up and running ASAP. In this they needed to retain the licenses, permits within rancho Cucamunga, CA. This is why you see Sam's name on the documents. Sam had to retain and procure these as part of the buy out.
- The new guys legally did not obtain the debt that GTM or Sam owed. In that right they dont have to do squat for us that are still owed. This is a reality and one that I wish wasnt so.

Buying stuff from Gamma:
- Im not going to tell you to buy or not to buy from the new guys what I am going to say is that the new operation is slow going and they are being strategic on who they offer compensation to.
-The new guys have an uphill battle to fight due to the actions of the predecessor. In that regard they have been offering deals for existing customers with items still owed like the OP.
- To the extent of who for and how long this will last I haven't the faintest clue and like many of you I am trying to be made whole as well.


^^^^ The above are facts... not my opinion but of what is truly transpiring behind the scenes. I wish I could give more but until I vet out the information I have I wont post hearsay.

MY OPINION:
If Gamma wants to make an impact with the community they should target the existing customers and make things "right" as they can. By doing so it will cost them heavily financially but it can be written off in the tax burden and in the same time help build the name for the new company Gamma Motors. As far as pricing they will need to remain competitive as they bought late into the game. Raising the prices without investing into higher quality and more performance is going to get them less of the market share. I have stated to Sam to pass along to the new owners the idea to purchase an Orbital welder. This investment alone would save them time and money while also providing them perfect welds on every pipe that leaves their manufacturing line. The QA issues of GTM would effectively been eliminated in regards to previous piping. At the same time they should focus on innovative designs and not just high profit margins at the onslaught. The way the perception the company is getting is that they took over and raised the prices without addressing the issues GTM had in the past... To the new owners "Perception is reality" in the eyes of the customer. Until you can break through the barriers of: Debt to customers, Supply Chain Issues, Quality control issues, and customer communication problems to name a few you will not gain the market share you were hoping to buy into.

I have run several businesses and I run an international program for a fortune 100 company. I know what it takes to be successful and I am probably one of the few here who can see past the emotions and see what needs to be done to make sure that Gamma is successful but MORE importantly you are a good steward to the market place and you repair the damage to the customer base...

My Recommendations to the new owners:
-Whether you like my opinion or advice here is a list of some simple steps to fix the problems you are facing and will face in this uphill battle to gain market share:

Step 1: Work with Sam to consolidate the list of Debts owed to customers. Offer a product for forgiveness of debt. Current Retail value of product to cover debt owed (and in the case like the OP cover the kit as your costs are not that high for the kits being made). This will gain you a forward step in the community and probably get your ban lifted.

Step 2: Keep your product offerings limited while you are in this start up phase. One of the problems GTM had was a wide and deep product line but only being able to deliver on a narrow and shallow product depth.

Step 3: bring your work in house! Bring your casting Stateside! If Other companies can do it at a lower price point so can you! This means you will have to invest into your market and not be a fly by night operation... Lower profits but more kits sold. The way this market works is by quantity and quality of kits.

Step 4: Invest into targeted technologies that are relatively low cost but reduce your overall production costs. The orbital welder is a perfect example! Instead of outsourcing your welding and paying a premium spend the $20-$50k and be able to have perfect pipes that a customer is willing to pay a premium for! I know I for one would have paid an additional $500 for orbital welds on all my piping! Even at that pricing you break even within your first 100 kits sold!

Step 5: Offer an upgrade path on the current designs! V3 Manifold upgrades for all those with the current V2 manifolds. for those with warranty issues offer a low cost solution to upgrade. Make sure to cover your costs but at the same time not break the customers bank!

Step 6: Hire a marketing manager that can present your company! A face of the business that people can trust! Keep clear and open communication and always always tell the truth! If something is going to be late or their is a complication the customer wants to know about it! You would be surprised how flexible most customers are given clear and proper communication.

Step 7: Choose 1 of the 2 -
Choice 1 - Be a performance shop and take in builds
or
Choice 2 - Be a manufacturer and utilize your own cars for test beds... nobody wants to give up their car for years to be a test dummy!

Now I can go on and on how you should do business. Being a business owner myself I always relied on my reputation to gain new work. In the car scene in America you will need the same! I say you honor the OP and send him the kit he already paid for. At this point in time you need all the positive publicity you can get! as the nissan community is not going to let this blow over in the next several years... If you want to make money make things right first and you will have a much larger loyal customer base!

-Mike

FPenvy 10-01-2015 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwick (Post 3320539)
He lives in Rancho Cucamonga. That's the neighborhood Day-Day lives in. That's awesome!!!

she said she was gonna suck my dick from the back......I aint ever had that before Craig!

2011 Nismo#91 10-01-2015 03:27 PM

I find it hard to believe the owner (Sam is the registered owner) of a company has no say in it's finances or operations. I also find it hard to believe that they couldn't find anyone in CA to register a LLC with beside SAM, why would your trust someone with the legal responsibility of ownership who you know is untrustworthy. Finally, the part's he/they are importing are from China, so you might as well get your TT or SC kit of eBay then from GAMMA/SAM.

ROBERT1183 10-01-2015 03:35 PM

I dont know why people would even contemplate buying anything from this company. Low prices on quality parts. Hahahaha. My a$$. Thats why everyones tt manifolds are breaking left and right. I have the aam kit and have no complaints. Have not seen any break on the aam kit or the fast intentions kits. With them comparably priced why would you even contemplate giving them any money. I read all the time fast intentions stepping up for their customers in times of need. Aam hooked me up on my exhaust and fuel system when i had delays on my car. Its like jumping through the flaming ring of death hoping to somehow not get burned. I wouldnt buy an oil filter from these guys. I was gonna buy their supercharger kit before all this.

bullitt5897 10-01-2015 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2011 Nismo#91 (Post 3320579)
I find it hard to believe the owner (Sam is the registered owner) of a company has no say in it's finances or operations. I also find it hard to believe that they couldn't find anyone in CA to register a LLC with beside SAM, why would your trust someone with the legal responsibility of ownership who you know is untrustworthy. Finally, the part's he/they are importing are from China, so you might as well get your TT or SC kit of eBay then from GAMMA/SAM.

OK sooo let me get into a little more detail here.

1. Getting EPA permits in CA "the nazi State" is near impossible and takes a lot of time and bureaucracy.

2. I can tell you right now from talking to sam and other parties involved he has no decision and is simply holding the documentation for the business. As I stated earlier perception is reality in the eyes of the customer... In your eye's because he is the registered agent that he is running the place. Did you know that most companies have a female registered agent in order to get minority status for contracts even though the company isnt really minority owned... This is a tax, legal loophole they are using to get up and running quickly. If you you want to put this all on Sam that is your prerogative. However, I can tell you from my in depth conversations that he has very little say in those matters.

3. Your confusing business deals with an emotional response on yours or maybe just other peoples perspectives. I can tell you the group that bought it out have a different perspective all together. There is a lot that most do not know and the limited information you have is what has shaped your perception of Sam and the new company.

4. Parts from China = EBAY lmfao! You know the iphone or android device you use is made in china right... You know that car you drive uses chinese parts, that chair you sit in has chinese parts, everything you touch has chinese parts!!! does that mean everything you own is a chinese piece of Crap??? I have bought and sold some high quality electronics and Carbon Fiber panels from China... and you know what the quality was Superb! why? because I did my due diligence. Many people go to SEMA for the show but every year I went was a business trip. Yeah I enjoyed the show but I picked up two manufacturers there from China that made parts for Lamborghinis as well as big names like Rigid Industries (they don't use them anymore). Both companies made quality parts that were near perfect. Sadly I couldnt do the UAM stuff through my Chinese vendor at the time... I wouldnt have had to refund and replace as many parts for clients over little defects...

5. I find it funny that we have so many google warriors in our club who act like they know business when they havent even filed the paper work for incorporation more or less for an EIN tax filing number...

So before we go questioning everything maybe we should get all the facts straight? maybe a good idea before making blanket statements? ;)

bullitt5897 10-01-2015 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT1183 (Post 3320583)
I dont know why people would even contemplate buying anything from this company. Low prices on quality parts. Hahahaha. My a$$. Thats why everyones tt manifolds are breaking left and right. I have the aam kit and have no complaints. Have not seen any break on the aam kit or the fast intentions kits. With them comparably priced why would you even contemplate giving them any money. I read all the time fast intentions stepping up for their customers in times of need. Aam hooked me up on my exhaust and fuel system when i had delays on my car. Its like jumping through the flaming ring of death hoping to somehow not get burned. I wouldnt buy an oil filter from these guys. I was gonna buy their supercharger kit before all this.

I would agree with you but please remember AAM had a checkered past as well. It wasnt until new ownership did they turn it around. GAMMA needs to take some notes from the market competitors if they want to stay viable...

tiller 10-01-2015 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullitt5897 (Post 3320540)
Ok so let me chime in here. Since I know more of the back end inner workings than most and the deals that have transpired from the GTM to Gamma transition. Like many of you I have outstanding items that are owed. I will not go into my personal details because I do not feel the need to vent them here.

SAM:
- Sam sold the intellectual rights to a foreign group that has taken over the product line.
- GTM is no more and Sam was hired by the new company...
- Sam is no longer making decisions financially for the company. So asking him will get you "nowhere" trust me on this...
- Sam on all the documentation/licensing is on purpose and I will go into that in a second.
- Sam's role has been strictly limited to R&D and the Tech side of the house.

The New Guys:
- The new guys are not US based and when they bought the intellectual property of GTM. They hired Sam to keep developing products.
- Because the new guys are not stateside they needed help in getting the new business up and running ASAP. In this they needed to retain the licenses, permits within rancho Cucamunga, CA. This is why you see Sam's name on the documents. Sam had to retain and procure these as part of the buy out.
- The new guys legally did not obtain the debt that GTM or Sam owed. In that right they dont have to do squat for us that are still owed. This is a reality and one that I wish wasnt so.

Buying stuff from Gamma:
- Im not going to tell you to buy or not to buy from the new guys what I am going to say is that the new operation is slow going and they are being strategic on who they offer compensation to.
-The new guys have an uphill battle to fight due to the actions of the predecessor. In that regard they have been offering deals for existing customers with items still owed like the OP.
- To the extent of who for and how long this will last I haven't the faintest clue and like many of you I am trying to be made whole as well.


^^^^ The above are facts... not my opinion but of what is truly transpiring behind the scenes. I wish I could give more but until I vet out the information I have I wont post hearsay.

MY OPINION:
If Gamma wants to make an impact with the community they should target the existing customers and make things "right" as they can. By doing so it will cost them heavily financially but it can be written off in the tax burden and in the same time help build the name for the new company Gamma Motors. As far as pricing they will need to remain competitive as they bought late into the game. Raising the prices without investing into higher quality and more performance is going to get them less of the market share. I have stated to Sam to pass along to the new owners the idea to purchase an Orbital welder. This investment alone would save them time and money while also providing them perfect welds on every pipe that leaves their manufacturing line. The QA issues of GTM would effectively been eliminated in regards to previous piping. At the same time they should focus on innovative designs and not just high profit margins at the onslaught. The way the perception the company is getting is that they took over and raised the prices without addressing the issues GTM had in the past... To the new owners "Perception is reality" in the eyes of the customer. Until you can break through the barriers of: Debt to customers, Supply Chain Issues, Quality control issues, and customer communication problems to name a few you will not gain the market share you were hoping to buy into.

I have run several businesses and I run an international program for a fortune 100 company. I know what it takes to be successful and I am probably one of the few here who can see past the emotions and see what needs to be done to make sure that Gamma is successful but MORE importantly you are a good steward to the market place and you repair the damage to the customer base...

My Recommendations to the new owners:
-Whether you like my opinion or advice here is a list of some simple steps to fix the problems you are facing and will face in this uphill battle to gain market share:

Step 1: Work with Sam to consolidate the list of Debts owed to customers. Offer a product for forgiveness of debt. Current Retail value of product to cover debt owed (and in the case like the OP cover the kit as your costs are not that high for the kits being made). This will gain you a forward step in the community and probably get your ban lifted.

Step 2: Keep your product offerings limited while you are in this start up phase. One of the problems GTM had was a wide and deep product line but only being able to deliver on a narrow and shallow product depth.

Step 3: bring your work in house! Bring your casting Stateside! If Other companies can do it at a lower price point so can you! This means you will have to invest into your market and not be a fly by night operation... Lower profits but more kits sold. The way this market works is by quantity and quality of kits.

Step 4: Invest into targeted technologies that are relatively low cost but reduce your overall production costs. The orbital welder is a perfect example! Instead of outsourcing your welding and paying a premium spend the $20-$50k and be able to have perfect pipes that a customer is willing to pay a premium for! I know I for one would have paid an additional $500 for orbital welds on all my piping! Even at that pricing you break even within your first 100 kits sold!

Step 5: Offer an upgrade path on the current designs! V3 Manifold upgrades for all those with the current V2 manifolds. for those with warranty issues offer a low cost solution to upgrade. Make sure to cover your costs but at the same time not break the customers bank!

Step 6: Hire a marketing manager that can present your company! A face of the business that people can trust! Keep clear and open communication and always always tell the truth! If something is going to be late or their is a complication the customer wants to know about it! You would be surprised how flexible most customers are given clear and proper communication.

Step 7: Choose 1 of the 2 -
Choice 1 - Be a performance shop and take in builds
or
Choice 2 - Be a manufacturer and utilize your own cars for test beds... nobody wants to give up their car for years to be a test dummy!

Now I can go on and on how you should do business. Being a business owner myself I always relied on my reputation to gain new work. In the car scene in America you will need the same! I say you honor the OP and send him the kit he already paid for. At this point in time you need all the positive publicity you can get! as the nissan community is not going to let this blow over in the next several years... If you want to make money make things right first and you will have a much larger loyal customer base!

-Mike

Do you think as a business owner yourself it's okay to ignore and lie and not return calls,to a customer after he sends you almost ten thousand dollars?if they came thru with my kit as I told them iam ready to do more business and build my car to the next level,but right now I can't even start cuz iam out 8500 and have no sc kit in my hands

2011 Nismo#91 10-01-2015 04:36 PM

I'm just saying it's odd that this foreign company had to be based in CA and wanted to join up with this guy. Most people that do the minority or women owned business do it with their wife, they dont just grab a guy off the street and go get your a minority want to be a ceo? They do it with someone they can trust wont just sell the business and run off with the money. Please dont compare Lamborghini to GTM/GAMMA quality control and checks. Yea they both fet stuff from china but its not the same.

I have no issue with you saying that you know the people there and that they are all good guys and deserve a second chance.

bullitt5897 10-01-2015 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiller (Post 3320595)
Do you think as a business owner yourself it's okay to ignore and lie and not return calls,to a customer after he sends you almost ten thousand dollars?if they came thru with my kit as I told them iam ready to do more business and build my car to the next level,but right now I can't even start cuz iam out 8500 and have no sc kit in my hands

That was one of the issues I addressed in my post. Please take the time to reread my post. You will fall into the customer debts and clear open communication.

GZ3 10-01-2015 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zbrah (Post 3320509)
:iagree: Someone with computer skills should be able to track down this guy's personal information (license plate, bank accounts, parents/relatives, where he sleeps at night, etc.) and plaster it all over the net! That how we usually draw the scum bags out to do the right thing!

Yes, exactly how they do justice over there...its beautiful

and it does not get closed, the mods are all about "just deserves" over there, Shouldn't be that hard, and these ******** seem like they deserve it

GZ3 10-01-2015 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullitt5897 (Post 3320589)
OK sooo let me get into a little more detail here.

1. Getting EPA permits in CA "the nazi State" is near impossible and takes a lot of time and bureaucracy.

2. I can tell you right now from talking to sam and other parties involved he has no decision and is simply holding the documentation for the business. As I stated earlier perception is reality in the eyes of the customer... In your eye's because he is the registered agent that he is running the place. Did you know that most companies have a female registered agent in order to get minority status for contracts even though the company isnt really minority owned... This is a tax, legal loophole they are using to get up and running quickly. If you you want to put this all on Sam that is your prerogative. However, I can tell you from my in depth conversations that he has very little say in those matters.

3. Your confusing business deals with an emotional response on yours or maybe just other peoples perspectives. I can tell you the group that bought it out have a different perspective all together. There is a lot that most do not know and the limited information you have is what has shaped your perception of Sam and the new company.

4. Parts from China = EBAY lmfao! You know the iphone or android device you use is made in china right... You know that car you drive uses chinese parts, that chair you sit in has chinese parts, everything you touch has chinese parts!!! does that mean everything you own is a chinese piece of Crap??? I have bought and sold some high quality electronics and Carbon Fiber panels from China... and you know what the quality was Superb! why? because I did my due diligence. Many people go to SEMA for the show but every year I went was a business trip. Yeah I enjoyed the show but I picked up two manufacturers there from China that made parts for Lamborghinis as well as big names like Rigid Industries (they don't use them anymore). Both companies made quality parts that were near perfect. Sadly I couldnt do the UAM stuff through my Chinese vendor at the time... I wouldnt have had to refund and replace as many parts for clients over little defects...

5. I find it funny that we have so many google warriors in our club who act like they know business when they havent even filed the paper work for incorporation more or less for an EIN tax filing number...

So before we go questioning everything maybe we should get all the facts straight? maybe a good idea before making blanket statements? ;)


I see what your getting at here, but the end result is the customer is getting screwed over. What ever the business side of things is, should be handled by THE business** None of this is the customers fault and thats where all the D is being received. He agreed as a buyer to the terms at the present time, and the seller fell through his half of the transaction. Its that plain and simple, and anything outside of that is a BS excuse. This is not how business should be conducted, the amount of time wasted, and we are not talking about an intake here....the guy already forked over a pretty penny...I would love for some justice for OP...get the better business bureau involved, idk..something

bullitt5897 10-01-2015 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2011 Nismo#91 (Post 3320613)
I'm just saying it's odd that this foreign company had to be based in CA and wanted to join up with this guy. Most people that do the minority or women owned business do it with their wife, they dont just grab a guy off the street and go get your a minority want to be a ceo? They do it with someone they can trust wont just sell the business and run off with the money. Please dont compare Lamborghini to GTM/GAMMA quality control and checks. Yea they both fet stuff from china but its not the same.

I have no issue with you saying that you know the people there and that they are all good guys and deserve a second chance.

Since you don't know the new owners you would not know why this made sense... I am not going to go into the details of the new owners because I don't feel it is my place to divulge that information. I can tell you from what I know the new gamma is not run by a traditional corporation as you would expect but more like a group of investors outside of the country...

bullitt5897 10-01-2015 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GZ3 (Post 3320624)
I see what your getting at here, but the end result is the customer is getting screwed over. What ever the business side of things is, should be handled by THE business** None of this is the customers fault and thats where all the D is being received. He agreed as a buyer to the terms at the present time, and the seller fell through his half of the transaction. Its that plain and simple, and anything outside of that is a BS excuse. This is not how business should be conducted, the amount of time wasted, and we are not talking about an intake here....the guy already forked over a pretty penny...I would love for some justice for OP...get the better business bureau involved, idk..something

So let me clarify your question... So you want a company that bought the rights to GTM products/designs and in the process hired the original owner as an employee to pay for the mistakes of the previous company. And if they don't honor the mistakes of the previous company then they are the bad guys? Is that what your asking/stating? Because from a fact based argument it holds no water so to speak... Now if you really wanted to get your money back you would have to fight to get your money back through the GTM bankruptcy in which you and many others including myself would be low on the totem pole... It's a losing battle and the fact the new company is even recognizing the issues and has made efforts that have already begun to show retribution for some. I feel that they may be on the right track but at the same time may need guidance from the community on what we would expect as proper retribution for the grievances and debts owed to us.

Infidel 10-01-2015 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullitt5897 (Post 3320627)
Since you don't know the new owners you would not know why this made sense... I am not going to go into the details of the new owners because I don't feel it is my place to divulge that information. I can tell you from what I know the new gamma is not run by a traditional corporation as you would expect but more like a group of investors outside of the country...

That's usually not a good sign especially if they're out of the country. Investors only give a crap about profit and almost always know nothing about the business they invest in. Unless they repair all damage now and restore customer confidence they have invested in the wrong business.

bullitt5897 10-01-2015 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Infidel (Post 3320636)
That's usually not a good sign especially if they're out of the country. Investors only give a crap about profit and almost always know nothing about the business they invest in. Unless they repair all damage now and restore customer confidence they have invested in the wrong business.

Hence my points above. Without restoring consumer confidence they bought a loosing hand for this market


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