They don’t call it Silly Con Valley for nothing…
A certain Vendor in Silicon Valley – (Campbell , CA ) announces a VAR conference and they tell resellers that they will pay for hotel and airfare if we come. I sign up for the conference and fulfill all their requirements. We have been resellers of theirs for over a year and it would be good to meet them. So I fly out to California for the Conference. I even flew Southwest to save them money! Then at the conference, they give me a coop-certificate and tell me that they will pay us back for the airfare when we submit this form with our next order. We do that within a week or two of returning to Delaware.
But when we try to get our refund…. we learn that there were unwritten rules, that I was not given.
Hi Mike,
I received your airfare co-op credit information, but according to our records, you did not attend all of the events at the conference and therefore are not eligible for airfare co-op credit. Please let me know if there is a discrepancy.
VendorRep1
Marketing
Vendor Networks, Inc.
————–
From: Mike lxxxxx [mailto:Mike@zxxxxxxx.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 5:17 AM
To: VendorRep1
Cc: VendorRep2; VendorRep3; VendorRep4
Subject: Re: airfare co-op credit
Good morning VendorRep1:
Are you serious? If you are. I seriously need to reconsider our relationship with your company.
Mike
—————
To: mike@zxxxxxxxt.com ; VendorRep1
Cc: VendorRep2; VendorRep4; VendorRep3
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 11:14 AM
Subject: RE: airfare co-op credit
Mike,
Our investment in the VAR Partner event is evidence of our commitment to our partners. We ask for an exact level of commitement from our partners in advance of the event. Please let us know if you think we have made an error in our attendance records.
Thanks
VendorRep2
——————–
From: mike lxxxxx [mailto:mike@zxxxxxxx.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 9:24 AM
To: VendorRep2; VendorRep1
Cc: VendorRep3; VendorRep4; VendorRep5
Subject: Re: airfare co-op credit
Hello VendorRep2:
Since you were sitting behind me at the conference, and VendorRep3, VendorRep4 and various salespeople spoke to me at the reception and at the conference how possibly could I have not been there? Also, I filled out VendorRep5’s survey, further testament to the fact that I was there. You and VendorRep3 may even recall VendorRep4 introducing us and that you said were interested in purchasing our domain of www.techstuffyousell.net which we spoke about at the
reception. VendorRep3 spoke to me at length at the conference about your technology, at one point in our conversation we were told that we were speaking too loudly.
Commitment from partners is a two way street, as I have written you before. We have been turned down at every turn by your company for coop marketing, signage, opportunity registration and mailings.
Does Vendor judge its partners by the amount they drink, and our bowling and golf scores? If that is the case, then I agree with you, Zerowait is not a worthy partner for your company. Our qualifications are more in the realm of selling High Availability networking equipment and storage to customers throughout the USA and Europe.
Which we have been trying to do with your equipment since your conference, against very great resistance from your company.
Finally, since the rebate forms were handed out at the conference how could I have gotten one if I had not been there? I remain absolutely nonplussed.
Regards,
Mike
——————————–
From: VendorRep4
To: mike lxxxxx
Cc: VendorRep1;VendorRep2; VendorRep3
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 12:55 PM
Subject: RE: airfare co-op credit
Mike, no question you were present during the day. However, presenting information to you as an audience participant is only “one-way”. Engaging in conversation is the “two-way” street we were hoping drive down with you, which is the primary reason we hosted extracurricular activities and expected your attendance. We’re all a bit offended by your reference to us judging partnerships by drinking and bowling/golf scores. Perhaps this is your way of indicating you were in fact not in attendance at the Thursday evening or Friday (pre-paid) events. Again, correct us if we’re wrong.
Also, unless your proposed activities made absolutely no business sense, you would not have been turned down for co-operative funding. We hope you can understand our position. We’re open to a discussion if you would like to continue.
Regards,
VendorRep4
Director of Marketing
Vendor Networks, Inc.
————————
From: “mike lxxxxx”
To: VendorRep4
Cc: VendorRep1;VendorRep2;VendorRep3
Sent: 8/15/2007 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: airfare co-op credit
Hello VendorRep4:
In my extensive conversations with VendorRep3 at the conference and at the reception there was never any mention of a condition put on the rebate for the flight.
Does VendorRep3 recognize that conversing with him does not constitute a “two way discussion” within your definitions because we talked for quite a while and I was asking very specific questions. Also I spoke individually with many of your staff members at the breaks, it must be that only nocturnal conversations are real.
After your conference I was pretty excited, and worked dilligently with my staff to revamp our techstuffyousell.net website to sell your products. Since that meeting we have started an inbox marketing program specifically about your products.
Whatever.
—————-
From: VendorRep2
To: “mike lxxxxx”
Cc: VendorRep3;VendorRep4;VendorRep1;VendorRep5
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 1:31 PM
Subject: RE: airfare co-op credit
This conversation is over.
Your reseller status is revoked
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You just can’t make this stuff up…
If you want to see the complete text without the names redacted – email me.
