yet another fanfire update (long)
 

Well, six weeks ago I called fanfire again to get an update on the status of the signed tourbook that I was to recieve on 9/10/04. This got the usual infernally long on-holds, confusion, scurrying, runarounds, etc. they don't even have any records of my order number. again, I was told that they will file the reports to the "right people" and call again in three weeks. I called in six weeks, (2/14/05) as I was away on business, plus aI figured that the extra time may help them in a way that a stiptic pencil may help an axe wound. I got the same results as stated above. I did, however put to them the question as to if this will have a positive or negative outcome. I stressed the "if" more than the "when". No conclusive answers as usual. The female voice on the other end only could say that she would deliver by hand the report to the "right people". So I asked as to what has transpired before? Was the report before handed to the "wrong people" and could I expect a better result this time? Again, nothing conclusive was what I heard.
I did more snooping and found out about the parent company, Signature, who I purchase from wholesale for business. I made some phonecalls there to unearth the truth. Many discussions with many grey suits later, most of whome are at best semi-aware of fanfire's problems ( I got many "no comments" on that), I got an answer as to what the stumbling block was. Some of these execs were surprised how I found them! One of the brass at signature said, after making some calls found out enough of the tourbooks were sent to the bandmembers to sign......."and", I ask......he continued stating that we have three out of four of the signatures. Hmmmm, I asked who was left out. He said Stevie has yet to sign the. He said that they are in the posession of....drumroll please...................................Chris Nicks.
OH KRAPPE! Hopefully none of you guys are shocked that if someone has wronged Stevie or her fans that it was her brother. I guess I will NEVER see that tourbook if it's up to him. If being a screw-up was a super-power, he should be out shopping for a cape and boots. At least there is no mystery as to why things are such a mess. He has had nearly as much harm on her career as that psychiatrist that put here on anti-depressants. That being said, Fanfire should know all this and have bypassed him to get the signatures. They are still on the hook for this......I will never surrender.

:shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

Surely you jest. Surely you jest.

Don't expect one, my love, you stand a greater chance of Stevie showing up at your doorstep as a singing telegram. He's probably cruising the bars right now, picking up women, and enticing them with signed tourbooks. Because he's Stevie's brother, after all. :rolleyes:

Oh my...

I went to this show, this is the Atlantic City Show, right? And I did the backstage tour, who were you? We most likely sat right next to each other! That is ****ing ridiculous that you do not have your tourbook yet though. I got mine about October/November but only after I told them I wanted the tourbook right now or a refund right now. Then they put me through to a supervisor who had the tourbook overnighted to me via Fedex. The tourbook thing was a nightmare but I am so glad I went- best show of my life! At this point, I think you may have let this slide too long. The tour was over almost six months ago so obviously it is more difficult to get a hold of the band members to sign the books. Especially considering they have to each sign them seperately. That sounds like a nightmare on fanfire's part. Tell them you want the tourbook within the week or you want a refund within the week.

There are still those out there who are waiting for their Stevie t-shirts from 1983 that Chris was supposed to send out. But he folded the offices in New York after cashing the checks and never sent a thing.

tourbooks
 

Oh My. What a mess. I definately feel for you.
The thing is Stevie probably knows nothing about this. I would hope she would at least sign a tourbook if asked to for the Platinum Packages.....I seriously wonder if she was even told about this. I cannot figure out how her brother got involved in this...he certainly would not be the person Signature/fanfire should go to for dealings with Stevie. He has nothing to do with her management etc. Have you tried calling Howard and Sheryl Louise's office and telling them what this suit told you?

Fact of the matter is that if she puts her stamp of approval on these money-making schemes, she's responsible for seeing that the product reaches the consumer or else she has no right taking their money. Same with all the other members of the band. She's just as responsible and doesn't deserve a free pass.

Lot of good that would do.

Yeah I thought that was the case, Kelly. I didn't think Chris Nicks had any involvement in all this crap... you guys should contact HK and SL's offices for more info... or maybe ask Lori on the NicksFix! :)

I think so too. Even if I doubt she knows in details about all these operations she is responsible like all the other band members. And if there's a problem (again) with his brother's involvement in this someone should inform her.

Romy

fanfire
 

[QUOTE=diamondsnake]Oh my...

I went to this show, this is the Atlantic City Show, right? And I did the backstage tour, who were you? We most likely sat right next to each other! That is ****ing ridiculous that you do not have your tourbook yet though. I got mine about October/November but only after I told them I wanted the tourbook right now or a refund right now. Then they put me through to a supervisor who had the tourbook overnighted to me via Fedex.


I was the heavy fellow in a dark colored surgical scrub top and a bright orange bandana. I was the guy who suggested the photos at the mic. As far as speaking to supervisors, usually none are in when I call (B.S.) I still ask to speak to someone else. Sometimes on a rare occasion I do speak to a "supervisor", but nothing seems to happen, and no one seems to have any explanation of what has happened. I am, however unwilling to take a refund. They stated that I may not refund any part of this package for any reason, I am holding them to the same. I will not let them have an "out" of this so easily. It just makes me all too angry and sad. It just rakes open the wounds of the '98 AHI event, I guess. Those are nearly as fresh as the very first day.

I was there for that - what happened? Other than La Nicks leaving before meeting everyone, which though she had been at the table with Henley and Mick for awhile (over an hour I think) was not a nice thing to so. All in all, I thought it was fun - but I got to meet her :shrug:

That's easier said than done, Romy. :( Chris Nicks has a long history of scamming the fans and using them up for his personal benefit, yet she continues to this day to give him such behind-the-scenes roles when it comes to her career. I understand that he's her brother, but she's not stupid and she knows the **** he pulls. How could she not?

I imagine it has to be difficult to cut her brother out completely from her work, especially since he's also living with her.

Romy

Regardless, he's a thief. If she wants to employ such people, that's fine, but hopefully fans will know the people she employs enough now that they won't fall for another scheme and pay money for nothing. In the future, if they fall for these things knowing that Chris Nicks is still involved (or even Jonathan Todd), then they really have no one to blame but themselves. He stole from the members of her "fan club" back in the early eighties and it looks like he's up to his old tricks all over again.

I didn't get to meet her because I didn't want to join in on the throng that approached the table. I wanted to wait them out a bit. I am not an autograph hound, I just wanted to meet her and perhaps a photo with her as Gerri promised. Gerri promised a quiet, informal gathering of people in which Stevie was free to congregate. "Anyone that wants to meet her absolutely will" was the promise that made me spend my cash and fly in to AZ......Pfff....I lost what may have been my one and only chance to meet her because I acted like a gentleman and refused to mash in on her with the rest of the over-excited throng. That was not how I wanted to meet her. This is how I was rewarded. I still relive it every day. Some folks flew in from Australia and never got to meet her for the same reason.....It's all too sad.

I know I am going to kick myself for this, but who is Gerri? Is that the AHI lady in charge of the tickets?

But, yes, she should have stayed longer - another hour would not have killed her - but maybe she had to fly out that night - who knows. Interestingly, I joined the line while she was getting the award for the AHI donations and got to meet Henley, who was funny, and Mick, who was not too nice IMO (but has been since when I have met him). I got to talk to Stevie as she was leaving. So, that was cool. MANY people were pissed about that night though, which is a shame. I mean the meet and greet was poorly organized. I felt very sorry for alot of the people.

Thankfully, she has made the effort since to meet all people at this event - though I base that on posts not personal experience. Sadly, each person gets like two seconds, a snap of the camera, and then bye bye.

I am sorry that crapola happened to you :mad:

Oona
 

[QUOTE=strandinthewind]I know I am going to kick myself for this, but who is Gerri? Is that the AHI lady in charge of the tickets?

Yep....Gerri was the person in charge of false promises and tickets

[QUOTE=strandinthewind]
But, yes, she should have stayed longer - another hour would not have killed her - but maybe she had to fly out that night - who knows. Interestingly, I joined the line while she was getting the award for the AHI donations and got to meet Henley, who was funny, and Mick, who was not too nice IMO (but has been since when I have met him). I got to talk to Stevie as she was leaving. So, that was cool. MANY people were pissed about that night though, which is a shame. I mean the meet and greet was poorly organized. I felt very sorry for alot of the people.

reply....Yes...many people were very upset...some, including myself in varying degrees of weeping. I should have contested the credit card bill in retrospect, but at the time, I didn't have the nerve.

To be so close and yet so far....crushing....and all of it due to lack of organization. All it needed was a bit of organizing and it would have been so great. Also I suspect there were a number of party crashers. The location was disclosed on line and no special passes were issued to the premium donators. In fact, the busdriver at the venue was not even under the impression that this bus was going to Vincent's. It took an entire bus mutiny to get him to change his mind.

Fortunately, I had private transportation. But, I heard that bus ride was scary. Sometimes I just think WHAT WERE THEY TINKING when I see stuff like this. I mean people paid for an organized event and so many "i's" are not dotted. AND - I have been to a bunch of these types of things bith benind the scenes and hosting and you would be in shock if you knew how little some of the planners plan.

As for the crashers, yes I know they were trying because I went outside to smoke and I had four girls approach me to get them in. I was like - pay the fee darlin' :mad:

In the end, I am glad I went, but feelings of double crossing still linger - obviously.

I feel for all of you who have forked over money to Chris Nicks for "services unrendered." I have never personally been screwed over by him -- unless I include the horrible, unprofessional and uninspired art direction he sometimes inflicts upon Stevie's merchandise.

Lori Nicks is taking questions on the Nicks Fix "Ask Stevie" site. Has anyone addressed those issues with her? Would those questions get to her? Maybe a bit to controversial?

On a side note: I lived in Arizona for a brief period in the mid-eighties. I had friend/co-worker who was friends with Chris Nicks when they were teenagers(mid-seventies). The only thing I can recall him telling me was that when they would come into Stevie's parents house, her mom would always say "Why don't you boys cut your hair!?" Apparently, they were very scruffy.

Oona

Check your private messages here at the Ledge - I sent you some contact information that might help.

thx
 

thx much...I will try the info. Currently I am trying things out with signature. They were the ones that researced out the fact that chris had the tourbooks. Hearing that news tends to spell doom for any Stevie related things, but I will also take your advice with sheryl at HK.

Try the other contact I mentioned too. My instinct and experience tells me Fanfire can't do anything without someone from the FM camp starting a fire...so no matter how high up you go there if they don't have a signed tourbook to give you, there's not much they can do. If you're going to get anywhere at this point knowing there's only Stevie's signature missing, you have to go through Fleetwood Mac. Believe it or not, even at the height of the tour Fleetwood Mac and Fanfire barely communicated on the most important and pressing issues like tour dates.....so at this point FM really has almost no contact at all with Fanfire. I also believe the relationship is not going forward so more reason to go through the FM camps.

If you're not getting what you paid for, I would definitely dispute the charge via your Credit Card bank.

Don't hole your breath on that one....

This is so true!!! I've been screwed over by him and Glen Parish. I was there when the moving people took all the stuff out the offices in 1984.... Needless to say I knew right then and there that I didn't have to wait anymore as they told me the stuff was going to Scottsdale.

Other comments on Chris: he doesn't do anything the band, managers etc tell him to do. When I met the band in 1988, Christine's security guard (Wayne) told him to make a big box of merchandise for me and my friend.... we never got it. This was no big surprise, I wasn't even disappointed anymore. I knew him by then (and he knew me LOL).
I don't understand Stevie, she must know by now that he is a major screw up. The fans are always complaining about him, the roadcrew was complainng about him, even Chrsitine was complaining!!! She saw a copy of the European Tango tourbook and noticed a very unflattering picture of herself (it was an awful picture) and she flew off the handle but no one did anything about it. And, Christopher was complaining about Glen back in the eighties. He said that Glen took all the money and ran back to LA and he was losing his shirt. Sure enough Stevie hired Glen as her manager and he screwed up with the IRS. What is it with her?! Is she so gullible that she doesn't see that those kind of peope take advantage of her and her fans or doesn't she want to see beacuse "he's my brother".... Stevie, unfortunately even your brother can screw you over....

Oona, I admire you for your fighting spirit but I'm afarid you don't stand a chance where Chris Nicks is concerned. If he's in charge of Stevie signing the tour program you might never get it. He screwed a lot of people and evidently he hasn't changed one bit....

&!@^*#%^^&%!@#(#^*!%&#! Chris Nicks! Where's a puking emoticon?

As for Ms. Nicks...long nets of white cloud her memory too much.

naked at that!

still trying
 

made a new contact at signature....his words were that the tourbooks were within stevie's camp.....we are at her mercy. Of course this is unfortunate, and I am upset at the Stevie machine, but I still hold Signature culpable for not taking the measures to prevent this. Greg Fish was running around with a stack of laminates that would choke a horse...all he needed to do was stick the books in front of the band and say sign these for those guys that spent half a grand to get them. Bah...he didn't even want to be there...he was unhappy because he got pulled from touring with Rod Stewart....Waaah....poor guy. What I still fail to understand is why they would be so foolish as to sell a product that they didn't have? I am in retail, as an ironic fact, I buy from signature wholesale....I know better than to take money for something I do not have in hand....especially something that may require a third party. One of the worst part of this all is how insignificant this makes me feel. I am a serious fan of Stevie's. I can only hope how blissfully ignorant she may be of this. I may be a cynic, but I still refuse to believe that she simply refuses to sign an item that she already agreed to sign two months before the show for a fan paying 5 bills to have it. Without fans, who would these people be? Oddly enough, I think I may even be enjoying the pain. If you have ever had a chronic pain and it goes away over time, you strangely miss it. Pain has an odd way of keeping you company. It gives you an excuse to feel sorry for yourself....when it's gone, you have one less excuse to be down. If I stack this onto the sad events of the '98 AHI event which will always haunt me, I have quite a bit to stew about. Both of these things were me merely asking for what I was promised....nothing more. Somehow I remain a fan...It's part of me...I can't shake it...sometimes I wish I could. The truth is, I am not sure if it has given me more pain than pleasure. I guess that is a theme that runs thru the music....that may be why I relate so well.......anyway....thanks to everyone for all the help....I will keep you all updated.

[QUOTE=Oona]Ohh, I was at that '98 AHI event too! :distress: That was horrible. Good for you for sticking up for yourself with this. That godawfully expensive package should have at least afforded you the tourbook that was promised! :mad: Keep at it. Thanks for fighting the good fight. Did you do anything in '98? I never did but man did it burn me up.

This is exactly what happened to me. I am a "nice" person so I didn't push my way up. We were all told to sit and she would get to all of us. Well, she didn't. I met Sharon in the airport the following day, by chance, and she told me I should have been more agressive when I told her the story. In the future I will be! She gave me backstage passes for Vegas but Stevie still would not meet me. It was very sad. I spent a fortune, for me, because as you said, Gerri promised the meeting. :distress:

amazing! I missed my once in a lifetime chance for the same reasons. I was not a forceful, aggressive schnook. Damn, that whole thing was shameful. It could have been wonderful...but...well....you know. I was going to contest the credit card bill, but I didn't have the nerve. This was a mistake I still regret. The move would have been to do the party thing the day before or after the show so that there may have been a bit more time to do it. Also, people should have been called up alphabetically to have a measured allotment of time and a photo. In fact, when I took out my camcorder that Gerri told me I could bring, one of the guards threatened to physically remove me if I didn't put it away. Kinda shabby treatment for a $500 donation. Oh well, I could go on, but what's the point. I still hold hope to meet her someday, but I think I would pass out cold.

Same here. I made the $1000 donation. :eek: It was a wild adventure that I do not regret though. How dare they treat you so poorly when you donated so much money! :mad: I cannot believe how long ago that was, can you? I just reminded my friend that it has been 7 years since she met me in Vegas for that show. Crazy.