s.e.charles
Well-known member
makes (clears) or charges? if we're taking this fork in the road, let's set some ground rules.
XPCamper goes out of business, files for bankruptcy?
- Thread starter adam88
- Start date
makes (clears) or charges? if we're taking this fork in the road, let's set some ground rules.
i met Marc at the 2016 expo. I had a Kimberley Kruiser on order and suggested Marc consider a similar unit. Very interesting guy with a lot of ideas. I promised to bring my Kimberley by for him to examine. Shortly after I took delivery Kimberley went bankrupt. Being an Australian Company, buying one and having it delivered to the USA was a gamble. I got my unit a year before they went broke. The biggest mistake Marc made was trying to do business in Kaliforniastan. To many costs, regulations and restrictions. Seems like the companies that have staying power in this type of market locate in states more conducive to manufacturing.
I wish him the best unlike my feelings to the failed owner of Kimberley.
ps Kimberley is trying to restart their business. Great product and expensive as hell.
I wish him the best unlike my feelings to the failed owner of Kimberley.
ps Kimberley is trying to restart their business. Great product and expensive as hell.
rruff
Explorer
He works for a contractor. $60/hr is his wage. No benefits. I think most of his jobs are down in Miami so there is a crappy commute to consider. But COL where he lives is pretty reasonable.
2025 deleted member
Well-known member
Like he isn't torn up a out the whole deal. It sucks for the depositors but cut him a little slack.
BigJimCruising
Adventurer
Wow, I'm so very sad to hear this. I met Mark at a small gathering of overlanders and was lucky to spend the weekend with him. He had just finished his first prototype so it was quite a few years ago and was going to various events trying to get interest in them. His Ideas were fantastic and refreshing and hearing his hopes for future builds was truly awesome!! We talked a lot about ideas for improvements for future builds. I truly wished he had make it work. Some of his ideas could have changed so much of how we view campers and building them. I have no doubt Mark is devestated and he can pull through and continue in life.
I am another one of the depositors who lost a lot of money. Marc is a liar and cheat. He told me my camper was about to be completed and needed the final payment. Just waiting for a new fabrication company to get the furniture built correctly. It was completely untrue. There were a few shells that were built by the new fabrication company in Sacramento. He could never pick them up because he couldn't or wouldn't pay for the shells. He knew for over a year that my camper was not going to be completed but continued to claim otherwise. In the last 6 months he wouldn't return calls nor emails. Same thing for James, who was supposed to take over the project management. I don't know how they both can look themselves in the mirror.
I have no skin in game but if I was customer whose money was stolen, I’d be very pissed with people saying what a nice guy he is and how devastated he must be. It doesn't sound like the owner woke up one day and surprise.....he was bankrupt.....these things play out over time and it sounds like he still took peoples money knowing the end game
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rruff
Explorer
Absolutely. People who got a good impression of Mark should remember that even psycopaths can be very charming.
gregmchugh
Observer
Holy ********, going a little extreme there...
Next, some one will play the Hitler card and prove Godwin’s law...
rruff
Explorer
I didn't call him a psychopath, in case that was the impression you got. But someone who lies and steals >$1M from customers is a liar and a cheat, no matter how wonderful they seem.
s.e.charles
Well-known member
that was a little slack. I didn't identify him as what I really consider people who pull stunts like this.
easy_going_journey13
Member
We were also a couple that lost a lot of money believing in the lies that Marc told us that our camper would be ready earlier this year. I type this sitting in our four-wheel camper now.
Be careful who you trust your money with and do your research. I thought I did enough digging and should have done more. A simple search of his name in Google shows his LinkedIn profile stating Marc is now consult for AT Overland, about the time his company went under and was sold...
I read the profike and chuckle at it as I have lived many of the lies that are written within it.
Be careful who you trust your money with and do your research. I thought I did enough digging and should have done more. A simple search of his name in Google shows his LinkedIn profile stating Marc is now consult for AT Overland, about the time his company went under and was sold...
I read the profike and chuckle at it as I have lived many of the lies that are written within it.
luthj
Engineer In Residence
Its a common story. Small business owners don't watch their cash flow. Sales drop over a short period, or their costs go up. They are loosing money on every sale, but don't realize it. All the sudden they see the pit they have dug. Human nature is to continue on the chosen course of action (business, job, relationship, etc) even if moving forward just means digging a bigger hole. The debt piles up, and eventually the fresh cash from deposits isn't enough. The same thing happens to big corporations and small businesses alike.
In the end there is no easy way to determine intent on the part of the owner. Experience has taught me that where malice or incompetence are both reasonable causes, that I should assume incompetence first.
In the end there is no easy way to determine intent on the part of the owner. Experience has taught me that where malice or incompetence are both reasonable causes, that I should assume incompetence first.
gregmchugh
Observer
A very reasonable assessment, I agree that without clear evidence of malice I would also assume incompetence. Not uncommon for a person with great competence in some areas (cooking and camper design in this case) does not mean competence in the finance area...