Hey Guys,
I don't post alot here so maybe I'm speaking out of turn but.. I am an AW dealer and I choose to pass on purchasing release 2 Just because I had a bad feeling about it and didn't like the way things seemed to be playing out. I check what everyone is saying especially in the AW Update post Tom started. Before AW put out release 2 Tom publicly trashed his dealers on AW's Websight. Now he comes here and trashes his customers. And worst of all he's got us fighting each other. I read one of the post where someone said Tom is doing good things for the hobby. Maybe,but he's put us, the hobbiest at odds with one another. Were suppose to be doing something we love. Were suppose to be banding together sharing our knowledge, experience, and latest cars and track layouts. Its suppose to be fun. Some of the things I read of people going back and forth arguing is not healthy for this hobby. Another person said they thought it was great that the president of the company would come and talk to us personally and that you wouldn't find that with other large companies. There may be a reason for that. Company presidents shoud be focused on growing the company making sure its going in the right direction. If there are issues that need to be discussed with the public they hire someone to do public relations.
Tom needs a PR person because he seems to making things worse for himself everytime he speaks. What Tom does don't concern me. Slot car racing was going on before AW and it will continue after AW. Lets don't let one man tear this hobby apart.

Thanks for hearing me out,
Jeff
www.jwlsotcars.net (http://www.jwlslotcars.net)

It is a thread like this that is a cancer to the hobby. It is inaccurate. It is mean-spirited. It serves no purpose but to stir up hard feelings. It's just plain evil.

Tom Lowe was interacting very politely on this forum until he was baited by a small minority of vocal posters, most of which contribute very few posts here. His pride got the best of him and his reply was a little too honest. That's the reality of what happened here.

Very little has changed for the majority of those in this hobby and I'm convinced that most of us are happier than ever because of the variety of developments in the hobby in recent years.

Jeff said, "What Tom does don't concern me." Well then he should quit stirring the pot and let the rest of us enjoy the hobby.

TK Solver,

Well said. :thumbsup:

Omega (Dave)

I agree with TK. I am enjoying HO more than ever right now!!!

Come on TK... Tom's "take it or leave it" post pissed off a lot of people, including me. There was nothing polite about it.

I mean really... how dare ANYONE qusetion AW's products or marketing tactics?
The nerve of some people!

Also, why do some of you feel the need to act as Tom's apologists?
AW makes a good product, but I agree, Tom's needs a professional PR person.

Telling people to take a hike is never a good thing for a CEO to do, Tom realized that HIMSELF and apologized for it... so there's no need to pretend he didn't post what he posted.. or to bend over and make excuses for a man who's making millions of us doing what he loves... a man in HIS position SHOULD be able to take a little heat from time to time.

This isn't about AW's new marketing tactics... this about how he responded to those who weren't happy with it, and those who made valid points about AW's t-jet chassis.

but you're right... we should never ask hard questions of Pope Tom... that's sacrilege!
All Hail the great and mightly, our Lord and savior, Tom!

inaccurate... How? are the AW chassis up to snuff? That seams to be a matter of opinion. I don't mind them, but I could see why some would complain about it.. so how is someone's else's opinion about the AW chassis inaccurate?

Stir up hard feelings? Well is it seems most of hard the feelings were stirred up by AW's defenders who deemed any and all criticisms to be an unholy act against the Lord Tom, so they called the rest of us names.

I like AW... but I won't kiss anyone's butt... just so I can have the opportunity to spend thousands of my hard earned dollars with them. If I have a complaint, I will embrace my rights as an American and post them. If that's deemed wrong by the Tom Sqaud, I care not.


Tom... you are perfect.... AW is perfect and please forgive my evil transgressions and allow me into slot car heaven. How could I have ever questioned anything AW ever did is beyond me. No one who was ever born to this earth has ever had a valid criticism of your product. I beg for your forgiveness.

There... are the AW apologists happy now?

also... you want to cure this cancer?
Make every car available to everyone... no strings or no gimmicks attached.
Sell them all individually from day one.... after more than a week of this debate... still not one person has told me how anyone... AW, the dealer or the collector would be hurt by doing that. Charge extra for the chase cars, but still sell them INDIVIDUALLY and be done with this.

THAT is a cure for this type of cancer.

This post is killing me ....ever so slowly.
Buy what you want/can..if you have a hard time finding something, (AW exclusive) just think of that elusive AW car as an original Aurora seafoam green charger. If you get one cool..if not, keep looking and something else cool might happen to fall in your lap.
My 2 cents.
Ray

There are no cures for the cancer that this hobby has. Why, because you stop the fact that there are way too many peronalities in it. You will never make everyone happy. For those easily offended, stop reading right here!

Ok, Get over it, it is how it is, and it is time to stop. Finally someone has stood up to the bullies that think they are entitled to the world at a disounted price or for free. Pi$$ Off and go away! politically correct crap is so '90's and frankly I'm tired of all the winers and complainers. If you haven't noticed the world not fair and never will be. Tom Lowe was right and I for one am glad he said something. If this has shown me anything, it is that there are always going to be the easily and perpetually offended and you can NEVER make them happy.

Jimmy, Tom's so-called take it or leave it post came AFTER many mean-spirited, nagging posts by the vocal minority. What did they expect? THEY ASKED FOR IT! He was polite and reasonably informative over the past couple years until people got nasty with him. He never actually said to take a hike. He explained the new options for getting the cars and reiterated the obvious by saying that if you don't like a particular car or set or option, don't buy it. But for people to nag him and nag him and then act surprised when he responds honestly is downright feminine. It's like a bunch gossiping old church ladies getting called on it!

And we all know you want to be able to buy individual chase cars. You've rambled on about that. Well you never could buy individual chase cars direct before and you can't now so nothing's changed. No one took that option away from you. AW wasn't out to get you. AW added some new options but nothing was taken away from you. Maybe you'll get the chance in some future release.

There have been chassis problems with the JL and AW cars and we've discussed those on these forums constructively for years. AW seems to be trying some changes to address the problems but they're still not perfect. It's possible to be disappointed without being nasty. I always had lots of questions about TJets (TO's) but I never rambled on and slammed the product line or went out of my way to call for a boycott of Playing Mantis or AutoWorld unless the cars were fixed. I appreciate the helpful posts I've read here on how to tweak the cars and I have a lot of fun with them now. Do I wish they were better right from the factory? You bet! Am I hopeful that they'll improve? Sure. Will I waste hours lamenting over and rehashing the problems? No... THAT would be cancerous.

On that note, time to lock this thread, as well....