Jul 04
CarWithoutBorders sets the record straight!
For those of you that are new to the site, Yesterday, our Fund - raising initiatives were questioned on a popular forum, here is the quote attacking our efforts along with our reply!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lookin’ for deals 
Right you are… individuals doing the legwork…savings thousands of dollars.. Bravo ! My only problem with the site you mention is that the people responsible are allowing unsuspecting canadians to be charged $ 20.00 for free information in exchange for a 25 % kickback when Monsieur Maggot who started started this site has never charged one red cent. I strongly suspect that these companies that I will not name ( I don’t want to give them ANY publicity) have probably plagiarized all the info that is available on this thread and on www.carburner.com for FREE !!! Carswithoutborders.. you should not accept these sponsors on your site solely for the benefit of making a quick sponsor buck. SHAME on you !! |
Dear Lookin’ for deals… , thanks for giving us the opportunity to clarify a few things.
First of all, the folks at Carswithoutborders are not out there trying to make a quick buck. If we were, we would have starved to death 6 months ago.
Second, we are not attempting to compete with this site. Both contain a wealth of information devoted to the Canadian Car Consumer attempting to get a fair price for an automobile. We are after the same objectives.
Third, our initiative to back the publication and folks at UcanImport was not done without much thought. In our opinion, for a few dollars an individual can obtain a pretty thorough document outlining the procedures and the do’s and don’ts. More importantly they obtain, for life, a free subscription of their newsletter. This newsletter is well written and contains great information for the average Canadian Automobile Consumer. Our thinking was to give Canadians options… we also provided the link to this site which directs people to carburner.com.
Fourth, we are out of the closet, Serge and I are working hard to implement change through Transport Canada. We have become a trusted and reliable source to Transport Canada, as they have used our input to push through major changes to the Canadian Safety Laws… ie.. immobilizers and Bumpers…
This takes much of our time.
Fifth, Serge and I founded Carswithoutborders with some pretty solid objectives, Fair Pricing for Canadians, but we primarily act as enablers, providing a forum for people to come together to work on common problems and issues. Over 3,000 Canadians have signed our petition, and we are working hard to get the message out to the general public,
“Yes you are being gouged by Canadian Car Manufacturers, yes you
have a choice to buy in the U.S. and yes the process is relatively simple
if you do your homework!
So despite being stifled in the press and media ( guess who pays the bills at Canwest) we have decided to raise funds to help us get the message out. We do not charge for advice, we do not want to become Brokers or dealers, all we ask is that if we have helped you over the course of the last 6 months , or if you support our cause, please donate whatever you can! We want to create a media and awareness campaign and that requires $$$$.
Sixth, we also have expenses for the internet and software… to keep the site well maintained and up to date. We are the only organization that I am aware of that purchased software to report differences in each issue of the RIV list. We report these differences religiously upon each new issue.
Seventh, Most Canadians that want to purchase Automobiles in the U.S. want to deal with folks they can trust. We have decided a couple of weeks ago to work on a List of U.S. Brokers and dealers. We had a poll of our members and most thought it was the way to go. Although the folks at Redflags have many millions of hits and advice over the last few years, no one seems to have list other than UcanImport. If the U.S. dealers want to purchase add space on our site fine, the Canadian Newspapers will not allow them to advertize! Any funds raised will be used to get the message out to Canadians.
Eight, we are the only true organization in Canada that represents the individual Canadian Automobile Consumer. Quite frankly, most of the other Consumer Groups charge for the priviledge of being a member, or they have too many balls in the air and are not very effective at implementing change for the good of the Canadian Consumer.
Nine, Carburner.com and Monsieurmaggott dedicate one page promoting Subaru,.. http://www.carburner.com/index.php?title=Buy_A_Subaru, and if you go back through this thread, several of the posts encourage Canadians to Buy a Subaru. Monsiermaggott, is a fantastic guy, and I am sure he is not taking advantage of individual Canadians, but this could lead someone to believe differently. Carburner.com has great content, but if you check out the news and current events it is a little behind. As a service to Canadians though we will put in a link to the Border crossing information, hoping it is kept up to date.
I could probably go on for a while on this, but if you have been around for the last 6 or 7 months and seen the impact that the members and supporters of Carswithoutborders have had on implementing change in this country, you will realize we are not doing this to make a quick buck. Both Serge and I have faces phone numbers and email addresses, and anyone out there can contact us. Both Serge and I could be doing many other things that have a much better return on the time we have invested.
I hope this post will help to change your mind, maybe you might want to take some time to sign our petition. In the end though, even if you can not be swayed, Serge and I will continue to support hard working Canadians from being ripped off and gouged. We will continue to find ways to raise funds to manage the effort, be more effective and get the message out.
If you would like other information don’t hesitate to email us at info@carswithoutborders.com
Robert Lamb
Co-Founder CarsWithoutBorders.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
These comments are really quite unfortunate. Bob and Serge and others at CWB have been extremely dedicated and generous with no personal gain in sight. Their initiative and efforts should be commended. They do not deserve to have their motives or integrity questioned. They deserve only gratitude.
July 4th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Agreed. This website has been awesome. Thanks for your efforts Bob and Serge.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Keep up the great work Bob and Serge I know that I love checking out all the posts and info you guys and all the members put up. It’s our little way of speaking up for the little guy.
July 4th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
200% Agreed, The CarsWithoutBorders website is a great place. A BIG Salute to Bob and Serge for their hard work and dedication to educating the average Canadians.
July 4th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
It takes all types to make a world so there is a place for “Lookin’ for deals ” but in my opinion he/she belongs in the ranks that toilet paper manufactures must love
July 5th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Dear Lookin’ for Deals and Monsieru Maggot:
If you had any idea about the integrity of Mr. Lamb and Mr. Bergeron, you would not have made the statement that you have made.
Even though they (with the support of over 1,000 other Canadians) were able to convince the Canadian Government to amend the immobilizer regulation which enabled them to license the vehicles which they had purchased in the United States, they continued to labour without pay on behalf of Canadians for fair pricing. I believe it was their sense of justice that resulted in the continuation of this site.
They have demonstrated that they have created an effective force, not only to get regulations such as the bumper regulation amended, but also by providing guidance to organizations that were providing incorrect information to their paid membership. This was done in a manner that resulted in Mssrs. Lamb and Bergeron gaining the respect of those with whom they have come in contact.
The efforts of the CarsWithoutBorder site should not be solely on the backs of two Canadians when thousands of Canadian car buyers benefit from their efforts. Mssrs. Lamb and Bergeron are not asking to be paid for the tremendous amount of time which they have contributed to this site. Their time has been invaluable because without them, this site would not exist.
Mr. Lamb has stated that “our initiative to back the publication and folks at UcanImport was not done without much thought.” I believe that while the decision may have been made without much thought, it was made to help Canadian car buyers, first and foremost and not primarily to generate income.
They have out-of-pocket costs that they should not bear personally. Many have attempted in the past to make a donation to the site. The donations were always declined. Now, they have developed a communications strategy that requires funding and they are asking for donations.
The main objective of Mssrs. Lamb and Bergeron is…fair pricing for Canadians.
Thank you, Monsieur Maggot and all RFD’er for the contribution you have made to getting fair pricing for Canadians.
Michael Buffy
July 6th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Dear Mr. lookin’for deals …
Strange first name, any way. I have imported a new BMW motorcycle and a new Lexus within the last 9 months. My research and the great help from Cars Without Boarders allowed this importaion to be flawless. No one has sent me a bill for the help I recieved. Get my point “lookin”
On a personal note, I think you may have a bad case of “boarder envy”, you may wish to seek some help.
regards …..stan
July 6th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Thank you for replying to Mr. Lookin’ for deals’ comments about the legitimacy of our relationship with CWB. We are proud of our association with CWB as they are truly at the forefront of advocating positive changes to importing requirements. Without Robert and Serge championing the immobilizer requirements, the bumper amendment, and now the transparency of the admissibility requirements, Mr. Lookin’ for deals would find it close to impossible to continue importing from the US. CWB says when enough is enough. They demand equitable treatment for Canadian importers. They sit in on Transport Canada meetings, and keep banging on doors so that importer needs can be heard.
In light of the recent changes that have happened in favour of the Canadian vehicle importer, I wish to take a moment to acknowledge the role that Robert and Serge have played. Thank you for standing up for our rights. We are proud to be your partners and of the work you do.
Zabin Somani
July 7th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I am a ucanimport subscriber and I find Mr. “Lookin’ for deals” comments unfounded (and a little self-serving). If he had actually taken a moment to subscribe himself, he would have seen that their guide and services provided go well beyond the typical details found around the internet (including what is on carburners). It takes both time and money to keep these services going and up to date. I applaud both CarsWithoutBorders and UCanImport for their great work!