[tkply]

To All Interested Parties,


I would like to take this opportunity to clarify and/or assist you in understanding the current issues that revolve around the Panamorph Lens, VISR, and the "infamous" tkply. My name is Tim Knittel (tkply) and my partner and I are investors in the Panamorph technology. I am also assisting in the Sales & Marketing aspects of this project. I posted a thread last week that apparently has a small portion of the forum subscribers very upset. I want you to know I understand your response to the aforementioned thread and I apologize if it seemed rather harsh. You must understand that myself and my partner have been harrassed to no end by a small percentage of you (and you know who you are) and it was not my intention to direct my response to the true professionals who simply want (and deserve) a response. I have received threatening e-mails and phone calls WELL before I posted my ill-received thread and this harrassment is completely unfounded, unnecessary, and further more will not be tolerated. My partner and I have one immediate objective: TAKE CARE OF THE PRE-BUYS! To that end, we have invested a considerable amount of money to expedite this procedure and we are taking every imaginable step to make this happen for ALL OF YOU. My partner and I have been aboard for less than 3 weeks so it's imperative that we be given the benefit of the doubt and just a little time to take care of these pressing issues. The constant harrassment and threats are just slowing the process down simply due to the fact that every time one of you (once again, you know who you are) decides to threaten us while hiding behind e-mails with no return address or Caller Block, I am forced to forward all information to our corporate attorney. If you believe nothing else, you can believe you will be uncovered. I truly believe that 99.9% of the folks that participate in this forum are hard working professionals who just want what they paid for. This certainly seems very fair to me. I can also assure you that my partner and I would not have invested in Shawn Kelly and his product if: 1) The product was unworthy. 2) Shawn Kelly was less than honorable. Shawn Kelly has proven to us continually that he is an honest, hardworking man and has never considered the notion of "ripping people off" as a viable way of doing business. There is so much more to be gained by delivering this quality product, at a fair price and in a resonable amount of time, as opposed to "stealing" the small amount of money we are talking about here. You are intelligent people-you must have thought about this. I will admit that communication may not have been the best over the past few months and I will gladly "fall on the sword" for that. Please feel free to contact me at anytime, should you wish to discuss this matter in a professional manner. I will gladly update you on what we have accomplished in the past 3 weeks, as well as what we need to accomplish in the near future. Once again, shipping the product you have been patiently waiting for is TOP PRIORITY! You can reach me at: 734.737.9355, day or night, to discuss this further. If you get my answering service, please leave your name and phone number and I will get back to you as quick as possible. I can assure you I will not hide behind e-mails and mysterious voice mails. If any of you live in the Detroit area, I would be more than happy to meet with you one-on-one. I look forward to speaking to the many professionals that comprise this forum, however, I will not be intimidated by the few folks who have decided to cheapen this forum and reduce it to nothing but a glorified knitting circle. Please remember one thing: My partner and I are here to help you. (OK, some of you are choking. That's fine If you give us a chance you might be surprised by the outcome. You are all tired of rhetoric and I realize that. I felt a response of some fashion was necessary and we will pursue the immediate and serious issues that exist with tremendous ardor.


Your Partner,


Tim Knittel

734.737.9355

 

[mflaster]

Thank you very much for your presence on the forum. (Although you did *not* get off to a very good start with your previous post.) Communication with Cygnus has been horrible - hopefully your presence here can directly impact that problem.


Also, I'm sure you will get some hostile posts. There's been lots of frustration building for a very long time. I hope you're good at maintaining your calm. I can assure you that the forum respects people who respond calmly to hostility.


Your ability to do that I think will be critical in the next few days.


Anyway, I'm probably giving you advice unnecessarily. I just wanted to welcome you here, before you got hit with your first flame...


Mike

 

[PAP]

Ok, I'll bite.


You can show me your good faith by immediately sending me an email informing me of when my replacement lens will be sent to me as the one I have now is defective.


I realize that many people have nothing at all, but I would like to hear from you when I will receive my replacement. Shawn told me it would be "in a few weeks" many weeks ago and he has not returned a single email I have sent to him.


I would like a confirmation from you confirming your intent to stand behind Mr. Kelly's commitments and publically stating so in a clear and precise manner. If indeed there are 100+ lenses sitting around waiting to be shipped, and if indeed you and your "partner" are the financiers of this project, then I would suggest some checks get written to ship those of us who have paid money well over a year ago to get our product.


I await your response.

 

[shodoug]

OK. Hopefully the future will bring better subject matter.


I will delete my other post.


BTW, what do you have against knitting??? j/k


Regards,

Doug

 

[theprophe]

Im not even going to comment, i think i'll have an interesting time reading others though

 

[HarryB]



Originally posted by tkply
My name is Tim Knittel (tkply) and my partner and I are investors in the Panamorph technology.


Does this statement mean that Shawn owes you money too?

I posted a thread last week that apparently has a small portion of the forum subscribers very upset.


ha ha, small? How about everyone who is still hanging on because they didn't buy with a credit card and their only hope is for you to start delivering on anything that you've stated publicly. like maybe a lens?

I have received threatening e-mails and phone calls WELL before I posted my ill-received thread and this harrassment is completely unfounded, unnecessary, and further more will not be tolerated.


Why exactly did you invest in a product and company that would do this to you?

I am forced to forward all information to our corporate attorney. If you believe nothing else, you can believe you will be uncovered.


Here we go again. Treating your customers so sweet. Don't you need money for an attorney?

I will admit that communication may not have been the best over the past few months and I will gladly "fall on the sword" for that.


Why would you do this? Do you know Shawn has told people many time the propduct would ship when there was no physical way possible for that to happen?

My partner and I are here to help you.


How will your partner help? I suggest you bring him in because you just keep insulting this group.


H

 

[DanHouck]

Well, Tim, I sent Paul a respectful email some time ago which received no response. I've initiated a charge-back action with my credit card company which I will be glad to suspend, but not on the basis of the policy which you and Paul dictated to us. That is the gist of what I communicated to Paul.


After all, I really DO want to own a Panamorph.


Thank you for coming here. I know it wasn't easy. Folks, let's try and keep it positive. If you don't agree with what is being said, stick to the facts, avoid the heated rhetoric and strictly avoid personal attacks.


Tim, you may want to post a detailed update here to save yourself having to explain the same thing over and over again.


Dan Houck

 

[Tryg]

but Dan... Tims snivelling again.

 

[DanHouck]

TRYG!


Behave yourself!





Dan

 

[MrWigggles]

I have sent you a PM.


Your first statement you made a few of days ago was complete garbage. However obnoxious it was, I personally would never do any such harassment you speak off. Conversing with you or any member of your organization(s) makes no difference to me. When you come spewing your rubbish in 'our" house here at the forum that is a different story.


Please take me off your bully list if I was ever on it. You could create an irate customer list and put me on that however.


FWIW I am not sure what legal loophole you guys are trying to use; but I certainly know what it is filled with.


No legal side-stepping will save your product and service from being third rate. The lens is hardly worth $600 much less $2500+ and your service is completely worthless.


-Mr. Wigggles


PS. Since you went out of your way last time you posted to insult the writing skills of the forum members. I would like to give you some helpful advice in return. Try using the "Enter" and/or "Tab" keys. Your statements are far less painful in paragraph form.

 

[Mark Hunter]

Tim,


Some helpful advice...you can reach hundreds of people with one post here a lot faster than responding individually to hundreds of e-mail messages.


This post was brave, and the right idea. If you stated specifics (shipping dates, policies, etc.) in this very forum, I think that it may serve you well.

 

[nigel_ht]

It may be faster to post here but it does not fullfill FTC requirements. Perhaps his lawyer can read the relevant passages to him.


If he wishes to show good faith, he can send all of his pre-buys an email stating that they will not be delivering a Panamorph in the near future so that we can have something to show Visa for a chargeback.


I sincerely doubt however that any such email is forthcomming given the dubious nature of the individuals involved. I think your first response was your true colors and that you have only just posted because YOU'RE the one that was "uncovered".


In any case, perhaps the solution to harrassing emails is to answer the polite ones. Like the single one I've sent you that has gone unanswered...or the four previous ones to Mr. Kelly that has gone unanswered.


Oh wait, I suppose that anyone wishing to ask for a refund is "harassing" you.


Nigel

 

[arrow]

Mr. Knittel,


Welcome to the forum.


Your first message on the forum was bad form. I think you can understand why you have an uphill climb in the credibility department. The message was posted anonymously (to us at least) and frankly was unfair to those of us who have believed in Mr. Kelly over and over and over...


That said, let's move forward:


Can you please explain your rationale behind the prebuy program? If the panamorph will be as big as you plan, and you are investors, why not pay the bill and ship us what we paid for?


Second, will you currently offer refunds to the prebuy program participants? Since in your own words we are talking about a "small amount of money", are you willing to allow prebuyers out of the program?


I still feel like we're dealing in half-truths here. Just tell us the story. Otherwise your message just comes off as tactical.


--Les

 

[J.F]

I still want my panamorph!

 

[Fist]

me too!!

i still want my panamorph!

 

[DanHouck]

I still want my Panamorph, too, but I'm not feeling very optimistic.


PLEASE, guys, keep it civil here.


Dan

 

[brian_vh]

Mr. Knittle,


I live and work very close to your operation and would consider visiting to see how things stand. I appreciate your stepping up to the plate. Please understand that a year and half of waiting and reading false or poorly predicted shipping dates has put an end to any remaining trust between the us and yourself. There has never been much doubt by most in faith in the product, just with horid communication. Only the Panamorph itself will help calm everyone down.


I for one am very interested in seeing a Pre-Order customer list, something coming from Cygnus or VISR. I think it would only be fair to see where I stand on the current pre-order list from the company shipping them, and not from the AVS forum generated lists. I think it will clear up any confusion about how many units away I am once shipping begins again. If you could gather that list and post it, us pre-order customers would greatly appreciate it. I'm located in the second batch.


Thanks,

Brian Vander Haagen
[email protected]

 

[Phat Phreddy]

Nice words Tim (better than your first batch at any rate) but your credibility is already slipping when you choose not to respond to my polite previous emails to you... At least Shawn tends to get a mail back to me every once in a while...

 

[xiaoyu]

I agree with Brian and I still dream my panamorph, so I decide give Tim a chance. We should all keep positive, since it might be better chance to get result.

I think that it's a good idea to have some forum members who live close by to visit them and also I would like to see the prebuy list as well. Tom just published power buy list for ISCOII. That is a excellent business sample which Tim can follow.


Xiaoyu,

 

[Phil Olson]

Tim,


How about an update on the 2.35 version of the lens, (your model numbers make absolutely no sense to me! ).


As least you are building the others but I haven't heard about more than one prototype of the 2.35 one.


How about a status update in this thread. Also, I agree that a preorder name list for both lenses is in order.


TIA,

Phil