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[GrotesqueBeauty]

It's kinda hard to take TellTale at face value when they waited until their back was to the wall to do the right thing, but at least the damages are being covered now. I'm sure everyone involved learned a few lessons about getting things in writing.

 

[styl3s]

He realllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly took photos of it just before?

Also low rez wide shots v higher rez close ups is hmmmmmmmmmm?! Everything looks good zoomed out.

Not sure if serious... or just one of those guys who hasn't left the house in 30 years is socially retarded and doesn't understand how things in the real world works.

 

[Pureauthor]

Well, at least they're paying for it.

They handled it in an incredibly dumb manner, but at least they're paying for it.

 

[inky]

Any bets that Boomerjinks wouldn't see any money if it wasn't for the outcry from the Internet today?

LOL. Pretty much. Good to see internet outcry still works, but it is amazing it had to come to feeling the bad PR knocking on their doorstep to finally do good for the guy who did them a favor. They still won't admit wrongdoing, but hey, at least bj is getting his money now.

 

[A Link to the Past]

Any bets that Boomerjinks wouldn't see any money if it wasn't for the outcry from the Internet today?

This is kind of why I'm still iffy on TellTale now. The letter seemed to take as many shots as it could, saying things that I suspect aren't fully truthful, with the hope that people will not call him out on it in fears of appearing to drag out a finished issue.

 

[Morts]

"TellTale finally doing the right thing once there back was against the wall"? If Kevin Bruner's letter is to be believed (and it sounds perfectly reasonable) they did inspect the jeep and thought it looked "well used". Yeah, they should have verified the original condition with the owner, but they had insurance. Bruner says that the insurance claim process was taking some time, which, as someone who has filed an insurance claim before, I have no trouble believing.

The idea that this guy wouldn't have ever gotten his money is silly. It seems far more likely that he just got it quicker by turning a couple forums against Telltale.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

A tad off topic, but since :mystery solved:, anyone else sort of giggle at this?

We hate that most licensed games are a driver or a shooter with a license slapped on it, which we've never been about.

As opposed to, what, adventure games with a license slapped on them, like how TellTale coasted through Strong Bad, Back to the Future, and the LucasArts games?

 

[aeolist]

"TellTale finally doing the right thing once there back was against the wall"? If Kevin Bruner's letter is to be believed (and it sounds perfectly reasonable) they did inspect the jeep and thought it looked "well used". Yeah, they should have verified the original condition with the owner, but they had insurance. Bruner says that the insurance claim process was taking some time, which, as someone who has filed an insurance claim before, I have no trouble believing.

The idea that this guy wouldn't have ever gotten his money is silly. It seems far more likely that he just got it quicker by turning a couple forums against Telltale.

The fact that he was doing them a huge favor by letting them use the car in the first place means that they should have paid him out of their own pocket before even filing a claim and then just kept that money once the long and involved process was completed.

Sure it might not have been legally necessary but it would have been the right thing to do. And that's assuming everything he said in that post is entirely correct which seems unlikely to me.

 

[Symphonic]

Seems like a sticky situation. Bruner handled in the only way possible for them to come out with some respect in tact.

Either that or this is the ultimate publicity stunt.

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

"TellTale finally doing the right thing once there back was against the wall"? If Kevin Bruner's letter is to be believed (and it sounds perfectly reasonable) they did inspect the jeep and thought it looked "well used". Yeah, they should have verified the original condition with the owner, but they had insurance. Bruner says that the insurance claim process was taking some time, which, as someone who has filed an insurance claim before, I have no trouble believing.

The idea that this guy wouldn't have ever gotten his money is silly. It seems far more likely that he just got it quicker by turning a couple forums against Telltale.

This ignores the part where the owner claims he requested an enclosed transport and received a reply from TellTale's lawyer denying responsibility for the condition of the vehicle.

 

[IrrelevantNotch]

Boomerjinks apparently picked out the carrier, but in his post he said the carrier was sketchy and that Telltale was responsible for choosing them. Something sketchy is afoot.

 

[Aselith]

"TellTale finally doing the right thing once there back was against the wall"? If Kevin Bruner's letter is to be believed (and it sounds perfectly reasonable) they did inspect the jeep and thought it looked "well used". Yeah, they should have verified the original condition with the owner, but they had insurance. Bruner says that the insurance claim process was taking some time, which, as someone who has filed an insurance claim before, I have no trouble believing.

The idea that this guy wouldn't have ever gotten his money is silly. It seems far more likely that he just got it quicker by turning a couple forums against Telltale.

The owner said he asked to be allowed to check it out but they signed without him. Still their responsibility either way though.

 

[AAK]

Scary how powerful interent messaging has become.

 

[Aselith]

Scary how powerful interent messaging has become.

It's one of the only things keeping corporations in check at this point.

 

[echoshifting]

Scary how powerful interent messaging has become.

I think it's pretty cool, actually. Twitter + reddit + Facebook somehow combined into a gigantic Autobot champion of social justice and lulz

 

[freddy]

Well done, Kevin. Bit late but better than never.

 

[Morts]

The fact that he was doing them a huge favor by letting them use the car in the first place means that they should have paid him out of their own pocket before even filing a claim and then just kept that money once the long and involved process was completed.

Sure it might not have been legally necessary but it would have been the right thing to do. And that's assuming everything he said in that post is entirely correct which seems unlikely to me.

Boomerjinks says in his own post that Telltale was "covering all costs and in addition to paying an amount that I won't disclose here." He wasn't doing them a favor, he was doing business.

Sure it would've been more convenient for him if Telltale just paid him and then kept the insurance payout, but I'm betting the insurance company wouldn't cut a check to anyone but the owner of the car. And even if we're making the argument that it "would've been the right thing to do" for Telltale, was it "the right thing to do" for Boomerjinks to rile the internet against Telltale instead of just working it out with them?

 

[Aselith]

Boomerjinks says in his own post that Telltale was "covering all costs and in addition to paying an amount that I won't disclose here." He wasn't doing them a favor, he was doing business.

Sure it would've been more convenient for him if Telltale just paid him and then kept the insurance payout, but I'm betting the insurance company wouldn't cut a check to anyone but the owner of the car. And even if we're making the argument that it "would've been the right thing to do" for Telltale, was it "the right thing to do" for Boomerjinks to rile the internet against Telltale instead of just working it out with them?

That was the guy with Delorean. He was letting them borrow it for airfare + tickets + per diem (which he didn't get.)

 

[echoshifting]

And even if we're making the argument that it "would've been the right thing to do" for Telltale, was it "the right thing to do" for Boomerjinks to rile the internet against Telltale instead of just working it out with them?

If what Boomerjinks says about the final communication he received from Telltale is true, then...yeah. It was.

If they sent him a letter in September saying they didn't feel responsible at all for the damages and that was that, they were in breach of the contract they entered into with Boomerjinks when they signed the bill of lading. So, if they breached the contract by refusing to pay, he could either sue, at great personal inconvenience, or go to reddit.

The fact is that Telltale had plenty of time - all day - to immediately put an end to this, but instead waited until it was just leaking into the media to react suggests to me that they had no intention of paying Boomerjinks. Ever.

I'm glad they finally handled it, but let's not try to twist the facts to make it look like Telltale are the victims in all this.

 

[Kusagari]

Boomerjinks says in his own post that Telltale was "covering all costs and in addition to paying an amount that I won't disclose here." He wasn't doing them a favor, he was doing business.

Sure it would've been more convenient for him if Telltale just paid him and then kept the insurance payout, but I'm betting the insurance company wouldn't cut a check to anyone but the owner of the car. And even if we're making the argument that it "would've been the right thing to do" for Telltale, was it "the right thing to do" for Boomerjinks to rile the internet against Telltale instead of just working it out with them?

He tried working it out with them for more than 2 months. All he got was late responses and a letter saying they weren't liable for the damages.

You act like he posted this on the internet the day he got the jeep back.

 

[megamerican]

Wow shockingly bad from a PR standpoint. All of this over $2000. And then to shill your games in the same release...

 

[Morts]

If what Boomerjinks says about the final communication he received from Telltale is true, then...yeah. It was.

If they sent him a letter in September saying they didn't feel responsible at all for the damages and that was that, they were in breach of the contract they entered into with Boomerjinks when they signed the bill of lading. So, if they breached the contract by refusing to pay, he could either sue, at great personal inconvenience, or go to reddit.

The fact is that Telltale had plenty of time - all day - to immediately put an end to this, but instead waited until it was just leaking into the media to react suggests to me that they had no intention of paying Boomerjinks. Ever.

I'm glad they finally handled it, but let's not try to twist the facts to make it look like Telltale are the victims in all this.

We can't twist the facts because we don't have any. Just his side and Telltale's side, and when presented with "they sent me a letter saying they're screwing me" versus "insurance claims don't happen overnight", I find the latter much more reasonable.

 

[commedieu]

If what Boomerjinks says about the final communication he received from Telltale is true, then...yeah. It was.

If they sent him a letter in September saying they didn't feel responsible at all for the damages and that was that, they were in breach of the contract they entered into with Boomerjinks when they signed the bill of lading. So, if they breached the contract by refusing to pay, he could either sue, at great personal inconvenience, or go to reddit.

The fact is that Telltale had plenty of time - all day - to immediately put an end to this, but instead waited until it was just leaking into the media to react suggests to me that they had no intention of paying Boomerjinks. Ever.

I'm glad they finally handled it, but let's not try to twist the facts to make it look like Telltale are the victims in all this.

They handled it like total dicks though. And for the REASONS they are giving him the money, it should have been done before it had to even get to reddit/forum abuse. If they were genuine. At the end of the day they are just trying to save face for that terrible game coming out, as if its going to make its sales any worse than they are inevitably going to be.

 

[Mr. E. Yis]

So now is Bboomerjinks going to respond to the CEO's letter, calling out the major deliberate lie? (Tt lawyers saying they weren't responsible when they clearly were)

 

[Baron_Calamity]

All is well then.

 

[Kusagari]

We can't twist the facts because we don't have any. Just his side and Telltale's side, and when presented with "they sent me a letter saying they're screwing me" versus "insurance claims don't happen overnight", I find the latter much more reasonable.

Why do we have any reason to believe Telltale when Bruner is obviously lying in their response? There is no way that boomerjinks requested the service they used. That is the unbelievable thing.

 

[Morts]

Why do we have any reason to believe Telltale when Bruner is obviously lying in their response? There is no way that boomerjinks requested the service they used. That is the unbelievable thing.

Why?

 

[DarkJC]

Boomer has already posted on the SA forums that throughout his correspondence with them up until this point, the supposed insurance they had taken out had never been mentioned to him even once. Their only reply up to this point boiled down to "take it up with the shipping company".

Honestly none of us have the facts so it's down to who you believe, now that the matter is resolved we're not going to know any more, but it sure seems that TellTale are the slimy ones here.

 

[totowhoa]

I've been following this all day. Glad to see that Boomerjinks got paid, but the handling of this on TellTale's end is laughably bad, even if we're missing a few pieces of the information. Pretty crafty to bring this up just before the release... he definitely got what he was wanting and deserved.

 

[Facism]

and tomorrow, the cheque bounces!

 

[mr. puppy]

the game is still going to suck balls

 

[sixghost]

They should have just paid immediately. They will probably lose much more than $2000 over this.

I think that's debatable. How many more people now know that Jurassic Park is coming out tomorrow? I sure as hell didn't. If there's one thing the internet sucks at, it's holding to boycotts.

Anyway, did anyone ever mention why someone was expected to determine if there were additional damages to a car they had never seen before? The TT CEO made it seems like they just assumed the damages were pre-existing. Did the owner send TT any pictures or detailed descriptions of the condition before it was sent?

When it arrived we just saw an awesome, well loved, but also well used, Jeep. We had no way of knowing that anything had happened to the Jeep in transport, as it appeared in reasonable condition.

From this, it certainly seems like TT had no clue as to what the pre-shipping condition of that car was, and just assumed the car was a bit beat up.

 

[X26]

It's one of the only things keeping corporations in check at this point.

:lol

 

[echoshifting]

Boomer has already posted on the SA forums that throughout his correspondence with them up until this point, the supposed insurance they had taken out had never been mentioned to him even once. Their only reply up to this point boiled down to "take it up with the shipping company".

Worth quoting imo:

The "insurance" that they had "taken out" on the vehicle that Kevin mentions had never, never been mentioned by employees or counsel of TellTale. They told me straight-up, "file a claim with the transpo company." I did. It was rejected because the Bill of Lading was signed by TellTale. I asked TellTale again what I should do, they said, "talk to the transpo company."

The conversations were more drawn-out, but that's how it went down.

Insurance on the side of TellTale was never mentioned. Once. Did it exist? Maybe, why wouldn't they tell me about it?

source

 

[Azure Dream]

I have to say I'm not a big fan of the tone of the response. It sounds a little like "He's conning us out of money, but whatever, I'll be the bigger man." I haven't had anything against Telltale before today, but I don't like the way this ended, even if it's "settled."

a personal check to cover what we understand the damages to be

And that could still be some potential fun there.

Any bets that Boomerjinks wouldn't see any money if it wasn't for the outcry from the Internet today?

The fact that he's been trying to get this settled for this long, and yet it's suddenly an "out of the blue" thing for them?

 

[Draft]

Telltale in full damage control mode, lol.

Don't forget to check out Jurassic Park the game, guys.

 

[FoneBone]

Why do we have any reason to believe Telltale when Bruner is obviously lying in their response? There is no way that boomerjinks requested the service they used. That is the unbelievable thing.

In the Reddit comments, he admits outright that he did suggest the carrier, contrary to his original letter. Makes this look less black and white than I'd thought.

 

[DarkJC]

He looked up local carriers and suggested one with high ratings, requesting covered transport. TellTale ordered the cheaper uncovered transport from the suggested company.

 

[aeolist]

From this, it certainly seems like TT had no clue as to what the pre-shipping condition of that car was, and just assumed the car was a bit beat up.

If that's the case they should have asked him what condition the car had been in when it left him before signing a receipt from the transit company, or just done what he wanted to do in the first place and waited for him to arrive so he could personally inspect the car, sign for it himself, and thus assume full responsibility and avoid this whole fucking mess.

 

[Aselith]

In the Reddit comments, he admits outright that he did suggest the carrier, contrary to his original letter. Makes this look less black and white than I'd thought.

Not really. How does him suggesting the carrier absolve of responsibilty for the car they borrowed? It doesn't.

 

[FoneBone]

Not really. How does him suggesting the carrier absolve of responsibilty for the car they borrowed? It doesn't.

I never said that.

 

[Aselith]

I never said that.

So how does it make the issue ie responsibilty for the damage a gray area?

 

[Aquavelvaman]

Glad they're making it right. Telltale is one of those companies you don't want to feel bad about.

 

[chubigans]

So I'll fast track getting the Jeep fixed by paying for it personally, even though I don't like the circumstances this is going down in. Perhaps some of you who are hating on Telltale might be inclined to check out Jurassic Park tomorrow and give us a chance to change your mind.

Ahahahahahah

Give me a freaking break. Holy crap man.

 

[Aselith]

Ahahahahahah

Give me a freaking break. Holy crap man.

ABP

 

[mr. puppy]

boomerjinks just posted:

" Boomerjinks explains that Telltale told him to go after the transport company himself, and that's all they ever said. They never indicated that there was a third party insurance company working on the claim. We believe there never was one, and that is why Kevin Bruner is now said to be paying out of his own pocket."

 

[legend166]

I can definitely see where the CEO is coming from. And I can completely understand why someone would have signed for the Jeep in the first place.

I mean think about it. It's probably just some employee who was told they need to hurry up and get the Jeep to the show. And as far as I can see, they were never actually informed that the Jeep was in total mint condition. So the employee's probably just figured that's what it was like and signed off on it.

Obviously though, since the guy was doing them a favour in the first place, Telltale should have just taken care of it to begin with either by giving him the money straight up or just dealing with the insurance people directly. Putting that back on the owner is just dumb.

 

[Darryl]

boomerjinks just posted:

boomerjinks talking about himself in third person lol

 

[Wario64]

boomerjinks just posted:

So they're lying about it...sheesh.

 

[charlequin]

Bruner says that the insurance claim process was taking some time, which, as someone who has filed an insurance claim before, I have no trouble believing.

Which is why the correct response was, at bare minimum, to send a letter stating explicitly that they were in the process of an insurance claim and that they would make good on the full damages once that claim was completed. (Or, again, to work out a reasonable low-end estimate, have the company pay that out of pocket, and recoup it when the claim eventually comes in -- it's a pretty minor expenditure relative the company's size and they certainly could afford to float $2000 for a few months.)

I'll also note that Kevin mentions both a per diem for PAX attendance that wasn't provided and a request to come up and be present for the receiving of the Jeep, neither of which TT rebuts in their response.

And I can completely understand why someone would have signed for the Jeep in the first place.

I too can understand why someone would have signed: because they worked for a company that had no idea how to handle receipt of materials and so everyone in the chain of command was ignorant of the need to inspect merchandise before signing for it. Oops!