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Thu. Aug 05, 2004

Atlas Line: The Check's In, and It Bounces!

Chief Wiggles has posted an update on their dispute with Atlas Line (story background: [1], [2]), and it is sadly predictable:

This morning, we received an email from Barwil, the Kuwait company who was supposed to receive the $30,000 in security deposits from Atlas Line. They informed us that a check finally arrived for $20,000. The check was a company check from Atlas and not a bank check or cashier’s check. Barwil informed us that it would take at least 20 days for them to cash the check and receive confirmation of funds deposited in their account. They asked us what we wished to do.

After recieving this information, we called Bank of America as that is the bank Atlas Line wrote the check from. We explained the reciept of the $20,000 check and asked if there were funds available to cover it in the account from which it was drawn.

Bank of America informed us that there were insufficient funds to cover that amount in the account.

Today’s discoveries have been passed on to our attorneys and to the Attorney Generals office of the state of Georgia.

I hardly know what to say. But I do have a couple more rhetorical questions. I’m just askin’...

First off, I’m very curious about what the date is on that check, and the postmark on the envelope. This is supposedly the check that was cut the day I visited, July 14, and was then put in regular mail rather than the promised FedEx. At least, that’s what Brian at Atlas Line told me. That was 22 days ago.

Rhetorical Question: Does it really take 22 days to get a letter to Kuwait?

I haven’t tried it, so I can’t answer, but it sure gives one plenty of time to make sure the check is covered, eh?

Since Operation Give has posted cancelled checks totaling $30,000, it is simply impossible to understand why a legitimately operated business wouldn’t still have that amount in their bank account. Since it was supposed to be deposited expressly for this purpose.

On July 14, Brian told me that Atlas Line was owned by Chris Ludwig, who’d been handling the Operation Give account, but he was on vacation in Europe, and could not be found. Brian told me that’s why he was handling it. When I spoke to Brian again on July 30, he confirmed that was still the case. Mr. Ludwig was still in Europe and unreachable. For over three weeks now.

[Update, 8/23/04: In a comment below, Chris Ludwig claims he hasn’t owned Atlas Line since May as a result of divorce proceedings (meaning, they’re documented), left their employ May 24, and had nothing to do with this transaction from the beginning. In other words, the people currently at Atlas Line appear to have an endless supply of lies…]

Meanwhile, Atlas Line, appears to be passing bad checks. In fact, not only that, they’re actively bad mouthing Operation Give to callers: “The lady who answered demanded I hold, and then the lady who then came on was very aggressive and even beligerent. According to her, this is all Operation Give’s fault and I was asked if I supported a group that was more interested in giving to those who did not want their gifts and was perfectly willing to hurt people here. Not an exact quote, but pretty darned close.”

Atlas Line has so far proven incapable of handling a simple deposit transaction, has taken nearly two months (June 18 to August 5) to move funds from their account via company check and freakin’ Pony Express to Kuwait, and then has insufficient funds in their account to cover the check they sent (all of this in an industry that predominantly uses electronic transfers). When a company’s check bounces, its reputation bounces with it. No reasonable person with two brain cells to rub together can call this “professional” or “service,” it epitomizes the opposite.

And then they have the audacity to tell callers this is all the fault of Operation Give.

When I offered Brian the $50 option to make this all go away last Friday (cancel the check, and FedEx the money to Operation Give), I was frankly stunned that they would not take that deal, when I’d also fully warned him what was coming this week. I simply couldn’t understand why someone would rather face days of ceaseless phone calls, e-mails, media inquiries, as well as definite civil litigation, and now possible criminal charges … when $50 would solve the problem.

But now I think I understand. As the inquiry to Bank of America proves, the money isn’t in the Atlas Line account. This no longer appears to be just a case of a poorly run business, or a bank hold and red tape, or even a gross misunderstanding.

This now appears to be something else entirely. Something best left to professionals. I’m sure that’s why this matter has not only been turned over to civil attorneys, but also to the Georgia Attorney General’s office.