Wholesale Truck and Finance Crossroads Transportation David Strand Mountaineer Leasing Dave Strand has promised our company payment for a few months and keeps telling us he's sending a check Auburn Hills, Michigan

I stand behind everything I wrote. I have the logged calls and certified mail I sent you. Claiming that we made the signs for a company you admitted to "investing a lot of money into" and not getting paid for those signs is not extortion. David said in a phone conversation on October 15th that an agent acting on behalf of his company placed the order for the signs. We paid for all the vinyl and materials and designed and cut the vinyls for him. There was no delivery or installation charge because they were to be picked up. We make no claim that there was an installation or delivery agreement. We merely made that product that we were asked to make. I still have access to that product. It is unusable and we can not just use it on another company. It is printed vinyl and very expensive. I am appalled at the idea that Sign Smith would be called extortionists because of asking for a bill to be reconciled. Websites like this are made so that consumers may look at the facts of who they choose to do business with. Our company is ran on our word. Now, David is threatening the company and me personally with a frivolous lawsuit claiming defamation of character. Defamation can be claimed against private citizens or public. The law, along with court precedence is very clear regarding how to prove that. I didn't defame anyone. 

As of this morning David finally has emailed me twice which the tone of is very aggressive and borderline threatening. I have called his office twice and he continues, as every time but once since August of 2012, to be "in meetings." He has my cell phone and office number. I actually called to speak to his attorney who he stated was going forward with a defamation lawsuit, but still have not heard from anyone. Unfortunately this appears to be the only way to get David to respond. I stand behind our bill and the fact that David accepted financial responsibility for not out of pity for a business, but because the business he invested in owed us the money. 

My name is David Strand, I am the president of Mountaineer Leasing dba Wholesale Truck and Finance. 

In response to this accusation, as I have stated numerous times to the group at Sign Smith, I, nor any of the companies I am an owner of, own Crossroads Transportation.  My company has only lent money to Crossroads in an attempt to provide a profitable place for owner operators to work. 

It is true that I agreed to send you a check, as I understand the the pains of a growing company and I felt bad that you had provided a service and had not been paid.  Crossroads was a very poor investment for us and we are still attempting to clean up outstanding bills with vendors, even though we are not legally obligated to do so.

However, in recently talking to the group at the former Crossroads Transportation (Crossroads went out of business in March 2012 after it was discovered that a tremendous amount of money had been embezzled), your company never actually provided any product for them. You led me to believe you delivered some vinyl signs, in reality, you have never delivered anything.  You have failed to provide even a signed work order.  Rather you have been threatening to defame myself and my company if I don't pay you for work you were supposed to do. 

There was a time where my company, like any other start up, struggled.  I now regret giving in to people like you in the past and allowing myself to be extorted for the sake of my companies perceived reputation.  It made more sense to pay a sum of $2,500, than give into your threats of "posting on the internet" and other defamatory actions that could hurt the company.  This will never happen again.  I will gladly pay $25,000 in legal fees to not give crooks like you a penny.

Also, you posted above that you spoke with my attorney, you obviously never have.  However, after I file a defamation of character suit, you will.  You wanted my attention, you have it.

To anyone reading this:  Although this site, Rip-off Report, can be a positive tool for consumers, it can also be used in a negative way to threaten and extort legitimate businesses.  Please research our company on the only legitimate site, BBB.  We are an accredited member with an A- rating. We also have outstanding ratings on D&B and Paydex, which are basically credit reports for businesses.

As always, if anyone has any question regarding this, please call my cell phone at (((ROR redacted)))

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.