You’re right. There is a common theme here. That common theme is that all of those other forums are sponsored by vendors and when someone sheds a light on their dishonest behaviour, the sponsors demand he get banned or threaten to pull back their sponsorships. I’ve seen the threads in person on many forums. Many were deleted though obviously. Couldn’t leave such glaring evidence available to the masses.
AR is the only forum who isn’t sponsored by any vendors.
Specific to AZ, he highlighted the fact that JHM helped APR with their S4 SC tune (1st SC version) which APR vehemently refuted for months and demanded he get banned. The funny thing is that APR finally admitted to what sakimano was saying all along (the secret couldn’t stay quiet for ever). Did AZ unban him after APR owned up to the truth? Nope, because AZ knew that he would continue to put the spotlight on any vendor that was less than honest.
Now, I do feel this thread has gotten out of hand but let’s use an analogy. Imagine you were a customer of a bank and some guy working for that bank screwed you and some others over for 10s of thousands of dollars by selling you bullshit investments that he knew were bad. Then, imagine that guy was never criminally prosecuted for his financial scams. Then imagine, a year or two later, you run across this same guy working for another bank and he’s trying to sell you a new investment and wants to walk you through all the ins and outs of this new investment opportunity. Would you listen to him? Would you even want to hear him out? Close your eyes and imagine that scenario in your head. Put yourself in such a situation (of having been sold shit investments by a scammer, gotten burned, and then running into him again trying to sell you another investment).
Personally, I’d tell the guy to fuck right off. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Luckily, I’ve never been fooled by this scammer because I’ve done my due diligence but one can’t say the same for others who unfortunately fell for the scams, in part due to countless forum goers with no vested interests going “Awesome!” or “Can’t wait to see the results” and then calling all the people that try to warn the others that they’re just haters and not to listen.
Anyway, just trying to add some perspective. In the end, everyone will believe what they want to believe. Sakimano and Euro are simply (and passionately) stating how bad of a scammer this guy has been (on many many many occasions, not just once) in an attempt to protect and warn any new Audi owners who weren’t around in the past and have no history to protect themselves.
That’s all.
It’s just sad that the thread has gotten out of hand and has come down to name calling and petty insults from all sides but I myself have been there and sometimes, when one is extremely passionate, emotions flare up. I’m guilty of having done the same in the past.