Hey HAMMER MAN! I remember you!
I don't want to hijack this thread or anything like that (the OP has some very good questions) but I agree with you, there shouldn't have been an issue with pointing out poor customer service on the part of a builder. While my original complaint with that builder involved a frame that wasn't what I ordered, the issue morphed into a problem with his refusal to fulfill the guarantees he made to me. While I too have since read other threads and posts on BF critical of builders, my experience has me wondering how many negative comments and reviews have been deleted. Right now if you search for that particular builder, not a discouraging word will be found (at least the last time I checked), and that just isn't right.
As for the moderator's rational for deleting my particular thread, I can only pass along the moderator's own words which make as little sense to me now as they did then:
John,
That's the way we deal with threads like that, no matter what the subject. Your interests and the interests of BikeForums don't necessarily coincide in this matter. I suspect you can find your thread on the web now, there are a number of companies that specialize in scraping content off of forums. If you really want to keep this up, go to blogger and start a blog about it. You can put a link to your blog in your signature. Might want to think of some other things to talk about while you are at it. You sound like a good guy, and I know this has been a bad experience for you. But I have to say that you gave him his money's worth in bad advertising here.
Framebuilding is a low margin business, and I don't think you appreciate how much damage something like your thread could do to someone's livelihood. Is that really what you want? I doubt there is anything else he can do at this point. There are now a batch of lurkers that are going to go buy a Trek instead. Maybe they should, who knows?
Regards,
[moderator's name redacted]
(This is John again):
Frankly, the builder ripped me off so I didn't care then nor do I care now how much damage I've done his reputation. Any builder with as little respect for the sport and for his customers should be out of business.
But I can say that the problem was entirely with that ti frame, my IF is built up using the same kit and the same design...and oh! what a difference.