Deal at your own risk with SOKY Marine in Bowling Green.

Our bass club, the SOKY Bassmasters hold a charity tournament every year in July. SOKY Marine, a Triton dealer paid bonus money to the top finishing Triton owners for the 2004 and 2005 events.

I talked to Raymond Hagan Jr.(co owner of the business)on the Phone last Feb. and asked if they wanted to pay the bonus money for the 2006 event. He told me yes, and even went so far as to tell me how he wanted the money split up between the top finishing Triton owners.

I prepared the flyers Which had SOKY Marine's name in big bold letters along with their phone number on the front, and emailed him a copy. He emailed back the next day and said he couldn't open the file. I responed asking what version of MS Word he had and didn't hear back. 3 days later I took him a printed copy of the Flyer in person, and he said it was fine. I finalized the flyer, hundreds were mailed out, and we put them out at the area's fishing oriented businesses. One of the businesses where flyers were on display from the winter all the way into the summer was yep, SOKY Marine.

Well the event goes down, we pay out all the prize money, and our club sec goes over to get the Triton bonus money. He came to the next club meeting saying they refused to pay, they say they never agreed to sponsor this year's event. Remember now, flyers for this tournament were in their showroom for months and members of our bass club were there regularly.

Last week I went over there in person to ask them about it and sure enough they refuse to pay. After I pointed out he personally told me the flyers were good, Raymond Hagan Jr. hands me a printout of an email he claims he sent me and disappears while I'm reading it. Sure enough in the email he politely declined to support this year's event due to other commitments.

Only problem is this email he supposedly sent me was FROM himself TO himself, it's right there in black and white.

I went to his office to point this out, and ask him why he hadn't declined in person the many times I was over there between Feb and July, but he was nowhere to be found. I was afraid to go into the shop because there's an employee only sign on the door. (They've already called the police on a friend of mine's wife after she raised heck with them about them keeping their boat for several MONTHS without touching it. Blown powerhead under warranty, but that's another story.)

Bottom line here is they got advertising and support from our club. Our charity got nothing in return.

Draw your own conclusions. This story is nonfiction.

Jim Richardson
857 Dye Ford Road
Alvaton, Ky. 42122
270-792-1524