IBO LEADER TAKES ON INTERNET CRITIC
IBOs everywhere, and Quixtar, have had their businesses harmed by the false and misleading information posted on the Internet by Scott Larsen, a self-appointed expert on our business who, in fact, was only an IBO for a very short period of time.
Fred Harteis's fellow IBO Leader Jody Victor has had enough of Mr. Larsen, and has sent him a reasonable but strongly worded letter demanding that all of the inaccuracies be withdrawn from his Web site and that he cease what appears to be malicious behavior. The IBOAI felt that visitors to this site, and most certainly all of our IBOs, should have access to Jody Victor's letter. The communication also references and is accompanied by a supporting letter from Quixtar that corrects some of the inaccuracies posted by Larsen.
Here's Jody's Letter:
December 13, 2005
Via Certified Mail,
Return-Receipt Requested
Mr. Scott Larsen:
Sent via email
Dear Mr. Larsen:
It has come to my attention that you have made false statements concerning my family, our business and me on http://www.amquix.info.
I respect the right of anyone to express their personal opinions or provide verified and accurate information online or offline. But it is completely unacceptable to disseminate, as you have, false and damaging information about my business, my family, or me. By this letter I am informing you of the verifiable facts and insisting that you correct the record immediately.
The specific erroneous information you have posted – without ever meeting me or engaging in any discussion with me -- includes:
Your Web site includes entirely false and misleading information about my Amway/Quixtar business qualification. Please refer to the enclosed Statement from Quixtar for accurate information about my business.
Your assertions that my wife and I are periodically qualifying emeralds and that we have never had our own business "as large as crown" are entirely false and materially damaging to my family and our business.
Your allegation that I caused Amway or Quixtar to alter the family crown portrait displayed at company headquarters by having my former spouse, Linda, "retouched off the portrait" is entirely incorrect. Once again, refer to the enclosed Statement provided by Quixtar for the true and accurate facts. Linda and I were never depicted in a "family crown portrait."
Contrary to your assertions, my father did not relinquish any claim to the "American Way Association" before he died.
Your implication that I have some inappropriate means of staying "in power" and maintaining a position on the IBOAI board is reported without any substantiating fact and is completely false. There is a significant difference between stating opinion and providing information that a Web site visitor would interpret as a statement of fact, and you are further damaging my reputation and business through such innuendo.
I am continuing to review your Web site and other Internet locations for additional false and inaccurate information, and will be asking you to correct the record further if we identify such information.
Additionally, neither I nor my family members are public figures and reproduction of our photos without our permission is unlawful. Take them off your site and anywhere else you’ve posted them as well.
Let me be perfectly clear. Continued abuse of me and my family is completely intolerable and unlawful and I insist that -- by December 26, 2005 -- you remove all of the aforementioned false statements, unconfirmed information and personal photographs from your site or any other Web site or medium where they might appear. There is no flexibility in that deadline – we are aware of how easy it is to quickly correct Web pages. I also want your written confirmation – to the fax or email addresses given below – that you have completed this task.
If you do this, then we can both walk away from this without further damage. However, if you are unwilling to correct the record, then I will presume you wish to deliberately continue to cause harm. That will not put you in good standing with the laws of the United States or Germany – which has even tougher laws on libel and slander than we have in this country.
If you fail to retract the false information and correct the record, I will take whatever further action I deem necessary to obtain appropriate relief.
Sincerely yours,
Jody Victor
