Beck Speedster Raffle

[Guy Chiattello]

I have been active on Pelican BB for 3 years and recently purchased a Beck Speedster that I am raffling to raise money to help needy Third World children.

Please help me debug my new web site. If you see any problems or "bugs" please post on the forum.

I think you will like the site. It's all done in "Flash". www.rmichildrensfund.org

And lastly, please consider helping the kids.

Thanks!
Guy Chiattello
1982 911SC
Black Coupe

[widebody911]

By 'debug' do you mean beat the holy ***** out of the guy who

• makes you click 'enter' on the main page to get to the content
• coded the whole ******* thing in flash
• embeds annoying, loud sound files in the main page
• employs assinine 'chimes' every time the ******* mouse passes a link
• plays another loud annoying sound file every time a link is clicked

They (RMI Childrens Fund) plan to take in 100k, but they might give as much as $42k to 'needy children' - good work if you can get it! However, I couldn't find anything to actually validate the tax status or even the existence of "RMI children's fund"

Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm horribly skeptical of charities in general, why do you ask?

[masraum]

I haven't visited the site, but I can tell you that having to click on a cover page to get to a main page is irritating. Audio in web pages is irritating, flash is irritating if it's the only option and the first thing that you hit, again, sounds in webpages suck.

Web pages should subscribe to the KISS theory. Flash is fine if there's a point and if there's a warning before you get there. The first page of a website should be the main page and should be the first thing that is seen. If my PC plays sound it should be part of a game or coming from media player/winamp, not webpages.

[motion]

You guys are brutal!

Guy, the site is very nicely done and engaging in an effective way. Nice job. My only criticism is that the site is a bit too "flashy" and that fact makes me a bit wary about the true nature of the raffle. Sometimes, understated is the way to go when asking people to part with their money.

[Moses]

I thought the website was nicely done, but what the hell do I know?

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Sorry, I'm not installing Flash 8 just so I can view your website.

[sammyg2]

No sense just putting a thread on one pelican board, so you put this same post on every single board? All 67 of them?

Did you have a computer program do that or did you do it manually? Must have taken a while.

No offense but taken at face value this whole thing reaks.
I'm not saying it's not legit, I'm just saying that it shares some patterns with things that are not legit.

[Joe Bob]

Not to mention that there is no registration information....is it CA smog legal, does it have smog exempt status?

If not...no way it can be registered in CA w/o a LOT of grief...ask me how I know.

[stomachmonkey]

Guys,

What's with the harsh attitude?

Did a quick search here on PP on Guy Chiattello and although not a very active poster he certainly appears to be an enthusiast. Certainly not a troll or spammer that has been lurking for nearly 4 years just to set up a scam.

In terms of the site it certainly does do a lot of things that it should not but for what it is it seems to have been fairly well put together.

I echo some of the sentiments re; sound, Flash, lack of critical info etc...

The man asked for our input/advice. If you can't offer some constructive critique in a polite, constuctive, adult fashion then don't say anything at all.

I will do some homework on the charity and if I'm satisfied I may choose to donate. If I'm not comfortable obviously I will not.

I'm not going to crap on it and make assumptions because my senses were offended.

The guy is just trying to help others less fortunate than we are.

What's wrong with that?

Hope you never need the same help one day.

Scott

[Joe Bob]

Hey....my critique was spot on....he never asked for a sugar coating.

[Steve Carlton]

Guy didn't ask for criticism, constructive or otherwise. He was asking if we noticed any problems with the website's functionality. I applaud his effort to help those in need and will also consider buying a ticket.

An estimated $42K to the cause out of $100K gross receipts doesn't sound unreasonable to me. Out of the $58K comes the cost of the car, the tax paid to the winner for taxes, transportation, and overhead.

[Guy Chiattello]

Thanks everyone for responding.
Sammy, we are paying the taxes ($7,500) and the transportation (estiamted at $2,000) and the car today as configured would cost about $31K. A major expense is the advertising. I have budgeted about $25K for advertizing. I have already run an ad in "Car and 'Driver", (in the back of the Aug. issue). I'm eating the cost of web development plus taking risk on the whole project. I'm sorry that some think this is a "skam".

I appreciate the feedback on the flash. I did not realize that some would be offended by it. Good suggestion on getting rid of the Flash 8 requirement. I tried to make the site entertaining and also provide full disclosure on the Charity and the contest rules. Also, tried to make it personal by showing (under contact) a picture of me with my 1982SC.

MikeZ, The car is street legal in CA because it has a 1970's style VW engine so doesn't fall under current rules.

[Joe Bob]

Originally posted by Guy Chiattello

MikeZ, The car is street legal in CA because it has a 1970's style VW engine so doesn't fall under current rules.

Bzzzt, wrong answer. If it's a tube frame and a new manufacture you have to smog to the current CA emission standards.

A lot of the replica manufacturers get around it by using a VW pan that is pre 76 and registering it as that year.

I do smog rules for a living....I just registered a new home built 356...I have one of the 500 coveted exemptions...

Unless you have a pre 76 pan....OR....one of the 500 exemptions that are given per year via DMV....that car CAN NOT be registered with THAT engine.

[Guy Chiattello]

Wow.

I was told otherwise. Are the exemptions for a specific car or could the exemption be for a CA builder?

I will do research on this immediately.

Thanks.

Guy

[widebody911]

Originally posted by Guy Chiattello
we are paying the taxes ($7,500)
Um, under 'Rules of the Drawing', from which I can't copy and paste because of that abomination called 'Flash'



I'm not a CPA and I don't play one when the g/f wants to get kinky, but I wonder what the rules are about 3rd party paying your income tax; wouldn't that in itself be income?

MikeZ, The car is street legal in CA because it has a 1970's style VW engine so doesn't fall under current rules.
Looks like someone has a lot to learn about smog rules..

Also, I am still unable to find anything on the net about this charity.

I guess nobody else remembers the animal charity car giveaway scam from a few years ago. They even pimped it in Pano.

[Guy Chiattello]

Widebody 911
Here is our web site: http://www.reachmin.com/index.html

There are a lot of Reach ministries on the internet, so it's hard to find.
I will get it on the flash site

Also, regarding the federal income tax. You are right. The winner will have to pay tax on the tax, which would be about $1,875 for a 25% marginal tax bracket. There would also be state tax in some states.
The IRS has recently taken the position that if the winner doesn't pay the Federal Tax on the winnings, the Charity will have to pay. We thought it would be best to pay the Federal tax at the outset.

[Joe Bob]

Originally posted by Guy Chiattello
Wow.

I was told otherwise. Are the exemptions for a specific car or could the exemption be for a CA builder?

I will do research on this immediately.

Thanks.

Guy

There will be a tag in the door sill if the manufacturer got an exemption....or if it's already registered the owner docs will tell ya.

If there's no tag and it's never been registered in CA...you have a problem.

[Guy Chiattello]

Mike,

Thanks. I bought the car from Exclusive Motors on the east coast. It is still there. I will ask them to look.

guy

[Joe Bob]

I doubt that there is a CA exemption....and they don't take other state's exemptions.