Had some time today so I went through the filings to create a timeline.
+ March 2018: Matthew Wendler ("W") and Jamie Thomas ("JT") meet at Tampa Pro.
+ December 9, 2018: W White Knights for JT on Instagram, squabbling with Baltimore-based Carpet Company over their use of a Zero Skull logo for a deck graphic. Let the record reflect that the original Zero tees were a blatant rip off of a popular Smashing Pumpkins design.
+ December 24, 2018: JT alleges W sends $15,138 "unsolicited," and that W suggested he make him a grab bag of product totaling that price.
+ January 11, 2019: W alleges JT offers the sale of a complete set of Mystery decks.
+ January 2019: JT initiates discussions on sale of Garage Days, including the website and inventory, less $20,000 (MSRP) in stock, in exchange for a down payment of $55,000, the remainder of the price to be paid in installments, w/ interest. W alleges deal also included a right of first refusal to purchase any decks from JT's collection. (Right of first refusal means you get an opportunity to purchase the good before all other potential buyers.) W alleges he was told he could purchase Zero product at wholesale, for a startup business, and that the decks would be signed by pros for $50-100 apiece, which later raised to $250.
+ February 12, 2019: W asks JT for a guarantee that the set includes one of each Mystery board, JT allegedly replies that the set is not complete.
+ February 14, 2019: W & JT discuss purchase of a set of approximately 300 decks located in Australia, purchased wholesale from a distributor for $5,000. W alleges JT promised to purchase them, and, less some decks for JT's personal collection, convey the remainder to W.
+ February 27, 2019: W allegedly conveys the agreed upon $5k to JT for purchase of Australian collection. W also claims that he spoke to the Australian collector, and that JT purchased the decks for $5,000.
+ March 2019: Under JT's direction, W meets a professional skateboarder at Tampa Pro, who is paid $370 to sign product for W. W alleges JT shipped incomplete Mystery Collection, asks for more money to fill gaps.
+ April 22, 2019: JT announces Garage Days Collection sold, W alleges "most of" the down payment was paid, but that he was already concerned about non-performance. W alleges JT said he was under "financial pressure" due to a personal issue, and needed more money. In response, W asks JT to guarantee in writing he's not withholding product. Around this time, boards start appearing on the Garage Days eBay account at prices beyond the alleged agreement w/ W.
+ April 27,2019: JT mentions "shelving" the Garage Days transaction, offers to refund W $3,000, W refuses. JT says Garage Days transaction off the table. JT suggests W should agree to new terms as conflict would work to the disadvantage of W's proposed startup, since JT is the established pro and W is some guy in Florida who really liked Mystery.
+ May 17, 2019: 2,434 lbs of product ship from Crossroads to W. Likely not good for JT's case and his assertion that Florida is not the proper venue, when he shipped an actual ton of product to Broward County.
+ June 15, 2019: W inspects shipment, sends JT accounting of allegedly missing product. W asserts he received 30% of promised decks, very little clothing, no shoes, no DVDs.
+ June 17, 2019: JT mails W a "chomp on this" sprayed sheet of griptape.
+ Much of the action since has centered on a dispute over venue. W sued JT in Florida and wants the case to proceed there, JT claims Florida isn't the proper spot, and that all of his communications with W were never as himself, but rather on behalf of Crossroads LLC. Also says the agreement for Garage Days sale was never complete because (1) loan terms were never finalized; and (2) goods never insured.
+ Beyond just generally feeling ripped off, W bases a lot of his legal argument around the idea that he'd planned a business where this wholesale purchase was going to allow him to launch, so by breaching the contract, JT has caused material and financial losses to that business. He thinks that his ideas for revamping the GDC website qualify as "trade secrets".
+ Taking the situation in sum, what W wanted to really buy was legitimacy. He loved being in close proximity to someone he admired, and then believed that this deal could be his ticket into the skate industry. W thought he had a personal connection with JT, ignored red flags, and made a lot of wild decisions thinking they had a real relationship. Paying $55,000 + more for GDC was crazy enough, but look at the $15,138 he sent for product he hadn't even picked out. That's not a rational decision. Neither is continuing to proceed with deals and send funds when the terms of your previous agreements still aren't satisfied.
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