101 Neyland stadium replicas were seized at Norfolk port

#3
#3
VolDave53 said:
The models are not a very good likeness anyway. :):cool:
Click to expand...

True, but our Vols must be back if you got cons trying to profit off our likeness.
Know we need it, Vol power
We got to have it, Vol power
Know we want it, Vol power
Got to have it, Vol power
Give it to me, Vol power
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolDave53
#5
#5
I know the artist who designed these, and they are in no way fake. The artist is a passionate alumn who worked closely with the university and has them licensed under the CLC (collegiate licensing company).

This isn’t some big company trying to profit off counterfeit goods. It’s an incredibly hard working artist who reached out to a manufacturer to help him replicate his work, and they used a plug they weren’t supposed to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SmokinBob, DiderotsGhost, coachballcoach and 9 others
#7
#7
Had a similar thing with an ex girlfriend a couple years ago. She and her dad own a company that makes a specific car part. Used to have a factory in Maine make them, but at $26 a hour for an average worker, they shut it down and started getting a factory in China to make the parts with the average worker getting $5/6 an hour. BIG SAVINGS! Only problem was that this kinda nonsense followed them around, poor cheap, fake quality. So they moved to Mexico and now pay $11 and the quality returned, mostly… and everybody is happy, mostly…
 
  • Like
Reactions: DiderotsGhost and MidTennVols
#10
#10
Brothers in orange, many of you may have seen news reports of 101 "counterfeit stadium replicas" of Neyland that were seized at customs. There is much more to the story, and the way it was communicated was misleading and harmful.

Reginald Rutledge is a passionate UT alum and engineer who has spent YEARS created architectural model stadiums out of his house. After making hundreds of custom orders, he decided to use one of his designs and have them reproduced for sale (and as you might guess, he chose Neyland). It is INCREDIBLE! It has lights, plays RockyTop, and even includes a small section of the Tennessee River (complete with field goal post from the Alabama game).

He worked with the University of Tennessee and had his product properly licensed by the CLC (collegiate licensing company) doing everything by the book. He and his wife Rose literally spent their life savings on this dream. Unbeknownst to them however, their manufacturer used the wrong plug, and that was discovered at customs.

So you would think a remedy would be easy, right? Take off the plug and send them to Reginald? Send them back to the manufacturer to replace? Nope. They instead wrote a story and publicized the seizure of "counterfeit stadium models" to get a few clicks. This story was picked up by all kinds of news outlets COMPLETELY MISREPRESENTING what happened. WVLT headline literally says, "101 fake models of Neyland Stadium seized by U.S. Customs."

Needless to say, Reginald and his wife Rose are devastated. This isn't some scam company using the trademarks of Tennessee to make a quick buck, and these certainly aren't counterfeit stadiums. This is a real artist, a real VFL, and a real human being who has been embarrassed and lied about all over the internet.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Correct those who share this story misrepresenting the facts
2. Tweet replies to @DFOBaltimore and share how misleading and harmful his news release was to a sweet couple doing everything the right way
3. Contact news organizations who run this story and let them know they got it wrong

Many of you guys know me as the guys who shared my own Tennessee artwork years ago. I have so much respect for someone like Reginald putting their passion on display. To see what's happened to him makes me sick. Volnation, please help support your brother, and let him know you have his back. GBO!
 

Attachments

  • reg2.jpeg
    reg2.jpeg
    118.9 KB · Views: 79
  • reg1.jpeg
    reg1.jpeg
    341.5 KB · Views: 83
  • reg3.jpeg
    reg3.jpeg
    169.6 KB · Views: 81
  • Like
Reactions: SmokinBob, Vol737, DEFENDTHISHOUSE and 22 others
#13
#13
PeytonBerry said:
Brothers in orange, many of you may have seen news reports of 101 "counterfeit stadium replicas" of Neyland that were seized at customs. There is much more to the story, and the way it was communicated was misleading and harmful.

Reginald Rutledge is a passionate UT alum and engineer who has spent YEARS created architectural model stadiums out of his house. After making hundreds of custom orders, he decided to use one of his designs and have them reproduced for sale (and as you might guess, he chose Neyland). It is INCREDIBLE! It has lights, plays RockyTop, and even includes a small section of the Tennessee River (complete with field goal post from the Alabama game).

He worked with the University of Tennessee and had his product properly licensed by the CLC (collegiate licensing company) doing everything by the book. He and his wife Rose literally spent their life savings on this dream. Unbeknownst to them however, their manufacturer used the wrong plug, and that was discovered at customs.

So you would think a remedy would be easy, right? Take off the plug and send them to Reginald? Send them back to the manufacturer to replace? Nope. They instead wrote a story and publicized the seizure of "counterfeit stadium models" to get a few clicks. This story was picked up by all kinds of news outlets COMPLETELY MISREPRESENTING what happened. WVLT headline literally says, "101 fake models of Neyland Stadium seized by U.S. Customs."

Needless to say, Reginald and his wife Rose are devastated. This isn't some scam company using the trademarks of Tennessee to make a quick buck, and these certainly aren't counterfeit stadiums. This is a real artist, a real VFL, and a real human being who has been embarrassed and lied about all over the internet.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Correct those who share this story misrepresenting the facts
2. Tweet replies to @DFOBaltimore and share how misleading and harmful his news release was to a sweet couple doing everything the right way
3. Contact news organizations who run this story and let them know they got it wrong

Many of you guys know me as the guys who shared my own Tennessee artwork years ago. I have so much respect for someone like Reginald putting their passion on display. To see what's happened to him makes me sick. Volnation, please help support your brother, and let him know you have his back. GBO!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the update... people are so hungry for clicks and views they don't bother getting proper information before posting. Having cords that don't pass UL listing on custom products does not make them counterfeit.. to be counterfeit there has to be an original that its copying. Let this be a lesson

Never trust a headline, read the story and apply common sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tngivm6, DuckInAPen, ButchPlz and 1 other person
#16
#16
woodpusher said:
Only a small portion of imports are inspected. Does CBP deliberately go after the little guys?
Click to expand...

Actually, yes. The theory being that larger volume players are less likely to do anything nefarious.

Know one time I was doing some work for a client who imported like 70K FEUs a year. The number or "full" inspections they averaged each year could be counted on one hand.

Kind of scary when you stop to think about it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tbwhhs
#17
#17
PeytonBerry said:
Brothers in orange, many of you may have seen news reports of 101 "counterfeit stadium replicas" of Neyland that were seized at customs. There is much more to the story, and the way it was communicated was misleading and harmful.

Reginald Rutledge is a passionate UT alum and engineer who has spent YEARS created architectural model stadiums out of his house. After making hundreds of custom orders, he decided to use one of his designs and have them reproduced for sale (and as you might guess, he chose Neyland). It is INCREDIBLE! It has lights, plays RockyTop, and even includes a small section of the Tennessee River (complete with field goal post from the Alabama game).

He worked with the University of Tennessee and had his product properly licensed by the CLC (collegiate licensing company) doing everything by the book. He and his wife Rose literally spent their life savings on this dream. Unbeknownst to them however, their manufacturer used the wrong plug, and that was discovered at customs.

So you would think a remedy would be easy, right? Take off the plug and send them to Reginald? Send them back to the manufacturer to replace? Nope. They instead wrote a story and publicized the seizure of "counterfeit stadium models" to get a few clicks. This story was picked up by all kinds of news outlets COMPLETELY MISREPRESENTING what happened. WVLT headline literally says, "101 fake models of Neyland Stadium seized by U.S. Customs."

Needless to say, Reginald and his wife Rose are devastated. This isn't some scam company using the trademarks of Tennessee to make a quick buck, and these certainly aren't counterfeit stadiums. This is a real artist, a real VFL, and a real human being who has been embarrassed and lied about all over the internet.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Correct those who share this story misrepresenting the facts
2. Tweet replies to @DFOBaltimore and share how misleading and harmful his news release was to a sweet couple doing everything the right way
3. Contact news organizations who run this story and let them know they got it wrong

Many of you guys know me as the guys who shared my own Tennessee artwork years ago. I have so much respect for someone like Reginald putting their passion on display. To see what's happened to him makes me sick. Volnation, please help support your brother, and let him know you have his back. GBO!
Click to expand...
Someone put Vol Twitter on the case.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SmokinBob and VolGirl05
#18
#18
Quick update, one of the news stations in Knoxville is actually going to speak to Reginald and update with a new story that gives all the context. This is good news.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SmokinBob and tngivm6
#19
#19
I've said it for years, US Customs hates us.

Guarantee if they were replicas of Bama's stadium, they would have looked the other way.
 
#20
#20
PeytonBerry said:
I know the artist who designed these, and they are in no way fake. The artist is a passionate alumn who worked closely with the university and has them licensed under the CLC (collegiate licensing company).

This isn’t some big company trying to profit off counterfeit goods. It’s an incredibly hard working artist who reached out to a manufacturer to help him replicate his work, and they used a plug they weren’t supposed to.
Click to expand...
A plug?
 
#23
#23
Love to send one to Saban on the anniversary of our game last Fall
 
#25
#25
kiddiedoc said:
I had the same question. As in, an electrical plug?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what I'm reading.

"Plug" is a slang term used for a male electrical connector that is typically inserted into a wall outlet.

The connector has to conform to the National Electrical Code. Cheap connectors can cause fire. The border patrol doesn't seem to catch many of those. Probably bad luck, but who knows...?
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top