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Coolmore International Ltd Jean Paul Gut Refuses to Pay for Rental Vehicle and Services Rendered London, Other
On dates prior Coolmore Inc UK ( Jean Paul Gut) through his offices in London contacted me to ask if I would spend a week in his employ for the trip he was planning begining in NYC, then Phildelphia,on to Washington DC, and finally Boston as he and his daughter were going about visitng colleges that Mz gut might attend. (Those colleges included Tufts, Bentley, Brandies, Columbia, Penn State, and Georgetown.) Jean Paul Gut requested a Town car from Hertz, Hertz would not guarantee any vehicle except that which was available on the day of rental. I went to Hertz at Newark Airport the day prior to his and his daughters arrival and asked if I could open the contract for the following day to avoid any last minute problems in the hope that there would be a Town Car available. The Hertz agant at the counter refused to open a contract till the next day when I actually intended to take possesion of the vehicle. I spoke with the on sight manager who reinforced the corpoate policy. I went outside to the parking lot and called the 800 number for Hertz and I was given the same information and I asked for a Consumer Affairs Rep and I was told by the phone agant that line was busy and that I would get a call back. That call never came. I decided to call Hertz on Rt 17 in Paramua NJ and spoke with Ruth telling her what had happened and that I was concerned Mr Gut would not get a Town Car and this would lead to his disatisfaction, Ruth said she would see what she could do and asked about any acceptable alternative vehicles in the event there were no Town Cars available and that she would call me back shortly. In the mean time Catriona Macrae from Mr Guts London Office called with Mr Gut on the line who said he wanted a 'larger' vehicle than a Town Car, maybe a Cadillac. I explained that I was already having trouble with Hertz, but that I was working on it with Ruth and that I thought we could all work things out and the call terminated. Ruth called back and I explained that perhaps an SUV might be the better choice now as the Gut's were carrying large baggage, making the second effort Ruth came up with a full size GMC SUV, I so advised Coolmore Intl UK the Tahoe was secured at 3PM the day of arrival and I went to JFK and waited. Upon arrival Mr Gut took one look at the SUV and began to complain that is not what he wanted, I explained that I understood in his phone conference with myself & Catriona Macrae on the line, that he wanted 'something larger' than the Town Car and the SUV was that, but tomorrow, Saturday, we could go back to Hertz in Manhatten to see where I could get a vehicle of his choosing. Upon arrival at the 4 Seasons Manhatten as he was getting out of the vehicle Mr Gut again laid in to me about the SUV versus Town Car, and he wanted to know if I knew where Columbia was for the mornings visit and I assured him that I did and had been there before. He reiterated all of his concerns and checked in for the evening. (At this juncture I went to 116th and Amsterdam and sure enough, the gates to Columbia were still there.)
After reassuring myself that the insitution was where I had last seen it I went to the Times Square Marriott Courtyard Hotel where Coolmore Int UK had so kindly had booked me a room for three days, only to discover that because of the fact that the hotel was over booked due to a higher than expected demand? They had given away my room(s). I went outside and called the Marriott 800 number ans spoke to several persons and asked that they cancel the reservations as for the moment? There was no room available at 1AM in Manhatten. ( By the way, this hotel is not really in Times Square at all, it is some blocks away, and there is no parking nor valet at the curb at that hour.) I Digress.
The next day I arrived at the 4 Seasons at 8:00AM for the 8:30AM time as per Mr Gut's directions he came out at 9:30AM instead, and I took he and his daughter directly to Columbia where Mr Gut went back over his demands for another vehicle, I explained that I had been on the phone with Hertz till 1AM trying to locate a Town Car and that I would continue the quest. I did not mention the Marriott reservation. After he was done at Columbia he asked to be taken to the Trump Tower, (upon arrival there he discovered he wanted to go to the Trump Plaza), the Trump Tower is at Columbia Circle, he wanted 'The other Trump', just a few blocks away. Upon arrival there , he expressed his frustration in no uncertain terms, and sent me on my way to find a Town Car and after visiting 4 Hertz locations, in Manhatten , on a very busy fall Saturday, I found one and called Mr Gut to the Hertz location to handle the transaction now. A very annoyed Mr Gut came to the Hetz office with out his drivers license in his possession and Mr Gut had to go back to his hotel to get it and come back while I waited at Hertz. Where upon when he arrived he said he was going to go to 873 Washington by NYU and I was to meet him there,( problem is? There are several Washington's there) and he left. Arriving at Washington Square I began the systematic process of looking for Mr Gut at each 800 block of the Washington's and then came the furious phone calls demanding to know where I was as he had gotten in a cab. And that I was now to meet him back up town at the 4 Seasons on a grid lock Saturday beautiful fall day, NYC, where it seemed as though every one and any one was out side. Mr Gut by this time was furious and began speaking in terms about wanting to cancel my services if this continued where he had to take a cab instead? I told him that I understood his frustration (with out going over the fact that I was slammed in gridlock every where he sent me by going to 4 Hertz locations then running down to Washington Square driving on one way streets looking for some obscure address only to be called back across town to East 57th street yet again?) . Came the evening for dinner resrvations when Mr Gut stepped out of his hotel to see the Town Car for the first time, complaining about the ugly Champaign Gold color? It was off to the restaurant he and his guests enjoyed, I went to a diner and had a really good meal and made some new working class friends. Mr Gut came out later in the evening and retired. The next morning I arrived at the appointed hour where Mr Gut, upon stepping out of the 4 Seasons began lambasting the interior of the Town Car for the marks and stains and while he was at MOMA I went looking for a car wash, in Manhatten, on a Sunday morning, some where-anywhere, till I found one that was open and got the carw ashed and the interior sorted out. the came the phone call asking where I was that Mr Gut was ready to leave, a full 30 minutes earlier than he had indicated he wanted to be picked up, angry I was not waiting outside for him, I explained that I was some blocks away and need a few minutes to get there, never reminding him that he wanted the interior attened to. Upon my arrival another lecture. For Mr Gut's afternoon he wanted to got to Cipri, a restaurant in SOHO, which is a very popular tourist destination ( on a lovely fall afternoon NYC ) and upon arrival there and exiting the car he asked I return and park at 2:00PM for a 2:30PM departure, now here is where reality hist theory: The 300 block of wets Broadway, is not a broad street at all, parking there is some what, how shall I say it? Darwinian in nature? And so I began circling the bllock arriving at the appointed time as the gliterati enjoed their meal under the bright yellow awning with the tables facing the stree as the world passed by, and so did I, every opportunity I could because the street is so narrow if one stops to wait, the street stops working altogether which is a very ill advised thing to do, even for Mr Gut? Mt Gut had been trying to call me on my cell phone and appparently it is a dead zone there in SOHO for my AT&T service and as it urns out, he had left in a, you guessed it, A Cab! (This mind you as I circled and circled the 8 blocks of one way streets and all manner of road blocks of tourists, cars and traffic lights.) At some point the cell phone catches a signal and a very angry Mr Gut filibusters me about his utter and complete disatisfaction with me saying I had not answered my phone? I explained there were no incoming calls rgeistered on my phone and he was welcome to view the phone if he liked and besides, why did he not use the second phone I have that is a Blackberry device with mulitple APPS? Mr Gut realizing he had not thought of that became incensed and threatened to fire me, where upon after the call terminated, I drove myself from the restaurant where no less than three or four staff will surely remember the recurring striking Gold Town Car that kept coming back for the two hours waiting double parked till the horns started blaring from all the other angry frustrated drivers who found them selves blocked by my waitng out front where no parking spots were to be had what so ever despite Mr Gut's desire that one be there fo him? I dropped the car with the 4 Season's Valet and left a text message telling Mr gut where he could redeem his rental car.
Today I got this:
Dear Stewart
I have just spoken to Mr Gut and he asked me not to deal with this matter any further. Please could you call him directly to discuss anything you would like to settle.
Regards,
Catriona Macrae
Dear Stewart
I can confirm that your emails regarding the SUV rental payment and the billing for your time have been received. Please could you send me bank account information for yourself and Phil Russo so that I can make bank transfer payments? This would be the fastest and most secure method of payment. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Catriona
Sent: 26 October 2010 16:32
To:
Cc: Isabelle Bourhis
Subject: Billing Confirmation Request
Ma'am
In the last several emails I have asked that your office reimburse the credit card for the SUV at $370 dollars, and I emailed you a billing for three days at the day rate of $285 dollars per day, please acknowledge receive. To which I replied:
Miss Macrae
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Stewart
venice,California,
U.S.A.
And then there is this...
#2Author of original report
Wed, October 27, 2010
Vanity Fair...
It isnt very often in the 21st century that you hear about prominent members of the upper class criminally abusing their servants. In the U.S., for instance, such illicit activity is buried deeply enough within the nations past that to imagine it ever happening again seems virtually impossible. No doubt, Americas record on slavery and indentured servitude is shameful, but the worst of it is behind us, consigned to the realm of history.
But in several nations abroad, particularly those where disparities in wealth are extreme and state laws still uphold an officially sanctioned ruling class, it seems that acute malevolence towards staff members, especially individuals working in service, is almost an accepted component of affluent life.
These transgressions arent discussed openly, certainly among the international crowd, but they arent fully hidden either. Whats strange is that wealthy people from these developing regions tend to avoid interacting with their aides in front of individuals they feel might not understand or might even take offense. In some cases, they will step away from a conversation and whisper to a housekeeper in the corner of a room as if the two of them are keeping a secret or sharing a discretion. Its a curious behavior that suggests theres an unspoken and overpowering dominance at play.
Equally fascinating is the response of typical westerners who are accustomed to more conventional staff-employer interactions. Surprisingly, these individuals tend to support these mysterious and often dark relationships by not reacting when disquieting vignettes unfold right before their very eyes. Whether in lavish homes or in business meetings, observers watch passively without responding when servants are present and the bullying is on display.
Naturally, its awkward to ask too many questions in such scenarios; prying into the customs of any foreign culture can be rude and inconsiderate. I personally think most people would prefer not to know the full truth. So they simply look the other wayuntil something happens that is so extreme that ignoring it just isnt an option.
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/10/last-week-a-british-court.html