Warning !!!! Warning !!!! Warning !!!!
To Whom It May Concern.
From Gerry's Wildly Natural Products & Services. British Columbia Canada
The following posting is a Warning for anyone who is contemplating a Morel Mushroom Harvest Forey with one Chris Matherly, Leader of The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club based out of Georgia State USA.
This posting is also in response to accusations and slanderous comments made towards and against my company and my character.
As some of you may know, a Jennifer Carroll, otherwise known as "Jennifer 97302" in the Mushroom Forums on the internet, has been seeking to be refunded for a Morel Forey that was cancelled. This Forey was to be in the remote area of Northern B.C. Canada and the money she paid was sent to Chris Matherly as leader of this Forey.
I was recently contacted by Jennifer regarding her situation. She learned that my company was the one responsible for the logistics of the Forey and according to Chris Matherly I had the monies she was owed from the cancellation.
Chris Matherly did not supply Jennifer with my contact numbers, nor would he, when asked by her. She managed to track me down through other resourceful means.
When Jennifer explained in an email that she had been "Ripped Off", she showed a characteristic we can all learn to adopt. She stated that she believes that there are always two sides to a story, and then sought out mine regarding this Forey.
My curiousity was up and I returned an email stating "Please Call"
Once Jennifer called and related her story of the events she went through, I was no longer curious, I was disgusted to say the least.
The following Statement of Facts concerns my company's interaction with Chris Matherly and The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club. This statement is supported by Personal Records of my dealings with Chris Matherly. They are true and factual as to the events leading upto my cancellation of any further business with Chris Matherly.
On or about the first of November 2007 I was contacted by Chris Matherly who stated he was acting on behalf of The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club and that he was situated in the State Of Georgia USA.
Chris Matherly was seeking my company's Professional Logistical and Guiding Service I offer to Professional Harvesters and Mushroom Clubs alike.
After some discussion I agreed to set up the Forey providing all of my Company's requirements were met before a certain date.
Chris Matherly stated that the Television Network, Discovery Channel, would be coming along to film a follow up story regarding a show Chris Matherly was involved with previously. This show is called "Cash and Treasures" and is distributed by The Travel Channel.
As a start-up company, and the first to offer Guided Remote Foreys, the attendace of The Discovery Channel would have positively launched my company Internationally. A substantial cost to any company is advertising and promotion. The scenario being offered by Chris Matherly was the Integral key for my acceptance of the group.
My company's requirements that needed to be in place before I would contractually agree to host this group were:
1. Supply a complete Guest Registration with contact information. This is for Emergency and Legal reasons all Eco-Tourism Company's are subject too.
2. Supply Contact Information with Discovery Channel. I know that any production company usually book shoots months before the filming date. This information requested was for Logistical and Legal reasons.
3. Financial Deposit to be forwarded by May 1st 08. Deposits are required by any Guiding outfit.
Chris Matherly failed to meet my requirements on this day, yet I still held out for hope that this trip could still be salvaged. I requested an extension on requests for credit with my creditors, who agreed to wait a little longer but, If Discovery had not contacted me by June 1st, there would be no credit.
Chris Matherly first stated that he believed he could fill my camp for the 6 week season, a total of 60 guests, all from his club and due to the exposure he would receive from the Cash and Treasures Show he appeared on. As this would have seen my company earn a positive profit, I offered to take care of his travel cost and Camp reservation cost for him, providing he filled my camp for the entire season. By the end of March Chris Matherly had just 5 people signed up. I no longer had the time to advertise elsewhere.
After threatening to cease all aspects of my involvement with him, unless he supplied the Dicovery Channel contact, Chris Matherly finally emailed a contact number. This arrived on June 4/08.
I immediately contacted the person involved with Discovery Channel. I explained who I was and why I was calling. I was asked to wait for a return call regarding this matter, but they did not believe that any filming was being done. After a 2 day wait I was contacted by Discovery and told that there never was a plan to film this group in my camp and that Chris Matherly was well aware of this fact.
On June 9 08 I officially cancelled any further involvement with Chris Matherly and The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club for Non-Compliance and obviously for misleading me to believe that Discovery was to be involved.
On June 16 08, I received a check from The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club for the amount of $10,000.00 as a Deposit. This check is signed by Chris Matherly. The check is dated June 1st/08 and postmarked June 6th/08 and mailed from Byron Georgia.
This check was $5,000.00 short of the required deposit and 45 days late. The check number is #1538.
I immediately voided the check and emailed Chris Matherly a notice of my actions and requested instructions as to mail it back or destroy the check. This email was sent on the same day, June 16/08.
I was emailed on June 22nd by him and he acknowleges the check and instructed me to return the check by mail. Which I did.
For personal records I took photos of the check and the envelope it arrived in. Call it Intuition as well as good business sense.
That ends my statement regarding the facts of my interaction with Chris Matherly and The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club.
The following statement pertains to my conversations with Jennifer Carroll of Salem Georgia, and the ordeal she has suffered due to the criminal actions of Chris Matherly on behalf of The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club.
Jennifer informed me that she and her husband, along with 2 young children, drove from Salem Oregon to Watson Lake Yukon as members of the group. I immediately informed Jennifer that children were not allowed and that I had stipulated this in my emails to Chris Matherly. I explained that there would be no children under the age of 14 without my consent. Jennifer explained that she had questioned Chris Matherly about her children, aged 6 yrs and 15 months, and he assured her "Kids were OK". This was said long before she sent her deposit and the acceptance of her children was the sealing point to agree to attend this forey.
Jennifer informed me that she emailed Chris Matherly on June 10th informing him that they had 700 miles to go and that they were excited.
Chris Matherly emailed her back on June 10th at 8:35 am. stating, Gerry was scoping the area and that they should look for a report from Gerry coming soon.
Remember I had officially cancelled my involvement with this forey on the 9th of June and the Email was sent around 8:30 am PST.
Chris Matherly was well aware that I was not "Scoping out the Burn" and that my cancellation was already in effect.
On June 11th Chris Matherly sent Jennifer an email instructing her to connect to Website http://morelmushroomhunting.com/yukonchanges.htm. This website contains a letter stating that I had cancelled the trip and for specific reasons. The letter is a fabrication of a sequence of events that never happened and this letter was never sent by me to Chris Matherly or The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club. The fact that my company name/signature is attached to this fabricated document establishes this letter as a Forgery.
This letter also contains an address from Chris Matherly to all members of his group. In this letter he makes a claim that he was glad he only sent me about half of the money he collected from his members and a precaution he was glad he took. The total cost of the clubs reservation was $35,000.00am. The deposit check I voided was less than 1/3rd of the value, not close to half as claimed. This letter to his members continues on to herald his accomplishments while slandering my company through innuendos and insinuations. You are welcome to read the letter and make your own conclusion as to his intentions.
I had no knowledge of this webpage or its contents until it was revealed to me by Jennifer Carroll through her explanations of her ordeal.
Later communications with Jennifer Carroll has Chris Matherly telling Jennifer that I have yet to pay him back, although in one email he states that he will bear the responsibility and offer her credit towards future foreys. This email arrived 1 day after my email notification of the voided check.
An offer she has refused because of financial difficulties caused by Chris Matherly.
At present both Jennifer Carroll and myself are in the process of having Chris Matherly and The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club in Georgia served with charges stemming from the actions of this man on behalf of the club.
We have co-jointly contacted Chris Matherly on this matter previous to the release of this posting, and offered him a chance to make reperations in order to avoid both federal criminal charges and a Joint Civil Litigation suit being laid against him.
The posting of this Warning constitutes that Chris Matherly has refused to make those reperations.
Jennifer Carroll, Salem Oregon.
Gerry Landry Gerry's Wildly Natural Products and Services gerry_landry@yahoo.com 250.782.5209